Low Agricultural Productivity Research Articles

Manure-biochar compost mitigates the soil salinity stress in tomato plants by modulating the osmoregulatory mechanism, photosynthetic pigments, and ionic homeostasis

One of the main abiotic stresses that affect plant development and lower agricultural productivity globally is salt in the soil. Organic amendments, such as compost and biochar can mitigate the opposing effects of soil salinity (SS) stress. The purpose of this experiment was to look at how tomato growth and yield on salty soil were affected by mineral fertilization and manure-biochar compost (MBC). Furthermore, the study looked at how biochar (organic amendments) work to help tomato plants that are stressed by salt and also a mechanism by which biochar addresses the salt stress on tomato plants. Tomato yield and vegetative growth were negatively impacted by untreated saline soil, indicating that tomatoes are salt-sensitive. MBC with mineral fertilization increased vegetative growth, biomass yield, fruit yield, chlorophyll, and nutrient contents, Na/K ratio of salt-stressed tomato plants signifies the ameliorating effects on tomato plant growth and yield, under salt stress. Furthermore, the application of MBC with mineral fertilizer decreased H2O2, but increased leaf relative water content (RWC), leaf proline, total soluble sugar, and ascorbic acid content and improved leaf membrane damage, in comparison with untreated plants, in response to salt stress. Among the composting substances, T7 [poultry manure-biochar composting (PBC) (1:2) @ 3 t/ha + soil-based test fertilizer (SBTF)] dose exhibited better-improving effects on salt stress and had maintained an order of T7 > T9 > T8 > T6 in total biomass and fruit yield of tomato. These results suggested that MBC might mitigate the antagonistic effects of salt stress on plant growth and yield of tomatoes by improving osmotic adjustment, antioxidant capacity, nutrient accumulation, protecting photosynthetic pigments, and reducing ROS production and leaf damage in tomato plant leaves.

Soil properties and nutrient uptake of maize (Zea mays) as influenced by mixed manure and blended inorganic fertilizer in Haramaya district, eastern Ethiopia

The deteriorating state of soil fertility and low agricultural productivity in Ethiopia can be traced to the lack of equivalent consideration given to the soil's biological, chemical, and physical properties. A pot experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of mixed manure and blended nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur and boron (NPSB) fertilizer on phosphorus adsorption, and other properties of Vertisols, nutrient uptake, and growth performance of maize. The study findings indicate that the combined application of mixed manure and blended NPSB significantly reduced soil pH from 7.87 to 7.68, phosphorus adsorption efficiency from 93 to 88.5 %, and Freundlich adsorption capacity from 194 to 100.75 mg kg−1 , intensity from 1.96 to 1.27 compared to control. However, combined application of these two treatments significantly increased the organic carbon from 0.81 to 1.64 %, total nitrogen from 0.04 to 0.13 %, and available phosphorus from 6.96 to 73.82 g kg−1. The study further revealed that mixed manure and blended NPSB resulted in significantly (p ≤ 0.05) higher contents of nitrogen and phosphorus in the maize leaves as well as their uptake compared to their sole application and control. The highest values of these parameters were observed in plots treated with a combined application of 15 t ha−1 mixed manure with each rate of 100 and 150 kg ha−1 blended NPSB. Additionally, the maize plant height (p ≤ 0.05) and above-ground biomass (p ≤ 0.01) also exhibited significant increase. Compared to the control and full dose of NPSB, all the treatments that received a combined application of 15 t ha−1 mixed manure with blended NPSB ranging from 50 to 150 kg ha−1 resulted in significantly higher above-ground biomass of maize. The results suggest that the combined use of mixed manure and blended NPSB could be a practical and effective approach to improve soil properties and maize above-ground biomass yield.

