Rural Production Research Articles

Management and cooperativismo

It is known that Agribusiness is one of the pillars of the economy in Brazil, and this sector has been increasingly modernized, demanding greater adaptability from producers to changes, knowledge and investment in their business in order to remain a competitor in the market. Thus the cooperative is of great importance for small and medium producers who do not have access to many available resources. Therefore, the present work has a general objective to comprehend the relation between an agricultural cooperative and the rural producer Edmar Canuto de Medeiros, as well suggest improvements in the management of their property so that more professionalization of the processes and consequently greater profit.

Viability of Lactobacillus Helveticus in fresh cheeses seasoned with red Murupi pepper

Probiotic cheeses are excellent functional foods. In this sense, fresh cheeses can be supplemented with probiotic cultures and seasoned with sources of bioactive compounds to create alternative and functional food products. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the viability of Lactobacillus helveticus in fresh cheese seasoned with red Murupi pepper, as well as to quantify the bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity over a period of 30 days. The peppers were purchased from a rural producer in the capital city of Boa Vista, located in the state of Roraima, Brazil. They were washed, sanitized, and placed on trays for natural drying. Subsequently, the partially dried peppers were cut, dehydrated in an air circulation oven at 45°C, crushed, and vacuum packed. Pasteurized milk was supplemented with 0.40 mL L-1 of 50% CaCl2, 0.30 mL L-1 of coagulant, and L. helveticus to prepare the cheeses. After coagulation, the mass was cut, mixed, drained, and added salt and pepper powder (0.5%, 1.0%, and 1.5% w/w). The cheeses were then packaged and refrigerated. The analytical methods employed included pH measurement, titratable acidity, water activity, L. helveticus count, quantification of phenolic compounds, and in vitro antioxidant activity assessment (conducted after 1, 6, 12, 18, 24, and 30 days of storage). During the first 12 days of storage, the pH values decreased, while the acidity values increased significantly, indicating the occurrence of post-acidification. The probiotic count was higher in cheeses without pepper, and its value increased up to the 12th day of evaluation, remaining within the limits established by legislation. On the other hand, the addition of higher concentrations of pepper resulted in cheeses with higher phenolic content and antioxidant activity. L. helveticus exhibited good viability throughout the study period. In summary, this study successfully developed probiotic fresh cheeses with the addition of red Murupi pepper.

The Potential of Brazilian Beef Production from the Perspective of Effectiveness and Efficiency

The general objective of the research is to analyze the national bovine protein market in order to compare the Brazilian production and productivity in relation to the main world producers of bovine livestock, in order to discuss, under the prism of effectiveness and efficiency in the perspective of rural administration. For the analysis procedure of this work, the SWOT Matrix tool was applied, focusing on the criteria of "strength", "weakness", "threat" and "opportunity". Based on the results found in the research, it was possible to conclude that Brazil has significant chances of growth for this sector of the economy, but it will only be able to sustain itself in this market when efficiency is also part of the decision-making process. Based on the SWOT Matrix, it was observed that the “strength” of the country in this segment is concentrated, in general, in the significant available agricultural production areas and in the hegemonic technologies existing at the national level. In the field of “weakness”, it was observed that the concentration of technologies in a certain group of rural producers reduces the diversification of production technologies, which may represent a loss of competitiveness in certain market niches, mainly in those more demanding sectors. In addition, high production costs were also perceived as a “weakness” that impacts the country's competitive power. The “opportunities”, on the other hand, are more linked to the growing global demand for food, placing Brazil at the forefront of food on the planet. The “threats”, in turn, observed in this study are linked to food safety and more demanding production criteria in competitive markets, which impose, in the Brazilian reality, the need to adopt a strategic vision and greater investments in science and technology, aiming to improve the development, in the national territory, of technologies more adapted to the realities of different biomes, such as the Amazonian biome.
 Keywords: Effectiveness, Efficiency, Livestock, Cattle, Brazil.

