On-farm Technology Research Articles

Impacts of agricultural production decisions on the safe and just operating space: A systematic literature review

Abstract Agricultural production decisions impact how agriculture navigates within the safe and just operating space (SJOS). The ability to model and assess these impacts is crucial for policy analysis. This study systematically explores the literature for links between agricultural production decisions and SJOS. As agricultural production decision categories, we examine on-farm technology usage, farm structural change, and field structural change. We identify the impact mechanisms of various aspects of these categories and discuss the scope of evidence available. Technology usage impacts the SJOS often through farmers’ choice of technology and its effect on yield. Farm structural change impacts the SJOS through economies of scale and scope, while field structural change impacts directly and through management efficiency. There is considerable knowledge of these relationships but also research gaps. The study provides fundamental insights for characterizing the decision properties of agricultural production and is useful for guiding policy modelling for improved SJOS outcomes.

Kano Model Analysis of Digital On-Farm Technologies for Climate Adaptation and Mitigation in Livestock Farming

In the EU, agriculture contributes significantly to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In Germany, over half of the GHG emissions from agriculture can be directly attributed to livestock farming. To combat the progressing climate change, GHG emissions must be significantly reduced. Digital solutions, particularly decision support systems (DSS), are promising tools to assist livestock farmers in achieving the globally agreed GHG reduction goals. However, there is a lack of studies addressing DSS requirements for reducing GHG emissions in livestock on the farm level. Users’ feedback on technologies can support identifying areas for enhancement and refinement. This study identifies, categorizes, and ranks fourteen DSS features aimed at supporting GHG reduction based on their impact on customer satisfaction. A quantitative online questionnaire using the Kano model surveyed livestock farmers’ satisfaction or dissatisfaction levels with these features. Results gathered from 98 responses across German federal states highlighted the significance of data authority and integrability, with their absence causing dissatisfaction. Multi-target optimization emerged as an attractive feature, positively impacting satisfaction. Connectivity and market perspective, however, appeared indifferent. The findings guide DSS developers in prioritizing attributes crucial for customer satisfaction. It also helps to focus on must-have attributes to preserve customer satisfaction and ensure successful GHG reduction implementation.

On-farm circular technologies for enhanced sustainability: The case of Uruguay

An increasing global population is putting stress on the food system. On-farm technologies to close resource loops will play a role in increasing food production without stressing natural resources. What are these applied on-farm circular technologies and what impact do they have on the food system? This paper develops a framework for defining the potential of on-farm circular technologies for benefits across multiple spatial scales. It then applies the framework to Uruguay to examine what economic and environmental benefits on-farm circular technologies, namely biomass for nutrient cycling (manure management) and on-farm water cycling, can have at multiple spatial scales – on-farm, regionally and nationally. Using data from a government program in Uruguay's most important watershed, the work shows that investments in on-farm manure management technologies yield economic and sustainability benefits that are unequally distributed across scales (Figure 1). It demonstrates that famers only receive a small percentage (16% on average) of the total benefits yielded by manure management and on-farm water cycling technologies, while most benefits (84% on average) occur at regional level. The analysis by technology demonstrates that the benefits of technologies also depend on how they are combined. For example, installing only a waste management pool on-farm increases the GHG emissions, while installing a waste management pool combined with a separator decreases the GHG emissions and magnifies the benefits of reduced water pollution. These findings raise questions regarding whether these technologies should be subsidized since most benefits occur beyond the farm level to the benefit of society. This has implications for how governments and private actors co-finance on-farm technologies to make farming practices more circular and sustainable.

Developing 'Smart' Dairy Farming Responsive to Farmers and Consumer-Citizens: A Review.

