Food Provision Research Articles

The relationship between exclusive breastfeeding and stunting in toddlers: A literature review

Introduction: Stunting is a chronic malnutrition problem caused by insufficient nutritional intake for a long time due to the provision of food that does not meet nutritional needs. Malnutrition at an early age increases infant and child mortality rates, causes sufferers to get sick easily and have less than optimal body posture as adults. Stunting is a condition when toddlers have a length or height that is less than their average age. This can be measured by length or height <-2 standard deviation of the median standard deviation of child growth from WHO. Many factors cause stunting, one of which is exclusive breastfeeding is also a direct factor causing stunting. ASI (Mother's Milk) is breast milk produced by the mother and contains nutrients needed by the baby for the baby's needs and development. Babies are only given breast milk, without additional fluids such as formula milk, orange juice, honey, tea, water and without additional solid foods such as bananas, papaya, milk porridge, biscuits, rice porridge and tim, for 6 months. The benefits of exclusive breastfeeding for babies include complete nutrition, increasing body resistance, increasing stable mental and emotional intelligence and mature spirituality followed by good social development, easy to digest and absorb, has a composition of fat, carbohydrates, calories, protein and vitamins, protection against infectious diseases, protection against allergies because breast milk contains antibodies, provides intelligence and nerve stimulation, improves health and intelligence optimally.

Dietary restrictions and special food needs in tourism contexts: does the love of events go through the stomach?

PurposeThis study aims to investigate whether and how dietary restrictions or special dietary needs, arising not only from health concerns but also from lifestyle or religious considerations, impact the experiences of visitors at various organized events.Design/methodology/approachThe study employs a qualitative research design, interpreting results of both content and sentiment analysis of 154 in-depth interviews with participants from cultural, sports and other events, originating from 18 countries and having dietary restrictions due to health, lifestyle or religious considerations.FindingsThe results underscore that the impact of dietary restrictions and special dietary needs on organized events depends on the duration and nature of the event. This significance is particularly pronounced in events lasting several hours or more and those centred around food and beverages, such as gastronomic festivals. While individuals with long-term dietary restrictions exhibit effective coping mechanisms without compromising their event experience, those with short-term restrictions feel particularly restricted. Although the provision of non-inclusive food during events may not immediately lead to participant dissatisfaction, it has the potential to impact the event’s success in the future.Originality/valueThis study is the first to investigate a sufficiently large sample of interviewees with diverse dietary restrictions, encompassing more than just health-related reasons, who attend various types of events in tourist destinations. It is also the first to employ sentiment analysis to better understand the impact of dietary restrictions on visitor experiences at events. This research paves the way for further studies in this field, emphasizing specific event types and different visitor groups.

Grocery intervention and DNA-based assessment to improve diet quality in pediatric obesity: a pilot randomized controlled study.

We assessed the impact of a food-provisioning intervention on diet quality in children with obesity. Participants (n = 33, aged 6-11 years) were randomly assigned to either usual care (intensive health behavior and lifestyle treatment) or intervention (usual care + food provisioning; high-fiber, low-dairy diet) for 4 weeks. The primary outcome was a change in child diet quality at Week 4. Secondary outcomes were changes in weight, food insecurity, gut microbiome composition (16S ribosomal RNA), and dietary intake, measured via an objective DNA-based biomarker (i.e., FoodSeq). Genomic dietary data were analyzed against a larger pediatric adolescent obesity cohort (n = 195, aged 10-18 years) from similar households. Intervention demonstrated changes across all assessed diet components and was more effective than usual care in increasing whole grain (β = 0.20, 95% CI: 0.05 to 0.34; p = 0.013) and fiber (β = 2.52, 95% CI: 1.28 to 3.76; p < 0.001) and decreasing dairy (β = -1.31, 95% CI: -2.02 to -0.60; p = 0.001). FoodSeq results, highly concordant with grocery orders (adjusted R2 = 0.65; p < 0.001), indicated a dietary shift toward low-energy-density plant taxa in the intervention relative to a prior survey of diet in a related cohort (β = 8.64, 95% CI: 5.18 to 12.14; p < 0.001). No significant changes were observed in microbiome, weight, or food insecurity. Our study supports the potential of dietitian-guided food provisioning for improving diet quality in children with obesity and demonstrates an objective genomic approach for evaluating dietary shifts.

