Non-agricultural Use Research Articles

Model for Determining Sustainable Food Agricultural Land through a Spatial Optimization Approach in Bantul Regency

Land use is a characteristic of the arrangements, activities, and contributions made by humans to either effect changes or maintain a certain type of land cover (Gregorio and Jansen, 1998). Agricultural land is a crucial resource for sustainability and food security. In an effort to control and anticipate the conversion of agricultural land, the Bantul Regency Government has issued Regional Regulation No. 10 of 2023 on the Protection of Sustainable Food Agricultural Land, with a total area of 12,831 hectares. However, the area designated for protection according to the 2021 study recommendations is 14,407.50 hectares. This represents a reduction of 1,576 hectares due to agricultural land in Sewon and Kasihan Districts being planned for non-agricultural use. Therefore, the objective of this study is to identify the modeling of sustainable food agricultural land designation in Bantul Regency, using a linear programming optimization approach with the aid of Microsoft Excel Solver. The linear programming model, with the objective function to minimize the area designated in the regional regulation, determined the need for 11,356.52 hectares of agricultural land to maintain food security in Bantul Regency over a period of 20 years.

Increasing Growth, Production and Nutrient Uptake of Pakcoy (Brassica rapa L) Plant on Peat Soil by Applying Polyvalent Cation Ameliorant Cu2+, Fe3+, Zn2+ and Palm Front Compost

The development in Riau has led to converting agricultural land to non-agricultural use, impacting the cultivation of vegetable crops on peatlands that require intensive treatment to achieve maximum productivity. The research aims to assess the effects of ameliorants and oil palm frond compost application on the growth, production, and nutrient uptake of pakcoy plants (Brassica rapa L). The experiment utilized a Completely Randomized Factorial Design with 2 factors. The first factor involved ameliorants with 4 treatment levels: without ameliorant, Cu2+, Fe3+, and Zn2+. The second factor included oil palm frond compost with 4 treatment levels: without compost, 12. 24. and 36 g/plant. Parameters observed were plant height, leaf count, fresh weight, dry weight, and nutrient uptake of N, P, and K. Results showed significant interaction effects between ameliorants and oil palm frond compost on plant height, leaf count, fresh weight, and nutrient uptake of N, P, and K, with the best treatment being Cu2+ ameliorant and 24 g/plant oil palm frond compost. The primary effect of ameliorants significantly influenced all observed parameters, with Cu2+ being the best treatment. The primary effect of oil palm frond compost significantly influenced all observed parameters, with 12 g/plant being the best treatment.

Effect of Agricultural Land Function Transfer on Urban Development in North Kuta District

Land use change in general concerns the transformation in allocating land resources from one designation to another. The aims of this study were (1) to identify problems with the conversion of agricultural land, especially paddy fields (2) to analyze its spatial pattern and the influencing factors, and (3) to analyze policies related to the conversion of agricultural land. This study used a qualitative approach, collecting data using interviews, observation, and documentation techniques. The data analysis technique used is descriptive qualitative. The research was conducted in North Kuta District, Badung Regency. The conclusions from this study are (1) the conversion of agricultural land to non-agricultural use is strongly influenced by the dynamics of very rapid urban growth, both from a demographic, economic, and physical perspective. 2) The spatial pattern of the conversion of paddy fields is influenced by socio-economic factors, including urban population growth, growth and shifts in economic structure, growth of land-using agricultural households, and changes in the area of land tenure. 3) The policy related to controlling the conversion of agricultural land is the consistency of the implementation of the District RDTR as the key to preventing the conversion of agricultural land to non-agricultural land.

A Study on the Characteristics and Driving Factors of Non-Agricultural Use of Farmland at Village Scale Based on Field Investigation

A Study on the Characteristics and Driving Factors of Non-Agricultural Use of Farmland at Village Scale Based on Field Investigation

Population Growth, Urbanization and Landuse Pattern in Gondia District of Maharashtra State, India