KAJIAN INFRASTRUKTUR SEBAGAI DASAR PENGEMBANGAN KAWASAN MINAPOLITAN DI KABUPATEN INDRAMAYU

The minapolitan area comprises one or several centers of rural production activities such as fishery production systems and management of specific natural resources and agribusiness. Regional functional connectivity and hierarchy in spatial units are the most important in maintaining administrative, institutional, and business systems. In the Decree of the Minister of Number KEP.32/MEN/2010 and the Decree of the Regent of Indramayu Number 523/Kep. 24-Diskanla/2011, Indramayu Regency was designated as the location for constructing the Minapolis area. Indramayu Regency is an area that has excellent potential for fisheries and marine production, with a production yield of over 150,000 tons per year. However, this situation is not matched by the availability of adequate infrastructure with a lack of supporting infrastructure in the Minapolitan area, where downstream production is growing. The purpose of this study is to assess the infrastructure of the Minapolitan area as a basis for developing the infrastructure of the Minapolitan area in the form of development directions. The method used is mixed, where the analysis is based on quantitative aspects while strengthening the justification is carried out qualitatively. The results obtained from this study show that the development of regional productivity development needs to be integrated with an adequate infrastructure development plan. Infrastructure development is based on the partial needs of fishermen groups and sector authorities that handle them. The grand design of the Minapolitan area is not carried out by the local government either with a cooperation scheme or a vertical assistance scheme. Infrastructure development is carried out with the capacity of the district government itself. Therefore, priority infrastructure deficiencies include fish seed centers, hatcheries, springs, cold storage, fish auctions, and accessibility between regions.

Measurement of Water Matriial Potential in the Soil Through Instrumented Tensiometers with Pressure Sensors and Puncture Device

Objective: The search for a practical and accessible solution for measuring water tension in the soil using tensiometers is fundamental for irrigation management, efficient use of water and increased profitability of irrigated crops. The objective of this study was to propose a technique based on the instrumentation of a tensiometer with a pressure sensor and a device for reading the sensor's response. Theoretical Frame: This study used the following main quotes as a theoretical basis: Freescale and NPX Semiconductors manufacturers of pressure sensors, Azevedo & Silva for the soil water tension correction methodology and Van Genuchten to describe the relationship between soil water content and suction. Method: Pressure transducers with a range of 0-50 and 0-100 kPa were used, with an analog signal varying between 200 and 4700 mV, whose response was measured by a digital multimeter with the scale adjusted to V or mV. The transducer was adapted by attaching a hypodermic needle Nº 7/30 to the vacuum measurement inlet, leaving the other inlet free for the atmosphere. The transducer was powered by a 9 Vcc battery with rectified voltage to 5 Vcc through a specific integrated circuit for this function. The conversion of the transducer response signal in mV to voltage in kPa was performed using the response function informed by the manufacturer, reversing the order of the variables so that the voltage could be measured as a function of the output signal in mV. The system was used to measure the water tension in the soil of tensiometers installed in an area cultivated with tomatoes in a greenhouse during a complete cycle, functioning satisfactorily. Results and conclusions: During the experimental period, the water tension in the soil observed with the new tensiometer with pressure sensor and sensor response reading device ranged from 0.00 kPa (minimum tension) to 53.33 kPa (maximum tension) in the two soil layers. analyzed soil, while the average tension was 23.64 kPa in the 0-20 cm soil layer and 21.38 kPa in the 20-40 cm layer. Soil moisture obtained from soil water tension and soil water retention curve ranged from 0.11 (minimum) to 0.50 m3 m-3 (maximum) in both studied soil layers, while that the average soil moisture in the depth from 0 to 20 cm was 0.21 m3 m-3 and from 20 to 40 cm was 0.20 m3 m-3. The instrumented tensiometer with pressure sensor and sensor response reading device makes it possible to satisfactorily determine the matrix potential of water in the soil. The matriial tension data obtained with the new pressure sensor are consistent with reports in the literature as adequate to provide higher yields in tomato cultivation. The technique and instrumentation proposed in this study allows measuring the water tension in the soil, knowing the soil moisture and carrying out irrigation management, applying an irrigation depth according to the needs of the plants, making a more efficient use of water and providing water and electricity savings. Implications of the research: This study qualifies as being of great relevance for the purposes of the Department of Agronomic Engineering at the Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso, Nova Mutum Campus, as well as for the entire academic and scientific community and rural producers interested in tensiometers to carry out a management of water from the soil and farm sustainably. Originality and value: The study sought to present to the academic, scientific and rural producers community a practical and accessible solution for measuring the water tension in the soil through tensiometers, thus providing current information on a new instrument for irrigation management, which makes it possible to carry out a more efficient use of water and increase the profitability of irrigated crops.