Simple SummaryDairy production has evolved over many generations to be an important source of high-quality nutrition for a significant proportion of the global population. However, it needs to evolve further to ensure it contributes to sustainable diets. Technological innovation can be a key enabler. It is also the case however that innovation brings about significant change, and can introduce unexpected, unintended and undesirable consequences, which are experienced differently by different actors on the ground. Thus, a major challenge is turning good science and technology into positive and innovative outcomes for society in an equitable way. Drawing on concepts from Responsible Research and Innovation (anticipation, inclusion, reflexivity and responsiveness) and Food Systems thinking, the authors reviewed the academic literature to consider the perspectives of different actors relating to technologies on dairy farms. It considers ‘smart’ on-farm technologies at three key stages of the dairy production cycle—breeding, feeding and milking—through the lens of two actor groups. It considers the farmers who may(not) adopt such innovations and the consumer-citizens who will(not) purchase/accept the resultant on-farm practices and foods. It highlights some differences between and within these actor groups, but also identifies commonalities, including tensions, faced by both groups. Dairy production in the future, thus, is not only challenged with embracing advanced technologies, the process by which such technologies are designed and selected must also be ‘smart’.Innovation has resulted in more dairy products being produced with less inputs than ever before. It has also affected how animals are raised, the structure of the sector and the nature of products produced. Not all impacts have been positive. As disruptive technologies—such as precision farming and robotics—herald significant change, it is timely to reflect on the perspectives of different actors on innovations within the sector. Drawing on a review of academic literature, this paper considers farmers’ and consumer-citizens’ perspectives; as expected, their diverse knowledge, interests and values surface a range of perspectives. To provide focus to the study, it examines technologies across three stages of the dairy production cycle: breeding, feeding and milking. It finds that consumer-citizen and farmer perspectives have been examined by researchers in several countries, using a variety of methods, across a range of technologies. It finds both areas of agreement and tension within and between consumer-citizen and producer cohorts. While differences in knowledge account for some variation, differences in values are also significant. The extent to which efforts can and should be put into addressing differences is raised as a point for reflection.

Trends in Tobacco Production and Prices in Malawi.

Diversification away from tobacco production has been identified as a priority for Malawi, historically one of the world's most tobacco-reliant countries. This paper refers to a nationally representative data set to characterize broad trends in production since 2000 to understand whether Malawi is shifting away from tobacco and how production has changed over time. From 2004 to 2019, the share of Malawian crop farmers producing tobacco fell from 16% to 5%, and tobacco's share of the total value of crop production also declined sharply. Tobacco farms are generally growing larger (in size and scale of production) over time. However, land productivity remains low, with net returns of 93 000 MWK (128 USD) per hectare at the median. Farm-gate prices for tobacco have declined relative to the prices of maize or fertilizer, rendering tobacco a less lucrative avenue to generate the cash income needed to purchase these key items. In addition, the share of the export price received by farmers has also declined over time, with the median farm-gate price representing 32% of the export price in 2004 and 18% in 2019. In some respects, a transition away from tobacco has already occurred. Additional research is needed to understand why the farm-gate share of tobacco export prices has declined over this period and how the livelihoods of smallholder farm-households that exited tobacco production have been affected. To the extent that tobacco prices appear to be declining, there is a need to rigorously assess whether farmers have suitable crop alternatives (with established markets) and other livelihood options. Likely, investments are yet needed to foster strong alternatives to tobacco; such investments include research and development in on-farm technologies to raise the productivity of non-tobacco crops, as well as improvements in non-tobacco value chains to reduce transportation costs and promote private investment.

A guide for farmers participating in on-farm technology trials for stem borer control in Kwale and Kilifi counties, Kenya

A guide for farmers participating in on-farm technology trials for stem borer control in Kwale and Kilifi counties, Kenya

Strengthening the agricultural technology dissemination through Institutional partnership-based extension model

Partnership among institutions have been globally recognised as useful tool for effective extension for development of agriculture and rural dwellers. This have been proved through a national level public-private partnership-based technology dissemination extension model that was executed across 15 states of India categorized into six regions for the period from 2009-10 to 2015-16. There were 13 public institutions (9 SAUs and 4 ICAR institutes) and 41 voluntary organizations involved in this project with ICAR-IARI, New Delhi as the nucleus institution from where the multi-disciplinary integrated technology and packages were disseminated. The programme was monitored and evaluated through a well-structured inbuilt mechanism of annual review workshop, project area visits; monthly, six monthly and annual progress reporting and contingency field level workshop. During the period of six years, 21211 on-farm technology demonstrations were conducted which covered 6565 ha of area. About 30000 farmers across 15 selected states were directly and indirectly benefitted from different interventions of the project.The farmer level feedback helped to evolve two new varieties of paddy and participatory on-farm seed production ensured self-sufficiency by way of generating the quality seed pool for paddy (4526 q), wheat (7965 q) and vegetables (15 q). Based on the experiences, expected potential of the outcome have been implicated.