Population is an important resource for development. Present work attempts to assess the correlation between population growth, urbanization and general landuse change over two decades (1990-91 to 2010-11) in Gondia district of Maharashtra state and suggest the possible ways and remedies to improve the future landuse of the study are. Gondia are the highly concentrated towns of the study area. It is has been observed that the growth of population increased 10.14 Times while urbanization increased 57.52 Per cent during 2001 to 2011. Increasing population, industrial development and trade is bringing about a great pressure on land. The environmental conditions are favorable for agriculture in the study region. Forest area has decreased while Cultivable waste land fallow land increased during 2000-01 to 2010-11. Land put non-agricultural use, barren and non cultivable land and net sown area has also subsequently declined during the span of two decades. Thus landuse is a dynamic phenomenon in the study area. While In Vidarbha region Gondia District is rich in forest resources. The largest land use category in the district is that of agriculre. Precarious forest constitutes 90% of total are under forest which is maximum in south east and central parts. The total area under forest in the district was 2833 sq. kms. out of 5641 sq. kms total geographical area in 2011. It has been observed that the district having 50.22 per cent area still remain under forest. Forest resources contribute significantly to the economy of the district. This district shows the better condition of forest Resources. In 1981 25.04% of the total geographical area was under forest. It has increased to 32.72% in 2011.The socio-economic characteristics of the study area population growth, industrialization, nearness to daily markets and developments of road network have caused the general landuse changes in the area.

Availability and potential for expansion of agricultural land in Indonesia

Land is a critical factor in agriculture, especially in soil-based cultivation. The prevailing problem in agricultural land use that is yet to be solved is the rapid conversion to non-agricultural use, which raised concern for agriculture’s existence in the future. Moreover, the population continues to grow despite the receding agricultural land to produce food. Therefore, research and policies are starting to lean towards optimization of marginal land for agricultural activities. Indonesia still has potential marginal land for agricultural expansion. This paper uses secondary data and former studies to summarize the potential and availability of marginal land for agricultural expansion based on the land categories: forest land, dryland, and wetland (tidal swamp and peat). This paper also discusses the government's extensification program and the results of its implementation. We found that various reports about marginal lands utilization emphasized optimizing the target land with appropriate agricultural technology. The presentation of data obtained through literature studies can strengthen the opinion that the potential availability and potential for expansion of agricultural land in Indonesia is real. This paper is expected to provide a comprehensive reference for all Indonesian regional governments, so stakeholders continue optimizing the potential of existing natural resources.

Spatiotemporal Variations of Urban Growth in Denizli, Turkey

The existence of natural resources is under threat among various land use types because of the urban sprawl regarding the increase of population density such as forests, pastures, agricultural areas, water resources, etc. These resources have been lost significantly due to differentiating factors such as disasters, physical pressure originating from urbanization and development dynamics, irreversible use of resources, etc. Among these resources, especially agricultural areas in different abilities from I to III are affected primarily from the non-agricultural use of agricultural areas. The main purpose of study is to determine the spatiotemporal variations of urban growth using Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS) techniques in central districts of Denizli city. The satellite images presenting the spatial changes due to urban growth in central districts (Merkezefendi and Pamukkale districts) between the years 1990 - 2018 and also 1/25.000 scaled topographic maps are used. As a result, it is observed that the existing urban macroform have changed and the misuse of natural resources have increased significantly in the 30-years period. These uses have changed in accordance with urban plan decisions based on the site selection of industrial areas and main transport routes. The effects of urban sprawl are evaluated in terms of urban planning discipline and important policies are developed in order to prevent the misuse of natural resources under threat of urbanization.

A GIS-Based Typological Interpretation of Cultivated Land Loss: A Spatiotemporal Analysis of Tai’an Prefecture in the North China Plain

Loss of cultivated land has become a global issue that is especially critical in populous and rapidly urbanizing countries. However, knowledge in this field in general and its spatiality in particular have long been restrained in developing countries for the lack of accurate and reliable data. This study addresses this issue from a typological perspective by distinguishing the patterns and determinants of the conversion of cultivated land to nonagricultural use, nongrain use, and ecological land use. By using land use survey data from 2009 to 2019, and taking villages as the research units, the cultivated land loss in an ordinary prefecture, Tai’an, in the North China Plain was investigated from its temporal–spatial patterns, destination uses, and various driving factors. GIS methods such as spatial visualization, overlay analysis, and hotspot analysis were used to depict the geography of cultivated land loss in total and by cause. Multiple linear regression models were then developed to explore the roles of natural, locational, economic, social, and policy factors in predicting the overall and three types of cultivated land loss. The results show that (1) the cultivated land area in Tai’an Prefecture decreased by 1338.3 km2 over the decade, which was 32.4% of that in 2009. Ecological use, rather than the widely blamed urban expansion, was the dominant reason, accounting for 55.6% of the total loss of cultivated land. (2) The hotspot areas of cultivated land loss were mainly distributed in the northeastern mountainous area and villages around cities and county seats in the southwest. The hotspot areas of nongrain and ecological conversion were mainly located around the central city, whereas those of nonagricultural conversion were the most extensive around county centers. (3) The factors were found to have heterogeneous effects on the three types of cultivated land loss. For example, land transfer is conducive to large-scale farming and is thus associated with a lower probability of nonagricultural conversion of cultivated land. However, it often facilitates ecological conversion of cultivated land. (4) The basic farmland protection policy was proven to be effective in preventing all three types of cultivated land loss. The above results indicate the great heterogeneity among the three types of cultivated land loss in their geography and determinants, demonstrating the necessity and significance of the typological perspective adopted to interpreting cultivated land loss in urbanizing and transitional societies. To some extent, only by reasonably distinguishing, spatially analyzing, and fully understanding the different types, various causes, and internal structure of cultivated land loss can we formulate more targeted and effective policies of cultivated land protection.