Evolution characteristics, drivers and trends of rural residential land in mountainous economic circle: A case study of Chengdu-Chongqing area, China

Spatial systematic competition definitely contributes to rural residential evolution. Rural residential land of mountainous economic circle is generally hard to govern due to the disturbances from natural factors and economic activities. This study established a framework and adopted Kernel Density Estimation (KDE), Exploratory Spatial Data Analysis (ESDA), Geographical detector (Geo-detector) and Patch-generating Land Use Simulation (PLUS) to examine the evolution characteristics, drivers and trends of rural residential land of Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle(CCEC). Our research uncovered that: 1) The competitions between rural living space (RLS), rural production space (RPS) and rural ecological space(RES) substantially contribute to the evolution of rural residential land according to the conceptual framework, and the evolution in mountainous economic zone is greatly impacted by the close coupling interaction of macro driving factors and micro farmers’ housing selection. 2)The characteristics of rural residential evolution of Chengdu-Chongqing area presents “dense in the west and sparse in the east”, and the majority of which are concentrated in Sichuan Basin and Chengdu plain area. 3) Although the size of rural residential land in Chengdu-Chongqing area presents a fluctuant downward trend according to the simulation results, the spatial distribution pattern will remain nearly unchanged in the long run. 4) Rural residential evolution reflects the interactional process of muti-factors, as well as the matching result between man-land relationship and regional development goals under the land use policies. Overall, The theoretical and empirical research form the perspective of spatial competition in this paper provides a new idea for future studies on the evolution of rural residential land.

Dynamic changes and driving factors of rural settlements at the county level in a rapidly urbanizing province of China from 2000 to 2020

Urbanization and industrialization in developing countries has contributed to great changes in rural settlements, which presents an increasing threat to rural sustainability. Spatiotemporal changes in rural settlements at the county level are significant to land use planning and are not clear in the highly urbanized regions. This study considered Jiangsu, one of the most urbanized provinces of China, as an example and investigated the spatial variation in rural settlements and their socioeconomic driving factors during the period of 2000–2020 using mixed geographic weighted regression. The results showed that the area of rural settlements in the highly urbanized province expanded from 2000 to 2015 following a decrease in the rural population, but then began to decrease from 2015. There were obvious spatial differences in the rural settlements in the counties of Jiangsu Province. The area of rural settlements in the different counties maintained a positive association with the rural population and cropland but had a negative correlation with the rural production value in 2000. By 2020, the area of rural settlements was only positively associated with the rural population. The correlation between the area of rural settlements and rural population continually decreased from 2000 to 2020. The area of rural settlements had no significant association with the area of urban settlements. The expansion of rural settlements mainly occurred at the expense of cropland. The decrease in the rural settlements was accompanied by an increase in the urban settlements and an expansion of cropland. The policy implications arising from this study are presented to provide guidance for rural development at the county level and ensure rural sustainability.