Spatial assessment of soil resources on different land uses and slope gradient as a planning tool, in Ferenjua watershed, Ethiopia

Soil erosion, land degradation and climate change are the major environmental threats attributed to low agricultural productivity in Ethiopia. To reduce soil erosion and restore degraded lands, integrated soil and water conservation interventions have been implemented. However, the impacts of the intervention measures were not sufficiently studied due to the lack of baseline information. Therefore, this study was carried out to evaluate and understand the current conditions of biophysical resources in Ferenjua watershed, which is located in Gondar zuria district. In this study, more emphasis was given to the levels of total nitrogen (TN), available phosphorous (P), organic matter (OM), bulk density (BD), pH, moisture, texture and soil erosion. To collect the biophysical data, the watershed was divided into 144 grid-based sampling points with a resolution of 250 m by 250 m. In addition, the data were collected in 8 representative profile pits. Three primary land uses were identified from supervised land use and land cover classification and described as cultivated land (55.08 %), forestland (30.80 %), and grassland (14.12 %). Erosion hotspot map shows that >40 % of the watershed is moderately and highly susceptible to soil erosion. The highest BD (1.36 gm cm−3) was observed at Vertisols-dominated cultivated lands located in the flatlands, whereas, the lowest BD (1.28 gm cm−3) was observed under forestland. Regarding the results of TN, P, and OM, >60 % of the watershed was classified as having low to very low soil nutrient levels. Consequently, development interventions should be considered to restore degraded lands for the sustained use of resources in the watershed.

Why Do Farmers Not Irrigate All the Areas Equipped for Irrigation? Lessons from Southern Africa

The reliance on rainfed agriculture exposes southern Africa to low agricultural productivity and food and nutritional insecurity; yet, the region is endowed with vast irrigation potential. Extreme weather events including drought, floods, and heatwaves exacerbate the existing challenges, underscoring the need to improve agricultural water management as a climate change adaptation strategy. This mixed-methods review followed the Search, Appraisal, Synthesis, and Analysis (SALSA) framework to explore the irrigation opportunities and challenges in southern Africa by critically analysing the drivers and constraints of irrigation systems in southern Africa. The premise is to understand the reasons behind the abandonment of some of the areas equipped for irrigation. In cases where irrigation systems are present, the study assesses whether such technologies are effectively being used to generate the expected agricultural productivity gains, and what factors, in cases where that is not the case, constrain farmers from fully using the existing infrastructure. The review further discusses the enabling environment supporting irrigated agriculture and the role of gender in irrigation development. An assessment of the role of women in agriculture on the share of land equipped for irrigation to total cultivated land area, as well as on the proportion of the area equipped for irrigation versus the area that is actually irrigated is conducted. The review found a divergence between countries’ land areas equipped for irrigation and actually irrigated areas. Specific to irrigation expansion, the review rebuts the notion that increasing the irrigated area increases crop production and ensures food security. This may not always be true as irrigation development needs to consider the impacts on other closely linked water and energy sectors through transformative approaches like the water–energy–food (WEF) nexus and scenario planning. If well-planned and implemented, sustainable irrigated agriculture could be catalytic to transforming southern Africa’s food system to be inclusive, equitable, socially just, and resilient, benefiting people and the planet.

Pre- and Post-COVID-19 Impact on the Tourism Industry in Kashmir and Ladakh

Generally, Tourism includes all kinds of different activities which are associated with tourism industries like hotels and restaurants, tourist guides, transporters, shopkeeper etc on same way, it also include large number of small tourism related activities in different States and UTs because of their geographical areas like Ladakh and Kashmir region their mostly tourism activities are Houseboat, Shakara Safari, Gondola safari, horse riding, Trekking in mountain, Camel Safari, Jeep Safari etc. this type of tourism activities are mostly found in Ladakh and Kashmir region. Because of Barren Land and low agriculture productivity in these regions, mostly Ladakh 90% and Kashmir 60% depends on tourism industry. Tourism generates jobs income, employments; promote long-term growth, benefiting local economies in both the regions. Tourism is huge business in Ladakh and Kashmir regions. Tourism, the country's largest service industry, boosts the state's GDP, foreign exchange, employment, and tax revenue. The Ladakh and Kashmir regions are a popular tourist destination due to its successful development. Suddenly, the Covid-19 outbreak hit Ladakh and Kashmir regions just as tourist season was starting, dampening spirits. Travel and tourism have spread a novel corona virus that is highly infectious. This paper also discusses about the lockdown and has affected the tourism activities in these regions. The serious damaging effects of covid-19 are in 2020, resulting in reduced visitor numbers and travel restrictions, private employments, workers, etc in both the regions of Ladakh and Kashmir. Poorer people (tourist stakeholders) were also severely harmed; the findings show the covid-19 pandemic early effects on tourism and cost.