Glyphosate, glufosinate ammonium, and AMPA occurrences and sources in groundwater of hilly vineyards

Glyphosate [N-(phosphonomethyl) glycine] and glufosinate ammonium [ammonium dl-homoalanin-4-(methyl) phosphinate] are broad-spectrum, nonselective, post-emergence herbicides extensively used in various applications for weed control in both agricultural and non-crop areas. Aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) is the major degradation product of glyphosate found in plants, water, and soil. Due to glyphosate's presumed low mobility, its monitoring in European water was limited. Recently both glyphosate and AMPA have been detected in several groundwater samples in Europe, U.S, Canada, Argentina, and China. Understanding the sources of these substances in water, especially in groundwater used for drinking, becomes a priority. In the present work the occurrences and the main drives of glyphosate, AMPA, and glufosinate ammonium in the groundwater of hilly vineyards located in the North-West of Italy were evaluated. Groundwater monitoring results showed frequent detection and concentrations above EQSGW for glyphosate and AMPA, while glufosinate ammonium was never detected. More frequent occurrences and higher concentrations were detected in the samples collected from wells located in the farmyards, most of them being used for irrigation and/or preparation of PPPs mixtures. Indeed, AMPA was the only compound detected in one groundwater well used for drinking, at values bellow EQSGw/DWQS. Such monitoring results were not expected as the modelling estimations under local pedoclimatic conditions indicated no risk of leaching to groundwater. However, the modelling performance and output may have been influenced by the non-consideration of important specific processes. Integrating monitoring and modelling results with information concerning the agricultural practices adopted and the wells use and location, possible contamination drivers were identified. These include the non-agricultural use of glyphosate in the farmyard, the point source contamination of wells and the possible transport with the subsurface lateral inflow of water from up-hill vineyard. This study strengthens the position of SETAC EMAG-Pest GW group concerning the necessity of spatial and temporal contextualisation of groundwater monitoring for a better understanding of its contamination drivers by PPPs.

LAND USE PATTERN AND LAND USE EFFICIENCY OF THE KURNOOL DISTRICT, ANDHRA PRADESH

The Present study aims to discuss the Land use pattern and Land use Efciency of the Kurnool District. Land Resource are limited, it can be said that non- renewable Resources. The key task is in their rational use, which hangs from their effectiveness. Agricultural land use efciency is the main factor that has a signicant impact on the socio-economic situation both in individual regions and in the country as a whole. Land use data is important in analysis of environmental process and understanding its problems, if the living conditions and standards to be improved or maintained at current level and to avoid the adverse development. The Kurnool district has at typical geographical aspects and climatic variation comparatively from the other districts of Rayalaseema region. The district is rich in regur, ferruginous soils which constitute about 60 and 40 percentages respectively. The crops mainly raised are paddy, jower, Pulses, cotton, Ground nut. The annual average precipitation of the district is 653 mm. Its land use components are Net sown area, forest, current fallows, Land put to the non-agricultural use, Barren & Uncultivable land, other fallow lands, cultivable waste land, Permanent Pasture and other grazing lands, misc. tree crops and groves. The depth to water level ranges from 2.20 to 12.67 m bgl. The Increasing population puts enormous pressure on the land in the district. As a result, the land use pattern of the district keeps on changing. The agricultural lands are being acquired for human settlements and various Developmental activities. The forest land has been increased due enhancement of social forestry. The district is predominantly farmed via Rain fed agriculture. Low rainfall, labour scarcity and lack of irrigation facilities have had its impacts on the land; many areas formerly under cultivation have been transformed in to waste lands and uncultivable lands.