STJ AND TRANSGENIC SEEDS

In the second half of 2019, the Superior Court of Justice (STJ) made an important decision on the extension of proprietary rights over life: it established that transgenic seeds are patentable and, therefore, charging royalties on them is legal. The judgment was the result of a dispute between Monsanto and rural producers in Rio Grande do Sul. The aim of this article is to analyze this judgment, examining its legal foundations, contradictions and effects. The problem here is: Did the STJ’s decision respect the 1988 Constitution and the legal system it underpins? The findings of Juliana Santilli, Jack Kloppenburg and Pat Mooney are the starting point of the discussion. Methodologically, a contextualization is made about what native seeds are, as well as the risks that the current national and international system of intellectual property imposes on the fundamental right to biodiversity. Finally, the main arguments of the STJ decision and the precedent established by it are analyzed. Finally, it is concluded that the decision of the STJ went against the 1988 Constitution and the Brazilian infralegal system and took an important step towards the privatization of life.

CURRENT TRENDS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF CORPORATE AGRICULTURAL ENTERPRISES

Entry In the agricultural sector of the regional economy, the formation of corporate-type structures is being pursued, which combines them in an integrated form, by concentrating capital, labor resources, and industrial infrastructure to achieve savings. significant effect, increased productivity and increased product sales. Integration creates receptive minds for growing the obligations of rural production, with more effective agro-industrial establishments of the corporate type, which can create a closed cycle, leading to the necessary financial capital Talent and access to long-term lending. The purpose of this publication is analysis, tracking of trends in the development, formation, and functioning of corporate agricultural enterprises based on current realities. Results. The statistics examine the nutritional characteristics, development trends and functioning in the current minds of corporate-type enterprises, such as agricultural holdings. The essence of the concept of corporation and the particularity of the creation of corporate enterprises are identified. An assessment of the development of the land fund has been carried out, and an analysis of the division of rural agricultural enterprises across the area of rural agricultural land has been carried out. The dynamics of the number of agricultural enterprises for 2008-2021 have been determined, and the dynamics of the sown area of agricultural crops has been examined. The formation of corporate systems was studied and it was determined that the greatest expansion and development was achieved by this form of corporate agricultural formations, such as agricultural holdings. The essence of agricultural holdings and the features of their formation, functioning and legal status are outlined. Named TOP 10 agricultural holdings of the region. An analysis of the positive and negative aspects of the functioning of agricultural holdings has been carried out. Visnovki. Due to the fate of the independence of the region from the global aggregate of agricultural enterprises, there was a vision of great corporate agricultural formations, such as for the development of tracts of agricultural land, the effect of scale, however The importance of innovation was reflected in significant competitive advantages. The main advantage of agricultural holdings lies in the manifestation of a synergistic effect.

Performances of Red Chittagong cow under farming and rural conditions

This study aimed to assess the hematological parameters, productive and reproductive performances of Red Chittagong cows (RCC) under farming and rural production systems. Hence, three villages (Sailabari, Munsumi and Baniagati) of Khokshabari union under Sadar upazila of Sirajganj district were selected. The 40 Red Chittagong cows from each production system were taken under this study. Twenty (20) farmers were selected through direct interviewing process with a structured questionnaire. Farming condition and rural condition data were analyzed with unpaired t-test along with GLM procedure of SAS statistical package. Services per conception (times), postpartum heat period (days) and calving interval (days) had significant (p<0.01) differences between farming and rural condition, whereas, age at first calving (months) significantly differed (p<0.05). Average milk yield (kg/d) had significantly different at the values of p<0.05, whereas, lactation period was significantly differed at the values of p<0.01. Hemoglobin (g /100ml) and PCV% were significantly different (p<0.05) between farming and rural condition of RCC in the selected areas. From the study, it may be concluded that the productive and reproductive performances of RCC were better in farming condition than in rural conditions in selected areas. Bangladesh Journal of Animal Science, 52 (2): 55-60.