The role of financing small agricultural projects in increasing production and reducing unemployment in Iraq for the period 1985-2015

The agricultural sector in Iraq is characterized by the presence of tens of thousands of small projects, some of which are due to agricultural ownership and tenure laws, and the other part is due to inheritance laws, while there are several thousand small agricultural projects due to agricultural reform laws, as well as the presence of several thousand poultry fields, fish lakes and cow stations, which It contributes to the provision of food at high rates and its contribution to the formation of the gross domestic product and its employment for tens of thousands of workers and depends on the state in the financing process through the agricultural bank mainly. The process of financing small projects is an urgent necessity in order to serve agricultural development due to the weak financial capabilities of the owners of small projects, so you find that when granted loans, they promote production and employment of the unemployed, while in periods of low financing and loans, production decreases due to the suspension of thousands of agricultural, plant and animal projects, leaving behind them. Thousands of unemployed people, so the financing is the dynamo that drives the activity of small agricultural projects.

Avian haemosporidian parasites affecting non-descript village chickens in Africa

Smallholder farmers in most of the rural areas in African countries rear non-descript village chickens for petty cash, food provision and for performing rituals. Village chicken production systems are regarded as low input- low output because the chickens receive minimum care and produce average to less eggs and meat. The chickens receive minimal biosecurity and are often left to scavenge for feed and thus exposes them to potential vector parasites that can transmit parasites such as haemoparasites. Haemosporidian parasites (Haemosporidia, Apicomplexa) are blood parasites infecting avian species, especially chickens. They are transmitted by blood sucking vectors such as biting midges, mosquitoes, black flies and louse flies. Infections are mild to severe causing reproduction, production and health losses such as decreased fertility, reduced body weight and egg production, anaemia and inflammation of vital organs such as the liver and spleen. Haemoparasites infections in chickens can be lowered through controlling vector parasites and the use of antimalarial drugs on exotic chicken breeds. The aim of this review is to characterize the avian haemosporidian parasites affecting non-descript village chickens in Africa, describing their morphology, life cycle, pathogenicity, control and prevention measures.

The Role of the Church in Reintegration of Street Children into Their Families in Lusaka District

The purpose of the study was to analyze the role of the church in the reintegration process and to come up with new strategies for increasing the effectiveness of these rehabilitation activities. The study objectives were to establish the type of support churches provide to the families with children on the street in Lusaka district and to assess the church-led initiatives that foster positive parent-child relationships after integration of street children in Lusaka district. A total sample of five families, 15 family members and four counsellors totaling to 19 participants made the total sample of the study. Interviews were conducted with parents and their children while a focus group discussion was conducted in this study at the sampled church grounds. Data was analyzed thematically by sorting similar responses and created themes under which the findings were presented. The study found that that under family talk on child care, it was the responsibility of the family to initiate family integration was initiated by the willingness of the family and the child at the same time. With regards to child safety and future consequences, the church had a responsibility to ensure that the family provided safety guarantees for the child before the child could be talked to by the church counsellors. On food provision to broken families, the church provided start up packs for families which were struggling to keep their children at home. the financial provision for family sustainability was available to the parents whose children were integrated into the family and the parents were helped financially with capital for business and employment as maids or guards to help them earn a living. It can be concluded that the church and parents played a crucial role in ensuring that there was effective and peaceful integration of children into the main family. The study recommended that Churches should come to the aid of the parents and homes where children have left for the streets so that family integration is supported. This will enable members of the church to feel safe to belong to the church since there will be enough help