Chemical Composition of Industrial Wood Waste and the Possibility of its Management

Organic wood waste (sawdust, shavings, pieces of wood and bark), is widely used as a secondary raw material and, after composting, for soil fertilisation and substrate production in agriculture, horticulture, forestry, urban landscaping and rehabilitation of degraded land. However, problematic to process is wood waste that is very dirty with soil. They have limited calorific value and cannot be used in the R10 recovery process of land treatment benefiting agriculture or improving the environment. However, the morphological composition of these wastes indicates that they have good properties and can be used for agricultural use and for the reclamation of degraded land. The research involved wood waste with the code 03 01 99 (other unspecified waste from wood processing and the production of panels and furniture) generated during the preparation of deciduous tree logs for the veneer production process, and ashes from the burning of wood waste generated in the veneer production factory. The aim of the study was to assess the chemical composition of these wastes and the possibility of their agricultural use. In the samples of wood waste and ashes there was determined: pH; chlorines content; conductivity; hydrolytic acidity; content of micro and macroelements and heavy metals. The morphological composition of the waste is dominated by sawdust, with a smaller share of shavings, bark and earth parts, and a small addition of pieces of wood of various sizes. It is rich in easily bioavailble as well as total macroelements and is not contaminated with heavy metals. Analyzed wood waste has deacidifying properties, high sorption and buffering capacity. Studies have shown that the wood waste produced at the veneer factory, can be used as an organic fertiliser, a component of other organic fertilisers, for soil mulching, horticultural substrate and soil and land reclamation.The ash obtained from burning wood is strongly alkaline and rich in alkaline cations, mainly Ca, Mg and K. It is not contaminated with heavy metals. The ash can be used for soil deacidification and fertilization, especially for soil reclamation. The waste from the heap can be used as an organic fertilizer, a component of other organic fertilizers, for mulching soils and as a gardening substrate. However, the possibilities for non-agricultural (e.g.: for the production of pallet, particle board) use are limited due to the high proportion of earthy parts.

Occurrence, spatial distribution, and risk assessment of brominated flame retardants in farmland soils of typical provinces in China

In the present study, we investigated the occurrence, distribution, and potential risks of 4 brominated flame retardants in farmland soils across 18 provinces of China. The total mean concentrations of the BFRs were in order as DBDPE > BDE209 > HBB > TBB. DBDPE concentration was highest at 177.208 ng/kg, revealing its long-term use and persistence across the study areas. In parts of China, DBDPE was highest in the south (Sichuan, Shaanxi and Guangdong provinces), BDE209 was highest in the south (Sichuan province) and north (Jilin province), while HBB was highest in the south (Sichuan province) and east (Anhui and Zhejiang provinces) of China. Comparisons of the results in this study to other reported studies in different regions indicated that the studied BFRs concentrations were higher in the studied provinces of China. Pearson correlation between BFRs revealed both positive and negative associations within the BFRs groups and between BFRs and soil properties (SOM, CEC, pH, EC and PS%). The mean hazard quotients (HQ) of ecological risks ranged from 8.76 × 10−6 to 1.16 × 10−2 (HQ < 1) while non-carcinogenic human health risk evaluation for adults ranged from 7.05 × 10−7 - 7.48 × 10−4 (HQ < 1) and for children 2.99 × 10−4 - 4.30 × 10−2 (HQ < 1). Although the risk evaluations of BFRs from farmland soils in this study were low, the results serve as useful indicators of potential cumulative and long-term threats of BFR to rural areas where there is a high conversion of agricultural lands to non-agricultural use.