Application of questionnaires to evaluate the perception of helminths in cattle herds in the Tocantina Region of Maranhão

Helminths are infections caused by gastrointestinal nematodes, which settle in the digestive tract of two animals and cause inappetence, anemia, low growth, diarrhea, productive perch and consequently perch of high economic value. Attributed to this, this work was carried out with the objective of evaluating the perception of two rural producers regarding the problem of infection of cattle by gastrointestinal nematodes through questionnaires. The questionnaire was carried out remotely and applied via the Google Forms platform, being disseminated to livestock farmers, producers and collaborators in the Imperatrizense region. It was verified that 63.60% of the two interviewees had complete upper soil, 84.6% of the properties correspond to cut-off grades, 55.8% of the two owners use vermifuge twice a year, 46.2% two anthelmintics They are selected by veterinarians, 40% of the drugs consist of Ivermectin, 61.5% do not perform alternate grazing between ruminants and in 92.3% of the properties pasture rotation is performed, with extensive or more predominant management.

Agroforestry systems with Khaya ivorensis provide improved tree growth and economic benefits to rural producers

Agroforestry systems with Khaya ivorensis provide improved tree growth and economic benefits to rural producers

Deterring Factors Why Rabbit Meat Is Not Popular Among Malaysian Consumers

Rabbit meat is highly nutritious and possesses a healthy source of protein, yet it remains the unpopular choice of meat among Malaysian consumers. Thus, this paper investigates the deterring factors why it is so. By using descriptive statistics from a sample of 220 Malaysian respondents, it was found that the strong deterring factors why people do not eat rabbit meat are its availability in the market, versatility in cooking as well as its expensive price. Besides, there is also a misconception that rabbit meat has no nutritious effect as opposed to other meats such as chicken and beef. Therefore, it is recommended that awareness should be given to Malaysian consumers about the benefits of consuming rabbit meat, as well as how to cook it to expose the majority of the consumers to its versatility in cooking meats. Besides, incentives and subsidies shall be provided by the government and local authorities to rural producers to tackle the issue of its expensive price.

Dilemmas and Reflections of Officials Live Streaming in the Context of Rural Revitalization

Officials live streaming is a new exploration of rural revitalization based on the mode of rural e-commerce and grassroots governance. Officials as anchors have a certain political symbolic colour, which has a special added layer for them to drive the sales of agricultural products and handle political affairs online. Through analyzing the subjectivity and professionalism of officials anchors in live streaming practice, it is found that the coupling of officials live streaming and rural revitalization in practice often breeds the problem of subject trust in the identity of officials, the problem of media practice for the government to promote the implementation of rural revitalization strategy, and the problem of emerging discourse governance in cyberspace. For this reason, officials anchors need to consider weakening political symbols, visualizing personal IP, and promoting the normalization of live streaming, so as to promote the transformation of rural governance logic, rural governmental solutions, and rural products to increase income.

Rural producer's perspective on the impacts of care in the promotion of animal health and welfare

Introduction: This is a study that covers issues of animal health and welfare; in this sense, health care and well-being have been widely debated in society, meeting not only the vital demands of man, but also of the animal, which consists of quality of life Objective: to analyze health care and animal welfare in the Recriar Project, comparing them with the care offered by rural producers on their properties. Material and Methods: This is a qualitative research, which used the participant observer method. This research complied with ethical principles and was submitted to the ethics committee through CAEE 65758922.3.0000.8078 and appears to have been approved. Ten rural producers who were involved in the Recreate Results: Based on the questions raised, it is argued that the project contributes to the reduction of the manpower needed in the properties, since it has a multidisciplinary team dedicated to the care animals, providing adequate food and administering medications correctly when necessary. Considerations: It is concluded that the research carried out on the perception of the rural producer participating in the Recreate Project about the benefits of promoting animal care, health and well-being reveals relevant aspects. Although there are questions from some producers regarding the project's effectiveness in improving animal welfare, it is observed that participation in the project provides significant advantages.