Making Arab socialism palatable: Egyptian housewives and the politics of food in Nasser’s Egypt

ABSTRACT This article looks at the intersection of gender, politics and domesticity in the context of Arab Socialist planning in Egypt by analysing the advice given to women around food shopping and preparation in the 1960s. Discourses around food provision and consumption as a crucial component of socialist domesticity and of state intervention positioned women at the centre of the Nasserist project – as its symbols, beneficiaries, agents and occasionally, as its antagonists. Women – housewives in particular – were responsible, in a multitude of ways for making Arab socialism comfortable and, in the case of food shopping and preparation, palatable in the context of increasing economic austerity. I argue that cooking advice, found chiefly in the women’s press but also in cookbooks, popular culture, the educational system and government discourses around food purchasing under socialism politicised the figure of the housewife in new ways, as both as a beneficiary of the food supply program and as a political subject charged with the success of Arab socialist planning.

Food needs and health behaviors in the COVID-19 situation: a case study of quarantined communities in densely populated areas of Bangkok, Thailand

BackgroundThe Thai government’s initial response to the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) led to confusion and food insecurity in quarantined low-income communities. Although free food programs were initiated, no official assessment of their impact exists. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of these food programs by surveying the food requirements, food needs, and health behaviors of quarantined, densely populated communities in Bangkok.MethodsA cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted with 410 urban dwellers from quarantined communities who received free food assistance. Data were collected via a questionnaire on food requirements, food hygiene, food needs, and health behaviors during the COVID-19 epidemic. The data were analyzed in terms of frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation. The associations between demographic characteristics, food needs, and health behaviors were analyzed using logistic regression.ResultsThe participants demanded dried/canned food (54.9%) and three meals per day (64.9%), while the majority of the food provided consisted of rice and side dishes (96.2%) that were clean and qualified. In consideration of food needs, a high level of demand was observed in the first three levels: enough food, acceptable food, and reliability. Overall, dietary health behaviors were good. Logistic regression analysis revealed that being elderly (AOR = 3.67, 95% CI = 1.63–8.27) and having a moderate to high income level (AOR = 3.93, 95% CI = 2.23–6.94) were positively correlated with food needs. Similarly, good health behaviors were positively correlated with being female (AOR = 1.74, 95% CI = 1.12–2.69), being elderly (AOR = 3.73, 95% CI = 1.72–8.08), and having a moderate to high income level (AOR = 3.76, 95% CI = 2.38–5.93).ConclusionsPreparing for future crises requires the consideration of demographic factors that influence food needs, personal choices, and dietary health behaviors. Future food assistance programs should focus on the provision of nonperishable and long-lasting food, which will ensure the consistent availability of three meals per day.

Developing and using a school menu healthiness assessment tool to analyse school food provision in Wales.

To design and develop a new, innovative and valid School Menu Healthiness Assessment Tool that is suitable for the quantitative and qualitative analysis of school food and drink provision. Secondly, to analyse primary and secondary school menus and price lists pan-Wales to ascertain their healthiness and whether free school meal eligible pupils can afford to access healthy, nutritious food across the school day. Codable items and categories of school food and drink provision were operationalised before the tool underwent iterative development and testing. Then, cross-sectional content analysis of publicly available documents detailing school food provision (i.e., menus and price lists). Primary and secondary schools in Wales, United Kingdom. In total, 82 canteen menus were sourced online. This comprised local authority catering for primary (n 22) and secondary (n 19) schools plus school-organised catering for primary (n 5) and secondary (n 36) schools. Intercoder reliability testing found high agreeability between coders, demonstrating that the tool and data interpretation are reproducible and trustworthy. The free school meal allowance is not wholly sufficient for all secondary school pupils to purchase a healthy meal from the school canteen. Moreover, the tool identified that oily fish and wholegrain provision were lacking across many menus. A valuable tool was created, useful for researchers and other health professionals (i.e., dietitians) who are required to analyse the healthiness of school food provision in line with the latest nutritional requirements. This study provides insight into the current school food and drink landscape pan-Wales.

