Local Crop Research Articles

Development of Simplified Seedling Transplanting Device for Supporting Efficient Production of Vegetable Raw Materials

Efficient greenhouse production has a great supporting role in the development of vegetable agricultural and sideline product processing. In this paper, a simplified automatic transplanting device was designed and evaluated in a laboratory. The device mainly consists of a seedling pick-up gripper, a transplanting manipulator, two conveyors and a control system. The flexible multi-pin gripper was designed to effectively grasp, hold, and release seedlings. Through a combination innovation of the linear modules, the transplanting manipulator was designed to move the seedling gripper to the desired working position. The conveyors were the pallet-type double-row chain transmission system for automatic feeding of plug trays and growth pots. The control system was developed to coordinate each of the aforementioned function units. The multi-factor orthogonal and transplanting performance experiments were carried out under the standard seedling agronomy. The results showed that the transplanting frequency and the pick-up depth significantly affected the transplanting quality. When the transplanting frequency was 15 plants/min, the tightened spring force was 1.2 N, and the pick-up penetration depth was 35 mm, the optimum effects of automatic transplanting seedlings could be achieved. The maximum success in transplanting seedlings was 95.47% for local vegetable crops. The developed prototype could realize less waste of seedling resources at the farm level.

English

Crop mapping and its health monitoring are of key importance for a country like Pakistan where a considerable share of the GDP originates from agricultural production. Currently, extensive capital and human resource are utilized to record the crop types and monitor crop health due to variations in crop pattern and intercropping practices being observed in many parts of the country. Satellite Remote Sensing, however, can be utilized very efficiently to identify crop types and estimate acreage by using unique phenological cycles derived from NDVI thresholds. In this research, we proposed a semi-automated, efficient and cost-effective state-of-the-art technique for crop classification using satellite remote sensing datasets and GIS techniques to replace outdated conventional survey-based crop estimations procedures. This research was conducted in Sahiwal district, Pakistan to categorise several crop types using two major inputs: satellite (Sentinel-2, 10m) imagery and local crop calendar. The research adopted a semi-automatic approach to find the main crops of Rabi (winter) and Kharif (summer) using orthorectified and atmospherically corrected Level-1C images to extract phenological information based on Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). The complete phenological life cycle of crops including sowing, growing, and harvesting stages were deeply analyzed with the help of crop calendar and NDVI profiles. Then this information passed through iterative selforganizing (ISO Data Model) of unsupervised classification technique in the form of temporal stacked images. The NDVI profiles of each crop were synchronized with the crop calendar of the study area to develop the crop categorization procedure. The results were validated with the statistics of the agriculture department Lahore and field samples gave about 85% and 88% accuracy for Rabi and Kharif cropping seasons respectively. It is concluded from the research that the tested methodology is capable of providing a fast, cost-efficient, and reliable solution for crop mapping instead of conventional survey-based crop area assessment techniques (conventional Girdawri) which requires a vast number of resources and time, and it can be replicated in different areas with minor changes

Spatial variation in actual and required nitrogen use efficiency and the potential to close the gap by management practices

To boost crop production, China uses almost a third of the world's nitrogen (N) fertilizer. However, N losses due to enhanced application of N fertilizers has led to surface water and groundwater pollution. A reduction in N losses without reducing crop yields is possible by increasing nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), which is important for the effective management of local crop production and water quality. This study used two representative agricultural counties in China (Quzhou and Qiyang) to assess if it is possible to achieve N loss thresholds in surface and groundwater by optimizing N management measures while maintaining actual crop production. We used a spatially explicit N balance model to assess the spatial variation in actual N inputs to soil and N losses to water, and in critical N losses and associated agricultural N inputs. We also used this model to calculate the spatial variation in actual NUEs and the required NUE to align actual crop production with N thresholds. We then assessed the feasibility of achieving the necessary NUE changes through optimizing agricultural N management strategies. It was found that actual N input exceeded critical N input in 95 and 83 % of the agricultural area in Quzhou and Qiyang, respectively. To meet actual crop production without exceeding N loss thresholds, the NUE needs to increase with 11 to 15 % whereas the total N input needs to be reduced by 37 %. NUE gaps can be closed by reducing N rates, enhancing organic manure recycling, and using efficiency-enhancing fertilizers, with optimal combinations being dependent on site conditions.