Convolutional neural networks in the qualitative improvement of sweet potato roots

The objective was to verify whether convolutional neural networks can help sweet potato phenotyping for qualitative traits. We evaluated 16 families of sweet potato half-sibs in a randomized block design with four replications. We obtained the images at the plant level and used the ExpImage package of the R software to reduce the resolution and individualize one root per image. We grouped them according to their classifications regarding shape, peel color, and damage caused by insects. 600 roots of each class were destined for training the networks, while the rest was used to verify the quality of the fit. We used the python language on the Google Colab platform and the Keras library, considering the VGG-16, Inception-v3, ResNet-50, InceptionResNetV2, and EfficientNetB3 architectures. The InceptionResNetV2 architecture stood out with high accuracy in classifying individuals according to shape, insect damage, and peel color. Image analysis associated with deep learning may help develop applications used by rural producers and improve sweet potatoes, reducing subjectivity, labor, time, and financial resources in phenotyping.

The Effect of X-irradiation on the Shelf Life and Proximate Composition of Some Varieties of Tomatoes Commonly Grown in Benue State, Nigeria

Tomato production is a source of income to most rural producers in developing countries like Nigeria. Despite the numerous benefits from this crop, challenges of postharvest losses occasioned by lack of preservation techniques and storage facilities are making its production unprofitable in most developing countries in Africa. This research investigated the effect of X-Irradiation on the shelf life and proximate composition of some varieties of tomatoes commonly grown in Benue State. Five samples each of fully ripe Plum (Lycopersicon esculentum L.-Oval-shaped tomato of Italian origin), Juliet (Lycopersicon esculentum L.-1999 All American Selection Winner), Better Boy (Lycopersicon esculentum L. of USA origin), Giulietta F1 (Lycopersicon esculentum L. – a hybrid from France) and Cherry (Lycopersicon esculentum var. cerasiforme) tomatoes were collected from an experimental farm in Wannune, kilometer 54, Makurdi-Gboko road and exposed to X-irradiation doses of 0.10 mGy, 0.30 mGy, 0.61 mGy, 1.06 mGy and 1.67 mGy using the X-ray machine (Model: 1.2UG13GN) located at Musafaha Imaging Centre Makurdi, Benue State. Results of the investigation revealed that 0.30 mGy and 0.61 mGy are adequate for extension of shelf life of Plum tomatoes by 7 days; 0.30 mGy was effective in extension of shelf life of Juliet and Better Boy tomatoes by 5 and 6 days respectively while 0.61 mGy also proved adequate for extension of shelf life of Giulietta F1 and Cherry tomatoes by 6 and 7 days respectively. Proximate analysis of X-irradiated tomatoes showed no significant changes in the ash, moisture, fat, fibre and carbohydrate contents of all varieties of tomatoes considered (P˃0.05) except the protein contents of Juliet, Better Boy and Giulietta F1 that were significantly affected (P˂0.05). X-irradiation doses in the range of 0.30 mGy – 0.61 mGy are effective for extension of shelf life of tomatoes commonly grown in Benue State.

Direct budget subsidizing as a factor of sustainable development of agricultural production in the Republic of Belarus

Currently, most of the world’s countries are pursuing an active agrarian policy in order to support national agricultural producers. At the same time, the ongoing changes in the global and domestic food markets, due to rising prices, reduction in the product range, and social tension in society require optimization of costs of the country’s budgets and development of proposals for the most effective measures. The paper presents an analysis of methodological approaches to assessing the efficiency of direct budget support for agricultural production used in the member states of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and in Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Taking into account the identified advantages and disadvantages of applying these approaches in practice in the Republic of Belarus, as well as using the experience of the EAEU member states, methodological approaches have been developed to assess the efficiency of state support measures aimed at subsidizing of: 1) compensation for the cost of production resources; 2) price support; 3) losses of banks related to issuing preferential loans to rural producers; 4) stimulating the volume of output and the efficiency of related types of economic activity by increasing the amount of resources produced by the agriculture. Based on the presented developments, the most rational level of production costs was determined, when each additional ruble (as well as according to types) invested in the production allows to get the maximum increase in performance indicators. In addition, a positive effect of stimulating the growth of agricultural production on the performance of manufacturing (food) industry entities has been determined. These developments can be used to justify the sources and volumes of financing the priority areas for development of agriculture in the Republic of Belarus in the mid- and long-term outlook.

