Specific Agricultural Practices Research Articles

A Review of Drip Irrigation’s Effect on Water, Carbon Fluxes, and Crop Growth in Farmland

The substantial depletion of freshwater reserves in many pivotal agricultural regions, attributable to the dual pressures of global climate change and the excessive extraction of water resources, has sparked considerable apprehension regarding the sustainability of future food and water security. Drip irrigation, as an efficient and precise irrigation method, reduces water loss caused by deep percolation, soil evaporation, and runoff by controlling the irrigation dosage and frequency, thus improving the efficiency of water resource utilization. Studies have shown that compared with traditional irrigation methods, drip irrigation can significantly decrease water consumption, optimize the water–energy relationship by reducing soil evaporation, increase the leaf area index, and promote crop growth, thereby enhancing plant transpiration. Although more wet and dry soil cycles from drip irrigation may increase soil CO2 emissions, it also enhances crop photosynthesis and improves crop net ecosystem productivity (NEP) by creating more favorable soil moisture conditions, indicating greater carbon sequestration potential. The advantages of drip irrigation, such as a short irrigation cycle, moderate soil moisture, and obvious dry and wet interfaces, can improve a crop’s leaf area index and biomass accumulation, improve root dynamics, promote the distribution of photosynthetic products to the aboveground parts, and thus enhance crop yields. This study highlights the potential for the application of drip irrigation in arid regions where resource optimization is sought, providing strong technical support for the achievement of sustainable agricultural development. Future research needs to consider specific agricultural practices, soil types, and environmental conditions to further optimize the implementation and effectiveness of drip irrigation.

GROUNDWATER DEPLETION IN AGRICULTURAL REGIONS: CAUSES, CONSEQUENCES, AND SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT: A CASE STUDY OF BASALTIC TERRAIN OF SOLAPUR DISTRICT

This research paper investigates the intricate dynamics of groundwater depletion in the agricultural region of Solapur, characterized by a basaltic terrain. The study unveils the multifaceted causes, consequences, and sustainable management strategies tailored to the unique geological and socio-economic conditions of Solapur. Over-extraction for irrigation, geological factors related to the low permeability of basaltic rocks, and specific agricultural practices have collectively contributed to a discernible decline in water table levels. The agricultural impacts are profound, with reduced crop yields and economic strains on farmers. Socioeconomic consequences extend to local communities, necessitating a holistic approach to address the challenges. The research proposes sustainable management strategies, including water conservation practices, localized policy interventions, community engagement, and technological innovations, designed to mitigate the adverse effects of groundwater depletion. These strategies, tailored to Solapurs conditions, showcase a pathway towards long-term resilience and sustainability. The case study of Solapur holds broader significance, serving as a microcosm for understanding and addressing groundwater depletion in agricultural regions globally. The complex interplay between geological, climatic, and anthropogenic factors underscores the importance of context-specific solutions and collaborative efforts to ensure the sustainable use of groundwater resources. The findings contribute valuable insights for policymakers, researchers, and communities striving to achieve water security and resilience in agricultural regions worldwide. KEYWORDS: Agricultural Regions, Basaltic Terrain, Groundwater Depletion, Solapur Case Study, Sustainable Management.

Determination of the content and quality agricultural techniques required for thousand hectares of cotton area

The article presents a normative method for substantiating the composition and quantity of tractors and agricultural machinery required for 1000 hectares of cotton in the soil and climatic conditions of the Republic of Uzbekistan. For the substantiation of the composition of machines (plough, disc harrow, seeder, cultivator, cotton harvester, etc.), modern equipments were selected to perform the agro-technical measures (ploughing, leveling, sowing, harvesting, etc.) identified in the technological map of cotton cultivation. In substantiating the required number of specific machine required for performing specific agricultural measure or practice per 1000 hectares, its productivity of one shift determined during testing, the duration of the shift, the number of shifts, the daily productivity, the duration of the agricultural measures and practices, the volume of seasonal work were used as arguments.