Detection of Groundnut ringspot virus carried by Frankliniella sp. on watermelon fields in Brazilian Cerrado

Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) is an important crop in Brazil and affected by relevant insect vectors, including thrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae). The present work was focused on evaluating the presence of Groundnut ringspot virus (GRSV) associated with Frankliniella sp. (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) in watermelon, C. lanatus , cultivated in the Brazilian Cerrado biome. Several species of thrips were collected from four commercial crops located in Gurupi, Lagoa da Confusao, Formoso do Araguaia and Porto Nacional counties, all of them belonging to the Brazilian state of Tocantins). The total viral RNA obtained from the thrips was enriched and used to perform ugh RT-PCR. Using specific primers, a 644 bp fragment of the GRSV nucleocapsid was identified in all insect samples, which allowed us to perform a phylogenetic analysis with GRSV sequences described for other geographical regions. The findings demonstrate the wide distribution of the GRSV virus in commercial watermelon crops in the Brazilian Cerrado Biome. The association with Frankliniella sp. is highlighted as one of the most relevant vector pathways in this region of high intensity and advanced agriculture. In addition, phylogenetic analysis demonstrated a close relationship between GRSV sequences from South Africa and Brazil. These findings may contribute to the understanding of GRSV distribution in watermelon crops in different localities of Brazilian Cerrado Biome.

Crop biocultural traits shape seed networks: Implications for social-ecological resilience in south eastern Senegal

CONTEXTAgroecosystems' social-ecological resilience largely depends on the crop diversity generated and maintained by farmers, which provides insurance against changing environmental and socio-economic conditions. In turn, crop diversity generation, maintenance, and distribution is influenced by seed circulation networks. Thus, patterns of seed circulation can support or constrain households' access to crop diversity, affecting on-farm crop diversity. OBJECTIVEWe aimed at understanding the mechanisms shaping seed circulation and farmers' access to crop diversity by: 1) assessing how crop biocultural traits influence patterns of seed circulation; 2) exploring the connections between household position in the seed circulation network and on-farm crop diversity for different crops. METHODSWe conducted research in south-eastern Senegal applying crop diversity inventories and a survey to document seed acquisitions for the six local staple crops, which differ in biocultural traits. Household's varietal diversity and household- and community-level network measures calculated for each crop were used to compare seed circulation patterns among crops. Then, we analyzed the association between households' position in the seed circulation networks and households' on-farm crop diversity using generalized linear models. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONSOur research advances two main findings about the importance of seed circulation networks for farmers' access to crop diversity.First, several seed circulation networks operate in the same community and at the same time. Each species circulated differently, which can be explained by crop's biocultural traits. Socio-cultural traits, like the cultural relevance of a crop, and biological traits, like crop's functional group (e.g., legumes, cereals), affect the patterns of seed circulation. Seed circulation networks that involved external actors, like agricultural extension projects or NGOs, were more centralized than seed circulation networks in which these actors were absent.Second, household's centrality in the network of seed circulation (indegree and betweenness) was generally associated with higher on-farm varietal diversity. However, the factors that determined household's access to seeds differed among crops and variety types. SIGNIFICANCEFarmer-to-farmer seed circulation networks are instrumental for the maintenance and distribution of agrobiodiversity and catalyze the introduction of new diversity in the agricultural system. However, tensions exist between traditional and new (e.g., interventions) mechanisms of seed sharing, resulting in centralized and unidirectional seed distribution, which might affect the social-ecological resilience of the system.