Lead-farmer extension and smallholder valuation of new agricultural technologies in Tanzania

Encouraging the widespread adoption and use of new on-farm technologies is an important part of productivity-led strategies to promote agricultural transformation. While many interventions have been designed to promote adoption through extension and education, little is known about how these efforts influence farmer willingness-to-pay (WTP) for new technologies. We use a Becker-DeGroot-Marschak (BDM) mechanism to elicit farmer WTP for two improved seed varieties and a new seed treatment product, Apron Star, under two different lead-farmer extension treatments in Tanzania: (i) a demonstration plot showcasing the technologies within a village; and (ii) a demonstration plot coupled with distribution of trial packs enabling some farmers to test the technologies on their own land. In the BDM, farmers were presented with six products – the two bean varieties: without Apron Star, with Apron Star already applied, and with a sachet of Apron Star for the farmer to treat the seed him/herself. Our results suggest that neither extension treatment significantly affects WTP for these technologies. However, we find that farmers are willing to pay more for seed that is pre-treated with Apron Star than for seed bundled with a sachet of Apron Star for self-treatment.

A Vision for Development and Utilization of High-Throughput Phenotyping and Big Data Analytics in Livestock.

Automated high-throughput phenotyping with sensors, imaging, and other on-farm technologies has resulted in a flood of data that are largely under-utilized. Drastic cost reductions in sequencing and other omics technology have also facilitated the ability for deep phenotyping of livestock at the molecular level. These advances have brought the animal sciences to a cross-roads in data science where increased training is needed to manage, record, and analyze data to generate knowledge and advances in Agriscience related disciplines. This paper describes the opportunities and challenges in using high-throughput phenotyping, “big data,” analytics, and related technologies in the livestock industry based on discussions at the Livestock High-Throughput Phenotyping and Big Data Analytics meeting, held in November 2017 (see: https://www.animalgenome.org/bioinfo/community/workshops/2017/). Critical needs for investments in infrastructure for people (e.g., “big data” training), data (e.g., data transfer, management, and analytics), and technology (e.g., development of low cost sensors) were defined by this group. Though some subgroups of animal science have extensive experience in predictive modeling, cross-training in computer science, statistics, and related disciplines are needed to use big data for diverse applications in the field. Extensive opportunities exist for public and private entities to harness big data to develop valuable research knowledge and products to the benefit of society under the increased demands for food in a rapidly growing population.

The dynamic behavior of feed efficiency in primiparous dairy cattle

A variety of measures are currently used to evaluate feed efficiency in livestock, with some of the most popular being the linear regression of nutrient intake on the various energy sinks of the cohort being evaluated. The adoption of novel on-farm technologies has greatly increased the breadth and depth of data being collected on a daily basis, which creates the opportunity for the implementation of more advanced feed efficiency models. The objectives of the current study were to leverage data collected using high-throughput biometric technologies to evaluate changes of early-lactation feed efficiency on a daily basis and to develop a novel measure of feed efficiency based on the NRC net energy model. Daily records of nutrient intake, fat- and protein-corrected milk yield, body weight, and body condition score were used to model 7 different indices of feed efficiency (gross feed efficiency, return over feed costs, residual feed intake, residual net energy intake, and net energy efficiencies of lactation, maintenance, and body reserve flux) in primiparous Holstein heifers (n = 40) from 0 to 150 d in milk. We observed that feed efficiency was dynamic and fluctuated over the course of the experimental period regardless of the efficiency measure used, but most measures followed similar trends in changes of efficiency on a day-to-day basis. Of the measures evaluated, return over feed costs would be most suited for management purposes due to practicality and simplicity, whereas other measures, such as the efficiency of net energy flux to and from body reserves, present potential targets for inclusion in breeding goals. Net energy efficiency of lactation was estimated to have higher repeatability compared with residual feed or energy intake, which may reduce the time required to estimate whole-lactation efficiency. Because decreased net energy balance was strongly correlated with increased efficiency for all indices evaluated, future work investigating the associations of feed efficiency with the magnitude and duration of negative energy balance is warranted.