Occurrence of Aspergillus fumigatus azole resistance in soils from Switzerland

Abstract Aspergillus fumigatus is a fungal species causing diverse diseases in humans. The use of azoles for treatments of A. fumigatus diseases has resulted in azole resistance. Azoles are also widely used in the environment for crop protection, which resulted in azole resistance. Resistance is primarily due to mutations in cyp51A, which encodes the target protein for azoles. Here we addressed the occurrence of azole resistance in soils from a vast part of Switzerland. We aimed to associate the use of azoles in the environment with the occurrence of azole resistance. We targeted sample sites from different agricultural environments as well as sites with no agricultural practice (natural sites and urban sites). Starting from 327 sites, 113 A. fumigatus isolates were recovered (2019–2021), among which 19 were azole-resistant (15 with TR34/L98H and four with TR46/Y121F/T289A resistance mutations in cyp51A). Our results show that azole resistance was not associated with a specific agricultural practice. Azoles could be chemically detected in investigated soils, however, their presence was not associated with the occurrence of azole-resistant isolates. Interestingly, genetic markers of resistance to other fungicides were detected but only in azole-resistant isolates, thus reinforcing the notion that A. fumigatus cross-resistance to fungicides has an environmental origin. In conclusion, this study reveals the spreading of azole resistance in A. fumigatus from the environment in Switzerland. The proximity of agricultural areas to urban centers may facilitate the transmission of resistant strains to at-risk populations. Thus, vigilant surveillance is required to maintain effective treatment options for aspergillosis.

The Voyages of a Potato Companion: Phytophthora Infestans

Accompanying a shipment of potatoes in 1845, a fungus-like traveller unintentionally made it to Europe, after having maintained a low profile for centuries in Latin America. Decades later, scientists identified this stowaway as the basic ingredient for an outbreak of potato late blight and gave it a name—Phytophthora infestans. By following the potato on its travels back and forth between its cradle in the Andes and its development into a monocrop food staple in Europe over the last centuries, we trace the transatlantic trajectories of its fungal companion. We explore when and why a fungus such as P. infestans became known, and feared, as an invasive species, after centuries of spontaneous and invisible co-existence with the potato in Latin America. Why could P. infestans suddenly come out of its companion’s shadow to cause a large-scale outbreak of the disease in Europe in the 1840s? How did it become a driving power for the development of plant sciences and related technological innovations in potato agriculture up until today? Since the late eighteenth-century, specific agricultural, scientific, and political practices have enacted a logic of ‘potato modernity’, subjecting the potato to an artificial monoculture regime. Abruptly interrupting centuries of multispecies co-habitation of a fungus, the potato, and humans, P. infestans was invented as an invasive intruder that needed to be contained and conquered.

Manure Acidification and Air Cleaners for Ammonia Abatement: A Holistic Assessment of the Costs and Effects on Terrestrial, Freshwater and Marine Ecosystems

Manure acidification has been introduced as an abatement to reduce ammonia (NH3) emissions to improve air quality and protect terrestrial and aquatic environments from nitrogen deposition. A successful regulation of NH3 emissions using manure acidification might, however, result in increased nitrogen leaching from fertilized fields with adverse effects on freshwater and marine ecosystems, if the overall fertilizer application rate in the fields is not adjusted according to the increased fertilizer value of the manure. We apply a holistic model framework encapsulating all important environmental compartments to assess the ecological and economic consequences of a specific agricultural practice or a combination of these. The results show that manure acidification combined with air cleaners reduces NH3 emission and atmospheric nitrogen deposition with substantial positive effects on the terrestrial environment. Although manure acidification results in a slight increase in total nitrogen input into freshwater and marine ecosystems, the subsequent increase in chlorophyll a concentration and decrease in water transparency is insignificant. Hence, according to the model results, manure acidification will improve terrestrial nature quality, with no significant adverse effects on the aquatic environments.