Cropping Pattern, Production Status and Farmer’s Indigenous Practices of Local Crops in Humla District, Nepal

A study was carried out in the Humla district during 2078 B.S. to examine the local cropping pattern, production status, and indigenous practices of crops. To gather information, a semi-structured questionnaire was used to survey 52 households, and two focus group discussions were conducted. The study found that the major indigenous crops were summer crops that were sowed in the months of Baisakh and Jestha and harvested in Ashoj and Kartik. These crops required less water. On the other hand, winter season crops such as naked barley and wheat (pabai) required more than seven months for harvesting. Beans, buckwheat, potato, and finger millet were the major crops produced in the study area. Beans, buckwheat, and barley were cultivated by a higher number of households, while buckwheat, potato, and beans had high crop production. The majority of farmers practices a two-year crop rotation. Additionally, the study found that socio-economic factors such as gender, farmer’s age, caste, family size, and total crop production had a significant relation on maintaining on-farm crop diversity. The study concluded that local farmers in Humla district continue to rely on traditional practices for crop management, which are well-suited to the local agro-climatic conditions. However, it is necessary to give greater emphasis to increasing cropping intensity through the introduction of new technology and innovation, suitable crop management methods, and the protection of indigenous crops to enhance food security and agricultural sustainability in the region.

A Global Systematic Review of Improving Crop Model Estimations by Assimilating Remote Sensing Data: Implications for Small-Scale Agricultural Systems

There is a growing effort to use access to remote sensing data (RS) in conjunction with crop model simulation capability to improve the accuracy of crop growth and yield estimates. This is critical for sustainable agricultural management and food security, especially in farming communities with limited resources and data. Therefore, the objective of this study was to provide a systematic review of research on data assimilation and summarize how its application varies by country, crop, and farming systems. In addition, we highlight the implications of using process-based crop models (PBCMs) and data assimilation in small-scale farming systems. Using a strict search term, we searched the Scopus and Web of Science databases and found 497 potential publications. After screening for relevance using predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria, 123 publications were included in the final review. Our results show increasing global interest in RS data assimilation approaches; however, 81% of the studies were from countries with relatively high levels of agricultural production, technology, and innovation. There is increasing development of crop models, availability of RS data sources, and characterization of crop parameters assimilated into PBCMs. Most studies used recalibration or updating methods to mainly incorporate remotely sensed leaf area index from MODIS or Landsat into the WOrld FOod STudies (WOFOST) model to improve yield estimates for staple crops in large-scale and irrigated farming systems. However, these methods cannot compensate for the uncertainties in RS data and crop models. We concluded that further research on data assimilation using newly available high-resolution RS datasets, such as Sentinel-2, should be conducted to significantly improve simulations of rare crops and small-scale rainfed farming systems. This is critical for informing local crop management decisions to improve policy and food security assessments.

Pathogenicity and other characteristics of the endophytic Beauveria bassiana strain (Bals.) (Hypocreales: Cordycipitaceae)

BackgroundAgriculture crops such as tomatoes and wheat are frequently targeted by insect pests which have a significant negative impact on the agricultural economies. The deployment of entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) for the control of the insect pests is an important alternative to synthetic insecticides. The EPF, Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin, has been reported widely as a suitable biological control agent of many agricultural pests.ResultsIn this study, B. bassiana SS-1 was isolated from local plant crops and its pathogenicity was assessed against the greater wax moth larvae Galleria mellonella (L.). The development of the pathogenic B. bassiana SS-1 on the insect was visualized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Results showed the ability of B. bassiana SS-1 to secrete extracellularly the important enzymes essential for insect cuticle penetration. B. bassiana SS1 recorded the maximum mean lipase (5.3 U/ml), protease (32.13 U/ml), and chitinase activities (2.95 U/ml). The endophytic pathogenic fungus B. bassiana SS-1 demonstrated pathogenicity against the fourth instar larvae of G. mellonella showing LC50 at 2.47 × 102 conidia/ml and LC95 at 3.98 × 105 conidia/ml. The SEM results showed physical contact with B. bassiana SS-1 hyphae on the surface of the G. mellonella larvae. Thus, the isolated EPF B. bassiana SS-1, even endophytic, could be a promising biocontrol agent to manage agricultural insect pests.ConclusionThis study provided a comprehensive characterization of the pathogenicity of B. bassiana SS-1 with its microbiological characteristics. Future studies are needed to focus on the detection of highly virulent isolates against different insect pests and to assess their field contribution as a favorable biological control agent.

