Safe Farm Research Articles

Factors affecting weather index-based crop insurance in Laikipia County, Kenya

Weather Index-based Crop Insurance (WII) scheme have been introduced as an innovative way of mitigating downside risk effects, especially for smallholder farmers in developing countries. The uptake and effectiveness of such a scheme, especially in Kenya is not well documented. A stratified random sampling procedure was employed to get a representative sample of 330 smallholder farm households. This paper uses a double hurdle model to establish factors influencing adoption and the eventual extent of uptake of a weather-based crop insurance, what in Kenya is referred to as Kilimo Salama meaning safe farming in English. The results show that, access to extension, perception and group membership had significant positive effects on adoption (at 1% level), household head education level (at 5% level) whilst, adoption was negatively influenced by distance to agrovet and distance to the extension agent office (at 1% level), farming experience, age of household head and size of cultivated land (at 10% level). Distance to agrovet negatively influenced extent of adoption at 1% level while distance to extension agent together with farm size positively influenced the extent of adoption at 5 and 10% level respectively. To enhance participation by farmers in Kilimo Salama insurance scheme and consequently reduce production risks in their farming business, interventions that would enable farmers access to agricultural information, membership to groups, reduction of transaction costs and training farmers on benefits of an insurance scheme should be encouraged. Key words: Kilimo Salama, adoption, double hurdle model, crop insurance, Kenya.

Influence of Permissive Parenting on Youth Farm Risk Behaviors

ABSTRACTFarm youth continue to experience high rates of injuries and premature deaths as a result of agricultural activities. Increased parental permissiveness is positively associated with many different types of high-risk behaviors in youth. This study explored whether permissive parenting (fathering and mothering) predicts youth unsafe behaviors on the farm. Data were analyzed for 67 youth and their parents. Families were recruited from a statewide farm publication, through youth organizations (i.e., FFA [Future Farmers of America]), local newspapers, farmer referrals, and through the Cooperative Extension Network. Hierarchical multiple regression was completed. Results revealed that fathers and mothers who practiced lax-inconsistent disciplining were more likely to have youth who indulged in unsafe farm behaviors. Key hypotheses confirmed that permissive parenting (lax-inconsistent disciplining) by parents continued to predict youth unsafe farm behaviors, even after youth age, youth gender, youth personality factor of risk-taking, and father’s unsafe behaviors (a measure associated with modeling) were all taken into account. A key implication is that parents may play an important role in influencing youth farm safety behaviors. Parents (especially fathers) need to devote time to discuss farm safety with their youth. Farm safety interventions need to involve parents as well as address and respect the culture and values of families. Interventions need to focus not only on safe farm practices, but also promote positive parenting practices, including increased parent-youth communication about safety, consistent disciplining strategies, and increased monitoring and modeling of safe farm behaviors by parents.

Adapting Certified Safe Farm to North Carolina Agriculture: An Implementation Study

ABSTRACTCertified Safe Farm (CSF) is a multimodal safety and health program developed and assessed through multiple controlled intervention studies in Iowa. Although developed with the intent to be broadly applicable to agriculture, CSF has not been widely implemented outside the midwestern United States. This article describes the CSF implementation process in North Carolina (NC), as piloted on a large-scale in three agriculturally diverse and productive counties of NC, and reports its effectiveness using the Reach Effectiveness Adoption Implementation Maintenance (RE-AIM) framework. Implementation involved (1) capacity building through safety and health training, (2) adaptation of components of Iowa’s CSF model to NC agriculture, (3) marketing and recruitment, and (4) formative evaluation, including an online survey and focus group discussion. From 2009 to 2012, 113 farms participated in at least one component of the CSF intervention, representing a NC farm participation rate of 3.1% in the study area. A major adaptation of NC implementation was the utilization of NC Cooperative Extension as the local driver of implementation in contrast to local AgriSafe clinics in Iowa. The most innovative adaptation to CSF components was the development of a defined economic incentive in the form of a cost-share program. The RE-AIM framework was found to be useful and relevant to the field of agricultural health and safety translational research. This study provides effectiveness measures and implementation alternatives useful for those considering implementing CSF. It informs current efforts to move CSF from research to practice through the National Sustainable Model CSF Program initiative.