DYNAMICS OF THE YIELD OF WINTER WHEAT WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF THE VOLYN OBLAST

The problem of the lack of a perfect informational, regulatory and organizational-functional system that would regulate and ensure the scientifically based use of land in the conditions of agricultural reform, restructuring of land ownership, and the emergence of many new land users and landowners, increasing competition for land resources due to urbanization transport, other non-agricultural use is an urgent problem in Ukraine. It was investigated that the yield level of winter wheat within the Volyn region fluctuates almost one and a half times, which is caused by the heterogeneity of the soil and climatic conditions of the region. The general yield levels of winter wheat were established: it is the largest for cluster 1 (Forest-steppe zone), the smallest - for cluster 2 (Polyssia) and has an intermediate value for cluster 2 (transition zone). The approach of the specific yield of cluster 3 to the zero level emphasizes the stable transitional nature of the corresponding space within the Volyn region. After 2000, the rate of yield growth within Polissia began to rapidly decrease compared to the rate of growth of winter wheat yield in the Forest Steppe, so the share in the total yield in the region became smaller in Polissia. Variability in time of winter wheat yield is the smallest in the south and center of the region, and the largest in the north, east and west. The presence of asymmetry indicates the heterogeneity of winter wheat yield conditions and regimes during the research period and the possibility of establishing qualitatively homogeneous time intervals, i.e., the periodization of the studied time according to winter wheat yield indicators. The asymmetry of the distribution is also accompanied by its two peaks (there is a strong positive correlation between asymmetry and kurtosis r = 0.95, p &lt; 0.001). Such results emphasize the presence of heterogeneous periods in the temporal yield of winter wheat during the research period. Periodization by types of winter wheat yield dynamics established that in periods 1 and 2 it was synchronous in all spatial clusters, and in the third period there was a differentiation of yield growth rates. It is the largest in the forest-steppe zone, the smallest in Polissia, and in the transition zone, the growth rate has an intermediate value.

STUDY ON THE FORMATION MECHANISM OF LAND RENT ECONOMY AND FARMERS' “DE URBANIZATION” BASED ON THE CHANGE OF EMOTIONAL BEHAVIOR

Abstract Objective From the perspective of social emotional behavior analysis in social psychology, this paper discusses which land development mode can better promote the urbanization in China through the analysis of the formation mechanism of the “Deurbanization” of farmers in the core rural areas of the Pearl River Delta and the emotional behavior of survey data. Method The paper adopts a qualitative method. Based on the field investigation of Village Q, Dongguan City, China, the paper conducts semi-structured in-depth interviews with the incumbent leaders of the village party branch and village committee, officers, retired cadres, group leaders, members of the supervisory committee, local villagers, factory owners, migrant workers, etc., and deeply discussed the emotional behavior changes of various roles under several land development modes. Findings It is found that the core rural areas of the Pearl River Delta represented by Village Q are based on the development of collective lands, and the use of collective non-agricultural construction land has promoted the local industrialization and urbanization, and has driven the rapid development of local economy. As the members of collective economy, the farmers indeed enjoy the value-added benefits brought by the non-agricultural use of land, but in practice, the granting of land rights makes the local farmers show a weak market competition and de-laboring “Deurbanization” in terms of values and behaviors. Conclusion Human psychology is the product of social construction. The formation of “Deurbanization” of farmers in Pearl River Delta is closely related to the land system in this area. Through the analysis of the formation mechanism of the “Deurbanization” of farmers in the core rural areas of the Pearl River Delta and the emotional behavior of survey data, it is found that empowering farmers land rights does not necessarily promote the transformation of farmers into modern citizens. On the contrary, it may make the farmers who happen to occupy specific areas become land rentiers, thus resulting in excessive dependence on the economic benefits of land rent and unable to transform into the real modern citizens. Therefore, the main part of value-added income from non-agricultural use of farmland should still be owned by the government in the form of land finance, so as to promote urban economic development and fair distribution of social wealth, and to truly promote the urbanization of farmers. From the angle of human urbanization, the land system should adhere to the constitutional order of land public ownership. That is to say, through strict urban planning and land acquisition system, the government shall own the increase in value-added income from non-agricultural use of land. Because only the main part of value-added income of non-agricultural use of agricultural land belongs to the government in the form of land finance, can it promote the urban economic development and the fair distribution of social wealth. Acknowledgement The paper is the achievement of “Spatial Sociology of Urban-Rural Integration in China”(20&amp;ZD149) supported by the National Social Science Fund and “Research on Community Governance Strategy of ‘from Villagers to Urban Residents’ from the Perspective of Spatial Production”( Project No.: 2019ZZTS003) of the 2019 Hunan Provincial Postgraduate Project of Independent Exploration.