Optimization of dabi teff-field pea based energy and protein dense novel complementary food with improved sensory acceptability using D-optimal mixture design

Protein-energy malnutrition is unacceptably high among children in developing countries due to inadequate required nutrients and poor quality of complementary foods characterized by low protein and energy density and often monotonous. Thus, this research was aimed at examining the potential of including dabi teff, the underutilized/forgotten crop into pre-processed local food crops viz., germinated maize, roasted barley, roasted field pea, dehulled oats and linseed to develop energy and protein-dense optimized novel complementary food with improved sensory acceptability. Nutrisurvey software was employed to define ranges and they were constrained at 20–35% dabi teff, 0–30% field pea and 5–20% maize, while the rest were set constant at 25% barley, 15% oats and 5% linseed. Eleven experimental runs were generated from the six mixture components using D-optimal mixture design, Stat-Ease Design Expert ® software version 11. A 5-point Hedonic scale was used to evaluate the sensory attributes. ‘Scheffe’ regression was used to fit and test model adequacy and numerical multi-response optimization was performed to identify optimal points using the Design expert. Field pea and linseed contained significantly higher (P < 0.05) protein at 20.95% and 20.57%. The newly formulated products contained significantly higher protein (1.4–1.6 times) and protein density (1.31–1.56 times) as compared to the control and fulfilled the recommended standard. The optimal was identified at 34.66% dabi teff, 25% barley, 15% oats, 15.34% field pea, 5% linseed and 5% maize flour ratios with response values at overall optimization to be 5.57% moisture, 15.74% protein, 5.09% fat, 2.26% ash, 2.88% fiber, 73.05% carbohydrate, 380.43 kcal/100 g energy and 4.12 sensory acceptability score and it contained an energy density of 1.27 kcal/g and protein density of 4.14 g/100kacl. These findings showed that optimized dabi teff-field pea based novel complementary food can be used as a sustainable food-based strategy to combat protein-energy malnutrition among children in developing countries.

Productivity and Stability Evaluation of 12 Selected Avena magna ssp. domestica Lines Based on Multi-Location Experiments during Three Cropping Seasons in Morocco

Avena magna (2n = 4x = 28) is a tetraploid oat with a very high protein content compared to the hexaploid common oat, A. sativa (2n = 6x = 42). The wild type of A. magna originates from Morocco; its domestication has been achieved only within the past 25 years. The present study aimed to evaluate the productivity potential of an A. magna ssp. domestica collection of 11 advanced lines and a control variety, ‘Avery’. Twelve trials were conducted during three cropping seasons at four, three, and five locations and revealed significant differences among the accessions. Data on twelve agro-morphological characters and two disease traits were collected, and they confirmed the presence of variability in this oat germplasm set. Mean grain yield was 30.76 q/ha and varied from site to site, ranging from 6.89 q/ha at Bouchane_19 to 85.5 q/ha at Alnif_21. Across experimental sites, plant height ranged from 48.93 to 120.47 cm; thousand kernel weight from 32.83 to 49.73 g; and harvest index from 20.43 to 31.33%. Line AT6 was relatively tolerant of BYDV and crown rust infections, based on disease severity scoring at the heading stage. According to AMMI analysis, 78% of the grain yield variability was due to the environment factor and 4% was explained by the genetic factor. Among the highest-yielding lines, AT5 and ATC were relatively unstable. Line AT5 was more productive at the elevated site of El Kbab_19, and ATC performed better at the oasis location of Alnif_21 under irrigation. Line AT7 showed the most stable behavior; it was high yielding across the five environments and exceeded the general mean of the experiments. The A. magna ssp. domestica lines proved their suitability for cultivation under local farming conditions. Their nutritional quality, especially their high protein content, makes them good candidates for further testing in the Moroccan breeding program and for integration into local cropping systems.