The efficacy of zero valent iron-sand filtration on the reduction of Escherichia coli and Listeria monocytogenes in surface water for use in irrigation

The use of surface and recycled water sources for irrigation can reduce demand on critical groundwater resources. Treatment or mitigation may be necessary for the use of these alternative water sources in order to reduce risk associated with microbial pathogens present in the water. In this study, the efficacy of a zero-valent iron (ZVI) sand filter was assessed for the reduction of Listeria monocytogenes and Escherichia coli in surface water. Water recovered from an agricultural pond was inoculated with E. coli TVS353 and an environmental L. monocytogenes isolate at 7 Log10 CFU/mL and horizontally filtered over a six-month period through a PVC pipe filter, filled with 35%:65% (volume:volume) ZVI:sand or sand alone. Filtered water was used to irrigate lettuce and bacterial persistence on lettuce leaves was determined for 7 days post-irrigation. Both ZVI:sand-filtered water and sand-filtered water contained significantly (p < 0.005) lower levels of E. coli and L. monocytogenes compared to initial unfiltered inoculated water. Population reductions of E. coli and L. monocytogenes were comparable after sand filtration. However, ZVI:sand filtration resulted in significantly greater population reductions of L. monocytogenes (P < 0.05) compared to E. coli. Populations of E. coli on leaves of lettuce plants irrigated with ZVI:sand-filtered water were not significantly lower than populations on plants irrigated with sand-filtered irrigation water over the 7-day period. However, populations of L. monocytogenes on lettuce leaves irrigated with ZVI-treated water were significantly lower than counts on plants irrigated with sand-filtered irrigation water on days 3 and 4 post irrigation (p = 0.052 and p = 0.042 for days 3 and 4, respectively. The differences observed in reductions of L. monocytogenes and E. coli by ZVI filtration is due to the differing effect that ZVI disruption has on Gram-positive and Gram-negative cell walls and membranes. ZVI- sand filters show promising results as an inexpensive on-farm technology for the mitigation of enteric foodborne bacterial populations in pond water over a six-month period.

Symposium review: The choice and collection of new relevant phenotypes for fertility selection

In dairy production, high fertility contributes to herd profitability by achieving greater production and maintaining short calving intervals. Improved management practices and genetic selection have contributed to reversing negative trends in dairy cow fertility, but further progress is still required. Phenotypes included in current genetic evaluations are largely interval and binary traits calculated from insemination and calving date records. Several indicator traits such as calving, health, variation in body condition score, and longevity traits also apply to genetic improvement of fertility. Several fertility traits are included in the selection indices of many countries, but for improved selection, the development of novel phenotypes that more closely describe the physiology of reproduction and limit management bias could be more effective. Progesterone-based phenotypes can be determined from milk samples to describe the heritable interval from calving to corpus luteum activity, as well as additional measures of cow cyclicity. A fundamental component of artificial insemination practices is the observation of estrus. Novel phenotypes collected on estrous activity could be used to select for cows clearly displaying heat, as those cows are more likely to be inseminated at the right time and therefore have greater fertility performance. On-farm technologies, including in-line milk testing and activity monitors, may allow for phenotyping novel traits on large numbers of animals. Additionally, selection for improved fertility using traditional traits could benefit from refined and accurate recording and implementation of parameters such as pregnancy confirmation and reproductive management strategy, to differentiate embryonic or fetal loss, and to ensure selection for reproductive capability without producer intervention. Opportunities exist to achieve genetic improvement of reproductive efficiency in cattle using novel phenotypes, which is required for long-term sustainability of the dairy cattle population and industry.

