Local Farmland Research Articles

Research on Non-Point Source Pollution Resulted from Livestock Breeding in Jiangxi Province

In recent years, continuous and steady development of livestock breeding in Jiangxi Province, while brings enormous economic benefits to society, also has brought great impaction on natural environment. This paper estimated the output of pollutants (CODcr、BOD5、NH3-N、TP 、TN) and average TP/TN load on unit area of farmland from livestock breeding in Jiangxi province and analyzed the distribution characteristics of pollutants during 2007--2009. During these three years, output of main pollutants (CODcr, BOD5, NH3-N, TP and TN) from livestock breeding in Jiangxi Province increased slightly; the high load regions of TP/TN were mainly distributed in the areas with high total and those with relatively smaller area of farmland although the output is lower. Researches indicated that the output of pollutants from livestock breeding in Jiangxi Province had exceeded the local farmland bearing capability. Relevant departments should readjust the agricultural production structure following the principles of unified planning and rational distribution in order to effectively control non-point pollution from livestock breeding.

English

Significant areas of prime farmland in the upper Coastal Plain of Virginia have been disturbed by heavy mineral sands (Ti/Zr-bearing ilmenite, rutile, zircon) mining over the past 15 years. Mine soils created by the deposition of tailings and slimes in dewatering pits exhibit physical and chemical properties that limit agricultural use due to abrupt textural changes, heavy compaction from grading and the inherently low pH and available P of the processed subsoils. In 2004, the Carraway-Winn Reclamation Research Farm (CWRRF) was developed with Iluka Resources Inc. in Dinwiddie County to evaluate reconstruction strategies for returning mined land to agricultural production. In 2004, row crop plots were established in a randomized complete block design with 4 replications of 4 treatments: 1) LBS-CT - lime-stabilized biosolids (78 dry Mg ha -1 ) with conventional tillage, 2) LBS-NT - lime-stabilized biosolids (78 dry Mg ha -1 ) with no tillage, 3) TS - 15 cm of topsoil replacement with lime+NPK, and 4) C - control (tailings+lime+NPK). All treatments were deep ripped to 90 cm following grading and limed and fertilized annually to optimal levels. Two additional study sites, managed similarly to the treatment plots, included a compacted (no ripping) area (COMP) and a nearby unmined prime farmland (Orangeburg series) field (UM). Between 2005 and 2008, the plots were managed with a corn-wheat/double crop soybean rotation. In 2009, the plots were managed with cotton and in 2010 with wheat/double crop soybeans. During the initial four year corn-wheat/double crop soybean rotation, the two LBS treatments produced significantly higher yields than the TS or C treatments. No significant differences were observed among treatments for the 2009 cotton yield; however, erratically distributed settlement depressions adversely affected crop growth and harvest and led to high variability within each treatment. Similarly, no significant differences were observed for the 2010 wheat and soybean yields in a low rainfall year. Overall, yields from all four treatments typically exceeded 5-year local county averages, but were 25 to 40% lower than yields from the local prime farmland soil under identical management. Relatively low COMP yields illustrated the need for initial deep ripping and periodic tillage to improve physical conditions of these mine soils.

中山間地域農村におけるGISデータベース導入と地域主体による活用の意向

中山間地域農村におけるGISデータベース導入と地域主体による活用の意向

Possibility of Maintenance and Management of Local Farmland

Possibility of Maintenance and Management of Local Farmland

Abstracts of Nippon Dojo-Hiryogaku Zasshi

Abstracts of Nippon Dojo-Hiryogaku Zasshi

Quantity of organic waste resources in Japan and capacity of local farmland to receive composted wastes

Quantity of organic waste resources in Japan and capacity of local farmland to receive composted wastes

Market Power in a GIS-Based Hedonic Price Model of Local Farmland Markets

Buyers of farmland are usually interested in parcels for sale that are close to their own farms. With a limited number of parcels for sale, this may lead to market power in local farmland markets. The objective of this paper is to investigate whether market power affects farmland prices. Hedonic price models are adapted to allow for local market power of either sellers or buyers. A distinction is made between rural and urban farmland markets. The results provide evidence of market power effects in rural farmland markets. However, for farmland in urban areas, market prices are dominated by speculation effects. <i>(JEL Q15)</i>

Agricultural runoff contaminant discharge in Dianchi Valley agricultural district, China

release of pollutants in Agricultural Runoff (AR) from a plastic canopy (PC) region in eastern Dianchi Catchment of China was investigated. The daily variation coefficients of water quantity in 2002 and 2003 were 15.9 and 7.6 respectively. From May 2002 to September 2003, local farmland had discharge of 2.9?3.2 l m2 d1. Pollutant loads from research area to Dianchi Lake from October to April were 10.7 kgTN d1, 2.91 kgNH3-N d1 and 0.18 kgTP d1. Dissolved Total Phosphorus (DTP) was the major form of TP. PCs changed the pollutant release mode of farmland, and farmland discharge mainly entered groundwater.