A Design for Summer Safety Shoes for Agricultural Work Using a Survey

Objective: This study aimed to find good design for summer functional farm shoes under the agricultural environment and working characteristics, which can help safe farm work and further promote the efficiency of working.BR Background: Most accidents at farms were overturn accidents caused by slipping or falling, and it was found that the main factors which caused the overturn accidents were inappropriate work shoes for the working conditions. These inappropriate work shoes often cause overturn accidents in the rural areas with steep paths.BR Method: A survey on work shoes was conducted with 174 farmers, and the outcome of this survey was used to find problems of work shoes and improvement ideas for the design of work shoes which can be used at farms.BR Results: Regarding the form of farm shoes, the ankle height was set at 6 inches to prevent the bending of the ankle and the inflow of foreign substances. The size and groove of the pattern of the outsole were extended to prevent catching of foreign substances. In the upper part, polyurethane and cordura were used in combination to secure air permeability, which was pointed out as the reason for the discomfort during the work wearing existing work shoes.BR Conclusion: Since farmers felt discomfort with the shoes which they were currently wearing, this study suggested a design of farm shoes by analyzing the important matters of the work shoes in development in order to improve such discomfort.BR Application: This study can help develop farm shoes that would practically ease farmers

Profiling the safety environment on Saskatchewan farms

ObjectivesOur objectives were four fold: (1) to provide a contemporary update on the prevalence of hazards on farms; (2) to document the safety practices of farm owner-operators; (3) to measure investments in farm safety and (4) to assess their relationship with injury within a current regulatory environment. MethodsThe study sample included 1218 farms that provided reports via a mailed questionnaire as part of a larger prospective cohort study. Participating farms were operated as individual family farms (56%), family corporations (26%), or formal partnerships (17%). Leading commodities produced included grain (88%) and beef or dairy cattle (42%). The median acreage was 1480 acres, with 28% operating more than 2500 acres. Analyses were descriptive and etiological and focused on the prevalence of hazards, investments in safety, safety practices and work habits, and how they related with farm injury. ResultsPhysical conditions on farms and associated farm operator attitudes and beliefs were often inconsistent with safe work practices. Investments in farm safety and also engagement in safe farm work practices were inversely related (p<0.05) to the presence of hazards.After adjustment for confounding, these investments and practices were related to decreased risks for farm injury, but not serious farm injury. ConclusionsReliance on safety standards that are mainly voluntary continues to put some farm people at risk for injury. Yet those that do comply with obvious and known safety measures are likely to have fewer exposures to physical hazards and unsafe work practices.

Development of Mock Control Devices and Data Acquisition Apparatus for Power Tiller Training Simulator

Training power tiller operators in safe farming is necessary to avoid farming accidents. With the continuing progress in computational technology, driving simulators have become increasingly popular for conducting such training. Purpose: The objective of this study is to develop mock control devices and data acquisition apparatus for a tiller simulator. Methods: Except for the stand and tail wheel adjusting levers, the mock control devices were developed using a tiller handle assay. The data acquisition apparatus was realized using an embedded data-logging device and LabVIEW, the system design software. Results: The control devices of a real handle assay were successfully mimicked by the mock operator control devices, which used sensors for the relevant measurements. The data from the mock devices were acquired and transmitted to the main computer at intervals of 10 ms via Wi-Fi. Conclusions: The developed mock control devices operate similar to real power tillers and can be utilized in power tiller training simulators.

Proteomic analysis of Cucumis sativus cotyledons after glucohexaose treatment as a part of ROS accumulation related resistance mechanism.