Analysis of Farmer’s Choices for Climate Change Adaptation Practices in South-Western Uganda, 1980–2009

Climate change is a serious threat to the livelihoods of rural communities, particularly in mountainous areas because they are very sensitive to such changes. In this study, we assessed the household determinants to climate change adaptation drawing from a case study of agricultural adaptation in the Mount Rwenzori area of South Western Uganda. The study identified the major adaptation practices that are adopted by farmers to cope with the impacts of climate change and using available on-farm technologies. A total of 143 smallholder farmers were sampled and interviewed using field based questionnaires, field observations, and key informant interviews. Data was cleaned, entered and analysed using SPSS and Stata software for descriptive statistics. Thereafter, a Multinomial logistic regression model was used to assess the drivers of farmers’ choice for adaptation practices, factors influencing the choice of adaptation, and barriers. The major adaptation practices that were identified included; use of different crop varieties, tree planting, soil and water conservation, early and late planting, and furrow irrigation. Discrete choice model results indicated the age of the household head, experience in farming, household size, climate change shocks, land size, use of agricultural inputs, landscape position (location), and crop yield varied significantly (p &gt; 0.05), which influenced farmers’ choice of climate change adaptation practices. The main barriers to adaptation included inadequate information on adaptation methods and financial constraints, leading us to conclude that contextual adaptation practices are more desirable for adoption to farmers. Adapting to climate change needs support from government and other stakeholders, however the implementation is more successful when appropriate and suitable choices are employed.

Current progresses in the ovum pick-up（OPU）for&lt;i&gt; in vitro&lt;/i&gt; embryo production in cattle : from lab-research to on-farm technology

Current progresses in the ovum pick-up（OPU）for&lt;i&gt; in vitro&lt;/i&gt; embryo production in cattle : from lab-research to on-farm technology

Assessing potential water savings in agriculture on the Hai Basin plain, China

The Hai Basin in China exemplifies problems that are observed in many arid environments: excessive water consumption, depletion of aquifers, and damage to eco-systems. Progressively since the 1970s water resources in Hai Basin have been over-exploited, primarily for irrigation, while the water requirements of other sectors have increased. Water tables are falling and outflows to the sea are sporadic and heavily polluted. Current consumption of water in the basin is estimated to exceed the renewable supply from rainfall by 6.25×109m3yr−1. Traditional approaches—improving irrigation efficiency through structural works and on-farm technologies such as drip and sprinkler—have failed to restore a balance. Researchers have investigated various on-farm techniques to reduce consumption, including mulching, zero tillage, deficit irrigation, revised cropping patterns, and improved cultivars. We project the results of such experiments for winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), maize (Zea mays L.), and cotton (Gossypium spp.) to basin scale to assess their potential in restoring sustainable water consumption. Widespread adoption of mulching, which is the most promising option for farmers, would reduce the over-consumption by 25% (1.6×109m3yr−1). If water quotas are introduced, forcing a reduction in consumption, current production could be maintained while saving 4.1×109m3yr−1. Ending the remaining over-consumption of 2.15×109m3yr−1 would require reducing grain production by 4–7.8Mtyr−1.

Differential smoothing of time-series measurements to identify disturbances in performance and quantify animal response characteristics: An example using milk yield profiles in dairy cows1

Recent advances in on-farm technology now provide us with multiple time-series of reliably measured indicators of animal performance and status at the level of the individual. This paper presents a smoothing approach for extracting biologically meaningful features from such time series using bovine milk yield data as an example. The main goal of this study was to illustrate how the method can be used to detect production deviations, extract quantifiable features of the deviation profiles, and thus provide means to examine hypotheses concerning the nature of the deviations. The effectiveness of the method was assessed with complete lactation curves from 47 Holstein cows. Within their lactations, the cows were each subjected to 1 nutritional challenge for a period of 4 d (their standard diet: a maize silage-based total mixed ration was diluted with 60% wheat straw), which provoked a decline in the milk yield in all cows. The challenge was imposed between the same calendar days for all cows. Thus, the cows were at different stages of lactation: early (n = 14), mid (n = 15), and late (n = 18). Each milk-yield curve was decomposed into components that capture the short-term deviations of the cow such as the response to the nutritional challenge and describe the phenotypic potential yield function of that cow throughout its lactation. The difference between the 2 components gives a measure of the milk loss. In all, 480 deviations were detected from the complete lactations of 47 cows. The milk loss provoked by the feeding challenge (n = 47) was significantly related to the milk yield immediately before the challenge (r = 0.86, P < 0.01). The correlation between the rate of recovery and milk loss was (r = 0.94, P < 0.01). Further, there was no significant slope (P > 0.1) to the relationship between the ratio (rate of recovery/milk loss) and days from calving, indicating that the force of recovery was unaffected by stage of lactation. These results suggest that differential smoothing can be a useful tool for quantifying biological disturbances in animal performance and for extracting features that relate to the potential and robustness of an animal.