A Story of Farmer-Monkey Interactions Towards Their Effects on Semi-Urban Migration and Livelihood

Migration involves changing residence due to economic, environmental, social, and political factors. Push factors such as poverty, unequal resource distribution, and labor demands compel people to relocate. In Nepal, low agricultural productivity serves as a significant push factor for migration, exacerbated by crop damage caused by wildlife. This crop damage results in economic losses for farmers, affecting their livelihoods and contributing to rural-to-urban migration patterns. A qualitative study was conducted in Likhu-6 in the Nuwakot district in October and November 2023. Participants were Nepalese residents aged 18 and above from Likhu Rural Municipality Ward No. 6. Farmers in the study encounter challenges due to the increasing monkey population, leading to crop damage and income reduction. This situation has compelled many farmers to relocate to semi-urban areas in search of alternative livelihoods. The presence of monkeys has diminished crop yields, causing financial strain on farmers and prompting them to abandon their farms for semi-urban areas. This migration has not only influenced the agricultural sector but also impacted the local economy and community dynamics. Efforts should be made to address the interactions between farmers and monkeys through deterrent measures and community-based solutions. Sustainable, long-term strategies are necessary to mitigate the impact of monkeys on farmers' livelihoods.

Disentangling soil-based ecosystem services synergies, trade-offs, multifunctionality, and bundles: A case study at regional scale (NE Italy) to support environmental planning

The explicit use of ecosystem services (ESs) assessments has been called as a way to guide environmental decision making, yet the promise of the ES approach lies behind its potential. A way to consolidate the approach could be to introduce some aspects into the ESs assessments which might have been neglected so far. Such aspects are mainly: (1) a focus on the complex ESs relations (such as synergies and trade-offs) that can impact the supply of multiple SESs (soil ecosystem services), and (2) focus on potential drivers of SESs relations. We applied bivariate and multivariate approaches to SESs indicators derived from a solid pedological knowledge of the Emilia-Romagna study area in NE Italy. We focused on 7 SES: (1) habitat for soil organisms, (2) filtering and buffering capacity, (3) contribution to microclimate regulation, (4) carbon sequestration, (5) food provision potential, (6) water regulation, and (7) water storage capacity. These SESs were estimated through a combination of point observations, and pedotransfer functions (PTF) estimates spatialised over the area of interest with geostatistical simulation techniques. We found that SESs bivariate spatial relations could be categorised mainly in three types of patterns at regional scale, either: (1) synergistic SESs relations dominating at the region level, (2) trade-offs dominating, or (3) both kind of relations more or less equally frequent. Interestingly, in some cases the dominant regional SESs relation switched at a local level, and such switch was driven by soil properties. For the multivariate case (>2 SESs), two main results are highlighted. First, the combination of properties of some soils is so characteristic that they conform a single SESs bundle, as in the case of the rich SOM soils of alluvial origin in the NE of the region with low agricultural productivity, but high value in regulating SESs. Secondly, some SESs such as potential food provision and water regulation are more important than others to determine locations with high multi-services value at a regional level. This suggests that attention must be paid when ascribing high multi-services value locations as this is not independent of SESs relations. Overall, our results highlight the importance of soils in the potential supply of ESs and show that SESs relations are useful in the implementation of the concept in environmental assessments.

Analyzing the Combined Role of Good Governance and GDP on Women Literacy in African Countries

Most African countries have been affected due to economic crises regarding hyperinflation and lower agricultural productivity, civil war, lower infrastructural and transportation systems, social and domestic violence, food insecurity due to bad agricultural systems, social and religious inequality, mismanagement of governing systems with defective bureaucracy, environmental degradation and lower practice for sustainable development. In this paper, the author tries to find out two research objectives i) To measure the good governing variables on women literacy between East and West African countries ii) To measure the joint impact of good governance and GDP level between these two countries. The author uses secondary dataset from The World Bank site on quantitative analysis where the author uses multiple regression model for general regression and integrated regression model. At the time of multiple regression (Model 1), GDP, IF, P.S., R.Q. has a positive connection with women literacy for EAC. On the contrary, PHR, FLF, DOFC, R.L. create a negative effect on women’s literacy in EAC. But in (Model 2), if the good governance variable connects with GDP for long-lasting development, (GDP*PS), (GDP*RQ) has positive connection with W.L. in EAC. Reversely, L.E., PHR, G.E., R.Q., CC has positive and significant impact in WAC where these variables enhance women literacy to be improved at significant rate (Model 3) where DOFC and EFC has reverse connection with W.L. In spite of case, if GDP connects with good governance variables, (GDP*RQ) and (GDP*PS) has positive connectivi-ty with W.L. in WAC. Policy makers should highlight to promote effective R.L. and G.E. to improve macroeconomic development in EAC where governments of WAC should focus on R.L. and G.E. to ensure women empowerment and social security for sustainable development. Establishing good governance’s variables in African countries is carrying need to ensure women empowerment, lessening gender inequality, ensuring women safeness and sustainable development etc.