Effect of drip irrigation regimes and nitrogen levels on growth, yield and economics of aerobic rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Water supply to agriculture especially rice will be affected in the future because of climate change and increased demand of water for non-agricultural use. To sustain rice production, focus should be on water saving rice production systems such as aerobic rice, which may further reduce water requirement when combined with drip irrigation. Hence, a field experiment to study the influence of drip irrigation regimes and nitrogen levels on growth, yield and economics of aerobic rice was conducted at Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, during the rabi seasons of 2019-20 and 2020-21. Four main plot treatments consisting of irrigation regimes based on pan evaporation i.e., drip irrigation at 1.25 Epan, 1.50 Epan, 1.75 Epan, 2.00 Epan and four sub plot treatments comprising of four doses of nitrogen i.e., 75 % RDN (90 kg N ha-1), 100 % RDN (120 kg N ha-1), 125 % RDN (150 kg N ha-1) and 150 % RDN (180 kg N ha-1) were tested in split plot design replicated thrice. Significantly higher plant height, number of tillers, yield attributes, grain yield, straw yield and gross returns were recorded with drip irrigation regime of 2.0 Epan over other irrigation regimes, but was comparable with drip irrigation at 1.75 Epan. While, higher net returns and B:C ratio were recorded with drip irrigation regime of 1.75 Epan which was at par with 2.0 Epan and 1.5 Epan. Aerobic rice grown with 180 kg N ha-1 proved to be superior with respect to plant height, number of tillers m-2, panicle weight, grain yield, straw yield, gross returns and net returns which was however comparable with 150 kg N ha-1 in case of panicle number, filled grains per panicle, test weight and B:C ratio. Among the interaction combinations, drip irrigation regime of 2.0 Epan along with 180 kg N ha-1 resulted in superior plant height, tillers m-2, yield attributes, grain yield, straw yield, gross returns, net returns and B:C ratio which was statistically at par with drip irrigation regime of 1.75 Epan along with 180 kg N ha-1 except in case of tiller number.

Observations of the views of university students on agricultural production

In this study, an attempt was made to examine the perspective of university students and their family members on the agricultural sector, the value they attach to agriculture and their own lands, the level of knowledge and awareness of the agricultural sector where they are engaged in production activities and make a living, and the importance they attribute to the sustainability of agriculture. In addition, the production activities of farmers and their membership in cooperatives or unions were also examined. The surveys conducted by interviewing a total of 200 participants representing university students and their family members within the scope of the research constituted the target material of this study. The obtained survey data were examined and tables containing frequency and percentage parameters were prepared and tried to be interpreted. According to the results of the research, a significant majority of the participants attribute importance to the integrity of the land and believe that agriculture is indispensable. Besides, considering the importance of the agricultural sector and the existing agricultural land, there is a substantial proportion of participants who do not see any harm in non-agricultural use of their lands and state that they will give up their lands in a possible situation.

Dynamics of Land Use Trends and Patterns in Uttar Pradesh: A Sectoral Perspective

Land is a natural resource and is of utmost importance on account of its use for diverse and manifold purposes. However, this finite resource has been experiencing changes in the way it was used earlier, largely because of modifications made by human, affecting the ability of natural systems to support life. The present study is carried out for Uttar Pradesh, one of the states in India. It is the fourth largest in area and interestingly having the largest rural population in the country. Moreover, this Uttar Pradesh has been going through large-scale land use transformations, particularly after economic reforms. Thus, this study made an attempt to understand the dynamics of trends and patterns of land use in Uttar Pradesh, as it is directly or indirectly associated with their living. The study largely focused on three sectors for analysing this status: ecological, agricultural and non-agricultural. It primarily focused on the secondary sources of data, incorporating various government publications from 2000 to 2015. Multiple linear regression technique was executed to examine the scenario of sectoral land use and to find the determinants of land use changes. The findings of this study reveal that the growth rates of different categories of land use have witnessed declining trends except for the area under non-agricultural land use. Whereas enviable ecological sector is passing through a critical phase of land transformation as the area under forest is declining along with pastures and miscellaneous trees. It also points out considerable decrease for net sown area in agricultural sector but increase for current fallow land.

PSVII-13 Amplicon-Based Sequencing of Antimicrobial Resistance Gene Variants in Beef Cattle

Abstract While antimicrobial therapies have conferred immense benefits in both animal and human health, agricultural use of antibiotics has largely contributed to antimicrobial resistance, affecting both agricultural and nonagricultural use. It is estimated that approximately 40% of all antibiotics produced are used in livestock as feed additives. Current explorations of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) genes and their abundance have utilized real-time or conventional PCR-based analyses of AMR genes. However, such approaches fail to identify variants within AMR genes and whether certain variants are transmitted faster or are fixed in a given environment. As such, to identify AMR gene diversity within most abundant AMR genes, we have developed and utilized an amplicon-based sequencing strategy to evaluate AMR genes and their hosts. Such AMR gene variants can be correlated with 16S rDNA-based community profiling to understand what bacterial species may be associated with different AMR gene variants, as well as to identify functional variants of the AMR genes that show resistance. This sequence-based AMR gene analysis approach provides information into the diversity and ecology of AMR genes.