BackgroundGlucohexaose is a safe farm chemical used for pathogen prevention, which can induce systemic acquired resistance in cucumber.ResultsWe found that glucohexaose treatment of cucumber plant induced an accumulation of the reactive oxidative species (ROS). Histochemistry showed sharp increases in O2- and H2O2 5 h after glucohexaose treatment. After 5 h, the O2- content decreased to a normal level, but the H2O2 content remained at a high level 10 h after glucohexaose treatment. And antioxidant enzymes were also changed after glucohexaose treatment. We also investigated the relationship between ROS accumulation and glucohexaose-induced proteome alteration using 2D electrophoresis coupled with MS/MS. 54 protein spots, which enhanced expression under glucohexaose treatment but suppressed the expression by application of DPI and DMTU, have been identified.ConclusionOur study showed the accumulation of ROS is a part of mechanism of glucohexaose induced resistance in cucumber cotyledons. The up-regulated proteins identified by MS such as PP2C and antioxidation proteins are important in ROS signaling. It will be interesting to find out the regulatory mechanism underlying the induction of these proteins via ROS, and provide some clues to the mechanism of glucohexaose-induced resistance.

Prevention of farmers’ moral hazard in safe farming in China: by incentives or constraints?

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to understand farmers’ moral hazard in safe farming in China and quantify the degree to which farmers’ moral hazard is prevented by incentive or constraint means or their combinations. Design/methodology/approach – The logit model is used to analyze farmers’ moral hazard in safe farming and the effects of determinants by applying survey data of 560 vegetable and fruit farmers in China. Findings – The result reveals that farmers’ moral hazard in safe farming is prevented by a combination of incentives and constraints. Among incentive factors, profits from safe agro-products are verified to affect farmers’ moral hazard negatively, whereas the effect of safe certification subsidy is not clear. In constraint factors, production environmental supervision (PESUPV) and agricultural input supervision (AISUPV) have significant effects in reducing farmers’ moral hazard, whereas the effects of production process supervision and market access supervision are not clear. Further, the incentives from higher profits of safe agro-products play a greater role in the prevention of farmers’ moral hazard than the constraints from PESUPV and AISUPV. The results indicate that farmers’ moral hazard in safe farming is more likely to be prevented by incentives compared with constraints. Research limitations/implications – The study has some limitations that should be taken into account in future research. First, food safety incidents happen frequently in China, which caused widespread social concern. These affairs may spark a rethink for farmers about how to produce safe agro-products. From this prospective, farmers’ moral hazard in safe farming may be prevented by their social responsibility. However, the survey did not show it. This may be related to the beginning stage of safe farming in China. With the development of safe farming, the effect of social responsibility on the prevention of farmers’ moral hazard would constitute an interesting extension of the work. Second, the study focusses on farmers’ production of safe vegetables and fruits in three areas of China. Covering more activities and areas is likely to commit fruitful results. Originality/value – Based on the theoretical analysis of farmers’ moral hazard in safe farming through using a principal-agent model, the paper proposes hypotheses of incentives and constraints affecting farmers’ moral hazard in safe farming and verifies them through logit model with the survey data from 15 counties (or cities) in Jiangsu, Jiangxi and Sichuan Provinces of China. The result provides some evidences that farmers’ moral hazard in safe farming is simultaneously affected by a combination of incentives and constraints and may be taken as proofs for China's policy-making and focusses implementation in preventing farmers’ moral hazard in safe farming.

Seasonal variations in cholinesterase activity, nerve conduction velocity and lung function among sprayers exposed to mixture of pesticides

Pesticide spraying operation is associated with the increased risk of adverse health effects among sprayers who do not follow safe farm work practices. A study was conducted among pesticide sprayers in North India to evaluate the clinical and subclinical variations in their vital health parameters before and after the pesticide spraying season. Blood cholinesterase levels, pulmonary function test, nerve conduction velocity and self-reported symptoms were studied among 18 eligible and consenting male sprayers. Mean acetylcholinesterase activity was reduced by 55 % in the post-exposure assessment (P<0.001) as compared to pre-exposure levels. Mean forced expiratory volume in 1 s was 20 % lower in the post-exposure assessment as compared to the pre-exposure level (P<0.05). No significant change was observed in the motor and sensory nerve conduction velocity in the median nerve of sprayers before and after the spraying activity. Also, no significant variation was observed with respect to self-reported symptoms except weakness in arms and legs (P<0.05). The significant decline in lung function and acetylcholinesterase level after pesticide exposure reflects the strongly negative effect of exposure to pesticides during spraying activity. More longitudinal studies among pesticide sprayers must be undertaken to further substantiate the cause-effect relationship between pesticide exposure and its subclinical effects. There is a strong necessity to minimise the exposure through the use of personal protective equipment in pesticide sprayers.