Methodological aspects of assessing conservation agriculture efficency

The current research is aimed at working out methodological basis of assessing conservation agriculture efficiency based on the practical experience. The traditional system of land use is now to be totally reconsidered due to its negative environmental effects with new practices to be implemented that can increase productivity, protect soil from degradation and deal with the current climatic crisis, i.e. help adapt to the climate change, decrease greenhouse gas emissions and increase soil carbon sequestration. Conservation agriculture (CA) is the technology that can help overcome all the above mentioned challenges being defined as the approach of managing agricultural ecosystems that provides for the sustainable agricultural production, lower energetic and labor expenses and higher efficiency of utilizing soil and water resources. Given its major goal of preserving soil health conservation agriculture is to be evaluated based on the combination of ecological and economic effects, rather than on the economic effect separately. The current methods of evaluating eco-economic efficiency of the technology based on estimating soil carbon changes and methods of its recovery with adding organic fertilizers cannot be applied in practice now due to the lack of organic fertilizers and high costs of chemical analyses to measure soil carbon changes. The current study presents a new methodology to assess eco-economic effect of conservation agriculture practice based on assessing already adopted economic indicators and soil carbon changes dynamics (t CO2/ha/year) from specific agricultural practices with the subsequent estimation of carbon credit units that farmers can sell at a carbon market.

Constructing Nigerian Manhood: Gender Symbols and Tropes in Children’s Narratives

This paper examines the representation of masculinity in Nigerian children's literature, focusing on how gender symbols and tropes shape perceptions ofNigerian manhood. The study delves into children's narratives to analyze the sociocultural construction of masculinity, highlighting the impact of these representations on the masculinization of the Nigerian male and broader gender politics. The analysis concentrates on three primary symbolic categories: the male body, sexuality, and agriculture, exploring how these elements contribute to the construction of traditional archetypes of Nigerian manhood. By examining how these symbols glorify strength, virility, and prowess and perpetuate a rigid gender hierarchy, the paper discusses the implications of such representations for gender politics in Nigeria. The glorification of physical dominance, sexual prowess, and specific agricultural practices reinforces traditional masculine ideals and contributes to the marginalization of those who do not conform to these standards. The paper underscores the need for alternative representations in children's literature that challenge these restrictive norms and promote a more nuanced understanding of masculinity in Nigerian society. This study aims to contribute to the evolving discourse on Nigerian and African masculinities, particularly in the context of children's literature, and calls for more intersectional approaches to further explore and transform gender dynamics.

Historical and projected impacts of climate change and technology on soybean yield in China

CONTEXTIncreasing soybean yield is essential for China. In order to secure the desire soybean yield gains, it is important to understand how changes in climate and technology impact soybean yield. OBJECTIVEFirst, we used historical climate and specific technology data assessed the impact of historical climate and technology on soybean yield in China. Second, combined with the historical yield linear trends, we projected future soybean yield under climate change and technology improvement. METHODSWe collected the historical climate data (daily maximum and minimum temperatures, precipitation, and solar radiation) and actual crop data (soybean yield and agricultural management practices: sowing date, total agricultural machinery, effective irrigation area, pesticide application amount, and rural labor force) of 1312 soybean-growing counties in China from 1990 to 2017. Besides, we calibrated and validated the vegetative and reproductive stages, and the yield formation process genetic parameters of soybean of different maturity groups in DSSAT-CROPGRO-Soybean model by a five-year cycle based on soybean field experiment data. We defined agricultural management practices and genetic parameters as technology, and used Bayesian methods to conduct an impact assessment of historical climate and technology changes on soybean yield. We also projected soybean yield from 2021 to 2100 under climate change and different cases of technology improvement. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONSFrom 1990 to 2017, more than 90% of the study counties showed an increase in soybean yield, although the yield increase slowed down after 2010. Agricultural management practices and genetic parameters changes increased soybean yield by 16% (−24 to 50%) and 6% (−14 to 24%), respectively, while climate change decreased soybean yield by 1% (−14 to 18%). The positive impacts of agricultural management practices were mainly attributed to pesticide application amount and total agricultural machinery. With changes in agricultural management practices alone, soybean yield showed a plateau or even a decrease after 2010. If the technology remains at the level it was in 2010s, soybean yield would decrease in the future in 49% of the counties. SIGNIFICANCEBased on climate, soybean yield, specific agricultural management practices and genetic parameters data, we quantified the impacts of historical climate and technology on soybean yield in China. Besides, we projected future soybean yield under climate change and different cases of technology improvement, and discussed possible solutions for future increasing soybean yield. This work has practical significance for understanding climate and technology impacts on soybean yield, and implementing countermeasures to address future climate change and increase yield.