Evaluation of the Effects of Introducing Risk Management Tools in Agricultural Development: The Case of PADAER Senegal

This study aims to assess the effects of risk management tools on the agricultural performance of rural producers benefiting from the joint support of the Senegalese state and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) through the co-financed project PADAER. Data collection covers two regions in Senegal: Kolda and Tambacounda. The sample comprises 1167 farmers, including 379 beneficiaries of the index-based insurance facilitated by PADAER (Programme d’Appui au Développement Agricole et à l’Entreprenariat Rural). The quasi-experimental method known as the propensity score matching method was used to determine the impact of subscribing to index-based insurance on the farmer’s production, agricultural investments, and annual income. Although the results of the estimates show that the project has not yet had any effect on production, without the intervention of this project, farmers would have recorded a loss of about USD 115 (FCFA 57,600). Not only did the index-based insurance for the harvest facilitated by the PADAER allow the beneficiary to cover this loss and realize a gain estimated at USD 25 (FCFA 12,749), but the added value of this paper is that it measures the effects of agricultural index-based insurance in Africa using real-world statistical data.

On-farm Production of Microbial Entomopathogens for use in Agriculture: Brazil as a Case Study.

In Brazil, the production of beneficial microorganisms by growers exclusively for their own use is a practice known as "on-farm production". Regarding on-farm bioinsecticides, they were initially deployed for pests of perennial and semi-perennial crops in the 1970s but, since 2013, their use has extended to pests of annual crops such as maize, cotton, and soybean. Millions of hectares are currently being treated with these on-farm preparations. Local production reduces costs, meets local needs, and reduces inputs of environmentally damaging chemical pesticides, facilitating establishment of more sustainable agroecosystems. Critics argue that without implementation of stringent quality control measures there is the risk that the on-farm preparations: (1) are contaminated with microbes which may include human pathogens or (2) contain very little active ingredient, impacting on field efficacy. The on-farm fermentation of bacterial insecticides predominates, especially that of Bacillus thuringiensis targeting lepidopteran pests. However, there has been a rapid growth in the past 5years in the production of entomopathogenic fungi, mostly for the control of sap-sucking insects such as whitefly (Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius)) and the corn leafhopper (Dalbulus maidis (DeLong and Wolcott)). In contrast, on-farm production of insect viruses has seen limited growth. Most of the ca. 5 million rural producers in Brazil own small or medium size properties and, although the vast majority still do not practice on-farm production of biopesticides, the topic has aroused interest among them. Many growers who adopt this practice usually use non-sterile containers as fermenters, resulting in poor-quality preparations, and cases of failure have been reported. On the other hand, some informal reports suggest on-farm preparations may be efficacious even when contaminated, what could be explained, at least partially, by the insecticidal secondary metabolites secreted by the pool of microorganisms in the liquid culture media. Indeed, there is insufficient information on efficacy and mode of action of these microbial biopesticides. It is usually the large farms, some with > 20,000ha of continuouscultivated lands, that produce biopesticides with low levels of contamination, as many of them possess advanced production facilities and have access to specialized knowledge and trained staff. Uptake of on-farm biopesticides is expected to continue but the rate of adoption will depend on factors such as the selection of safe, virulent microbial strains and implementation of sound quality control measures (compliance with emerging Brazilian regulations and international standards). The challenges and opportunities of on-farm bioinsecticidesare presented and discussed.