Impact of emergent macrophytes on fish catch in Nguru Lake

The impact of emergent macrophytes on the catch of fish in Nguru Lake was studied from May 2006 to April 2007.Physico-chemical properties of the lake were studied in conjunction with the macrophytes. Experimental fishing was carried out in portions of the lake infested with the macrophytes and portions not infested.data collected were subjected to Student,s t-test. There wassignificant difference between fish catch in the two portions.. The infestation of macrophytes particularly Typha sp. leads to poor fish yield. The study recommended that farmers should be enlightened on the use of organic fertilizers and other safe farming practices and that further research should be carried out on the proliferation of Typha.Keywords: Fish, Typha, Macrophytes, Infestation

Respirator and Hearing Protection Use in the Certified Safe Farm Program

ABSTRACT An evaluation was conducted on the results of the Certified Safe Farm controlled intervention program on a wide range of occupational health and safety outcomes. This report focuses on the outcomes of personal protective equipment (PPE) usage among one cohort of 438 Iowa (owner-operator) farmers in the Certified Safe Farm study during a 5-year period from 2004 to 2008. Intervention farmers reported an 11% increase in regular respirator usage and a 23% increase in regular use of hearing protection relative to comparison groups. Furthermore, it was revealed that personal factors such as smoking and low self-assessment of health status are associated with lower usage of PPE. The authors provide evidence that multiple modalities of intervention are more likely to affect safe behavior changes in the owner-operator farming population compared with single modality interventions. Further, farmers reported that personal factors such as smoking history and low self-assessment of health status are associated with lower usage of PPE.

피복작물이 유기 사과과원 토양미생물상에 미치는 영향

Due to recent interest of the consumers on safe farm products and the government’s political support for eco-friendly agriculture, organic fruit production has been growing continuously. This research was conducted in order to study the effect of cover plants on soil microbial community on cover plants and establish an organic fruit cultivation method through choosing optimal cover plant. As a result of investigating soil microbial population density, the bacterial density in soil showed an increasing trend in June compared to April, and there was a decreasing trend in bacterial density of the soil in August compared to June. The density of actinomycetes in soil increased around 1.6 times in June compared to April when the soil was covered with hairy vetch. The increase of filamentous fungus in crimson clover group was 6.1 times higher in June compared to April and in hairy vetch group, the increase was 4.9 times higher in June compared to April. As a result of analyzing DNA extracted from the soil categorized by different types of cover plants using DGGE method, soil collected from April had higher number of bands detected from different locations according to different types of cover plants. Diversity of the bands from the soil collected from August showed higher range of reduction. As a result of analyzing soil microbial community by different period and the types of cover plants using Pyrosequencing method, microbes were detected in the order of Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Chloroflexi, and Firmicutes. Distribution rate of Firmicutes increased in the soil collected in August compared to June and this was shown in all types of cover plants by twice the amount.

Guidelines for Children's Work in Agriculture: Implications for the Future

ABSTRACT The North American Guidelines for Children's Agricultural Tasks (NAGCAT) were developed to assist parents in assigning developmentally appropriate and safe farm work to their children aged 7–16 years. Since their release in 1999, a growing body of evidence has accumulated regarding the content and application of these guidelines to populations of working children on farms. The purpose of this paper is to review the scientific and programmatic evidence about the content, efficacy, application, and uptake of NAGCAT and propose key recommendations for the future. The methods for this review included a synthesis of the peer-reviewed literature and programmatic evidence gathered from safety professionals. From the review, it is clear that the NAGCAT tractor guidelines and the manual material handling guidelines need to be updated based upon the latest empirical evidence. While NAGCAT do have the potential to prevent serious injuries to working children in the correct age range (7–16 years), the highest incidence of farm related injuries and fatalities occur to children aged 1–6 years and NAGCAT are unlikely to have any direct effect on this leading injury problem. It is also clear that NAGCAT, as a voluntary educational strategy, is not sufficient by itself to protect children working on farms. Uptake of NAGCAT has been sporadic, despite being geographically widespread and has depended, almost solely, on a few interested and committed professionals. Key recommendations for the future are provided based upon this review.