Community-based valuation of wetland ecosystem services: insights from Bamenda, Cameroon

Wetlands provide important benefits in terms of provisioning, cultural, regulating and supporting ecosystem services to societies all over the world, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. Despite the existence of multiple approaches for the valuation of these services, economic methods have dominated the scientific debate with infrequent integration of non-monetary valuation methods to capture community perceptions. This paper aims to assess the value of ecosystem services provided by wetlands based on the perception of the local community in Bamenda Cameroon. We explore if this perception is influenced by factors such as gender, education, and sub-division of residence in relation to the wetland area using a questionnaire administered purposively to a total of 400 respondents living/carrying out activities in and around wetlands. We complemented this methodology with field observation to explore aspects of wetland utilisation on the ground beyond the pre-defined survey questions assessing communities’ perception of the importance of different ecosystem services. Data was entered into the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (version 20) for wrangling and visualisation in R (version 4.3.0). The results indicate that the most valued wetland ecosystem services are directly linked to peoples’ livelihood such as the provision of food, traditional agricultural practices and the support of habitats to various plants and animals collected or hunted by local people. We also found a significant difference between the perception of the importance of ecosystem services based on educational level and sub-division of location in relation to wetlands (P-value ≤ 0.01), suggesting that communities living closer to the wetlands appreciate the importance of the ecosystem services relatively more than those living further away. Our results are relevant for improved recognition and integration of local community interest and engagement for inclusive wetland conservation and management.

Application of a good manufacturing practices checklist in food and nutrition units of a socio-educational foundation in the state of Pará, Brazil

The production and supply of meals must occur in an orderly and categorized manner, as quality in processing can negatively impact consumer health. In this context, evaluating good manufacturing and handling Practices through tools that can identify risks and minimize hazards is essential to ensure safe food. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate Good Manufacturing Practices in Food and Nutrition Units (UANS) responsible for meals served to adolescents in a Socio-educational Foundation located in the State of Pará, Brazil. A total of 15 UANS were evaluated, of which 6 operated with centralized meal preparation and 9 with decentralized meal preparation. For this purpose, the checklist recommended by the National Health Surveillance Agency, described in RDC No. 275 of October 21, 2002, was applied. The results showed that 33.33% (2/6) of the centralized UANS, which prepare meals within the Socio-educational Unit itself, were classified as Group 1, meaning they were deemed suitable with minor adjustments. However, 100% (9/9) of the decentralized UANS, where meal preparation occurs outside the Socio-educational Unit and only distribution takes place, were classified as Group 2, requiring more significant adjustments related to building infrastructure, facilities, movable equipment, utensils, handlers of raw materials, ingredients, and packaging. Adjustments for non-compliant items are necessary to ensure the provision of safe food from a sanitary perspective for the adolescents served.

'Will my fingerprint be enough?': secondary school students struggle to purchase a healthy, tasty and sustainable meal on the UK free school meal allowance.

Free school meals (FSM) are a crucial form of support for families. This study aimed to investigate whether the FSM allowance can provide what is perceived to be, healthy, sustainable and satisfying food. A mixed methods study incorporating co-production, citizen science and participatory approaches was conducted. Citizen scientists were given a daily budget equivalent to the FSM allowance and asked to purchase a 'tasty, healthy and sustainable' school lunch for a week. Alongside keeping records of available and purchased foods, young people engaged in focus groups to capture information on perceptions of food offered and FSM allowance adequacy. Secondary schools in Yorkshire, UK. Citizen scientists (n 42) aged 11-15 years across seven schools. Obstacles were faced in obtaining sustainable and healthful meals when restricted to an FSM allowance. Reasons included restrictions in what could be purchased due to costs, limitations in the use of allowances that restricted breaktime purchases leading to hunger, inadequate portion sizes, systemic barriers like hurried lunch breaks that encourage 'grab and go' options and broken water fountains that led students to purchase bottled drinks. Findings were reinforced by descriptive food record data. Our findings suggest that schools would benefit from national policies to address the lack of funding, infrastructure issues and capacity to support optimal provision of food to those on FSM as well as provide greater flexibility in how pupils use their allowance. Young people verified these findings, which they presented to policymakers at a parliamentary event.