Farmland Preservation and Urban Expansion: Case Study of Southern Ontario, Canada

Farmland is an essential resource for the sustainability and security of human food systems. Preserving an agricultural land base is critical, as it is significantly affected by local, national, and global urbanization. This research introduces a case of farmland preservation in southern Ontario. This area contains some of Canada's most finite and productive soils but has an agricultural system facing enormous pressure from urban expansion. This paper reviews the farmland preservation policy framework within Ontario and provides insight into the role of different levels of government in protecting this critical resource. It also provides data at a regional level that provides the basis to evaluate the success of provincial and local policies. By tracking agricultural land conversion through local Official Plan Amendments (OPAs), this study documents farmland loss across southern Ontario between 2000 and 2017. Implemented and approved by local government and designed with public input, municipal Official Plans outline and describe land-use planning policies on how municipalities should use lands to meet community needs and desires. OPAs are formal and legally binding administrative changes to a municipal Official Plan decided through an open public process, which are required to change local land-use designations that conform with the long-term vision for growth and physical development. These OPAs may include the conversion of farmlands for non-farm uses (or, in contrast, the protection of agricultural lands). Over time, they will reveal the loss of farmlands in each community for different uses (and reflect changing priorities). Using OPAs to track the conversion of prime agricultural land is an innovative and rigorous methodological contribution, given the lack of data documenting long-term changes to the availability of agricultural lands and the impacts of urbanization on farmland conversion. Measuring farmland loss with this approach can be transferred and applied to contexts where municipalities are the entities responsible for agricultural land-use planning, outside of Ontario and beyond. Data from 36 counties/regions shows that the provincial policies and local planning framework have worked in tandem to affect the agricultural land base in southern Ontario significantly. In Central Ontario, the most urbanized area of Canada, the Province's Greenbelt Plan has significantly reduced the rates of farmland loss since 2005, while the Growth Plan and other policies contributed to enhanced municipal control over agricultural land conversion. Specifically, the Inner Ring municipalities have played increasingly active roles in agricultural land protection with both planning approaches and local initiatives. Outer Ring municipalities have seen increasing urbanization pressure. Data on farmland loss for non-agricultural use showed large-scale municipal-led urban boundary expansions and small-scale individual applications on policy changes. In Western Ontario, over the past two decades, there has been no obvious upward or downward trend of farmland loss. Most of the farmland conversion cases in this region were small-scale applications to create small lots on existing agricultural land to allow non-agricultural uses such as commercial, recreational, residential, and agricultural-related facilities. Since 2000, Southeastern Ontario, which has the smallest provincial share of prime agricultural land, has experienced limited farmland loss, consisting primarily of small-scale, individual applications on land-use re-designations (partially reflecting reduced acreages of prime agricultural land). The provincial policy impact on farmland preservation is not as evident in this region. The findings and methodology of this study contribute to the groundwork on farmland availability and land-use planning policy development and research by providing a baseline enumeration of farmland availability and the effect of farmland protection policies at provincial and municipal levels within Ontario's land use planning regime.

Determinants of farmland prices and their local variation

Abstract The setting of farmland prices in the market not only reflects existing agricultural activities but also expected potential for development. This study decomposes farmland prices into values representative of current agricultural production and the prospective development potential at the county level in South Korea. The income value of farmland is derived by analysing agricultural revenue and production cost, and the sale value of farmland is estimated by reviewing transaction prices filed with the administrative authority. The difference between income value and sale value is adopted as the development value in this study. The results of the estimation show that the proportion of development value in the price of farmland is remarkably high, with a median proportion of 0.78, indicating that the threat of converting land to non-agricultural use is non-trivial because it remains a financially attractive alternative. In addition, the magnitude of the portion of the development value in the price of farmland varies considerably across counties depending on the distance to nearby metropolitan cities. This implies that agricultural policy should be designed in a locally optimised manner to effectively restrain the conversion of farmland for urban use.