North Carolina’s Preparedness to Respond to On-Farm Emergencies

North Carolina farm families, emergency services, and fire departments do not always have sufficient training to respond to on-farm emergencies. The main barrier to preparedness is lack of awareness of these needs. We recommend improved emergency response through collaborative education using AgriSafe of North Carolina and Certified Safe Farm North Carolina, two programs geared toward safety training.

Loess failure in northeast Afghanistan

Mass movements in northeastern Afghanistan include large-scale rockslides and complex slope failures, as well as failures in loess. The loess region in northeastern Afghanistan occurs in the Badakhshan and Takhar provinces and was likely created by dust blown to the east from the Karakum Desert and the alluvial plains of northern Afghanistan. This loessic dust was deposited against the Hindu Kush mountain range which rises up along the eastern half of Afghanistan as a result of transpressional tectonism. It overlies less permeable crystalline and sedimentary bedrocks such as Triassic granite, Proterozoic gneiss, and Miocene and Pliocene clastics in the area with the largest concentration of slope failures. Thirty-four loess slides and flows were mapped and analyzed using remote satellite imagery over digital elevation models on Google Earth™. This source enabled location, classification, and measurement of failures. Findings revealed that most failed slopes faced north, west, and northwest. This trend can be explained possibly as different moisture contents resulting from the primarily westerly wind direction, which may cause more precipitation to be deposited on west-facing slopes, and sun position during the hottest part of the day. Additionally, the easterly rising Hindu Kush range may cause more slope area to face west in the study region. Other contributing factors could be the very high seismicity of the area, which may cause rapid dry fluidized loess flows, and landscape modification by humans. Several loess slope failures appear to be generated by water concentration through irrigation ditches and possible rutted tire tracks, which can create tunneling between the loess and its less permeable bedrock. Causes and effects of loess failure in Afghanistan need to be investigated in more depth. Further study may lead to the adoption of more sustainable and safe farming practices and more informed housing locations, which may prevent loss of property, crop, and transport routes.

Prevention of Occupational Respiratory Symptoms Among Certified Safe Farm Intervention Participants

ABSTRACT Certified Safe Farm (CSF) is a multifaceted intervention including clinical Occupational and wellness screening, education, and on-farm safety audits with set safety standards, and performance incentives. Five years of respiratory health outcomes are reported in 150 CSF intervention farmers and 158 matched controls. Standardized health interviews and occupational histories were analyzed with descriptive statistics to determine prevalence rates. There was a 100% response rate from the standardized telephone interviews, and respectively a 94% and 89 % response rate from the self-administered occupational health history questionnaire for the CSF intervention and the comparison population. The overall rate for occupational respiratory conditions was 17/100 person-years. At baseline there was no difference between the prevalence of respiratory symptoms between the CSF and control groups. However, over the course of the intervention, the CSF farmers increased their use of personal protective respiratory equipment at work, and experienced fewer episodes of acute symptoms of organic dust toxic syndrome (ODTS). The Certified Safe Farm intervention appeared to affect increased use of respiratory protection and decreased symptoms of ODTS.

Integrated studies for automobile wastes management in developing countries; in the concept of environmentally friendly mechanic village