Meals, Mealtimes and moments for learning: Assessment of quality in Early Childhood Education and Care services

Abstract Objective: Early education and care (ECEC) is part of the everyday life of most children in developed economies presenting exceptional opportunity to support nutrition and ongoing food preferences. Yet, the degree to which such opportunity is captured in policy-driven assessment and quality ratings of ECEC services is unknown. Design: Abductive thematic analysis was conducted, guided by key domains of knowledge in nutrition literature and examining identified themes within these domains. Setting: ECEC services (n=38) in Queensland, Australia. Participants: Data were a random sample of field notes pertaining to mealtimes and food provision (n=182) collected as evidence to inform quality ratings during assessment visits to ECEC services. Results: The field notes mapped to three theory-driven domains: Provisions, Practices and Education. Reflecting policy specification, health, hygiene, and safety were a key focus but food quality and quantity were not. Assessors noted promotion of child autonomy at mealtimes yet little evidence pertaining to characteristics of educator-child interactions. Conclusions: Despite evidence that childhood nutrition is crucial for optimal development and learning, quality and quantity of food is not directly assessed. Relationships and interactions at mealtimes provide an environment ideal for promoting learning and development yet the policy guiding inspection and assessment of ECEC services directs focus to a more limited lens of safety, hygiene and promotion of ‘healthy foods’. Our findings identify a narrow conceptualisation of mealtimes focused on ‘health’ as limiting the potential to leverage mealtimes as places to support children’s nutrition and attendant development and learning.

Digging for Literature on Tailoring Cultural Offers With and for Older People From Ethnic Minority Groups: A Scoping Review.

Social prescribing addresses non-medical issues (e.g., loneliness, financial worries, housing problems) affecting physical and/or mental health. It involves connecting people to external support or services, including 'cultural offers'-events, groups and activities run within or by cultural organisations. Such offers need to be acceptable and accessible to diverse populations if forming part of a social prescription. A scoping review was conducted to identify what existing literature, conducted in the United Kingdom, tells us about tailoring cultural offers for older people (aged 60+ years) from ethnic minority groups. Relevant literature was searched for on electronic databases, through Google, via a questionnaire to cultural organisations and by contacting the study's advisory group. Screening of 906 references-59 of which were read as full documents-resulted in six sources being included in the review. Some cultural activities described within them were run in traditional cultural spaces (e.g., museums, art galleries). Others were held in community centres. Data suggested that attending with others could reduce concerns about belonging. Barriers to engagement included low energy, language, poor confidence, accessing transport and unfamiliarity with a setting and/or activities. Provision of familiar food could help make people feel welcomed. Reviewed papers showed that consulting with target groups is important to ensure that activities are inclusive and sympathetically delivered. The review also highlighted a paucity of published research on the topic; this means that cultural providers have little evidence to draw on when developing cultural offers for older people from ethnic minority groups.

Roadside Dining: The Collective Movement Behavior of Sulawesi Moor Macaques in a Provisioning Context.