Large sub-regional differences of ammonia seasonal patterns over India reveal inventory discrepancies

Ammonia (NH3) is a key precursor of haze particles and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and its spatiotemporal variabilities are poorly constrained. In this study, we present measurements of NH3 over the Indian subcontinent region from the Infrared Atmospheric Sounder Interferometer (IASI) and Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) satellite instruments. This region exhibits a complex emission profile due to the number of varied sources, including crop burning, fossil fuel combustion, fertilizer application, livestock and industrial sources. Observations from the CrIS and IASI instruments are oversampled to a resolution of 0.02° × 0.02°. Five regions with distinct spatiotemporal NH3 profiles are determined using k-means clustering. Maximum NH3 columns are seen in July over the western India with column densities of 6.2 × 1017 mol cm−2 and 7.2 × 1017 mol cm−2 respectively for IASI and CrIS. The seasonality of measured NH3 columns show annual maxima occurring in spring in Eastern India and Bangladesh and in mid-summer for the western Indo-Gangetic plain. Our observational constraints suggest that the impact of local farming practices on NH3 emissions is not well captured in emission inventories such as Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6), which exhibits peaks in the late spring and autumn. The spatial variability in the seasonal patterns of NH3 is also not captured by the single emissions profile used in CMIP6 for India. The high-resolution maps obtained from these measurements can be used to improve NH3 emission inventories in order to understand its sources for more accurate predictions of air quality in the Indian subcontinent. Our study points to the need for regionally specific emissions inventories for short-lived species such as NH3 that have heterogeneous emissions profiles due to specific agricultural practices and other emission source characteristics.

Spotting Specific Agricultural Practices Impacting Desertification in Zamfara State, Nigeria

Agricultural practices are among anthropogenic factors impacting the desertification process. However, it is necessary to determine which of the practices that most affect the process. Eleven of the nineteen Nigeria’s northern states bear the characteristics of the Sudano-Sahelian region. One of them (Zamfara State) was randomly selected for the study. A structured questionnaire was administered on 500 farmers out of which 497 of them responded. Data extracted were subjected to Pearson’s correlation and stepwise regression analyses. The Pearson’s correlation showed positive association between desertification and slash and burn, (r=0.074; p=0.05) and free-range farming (r = 0.103; p = 0.011 and negative association between desertification and organic manuring (r = -0.100; p = 0.013). The stepwise regression analysis showed that there was a significant relationship between desertification and free-range farming and organic manuring at p = 0.035 and p = 0.040 respectively. It was therefore concluded that slash and burn as well as free range farming were some of the agricultural practices employed in Zamfara State that most exacerbated desertification process in the region. Keywords: Desertification, Agricultural practices, Free range farming, Organic manuring. DOI: 10.7176/JEES/12-8-02 Publication date: August 31 st 2022

Fertilization promotes microbial growth and minimum tillage increases nutrient-acquiring enzyme activities in a semiarid agro-ecosystem