Environmental factors affecting honey bees (Apis cerana) and cabbage white butterflies (Pieris rapae) at urban farmlands.

Rapid urbanization results in a significantly increased urban population, but also the loss of agricultural lands, thus raising a concern for food security. Urban agriculture has received increasing attention as a way of improving food access in urban areas and local farmers' livelihoods. Although vegetable-dominant small urban farmlands are relatively common in China, little is known about environmental factors associated with insects that could affect ecosystem services at these urban farmlands, which in turn influences agricultural productivity. Using Asian honey bee (Apis cerana) and cabbage white butterfly (Pieris rapae) as examples, I investigated how environmental features within and surrounding urban farmlands affected insect pollinator (bee) and pest (butterfly) abundance in a megacity of China during winters. I considered environmental features at three spatial scales: fine (5 m-radius area), local (50 m-radius area), and landscape (500 m-raidus and 1 km-radius areas). While the abundance of P. rapae increased with local crop diversity, it was strongly negatively associated with landscape-scale crop and weed covers. A. cerana responded positively to flower cover at the fine scale. Their abundance also increased with local-scale weed cover but decreased with increasing landscape-scale weed cover. The abundance of A. cerana tended to decrease with increasing patch density of farmlands within a landscape, i.e., farmland fragmentation. These results suggest that cultivating too diverse crops at urban farmlands can increase crop damage; however, the damage may be alleviated at farmlands embedded in a landscape with more crop cover. Retaining a small amount of un-harvested flowering crops and weedy vegetation within a farmland, especially less fragmented farmland can benefit A. cerana when natural resources are scarce.

Nutrient Balance in Hass Avocado Trees as a Tool to Optimize Crop Fertilization Management

This study was conducted to evaluate fertilization management based on fruit nutrient removal, soil nutrient-supplying capacity and tree nutritional status with standard nutrient values as a reference and the effects on fruit size and yield in Hass avocado trees. The soil chemical characteristics, foliar nutrient content interpreted with the Kenworthy balance index (KBI) method and fruit nutrient removal for a planned yield of 20 ton/ha were used to determine the fertilization management plan for the crop. The experimental area had soils with Andic characteristics and sandy loam texture, low cation exchange capacity and acidic pH. The farmer’s standard fertilization plan was based on excessive fertilizer doses for N, P, K and Ca, and an imbalance of P, Ca and micronutrients was observed with the diagnosis of plant nutrient status. The fertilizer plan based on the KBI method had an effect on yield variables in the second crop year, with an increase in production of 20 kg/tree as well as an increase in the percentage of fruits with a size higher than 22 (165–196 g/fruit) according to the Codex Alimentarius standards. These findings indicate that the reincorporation of minerals extracted by the harvest into the soil and the plant nutrient status are useful tools to guide crop fertilization management when fine-tuned to local soil chemical conditions and crop requirements to minimize nutrient losses.