How group-living primates come to a consensus about navigating their environment is a result of their decision-making processes. Although decision-making has been examined in several primate taxa, it remains underexplored for primates living in anthropogenic landscapes. To shed light on consensus decision-making and flexibility in this process, we examined collective movement behavior in a group of wild moor macaques (Macaca maura) experiencing a risk-reward tradeoff as a result of roadside provisioning within Bantimurung Bulusaraung National Park in South Sulawesi, Indonesia. Our goal was to determine whether individual characteristics (e.g., sex, dominance rank, and/or social network centrality) predict the likelihood of initiating a collective movement and if the opportunity to receive food provisions along the road alters these patterns. Using the all-occurrences method, we recorded the location, time, and identity of initiators and followers of each collective movement observed from April to June 2023 (N = 61). We used conditional logistic regression models to examine which individual characteristics predicted initiation overall and based on two destination categories: forest- and road-directed collective movements. Initiation was distributed amongst most of the group, indicating a partially-shared decision-making style. Overall, adult males were more likely to initiate collective movements than adult females. However, for collective movements directed toward the risky roadside, dominance, rather than sex, was a better predictor of initiation, with higher ranked individuals being more likely to initiate collective movements. Examining the decision-making processes in this species through collective movements can provide insight into how primates come to a consensus and the extent to which anthropogenic factors shape these processes. By shedding light on how moor macaques navigate the risk-reward tradeoff at this site, our results can also inform the management of human-macaque interfaces.

The preparation of complementary food for breastmilk after the earthquake in Malampah, Pasaman Districts, West Sumatra Province in 2022

A seismic event of 6.2 magnitude occurred on February 25, 2022, causing significant earthquake in West Pasaman Regency and Pasaman Regency. It is evident that children under the age of five constitute the second biggest group of refugees Toddlers who do not get fed properly and are in an environment with poor sanitation can be threatened by various diseases. Implementing regular supplemental feeding techniques in catastrophe settings is a crucial strategy for improving children’s nutritional condition. This paper is based on several literature studies that refer to several literatures. Access to facilities and infrastructure influences disaster food assistance. Public kitchens were quickly created in West Pasaman, especially Pasaman District, after the earthquake. Lack of potable water and four-wheeled vehicle access restricted camp food production. Food from PERSAGI and contributors is distributed in Puskesmas Ladang Panjang Malampah. Even in emergencies, typical supplementary meals can be provided. In disasters, primary carers or parents require help governing complementary food provision based on clean water, convenient cooking facilities, diversified food items, or home-cooked, local-culture complementary meals. In addition to facility support, health workers must teach parents about standardised supplementary meals and give them confidence to offer them in emergencies

Kelola Pangen Sehat Bergizi untuk Tumbuh Kembang Anak dan Atasi Stunting di Kelurahan Kedungpane, Mijen, Kota Semarang

Stunting is a chronic malnutrition problem that has a serious impact on child growth and development. This article examines the role of families in providing healthy and nutritious food to prevent stunting in infants. Through literature reviews, case studies, and real-world conditions, it was found that the availability of nutritious food in households, good feeding practices, and mothers' knowledge of nutrition significantly influence children's nutritional status. This article suggests the importance of integrated interventions, including nutrition education for mothers, the provision of nutritious complementary foods, and social support for families, to increase the consumption of nutritious foods in infants and prevent stunting.

Delivering More from Land: A Review of Integrated Land Use Modelling for Sustainable Food Provision

We conduct a literature review on integrated land use modelling to guide policy on sustainable food provisioning. Modelling approaches are discussed in the spatial, temporal, and human dimensions, as well as environmental and socio-economic considerations. Many studies have focused on model development over their application to specific policy objectives, often relying on top-down approaches. While ecosystem services are a frequent focus, indicators for their assessment are inconsistently quantified. Socio-economic considerations are coarse in scale compared to biophysical ones, limiting their use in nuanced policy development. Recommendations are made such as standardising data collection and sharing to streamline modelling processes and collaboration. Comprehensive ecosystem services frameworks would benefit from a more uniform classification of values. More bottom-up modelling, connected with top-down models, could account for the heterogeneity between smaller units of analysis such as the landscape, farms, or people. This could reveal further insights into the local contexts and decision-making responses essential for effective land use policy. These advancements would help to design policies that address the complexities of sustainable food provisioning. By connecting local and global perspectives, future models can support more resilient and adaptive food systems, ensuring sustainability in the face of environmental and socio-economic challenges.