Comparative performance assessment of pilot irrigation schemes in Uganda

Irrigation schemes across sub-Saharan Africa are constructed with the intention of increasing agricultural production to increase food security, reduce poverty and improve economic growth. However, most of these schemes are not performing as expected. This study therefore, diagnosed performance gaps in the pilot irrigation schemes of Mubuku and Doho in Uganda and analysed sustainable improvement options. Data was collected through systematic review of literature and scheme data, direct measurements at the schemes, field surveys, inspections, and key informant interviews. For each scheme, data for climate, irrigation, flow measurements, crop yields and farm gate prices were collected. Comparative indicators of agricultural output, water supply, financial and physical sustainability were used to assess scheme performance using standard approaches by International Water Management Institute (IWMI). The findings showed that the schemes were not performing optimally with crop yields being far below the attainable potential. The major contributing factors to the low performance were low water use efficiency and low agricultural output. Poor flow control, poor water distribution, and poor on-farm water application contributed to low water use efficiency. Low agricultural production was attributed to poor crop yields resulting from poor agronomic practices, poor irrigation scheduling and low produce prices. The financial self-sufficiency indicator pointed to farmers’ inability to operate and maintain irrigation schemes effectively. Improving the irrigation schemes performance requires a multidisciplinary approach targeting the improvement water use efficiency and agricultural output.

THE PROHIBITION OF ABSENTEE OWNERSHIP OF AGRICULTURAL LAND AND THE LEGAL LIABILITY OF THE NATIONAL LAND AGENCY

Absentee ownership of agricultural land is a situation where agricultural landowners are not directly involved in the agricultural activities carried out on their land. This often occurs when the landowner lives outside the farming area. The provision of absentee ownership of agricultural land can affect farmland management, and agricultural productivity. This abstract aims to evaluate the legal aspects of absentee ownership of agricultural land by considering several factors. First, we analyze the application of Government Regulation Number 41 of 1964 in Plaosan Village regarding absentee land. Several studies have shown that the absence of a landowner can hinder growth and innovation in the agricultural sector. However, the factor depends on the skill level of the farmer. Furthermore, we analyze the legal liability of the National Land Agency (BPN) in resolving absentee land ownership issues. The existence of landowners who are not involved in agricultural activities can lead to legal uncertainty, low agricultural productivity, and difficulties for interested parties in obtaining benefits from the land. In this context, the role of the National Land Agency (BPN) as a government agency responsible for land management and registration becomes very important. This research uses a normative legal research method by conducting a literature study of laws and regulations related to absentee ownership of agricultural land. The results of this research are expected to provide a basis for better policies in managing agricultural land ownership involving absentee owners, so as to increase productivity, efficiency, and welfare for all parties involved in the agricultural sector.

Agricultural production and biodiversity conservation: A typology of Swiss farmers’ land use patterns

Understanding farmers' land use behaviour is a prerequisite for designing effective policies that aim to protect and enhance biodiversity in agriculture. We develop a typology of Swiss farmers' land use patterns in terms of their agricultural production and biodiversity conservation. We contribute by adopting a comprehensive perspective encompassing not only EFAs (Ecological Focus Areas) but also non-EFAs. Relying on a sample of 2341 Swiss farm observations from the Farm Agri-Environmental and the Farm Accountancy Data Network, we conducted – for each agricultural region (plain, hill and mountain) – a K-means clustering to identify farmland use patterns. We considered four clustering variables, namely agricultural production intensity, the extent of a farm's participation in agri-environmental payment schemes and the impact of farm agricultural practices on the organismal biodiversity of 1) EFAs and 2) non-EFAs. The analysis reveals four distinct farmland use patterns beyond the classical dichotomy of low shares of EFAs and high agricultural production intensity versus high shares of EFAs and low agricultural production intensity. Three of the four land use patterns are similar across all agricultural regions. Our findings show that biodiversity enhancement is possible outside of EFA direct payment programmes. One cluster succeeded in exhibiting both a high agricultural production intensity and a high overall biodiversity score, which highlights that these dimensions are not mutually exclusive. The low or moderate use intensity of mineral fertilisers, pesticides and purchased feedstuffs in combination with a high use efficiency of these inputs seems to be the key to reconciling agricultural production and biodiversity conservation.