Accuracy of Estimated Crop Evapotranspiration Using Locally Developed Crop Coefficients against Satellite-Derived Crop Evapotranspiration in a Semiarid Climate

Actual crop evapotranspiration (ETa) is measured or estimated using different methods, and its accuracy is critical for water management under precision agriculture. The objective of this study was to compare maize ETa estimated by the two-step approach using a locally developed crop coefficient curve with satellite-retrieved evapotranspiration by six models incorporated in the OpenET to identify the best evapotranspiration estimation alternatives to the two-step approach for water management in northern New Mexico. Maize (Zea mays L.) was planted at the NMSU Agricultural Science Center at Farmington from 2017 to 2022 and uniformly managed across years. Water management in plants was based on maize’s actual evapotranspiration estimated as the product of the reference evapotranspiration and the local crop coefficient, which is described as a third-order polynomial function of the accumulated heat units by maize plants. For the same growing seasons, maize ETa was retrieved from satellite, and was estimated by six models listed within the OpenET from 2017 to 2022. The results show that maize daily ETa was consistently smaller when measured by SIMS and PT-JPL during maize initial and actively growing stages, while ETc(kc), SIMS and eeMETRIC showed similar maize daily ETa during maize full canopy development and mid-season, and which overcome the evapotranspiration estimated by DisALEXI, PT-JPL, geeSEBAL, and SSBop. ETc(kc) drastically dropped and became the lowest value among all ETa estimation models after the first fall snow or the first killing frost. Regarding the seasonal average, all six models included in OpenET showed smaller maize evapotranspiration. Maize seasonal evapotranspiration varied from 589.7 to 683.2 mm. eeMETRIC compares most similarly to the ETc(kc) model, followed by SIMS, with percent errors of 2.58 and 7.74% on a daily basis and 2.43 and 7.88% on a seasonal basis, with the lowest MBE and RMSE values, respectively, and could be used as an alternative for maize actual daily evapotranspiration for water management in northern New Mexico. The results of this study could be used by water managers and crop growers to improve water management in the Four Corners region, using eeMETRIC for crop water use to improve water management and conservation under sustainable agriculture.

Pembuatan Aneka Bakery Berbasis Umbi-Umbian Hasil Panen Jemaat GPdI Blessing Distrik Heram, Kota Jayapura

Tubers are one of the local foods besides rice and corn which have the potential as alternative food. Processing of tubers in Papua is generally still carried out simply and on small industry likes home industry. Various tuber are usually consumed by local people by boiled, fried, baked, and steamed. Many modern food are made from tuber flour to increase consumer interest. Generally, local people tuber crops are sold without going through modern processing. Low technological innovation and creation of local food causes the low consumer interest to consume various local food products. This activity was carried out with the aim of being GPdI, Blessing congregation, to increase the congregation insight so they interest to increase local food product by increase the nutritional value and selling value of the congregation’s crops in modern packaging. Theoretical and practical methods are carried out with the intention of providing an explanation regarding the processing of tubers in to modern products. The practice was carried out so that the participants could directly make various bakeries made from tubers. During the activity, start to finish, participants were enthusiastic and were able to produce various bakery produks such as bread, brudel, and brownis cake. Keyword: Tubers; Bakery; GPdI Blessing; Heram

Foraging patterns of bees on watermelon (&lt;em&gt;Citrullus lanatus&lt;/em&gt; Thunb.) flowers in Panama

Watermelon is one of the most important fruit crops in the world, but their flowers require bees for pollination. In this study we determine bee species visiting watermelon flowers, their daily visits and the resource they forage during 84 observation days on crops in Los Santos, Panama. Native bees, especially stingless bees represented most of the visits, so they probably play a very important role on the pollination of the crops within the zone. The most frequent bee species visiting flowers were N. perilampoides (58.7%), A. mellifera (23%), and P. peckolti (4%). Most of the bees foraged nectar, with very similar numbers between staminate and pistillate flowers. Honeybees dedicated almost half of their visits (47.7%) for pollen collection, and made most of their daily visits between 7:00 and 8:00 hours, whereas stingless bees visits picked up between 8:00 and 9:00 hours. Nectar visits were shorter than pollen visits, and overall, honeybees made the shortest visits to watermelon flowers. We found significant differences in the daily foraging patterns between bee species foraging for resources during the 84 observation period (Friedman P&lt;0.05). We also found bee characteristics (size, color and sociability) and hour of the day significantly influenced flower visits for resources (GLMM P&lt;0.05). Our results can be useful for predicting behavior of some of the Central American bee species, and managing and protecting those species, and improving fruit production in local watermelon crops.