Effectiveness and feasibility of a theory-informed intervention to improve Mediterranean diet adherence, physical activity and cognition in older adults at risk of dementia: the MedEx-UK randomised controlled trial.

Despite an urgent need for multi-domain lifestyle interventions to reduce dementia risk, there is a lack of interventions which are informed by theory- and evidence-based behaviour change strategies, and no interventions in this domain have investigated the feasibility or effectiveness of behaviour change maintenance. We tested the feasibility, acceptability and cognitive effects of a personalised theory-based 24-week intervention to improve Mediterranean diet (MD) adherence alone, or in combination with physical activity (PA), in older-adults at risk of dementia, defined using a cardiovascular risk score. Participants (n = 104, 74% female, 57-76 years) were randomised to three parallel intervention arms: (1) control, (2) MD, or (3) MD + PA for 24weeks and invited to an optional 24-week follow-up period with no active intervention. Behaviour change was supported using personalised targets, a web-based intervention, group sessions and food provision. The primary outcome was behaviour change (MD adherence and PA levels), and the secondary outcomes included feasibility and acceptability, cognitive function, cardiometabolic health (BMI and 24-h ambulatory blood pressure) and process measures. The intervention was feasible and acceptable with the intended number of participants completing the study. Participant engagement with group sessions and food provision components was high. There was improved MD adherence in the two MD groups compared with control at 24weeks (3.7 points on a 14-point scale (95% CI 2.9, 4.5) and 48 weeks (2.7 points (95% CI 1.6, 3.7)). The intervention did not significantly change objectively measured PA. Improvements in general cognition (0.22 (95% CI 0.05, 0.35), memory (0.31 (95% CI 0.10, 0.51) and select cardiovascular outcomes captured as underpinning physiological mechanisms were observed in the MD groups at 24 weeks. The intervention was successful in initiating and maintaining dietary behaviour change for up to 12months which resulted in cognitive benefits. It provides a framework for future complexbehaviour change interventions with a range of health and well-being endpoints. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03673722.

Legumes and cereal crop rotation effect on soil fertility under selected agronomic practices in central farming region, Mongolia

The experimental study aimed at identifying the effects on soil fertility and resources using five different treatments, fallow, non-cultivated land, serial plants, leguminous plants, and grass, was conducted in a central agricultural region of Mongolia. The findings highlight the beneficial effects of cooperative agriculture for food and fodder on the restoration of soil fertility and its resulting useful effect on wheat crop yield. To ensure the stability of soil fertility in the central agricultural region, the key results of the suggest that mobile macro element nitrogen in the soil increased by 45-75.9 per cent over a 3-year rotation with spring soft wheat as the major crop grown along with leguminous plants. Furthermore, the implementation of a two-year rotation of Melilotus albus as intercropping for fodder and food purposes has been found to enhance the rate of soil cellulose decomposition. Furthermore, it has been observed that the continuation of favorable weather conditions and availability of moisture directly correlate with the extent of cellulose decomposition. The aggregate structure of the soil with a diameter of 1-3 mm, which is crucial for growing perennial grass (Agropyron cristatum), is improved by 11.87 per cent to enhance the field's soil structure and reduce erosion. In our research, it was found that legumes have a high protein content and are important role in meeting the needs of livestock and human food, while enriching the soil with nitrogen and increasing the yield of other crops. However, the practical importance of our research lies in the fact that it was established that perennial plants improve the structure of the soil. Legumes, according to our research, are rich in protein and contribute significantly to the provision of food for humans and livestock, as well as to the enhancement of soil nitrogen levels and the growth of other crops. Nevertheless, our study holds practical significance because it proves that grasses enhance the soil's structure as well.