Introduction of Smallholder Horticulture Empowerment and Promotion (SHEP) approach as an innovative agricultural extension model

Agricultural extension in developing countries faces many challenges. The main challenge for public institutions, the implementers of agricultural extension services, is that they have weak implementation systems to support farmers. On the other hand, the main challenge faced by beneficiary farmers is low agricultural productivity and income. Against this backdrop, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) launched an initiative to promote “agriculture as a business” by strengthening the agricultural extension systems of developing country governments, beginning with a technical cooperation project implemented in Kenya from 2006 to 2009. The agricultural extension method developed in this project is the Smallholder Horticulture Empowerment and Promotion (SHEP) approach. The SHEP approach is supported by two theoretical pillars: promoting farming as a business (economics) and empowering and motivating people (psychology). A series of activities fulfilling these two pillars is the innovative originality of the SHEP approach. These activities are practiced according to four steps to promote market-oriented agriculture while motivating smallholders to improve their farming operations. In Kenya, horticultural income of target farmers increased through the practice of “grow to sell.” Following this result, the SHEP approach has spread across Africa through the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD), benefitting 256,546 small-scale farmers in 30 countries to date. In countries where the SHEP approach was implemented, in addition to the outcomes of increased horticultural productivity and income, many impacts were identified that contributed to improved farmers’ livelihoods, including repairing or building houses, purchasing mobile phones and vehicles, installing electricity in homes and funding children’s education. Since TICAD VII in 2019, JICA has been working with African governments, development partners, private companies and relevant organizations to promote the transition to profitable agriculture through the SHEP approach with the goal of achieving better lives for one million smallholders by 2030. This has led to the utilization of the SHEP approach in various forms, and its effectiveness and versatility has been recognized. However, inadequate government agricultural extension budgets and farmers’ high expectations for the provision of agricultural inputs raise the bar for intervention in the SHEP approach. The SHEP approach, however, is not a “panacea” that can solve all agricultural extension challenges in developing countries. Nevertheless, in order to continue agricultural and rural development programs/projects that promote farmers’ self-reliance, it is essential to continue to extract the outcomes and impacts of the SHEP approach at the field level and disseminate the effectiveness of the approach widely. Key words: agricultural extension, market-oriented, SHEP approach, smallholder, JICA, technical cooperation, Kenya, income

IoT-based solar-powered smart irrigation system with solar tracker for rice fields

Water management in irrigated agricultural fields is a critical issue in Bangladesh due to a lack of improved irrigation facilities for efficient use of irrigation water, and the cost of crop production is high with low agricultural productivity in agriculture. Therefore, this research aimed to design and implement an internet of things (IoT)-based solar-powered smart irrigation system by sensing the soil moisture levels and periodically controlling the pump operations when the soil moisture is below the required level. A sun-tracking solar system was developed to generate more electricity by tracking the orientation of the sun. A comparison was made between the energy of a fixed-panel solar system with a 24.95° tilt angle and a solar tracking system with no tilt angle. The solar tracker device utilizes a Light Dependent Resistor (LDR) sensor to track the sun, aligning the 150 W solar panel perpendicular to maximize energy capture. This energy is converted into electrical energy and stored in a 12V battery for powering the operation of the submersible pump (DC 12V, 150 W). A wireless sensor network was employed to monitor pumping status and energy comparison in a rice field. A sub-station transferred water level data wirelessly to a main station, where a microcontroller processed the data. The relay module automatically triggered pumping, and the data was stored in the cloud. The solar tracking system outperformed the fixed-panel system with a fixed tilt angle of 24.95° in terms of output power by a remarkable 26.72%. There is a huge potential for solar irrigation systems in Bangladesh, and they can provide sustainable solutions with low irrigation costs. Therefore, this IoT-based solar-powered smart irrigation system could play a vital role in improving irrigation management systems with increased water use efficiency.