Mapping of soil organic matter in a typical black soil area using Landsat-8 synthetic images at different time periods

Mapping of soil organic matter (SOM) in cultivated land is one of the important aspects of digital soil mapping, and its results are of great significance for agricultural precision management and carbon cycle assessment. This study takes Youyi Farm, a typical black soil area in Northeast China, as the research area and utilizes all Landsat-8 images covering the study area from April to October during 2014–2022. After masking clouds, all images were synthesized monthly. According to the local crop phenology, the period from April to October was divided into the bare soil period (April to June), peak crop growth period (July to August), and late crop growth period (September to October). Based on the random forest regression algorithm, differences in the accuracy of SOM mapping using synthetic images from different periods were evaluated, and the impact of adding environmental covariates on the SOM mapping accuracy was analyzed. The results showed that (1) when using a single-temporal synthesized image for SOM mapping, the order of accuracy was bare soil period > peak crop growth period > late crop growth period, with the synthesized image in May exhibiting the highest accuracy, with an RMSE of 0.979 %; (2) when using a multitemporal image combination for SOM mapping, the combination of optimal months (April, May, June) in the same periods can obtain the best SOM mapping accuracy, with an RMSE of 0.919 %; and (3) adding environmental covariates can effectively improve the accuracy of SOM mapping, especially when using the growing season remote sensing images, RMSE decreased from 1.136 % to 0.909 %. This study expands the applicable areas and conditions of SOM remote sensing mapping.

Impact-Based Flood Early Warning for Rural Livelihoods in Uganda

Abstract Anticipatory actions are increasingly being taken before an extreme flood event to reduce the impacts on lives and livelihoods. Local contextualized information is required to support real-time local decisions on where and when to act and what anticipatory actions to take. This study defines an impact-based, early-warning trigger system that integrates flood forecasts with livelihood information, such as crop calendars, to target anticipatory actions better. We demonstrate the application of this trigger system using a flood case study from the Katakwi District in Uganda. First, we integrate information on the local crop cycles with the flood forecasts to define the impact-based trigger system. Second, we verify the impact-based system using historical flood impact information and then compare it with the existing hazard-based system in the context of humanitarian decisions. Study findings show that the impact-based trigger system has an improved probability of flood detection compared with the hazard-based system. There are fewer missed events in the impact-based system, while the trigger dates are similar in both systems. In a humanitarian context, the two systems trigger anticipatory actions at the same time. However, the impact-based trigger system can be further investigated in a different context (e.g., for livelihood protection) to assess the value of the local information. The impact-based system could also be a valuable tool to validate the existing hazard-based system, which builds more confidence in its use in informing anticipatory actions. The study findings, therefore, should open avenues for further dialogue on what the impact-based trigger system could mean within the broader forecast-based action landscape toward building the resilience of at-risk communities.

Ethnic Minority Farmers’ Perceptions of Climate Change and Its Effects on Crop Production in Northwest Vietnam: A Case Study of H’mong Farmers in Pa Lau Commune, Tram Tau District, Yen Bai Province