Growth, Development, and Farming in an Ohio Exurban Region

The mixing of newcomers, longtime nonfarm residents, and farm household residents in exurban areas has the potential to lead to conflicts over community change and farming. Data from a survey of residents of an Ohio exurban region are analyzed to identify attitudinal differences among three sets of exurban residents. Several attitudinal differences among farm households, newcomers, and long-time residents are identified with farm household residents reporting greater concern about the effects of growth on local rural character than both newcomers and longtime nonfarm residents did. Farm household respondents were also more tolerant and accepting of agricultural annoyances than were either newcomers or longtime residents. All sets of residents are supportive of efforts to preserve local farmland. A conclusion of this exurban case study is that conflicts about land use and community change may have more to do with farm versus nonfarm interest than with length of residence in the community.

Urban influences on farmland use in New York State

This article assesses the relationship between demographic change and structural adjustments in agriculture. A number of demographic and economic analyses have posited an inverse relationship between post-1950 exurban population growth and agricultural viability, especially in the Northeast Region of the USA. To test this hypothesis, a multivariate model of percent change in county land in farms over the period 1950–1987 is estimated, and the findings only partially support the population hypothesis. Estimation results indicate that the effect of core metropolitan status is significant, but that the effects of rural population change, rural nonfarm population change, and county population deconcentration are not. The analysis demonstrates that maintenance of land in farm use largely depends upon economic forces that are national and regional in scope, and almost exclusively outside the purview of state and local farmland protection programs.

Agricultural zoning in a metropolitan county: An evaluation of the Black Hawk County, Iowa, program

Over 400 counties in the United States currently have agricultural zoning regulations which seek to protect the local farmland base. Many of these counties either contain a large urban center or are adjacent to metropolitan counties. Yet, few studies have been conducted on the performance of county agricultural zoning programs. Such a study is of particular importance to sustaining agriculture near urban areas. If a certain agricultural zoning program is successful, we should learn why it is successful and whether it can be transferred to other counties or localities. On the other hand, if an agricultural zoning program is not achieving desired goals, we should learn why and how shortcomings might be corrected. Black Hawk County, Iowa, is a metropolitan county with over 100 000 people. The county is also a major corn, soya bean and livestock producer, accounting for $103 million in farm sales in 1982. In the mid-1970's the county instituted extensive agricultural zoning in response to urban growth pressures on farmland. The Black Hawk County program has attached national attention for its use of a Corn Suitability Rating to identify prime agricultural lands and to determine which lands in farm zones could be converted to non-farm development without significantly reducing farm output. As yet, no study has examined the performance of the Black Hawk County program. To evaluate the program, we analyzed re-zoning decisions in farm zones, changes in the number of farms and land in farms and the number of land transfers for each 256-ha section of the county between 1975 and 1985. Results indicate that the administration of the program has improved over time. Relatively little farmland has been re-zoned for non-farm uses, and several proposals for non-farm uses have been denied. The local farm economy appears stable, given the slight decline both in the number of farms and the amount of farmland. The large majority of non-farmland transfers have occurred near urban boundaries. About one-quarter of farmland transfers have also occurred near cities. These figures suggest that urban sprawl is being fairly well contained. Few farmland transfers involved land with a Corn Suitability Rating of 85 or more. This result implies that the best farmland is in quite stable ownership, and is not likely to be developed.

Public Attitudes Toward Local Farmland Protection Programs

ABSTRACT Using telephone survey data, this study analyzes citizen attitudes toward a locally based farmland protection program for Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. The study findings indicate widespread public support for farmland protection, in general, and strong support for zoning and purchase of development rights approaches. Testing of the anti‐elitist and sociospatial explanations for public support of land use regulations is carried out. A statistical analysis of survey results finds moderate support for the sociospatial explanation.

Local farmland conservation programmes in the US: a study of California counties

One of the major trends in land-use planning in the US has been, and continues to be, agricultural land conservation. Increasingly, local governments have become important actors in controlling land alienation. The adoption of local policies to conserve agricultural land occurs unevenly across geographic space. An analysis of six policies and strategies available to all California counties found sharp differences in adoption rates. The results of correlation and multiple regression analyses support the hypothesis that these policies are associated with agriculturally oriented areas, with liberal political traditions. Little support was found for an alternative model suggesting that farmland policies are products of high-status, affluent suburban jurisdictions.

Evaluating the effectiveness of local government farmland protection programs

The effectiveness of farmland preservation programs in fast-growth areas cannot be determined solely on the basis of stability in the agricultural land supply within the subject jurisdiction, but must take into consideration extrajuridictional agricultural land loss which can result from stringent local development controls. A better measure of program effectiveness is the coefficient of conversion, which expresses the area of agricultural land converted to urban use per unit of urban growth. The rationale for such a measure and its application in Modesto, California are discussed.

Discussion: A Program for Agricultural Land Use in Urbanizing Areas

agriculture. Building on experience gained with agricultural zoning and preferential taxation programs, it is consistent with the free-enterprise values of our present land-tenure structure. Designed to be responsive to the totality of economic, social, and political determinants, the program should help provide a base for the land-use needs of a responsive and adaptive agricultural economy. Continuing research and evaluation will provide information necessary to the legislature regarding possible future modifications of the program, and to local governments and farmland owners regarding its adoption.