Cooperation of small and medium in agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan

The process of uniting small and medium-sized businesses in the agro-industrial complex into agricultural cooperatives is very relevant for the Republic of Kazakhstan, given the small-scale nature of agricultural production and the high share of households in the total volume of agricultural production. gross agricultural output and, accordingly, low labor productivity in agriculture. The purpose of the study is to study the development of agricultural cooperation in Kazakhstan and identify problems hindering the development of the cooperative movement, and suggest directions for further development in the field of cooperation in the country. To study processes and phenomena in the field of organizational and economic relations, various methods were used, such as analysis and synthesis, the use of systematic and logical approaches to the study of trends in the development of agricultural cooperation. The essence of the efficiency of cooperative formations functioning is formulated. The world and domestic experience of agricultural cooperation development has been studied, which allowed to identify the main prerequisites for the development of small and medium-sized business in the agro-industrial complex of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The article presents existing problems that impede their development, and in conclusion, the authors offer recommendations on measures of state regulation and support for the development of agricultural cooperation in the Republic of Kazakhstan. It is necessary, first of all, to direct efforts to the development of production cooperation of small and medium-sized farms, which have the opportunity to organize joint production of agricultural products, use of land resources, agricultural machinery, and introduce advanced growing technologies. agricultural products in order to preserve the fertility of agricultural land and use a unified scientifically based crop rotation system. All this will ultimately increase the volume of agricultural production, animal productivity, increase crop yields and labor productivity.

How does natural disasters affect China agricultural economic growth？

Climate change leads to the frequent occurrence of natural disasters. It has had a severe impact on agricultural economic growth in China. Based on data in China from 2004 to 2020, this paper uses a fixed-effect model to discuss the effects of natural disasters on agricultural economic growth. The empirical results are as follows. (1) Natural disasters negatively affect agricultural economic growth. The regression coefficient of natural disasters on agricultural economic growth is −0.1183. (2) The inhibition of agricultural economic growth by natural disasters is more prominent in areas with low government attention and average agricultural production conditions. (3) The mechanism analysis shows that natural disasters inhibit agricultural economic growth through channels that cause the spread of diseases and pests. (4) Expanding the scale of agricultural insurance can prevent the impact of natural disasters on agricultural economic growth. This research provides policy recommendations for preventing the negative impacts of natural disasters. Agricultural producers should raise awareness of disaster management and improve the accuracy of disaster warning mechanisms.

Disruption in Agricultural Pattern Due to Unpredictable Weather Conditions and its Effect on Farmer’s Family of Kishanganj District of Bihar

The unpredictable weather conditions due to climate change have resulted in significant changes in global weather patterns, affecting various sectors across the world; mostly the agriculture sector which got affected. This study focusses on the changing agricultural patterns caused by climate change and their severe effects on farmers’ livelihoods in the Kishanganj District of Bihar. The purpose of this study is to look at the dynamic interaction between changing weather patterns and agricultural practices and the socioeconomic implications for the local farming community. This study intends (1) to explore farmers’ perceptions and their experience of climate change towards agricultural practices, (2) to understand the adaptive techniques used by farmers in the Kishanganj district of Bihar in response to altering the agricultural patterns, (3) to assess the socioeconomic consequences of shifting agricultural patterns on farmers’ lives. Through a comprehensive literature review and primary data collection, including in-depth interviews with local farmers, to discover variations in agricultural patterns, changing weather patterns, and changes in farming practices adopted by the farmers in response to unpredictable weather conditions. From the findings of this study, it is revealed that the agricultural sector in Kishanganj is extremely vulnerable to unpredictable weather patterns, such as severe droughts, unseasonal rainfall, and temperature variations. The changing weather patterns have resulted in significant crop loss, which resulted in lower agricultural production, less income, and more debt for farmers’ families. The negative effects of weather-related disruptions extend beyond economic factors, affecting both farmers’ families and food security.