More cities in developing countries now consider mechanic village (MV) as superior to the city wide auto-workshop practice following the increasing influx of used or waste automobile from industrialized nations. This is because of the numerous advantages of the mechanic village concept as a capacity building, and in poverty alleviation. Nevertheless, mechanic villages are poorly developed with no waste management plan. They are now identified with severe to excessive heavy metal soil pollution, causing ecological and public health hazards. This paper has a wider explanation of what it takes for a mechanic village to be environmentally friendly based on spectroscopic analysis and physical measurements conducted in three MVs. Heavy metal concentrations (mg kg( -1)) above background levels in the upper 100 cm soil profiles of the Okigwe, the Orji, and the Nekede MVs in the Imo River basin collectively range 748-70,606 for Fe; 99-1,090 for Pb; 186-600 for Mn; 102-1,001 for Cu; 8-23 for Cd; 4-27 for Cr; and 3-10 for Ni. The most abundant metals of environmental concerns are Pb, Mn, and Cu, in the order of Pb > Mn > Cu. Three-phase storm water treatment, emission testing, minimum safe farming distance (350 m), extended producer responsibility for disposal or recycling of used motor oil, phyto-remediation using local plants, groundwater monitoring wells, and continuous education of mechanics are recommended. Exporters of waste automobiles to developing countries and the United Nations may assist developing countries in establishing environmentally friendly MVs.

Incorporating Occupational Health Interventions in a Community-Based Participatory Preventive Health Program for Farm Families: A Qualitative Study

ABSTRACT The purpose of this pilot study was to determine the willingness of the farm community to participate in a farm safety health initiative (expanding a community-based health program to include elements of the Certified Safe Farm program), as well as understand farmers' experiences with participation in the intervention. Focus groups and individual interviews were held to explore farmers' experience with the expanded health screening and on farm safety review. Results indicate that incorporation of the expanded intervention was well accepted amongst participants in this study.

Certified Safe Farm: Identifying and Removing Hazards on the Farm

This article describes the development of the Certified Safe Farm (CSF) on-farm safety review tools, characterizes the safety improvements among participating farms during the study period, and evaluates differences in background variables between low and high scoring farms. Average farm review scores on 185 study farms improved from 82 to 96 during the five-year study (0-100 scale, 85 required for CSF certification). A total of 1292 safety improvements were reported at an estimated cost of $650 per farm. A wide range of improvements were made, including adding 9 rollover protective structures (ROPS), 59 power take-off (PTO) master shields, and 207 slow-moving vehicle (SMV) emblems; improving lighting on 72 machines: placing 171 warning decals on machinery; shielding 77 moving parts; locking up 17 chemical storage areas, adding 83 lockout/tagout improvements; and making general housekeeping upgrades in 62 farm buildings. The local, trained farm reviewers and the CSF review process overall were well received by participating farmers. In addition to our earlier findings where higher farm review scores were associated with lower self-reported health outcome costs, we found that those with higher farm work hours, younger age, pork production in confinement, beef production, poultry production, and reported exposure to agrichemicals had higher farm review scores than those who did not have these characteristics. Overall, the farm review process functioned as expected. encouraging physical improvements in the farm environment, and contributing to the multi-faceted CSF intervention program.

Health, medication use, and agricultural injury: A review

Agricultural work in the United States and Canada continues to be one of the most dangerous vocations. Surveillance evidence suggests that older farmers (>60 years of age) are at greater risk of serious injury than their younger counterparts. The purpose of this article was to outline illnesses and medications that may contribute to older farmers' increased risk of agricultural injury and to determine a minimum set of health-related covariates that could be used in farm injury studies. A review of English language literature in Medline, CINAHL, and NIOSH databases was conducted examining disease and medication factors related to farm injury. Health- and disease-related factors most commonly reported as significantly contributing to agricultural injury included previous injury, hearing problems, depression, arthritis, and sleep deprivation. The use of "any medication" was identified as a significant risk factor for injury in a number of studies. The use of sleep medication was significantly related to injury in two studies. Based on the findings, it is recommended that at a minimum, researchers collect information on the prevalence of previous injury, hearing problems, depression, arthritis/muscular-skeletal problems and sleep disturbance as these have been identified as significant risk factors in a number of studies. In addition, where subjects that identify any of these afflictions, further information should be sought on any medications used in their treatment which can add data on disease severity. More research and surveillance activities need to be focused on the older farm worker. This population is critical to the maintenance of the agricultural base in North America and health and safety research initiatives need to address this. By integrating research from the fields of gerontology, occupational health and safety, and injury prevention, innovative interventions could be constructed to assist the aging farmer in the continuation of safe farming.