Microorganisms respiratory and enzymatic activities provide sensitive indicators of changes in soil properties, such as those caused by interactive effects of tillage and fertilization regimes or other agricultural practices. However, the rapid, adaptive microbial growth, respiratory and enzymatic responses to changes in soil environments induced by specific agricultural practices are not well understood. Thus, to explore these adaptations we compared effects of contrasting environments on functional microbial traits (growth and enzyme kinetic parameters) in a Mediterranean agro-ecosystem. These environments differed in long-term disturbance (no, minimum, or conventional tillage), nitrogen-richness (fertilization with 90 kg N ha−1 versus no fertilization), and resource scarcity (increasing with soil depth in 0–30, 30–60 and 60–90 cm layers). Reducing soil disturbance from conventional to minimum tillage promoted microbial growth through shorter Tlag and larger active biomass fraction and induced increases in N- and P-acquiring enzyme activities by increasing nutrients limitation. Fertilization stimulated increases in fast-growing microorganisms with low substrate-affinity enzyme systems, microbial biomass, enzymatic activities, and turnover rates of soil organics. In contrast, increasing scarcity of resources with soil depth strongly reduced microbial biomass and activity. A lack of correlation between soil and enzymatic stoichiometric ratios raises concern regarding the applicability of eco-enzymatic stoichiometric indexes in Mediterranean agro-ecosystems. We conclude that decomposition and turnover of organic substrates under contrasting agricultural practices are mediated by microbial communities with distinct functional traits (active fraction, growth parameters) and enzyme properties (Vmax, Km), which need to be considered in smart land use regimes.

Earthworm effect on invertebrate community under Olive tree ecosystem in Semi-arid Region of Algeria

The biodiversity of the invertebrate community in the soil is greatly influenced by the presence of earthworms, which are also influenced by variations in the physicochemical and biological characteristics of the soil as well as the climate and the entire ecosystem that surrounds it. Biodiversity under an olive tree growing in a cold semi-arid climate with specific agricultural practices is the subject of this study, while highlighting the particular effect of earthworms on invertebrates collected by naked eye and by the Berlese extractor from a soil volume of 30cm3, in ten sites under the adjacent periphery of olive trees randomly designated from an orchard of 45 years old in Ain Touta region in eastern Algeria in spring period of 2020 years. A large variability in the diversity and evenness indexes is recorded between the study sites. It reached a value of H'= 1.78 and E = 0.85 at site where there is a greatest abundance of earthworms. The dominance index is between C=0 and C= 0.12. The results show a greater number of earthworm with an average of (130.00 I/m2±69.10), and average biomass of (83.36 g/m2± 53.31). The percentage of juvenile is higher than adult worms. Pearson correlation matrix reveals a strong negative effect of adult worms on Acari with -0.90, then on the Carabids with -0.74. The principal component analysis allowed a finding of the significant effect of adult, the abundance worms and their biomass on Acari, Carabids and small Dipteran larvae.

Can teacher‐centered community‐based conservation programs influence student household sustainable behaviors near a biodiversity hotspot?

AbstractLocal communities living on the borders of protected areas can be key drivers of environmental degradation. Community‐based conservation initiatives seek to use sustainable activities as a strategy for mitigating these degradative behaviors while improving livelihoods but must be scalable to the site and sustainable over time. Teacher training, as a means of information transfer to the broader community, is one technique for implementing long‐term sustainable behavior programs. To be effective, sustainability practices must reach beyond behavior change in teachers to influence students and the broader community in which they work. UNITE for the Environment (UNITE) is a community‐based environmental sustainability program located along the border of Kibale National Park in Uganda, a site of high biodiversity, particularly for primates. UNITE focuses on conducting teacher trainings with 12 schools within 5 km of the park. We conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of the transfer of UNITE's sustainability practices to the broader community. Families of teachers and students from schools that UNITE worked with, as well as control schools, were surveyed to assess their use of sustainable activities promoted by UNITE. Sustainable activities included specific agricultural practices, composting, bee‐keeping and fuel‐efficient stoves, while controlling for possible confounding variables between households including socioeconomic, spatial, and demographic variables. Results revealed that UNITE households, in comparison with control group households, showed greater use of sustainable practices for 12 of 13 behaviors tested. Wealth was the most influential of socioeconomic factors, with wealthier individuals more likely to implement sustainable activities. UNITE participants had greater value of the environment and belief in their ability to affect the environment than members of the control group. This study demonstrates the ability of teacher training programs to influence sustainable behavior, even while controlling for socioeconomic factors, suggesting that other programs should consider this approach to community‐based conservation.