Energy and water tradeoffs in enhancing food security: A selective international assessment

Rice is the major staple food in most Asian countries. However, with rapidly growing populations, sustained high productivity and yields through improving water productivity is critically important. Increasingly complex energy–agriculture relationships require an in-depth understanding of water and energy tradeoffs. This study contributes to energy and food policies by analysing the complex energy, water and economics dynamics across a selection of major rice growing countries. The results show that tradeoffs exist between yield and energy inputs with high yield attributed to higher levels of energy input. The selected developed countries show higher energy productivity, relative to all other energy inputs, compared to the selected developing counties, owing to enhanced mechanisation, on-farm technology and improved farm management. Among all countries, China has the highest water productivity due to water-saving irrigation practices. These practices offer opportunities for developed and developing countries to increase water productivity at the same time taking advantage of economic and energy benefits of reduced pumping. Sustained production from agriculture is vital to food security. Improved irrigation practices can offset environmental footprints in the short run but their large-scale implementation remains an issue. In the long run, investments are needed to buffer the negative impacts of food production on the environment. Investments to boost water productivity and improved energy use efficiency in crop production are two pathways to reduce energy dependency, enhanced natural resource sustainability and ensuring future food security.

Influence of time of harvest on grain yield of Acha, digitaria exilis and farmers' perspectives

One of the reasons for low grain yield in crop is the in-appropriate timing of harvest period. Harvesting Acha at physiological maturity will not allow some of the grains to easily detach during threshing, resulting in obtaining lower grain yield. Similarly delaying harvesting to 2–3 weeks after physiological maturity reduce grain yield as some of the grains have started to detach from the panicle at slight impact of the wind or walking within the field. Harvesting Acha crop at one week after physiological maturity is recommended according to the result of the experiment carried out in 2002 and 2003 at the experimental site of National Cereals Research Institute, Badeggi, Nigeria. Although most farmers harvest their Acha crop very late, they are willing to participate in the On-farm technology transfer on harvest period experiment. Keywords : harvest period, Acha, farmers' perspective International Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development Vol. 6 2005: 132-135

Water conveyance, return flows and technology choice

Abstract This paper develops a spatial conjunctive use model of an irrigation project in which the regulatory agency determines investments in the centralized distribution system and farmers decide the level of on-farm technology in the field. Irrigation return flows are assumed to recharge the groundwater aquifer. It is shown that there is specialization in production with upstream farmers using surface water and downstream farmers pumping from the aquifer. An empirical model suggests that the proportion of return flows has a significant effect on the level of investments in water distribution as well as in the field. For example, if return flows are relatively high, it may be optimal to allow for significant water losses from the canal and the fields. It suggests that the project pricing and technology adoption policies may need to be tempered by consideration of the basinwide impacts of water diversions.

What do farmers think? Farmer evaluations of hedgerow intercropping under semi-arid conditions

Results from farmer evaluations of exploratory on-farm trials with hedgerow inter-cropping in a semi-arid region of Kenya (the Yatta Plateau of Machakos District) are presented. Hedgerows ofCassia siamea, Gliricidia sepium andLeucaena leucocephala, which were managed by eight farmers to enhance soil fertility, were established in the mid-1980s. Although trial farmers appear convinced of the ability of the technology to increase crop yields, reduce erosion and provide firewood, most did not feel that the short-term risks (i.e. reduction in crop productivity) and the extra labour required were worth the long-term benefits. Hence, few of the eight farmers were willing to extend their hedges. The discussion suggests that in the risky production environment of the Yatta Plateau, where crop yields fluctuate constantly with the amount of rainfall, soil fertility is not of urgent concern to farmers. A participatory case study approach, which emphasizes farmers' opinions, preferences and ideas elicited through regular farmer evaluation exercises, as distinct from on-farm technology testing for validation, is recommended for on-farm research on new and complex agroforestry technologies. This approach permits between understanding of some of the complex socio-economic factors affecting the adoption of hedgerow intercropping and is the most cost-effective way to gather in-depth and contextual information on farmer decision-making and management of externally introduced agroforestry technologies.