This study aimed to assess the perception of H'mong farmers in the northwest mountainous region on climate change, its impacts on crop production, and their adaptation strategies. Reports on natural disaster events and their damages for the period ranging from 2012-2021, together with meteorological data including daily temperature and precipitation for 1991-2021, were collected. Fifty households among the H’mong farmers were randomly selected from four villages of Pa Lau commune for interviews based on structured questionnaires. The results showed that most H’mong farmers know that the climate is changing. However, their perceptions of the trends of these changes in terms of rainfall, temperature, and extreme weather events were not consistent with the analysis of meteorological data. The results also revealed that this is because the farmers evaluated the changes mainly based on their observations of short-term climate changes and the associated impacts that directly affect their livelihoods. The farmers perceived that soil erosion and hot and extreme cold weather have tended to increase their impacts on the production of some major local crops. Other types of natural disasters such as droughts, floods, landslides, pests, and strong winds have tended to have more or less impacts depending on the crop type. Adaptation measures taken by farmers to mitigate the effects of climate change are mainly simple, flexible, seasonal and low-cost measures. This study provides basic information for authorities at all levels to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change.

Preference, perceived change, and professed relationship among ecosystem services in the Himalayas

The demand side of ecosystem service (ES), especially preference and perception of supply and interactions among ES, is an important yet underexplored research area for landscape planning and management in human-dominated landscapes. Taking a case of multifunctional landscape in the Hindu-Kush Himalayan region, we carried out a social survey of ES, focusing on preference, perceived change, and observed relationship among six major ES from the local people's perspective. Using a semi-structured questionnaire, data collection was done from 300 households from 10 categories of human settlements, based on watershed and land cover types. Garrett mean score (GMS), ordinal logistic regression estimates, and Chi-square test were performed for quantitative data, while an inductive approach was adopted for qualitative data analysis. The results show that at the landscape level, local people preferred water yield (GMS = 70) and crop production (GMS = 66) as the most preferred ES, whereas habitat quality (GMS = 37) and carbon sequestration (GMS = 35) were among the least preferred ES. More than 70% of the respondents believed that the supply of crop production has decreased over the last two decades; however, the supply of other provisioning and non-provisioning ES has increased as observed by majority of the respondents. Among the 15 pairs of ES, local people believe that co-occurrence of ES is possible. Majority of the respondents said that there exist synergistic relationship among 13 pairs of ES, except crop production which is negatively related with timber production and carbon sequestration. Among the identified trade-offs in ES, majority of local people believed that direct trade-offs (i.e., linear inverse relationship) is dominant as observed in 8 pairs of ES, followed by concave and convex trade-offs. Based on our analysis, we argue that the preference and perceived change of ES is more dependent on spatial heterogeneity of communities (i.e., watershed type, municipal category, and land cover type of residence) than socio-economic determinants. Further, we have discussed and suggested few policy and management measures including place-based spatial assessment of the social demand and preference, embracing agroforestry practices in ecosystem management programs, mainstreaming non-local ES in local decision making by incentives, and optimizing the supply of desired ES though integrated biophysical and socio-economic assessment of the landscape.

Farmer perspectives about cover crops by non-adopters

The SARE/CTIC national farmer survey has assessed farmer experiences and perceptions about cover crops six times from early 2013 to early 2020. In most years, approximately 2,000 farmers responded to the survey questions, a majority of which were cover crop adopters, but a significant fraction (7% to 16%) were non-adopters: farmers not yet using cover crops. Survey reports previously focused on the experiences of cover crop adopters. In this paper, we synthesize responses of non-adopters to examine what factors influence or constrain adoption of cover crops. The non-adopters had similar farm sizes and land tenure situations compared to cover crop adopters, but were more likely to make use of conventional tillage and less likely to use continuous no-till compared to cover crop adopters. Non-adopters identified a number of concerns about cover crops, with the top concern being the time to plant and manage cover crops. Approximately 80% of non-adopters reported being open to considering cover crops. Factors cited to encourage non-adopters to adopt cover crops included incentive payments, tax breaks, crop insurance discounts, and soil carbon payments. Non-adopters wanted to gain a better understanding of how cover crops would benefit their particular farming operation and were interested to gain training through local cover crop workshops, local cover crop field demonstrations and one-on-one technical assistance. Non-adopters were particularly interested in how cover crops could boost soil organic matter and also wanted to know how cover crops could help with yields and reducing input costs.