Exploring the on-farm Potential of Improved Sorghum Varieties for Scaling in Dry Lowland Areas of Ethiopia

Feeding the world's growing population has become a global issue due to climate change, which has resulted in low agricultural productivity. Although an attempt has been made to feed this growing population by introducing improved agricultural technologies that boost productivity, the sustainability of these technologies is not promising as farmers insist to use traditional method of production. The study was conducted in the districts of Gololcha and Shanana Kolu to investigate the on-farm potentials of Melkam, Tilahun, and Argiti varieties. Melkam had a higher grain yield (3628 kg/ha) than Argiti (3234 kg/ha), Tilahun (3050 kg/ha), and the districts average sorghum productivity (2320 kg/ha). The mean yield comparison results of yield performances revealed a significant difference (p0.05). Melkam variety had the highest net benefit of 97,432 ETB. The higher gross margin (97,432 ETB per hectare) was received from Melkam with marginal benefit advantage of 57,306 ETB over the local, Argiti (44,698) and Tilahun (38,810 ETB) per hectare. The mean weight score of the selected traits revealed that grain yield and injera-making quality were the top priorities for women farmers, while grain yield and earliness were the top priorities for men farmers. The preference of the men and women found to be different which indicates considering gender needs during scaling of technologies. As a result, it is recommended that Melkam variety to be scaled up with the recommended production practices in the study areas and areas with similar agroecology to improve production and farmers' income.

The impact of green and low carbon agricultural production on farmers’ income in minority areas: a case study of Y Town, Zhijin County, Guizhou Province

Developing green and low-carbon agriculture is an important and effective way to promote farmers’ income growth. Given the country’s “dual carbon” goal, the study of the impact of green and low-carbon agriculture on the income of farmers in ethnic minority areas is crucial for China to achieve the goals of socialist modernization and common prosperity. Taking Y Town, Zhijin County, Guizhou Province as an example, this paper uses the OLS regression method to empirically study the impact of green and low-carbon agricultural production methods on the income of farmers in ethnic minority mountainous agricultural areas based on the field survey data of 881 farmers. The regression results indicate that there is a positive correlation between green and low-carbon agricultural production and the household income levels of farmers; adopting green and low-carbon agricultural production technologies can effectively promote the growth of farmers’ household income. In addition, education level, health status, and the new rural social pension insurance have all had a significant effect on the income of rural households, however, due to the difficulty in establishing trust relationships, agricultural service outsourcing has reduced the household income level of farmers. As an example, the land transfer behavior in Y Town has no significant effect on increasing farmers’ incomes. Finally, it is recommended to increase fiscal and financial support as well as effectively enhancing farmers’ policy awareness and perception of green and low-carbon agricultural production technologies by improving farmers’ general trust and institutional trust by strengthening farmers’ agricultural education and skills training while cultivating technology-based farming. At the same time, it is necessary to break the geographical restrictions on land transfer scale and achieve moderate-scale land management while promoting the use and adoption of green and low-carbon agricultural production technologies, thereby improving agricultural production efficiency and product quality, and increasing the sustainable growth of farmers’ income. The main contribution of this study is to expand the research scope of green and low-carbon agriculture to ethnic minorities and mountainous agricultural areas.

Analysing the interplay between energy transition, resource consumption, deforestation, and environmental factors on agricultural productivity: Insights from APEC countries

The growing focus on regional and international environmental cooperation has helped further discussions about environmental sustainability. This study evaluates agricultural economic productivity and how it is affected by natural resource consumption, energy transition, deforestation, global trade integration and environmental degradation in Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) countries. Our empirical findings from CS-ARDL, AMG and CCEMG help us reveal that environmental degradation, deforestation and natural resource abundance lower agricultural productivity, while energy transition and global trade integration improve agricultural productivity. Additionally, despite being highly integrated within global economic structure, APEC countries have not been able to boost agricultural productivity more than other regional blocks. We propose novel policy recommendations for APEC policymakers to improve environmental sustainability and agricultural productivity.

Assessment of Alterations in Settlement Patterns of Agricultural Landscape in the Example of Kashubia in Poland

Traditional agricultural landscapes are heavily exposed to change due to their relatively low agricultural productivity. However, they represent cultural values of great importance in maintaining the resilience of the environment and society. Although their cultural potential is important for sustainable development, it is still insufficiently recognized. The article fills this gap by examining old farmstead buildings as a distinguishing element of the agricultural landscape. The study was conducted in Poland in the area of farm settlements in Kashubia. A spatial database and archival maps were used for comparison of the spatial distribution and the number of farmsteads and buildings in 1937 and 2020. The types of settlements in the selected area of research were recorded and classified. The results obtained from the study may support the spatial planning and local management of agricultural areas for the purpose of preserving rural identity and economy.