Role of technology in advancing agriculture in a digital world

The agriculture sector needs precise data and advanced technology in a digitally informed scenario. The agriculture industry is being advanced with the support of information and communication technologies, such as the internet of things. Advanced sensors can be applied for specific agricultural management practices like insect management, disease management, land preparation, irrigation systems, and the control of smart farms and smart greenhouses. The aim is to increase yield, optimize farm inputs, provide market and government policy related information, and enable digital literacy among farmers, which would be helpful in enhancing rural income and sustainable agriculture. It is a need to promote digital interactive information systems in real time, like text messages, mobile apps, or interactive audio-video modes, to provide agricultural information to extension workers, farmers, academicians, and researchers through different means. The use of information and communications technologies, such as blockchain technologies, data mining, and wireless sensors, will definitely help in achieving different goals in sustainable agriculture. This article will provide summarized information related to the benefits and usage of technology in different agriculture sectors.

Understanding Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Colonization in Walnut Plantations: The Contribution of Cover Crops and Soil Microbial Communities

Soil microorganisms play a central role in biological soil functioning. One of the beneficial microbiota that has a symbiotic association with most of the plants is arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). Nevertheless, little is known about the impact of cover crops—widely used in conservation agriculture or organic farming—on native mycorrhizal fungi. This study was conducted in Southern France, in 20-year-old walnut orchards, where faba bean (Vicia faba Roth) was intercropped. To find whether the native AM fungal community associated with walnut trees was influenced by cover crops and soil microbial communities, analyses of soil physicochemical and microbiological indicators were carried out with roots and soil samples collected from four modalities (walnut in conventional farming with and without cover crops, and walnut in organic farming with and without cover crops). Our results showed that the presence of cover crops mainly influenced the soil microbial abundance and activities in conventional plots. In contrast, cover crops stimulated AM fungal colonization of walnut roots in organic plots, reaching 35% and 54% for arbuscule abundance and mycorrhizal intensity, respectively. In conventional plots, ergosterol and mineral nitrogen contents were mainly correlated with mycorrhizal colonization, while only acid phosphatase activity in soil was positively correlated with mycorrhizal colonization in organic plots. The use of the faba bean showed the great role played by cover crops in the enhancement of walnut trees’ mycorrhizal colonization. Identification of the functional traits of AM fungi sensitive to walnut trees is required to inform decisions in specific agricultural practices.

Big Data analytics for Advanced Viticulture

Big data analytics involve systematic approach to find hidden patterns to help the organization grow from large volume and variety of data. In recent years big data analytics is widely used in the agricultural domain to improve yield. Viticulture (the cultivation of grapes) is one of the most lucrative farming in India. It is a subdivision of horticulture and is the study of wine growing. The demand for Indian Wine is increasing at about 27% each year since the 21st century and thus more and more ways are being developed to improve the quality and quantity of the wine products. In this paper, we focus on a specific agricultural practice as viticulture. Weather forecasting and disease detection are the two main research areas in precision viticulture. Leaf disease detection as a part of plant pathology is the key research area in this paper. It can be applied on vineyards of India where farmers are bereft of the latest technologies. Proposed system architecture comprises four modules: Data collection, data preprocessing, classification and visualization. Database module involve grape leaf dataset, consists of healthy images combined with disease leaves such as Black measles, Black rot, and Leaf blight. Models have been implemented on Apache Hadoop using map reduce programming framework. It apply feature extraction to extract various features of the live images and classification algorithm with reduced computational complexity. Gray Level Co-occurrence Matrix (GLCM) followed by K-Nearest Neighborhood (KNN) algorithm. System also recommends the necessary steps and remedies that the viticulturists can take to assure that the grapes can be salvaged at the right time and in the right manner based on classification results. Overall system will help Indian viticulturists to improve the harvesting process. Accuracy of the model is 72% and it can be increased as a future work by including deep learning with time series grape leaf images.

Role of soil in the regulation of human and plant pathogens: soils' contributions to people.

Soil and soil biodiversity play critical roles in Nature's Contributions to People (NCP) # 10, defined as Nature's ability to regulate direct detrimental effects on humans, and on human-important plants and animals, through the control or regulation of particular organisms considered to be harmful. We provide an overview of pathogens in soil, focusing on human and crop pathogens, and discuss general strategies, and examples, of how soils' extraordinarily diverse microbial communities regulate soil-borne pathogens. We review the ecological principles underpinning the regulation of soil pathogens, as well as relationships between pathogen suppression and soil health. Mechanisms and specific examples are presented of how soil and soil biota are involved in regulating pathogens of humans and plants. We evaluate how specific agricultural management practices can either promote or interfere with soil's ability to regulate pathogens. Finally, we conclude with how integrating soil, plant, animal and human health through a 'One Health' framework could lead to more integrated, efficient and multifunctional strategies for regulating detrimental organisms and processes. This article is part of the theme issue 'The role of soils in delivering Nature's Contributions to People'.

Review of Globalizing Organic: Nationalism, Neoliberalism, and Alternative Food in Israel

When applied to food products, the term “organic” is both seductive and elusive. It is an adjective that provides a high-value marker in the grocery market. Consumers are generally not as well versed about the distinct processes that qualify for inclusion, and their desires to purchase and consume such products often stem from multiple (and perhaps contradictory) personal values: ideological, environmental, political, or related to status affirmation or virtue signaling. Socially constructing this term involves connecting specific agricultural practices to particular social values, although it is nearly impossible to capture these nuances with the binary distinction embodied by a regulatory organic label. In Globalizing Organic, Rafi Grosglik is studying the social actors who shaped the field of the Israeli organic food market over the past 50 years: farmers, processors, marketers, retailers, consumers, legislators, and media figures. He wants to find out how these actors translated global conceptions into their...

Current Progress and Future Prospects of Agriculture Technology: Gateway to Sustainable Agriculture

The agricultural industry is getting more data-centric and requires precise, more advanced data and technologies than before, despite being familiar with agricultural processes. The agriculture industry is being advanced by various information and advanced communication technologies, such as the Internet of Things (IoT). The rapid emergence of these advanced technologies has restructured almost all other industries, as well as advanced agriculture, which has shifted the industry from a statistical approach to a quantitative one. This radical change has shaken existing farming techniques and produced the latest prospects in a series of challenges. This comprehensive review article enlightens the potential of the IoT in the advancement of agriculture and the challenges faced when combining these advanced technologies with conventional agricultural systems. A brief analysis of these advanced technologies with sensors is presented in advanced agricultural applications. Numerous sensors that can be implemented for specific agricultural practices require best management practices (e.g., land preparation, irrigation systems, insect, and disease management). This review includes the integration of all suitable techniques, from sowing to harvesting, packaging, transportation, and advanced technologies available for farmers throughout the cropping system. Besides, this review article highlights the utilization of other tools such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for crop monitoring and other beneficiary measures, such as optimizing crop yields. In addition, advanced programs based on the IoT are also discussed. Finally, based on our comprehensive review, we identified advanced prospects regarding the IoT, which are essential tools for sustainable agriculture.