Agricultural Production Systems Research Articles

Impacts of Weed Resistance to Glyphosate on Herbicide Commercialization in Brazil

Herbicides are essential tools for the phytosanitary security of agricultural areas, but their excessive use can cause problems in agricultural production systems and have negative impacts on human health and the environment. The objective of this study was to present and discuss the main causes behind the increase in herbicide commercialization in Brazil between 2010 and 2020. Data from the Brazilian pesticide database, provided by the Instituto Brasileiro do Meio Ambiente e dos Recursos Naturais Renováveis (IBAMA), were used. In 2010 and 2020, Brazil sold 157,512 and 329,697 tons of herbicide active ingredients, respectively, representing a 128.1% increase in commercialization over 11 years. Some herbicides, such as clethodim, haloxyfop-methyl, triclopyr, glufosinate, 2,4-D, diclosulam, and flumioxazin, showed increases in sales volumes between 2010 and 2020 of 2672.8%, 896.9%, 953.5%, 290.2%, 233.8%, 561.3%, and 531.6%, respectively, percentages far exceeding the expansion of Brazil’s agricultural area. The primary reason for this sharp increase in herbicide sales was the worsening cases of weeds resistant and tolerant to glyphosate, with species such as Conyza spp., Amaranthus spp., Digitaria insularis, and Eleusine indica standing out. This situation created the necessity of the use of additional herbicides to achieve effective chemical control of these weed species.

Fertility Status of Agricultural Soils in İstanbul Province

As a region of geopolitical significance and industrialization, İstanbul province has a traditional production system in which intensive agricultural production is carried out, especially in Silivri and Çatalca districts, where sunflower and wheat agriculture is carried out in alternation under irrigated conditions due to sufficient rainfall. These agricultural areas, which are also under intense urbanization pressure, need to be protected in order to be used sustainably. For this purpose, it is a priority to determine the current productivity status of agricultural areas. There is no study in the literature that reveals the current agricultural productivity status of İstanbul province. In this study, some physical and chemical soil properties of the agricultural areas where the same agricultural production system has been practiced for many years were determined in terms of sustainable agriculture. In order to determine these soil properties, surface soil sampling (0-20 cm) was carried out according to the grid system at 2.5 × 2.5 km intervals covering all agricultural areas and a total of 196 soil samples were taken and the field study was completed. All soil samples were analyzed for texture, pH, EC, organic matter, available phosphorus, available potassium and the current fertility status of the agricultural areas in the province of İstanbul was determined. According to the results of the research, the agricultural soils of İstanbul province are generally medium-heavy and heavy textured, medium alkaline and neutral pH, without salinity problems, 50% of them have very low CaCO3 content and the rest are calcareous soils with varying levels of CaCO3. It was determined that the high CaCO3 content in 11% of the soils was due to the rendzina great soil group formed on marl parent material. In terms of organic matter, 59% were classified as low, 26% as moderate, 50% as high and very high in terms of available phosphorus, and 79% as high and very high in terms of extractable potassium. After the classification of all analyzed parameters, the distribution maps of a parameter were created by using Geographical Information Systems (GIS). IDW, which is an inverse distance weighting method widely used in soil science, was used to create the distribution maps.

Transformation towards Organic Cassava Production in Yasothon Province, Thailand

With the marked increase in consumer and commercial demand for organic foods and products, organic cassava production has become a viable alternative for small growers because it can lead to the sustainability of the agriculture and food production system. However, few studies have been conducted to enable a more comprehensive understanding of the factors that contribute to the transformation from chemical into organic cassava production systems. This study quantitatively aimed to identify socioeconomic, cassava profitability, and institutional factors that influence the cultural practice transformation towards organic cassava production in a district of Yasothon province, Thailand. We used a structured interview schedule to collect data from 283 sampled cassava growers comprising 236 chemical cassava growers and 47 organic cassava growers in the district during the period from August 2020 to November 2020. Quantitatively, we used the binary logistic regression method to identify the positive and negative factors contributing to the transformation of cassava production systems including growers’ motivations for the transformation. The study findings indicated that income from organic cassava was taken as the main motivation for growers’ decisions to transform (40.3%). We found that organic cassava farm gate price, access to formal credit, labor used and membership in growers’ organizations were positive significant factors that affected the cultural practice transformation. Finally, small cassava growers as well as stakeholders should systemically be considered by policymakers and in strategic intervention through relevant institutions.

Socioeconomic analysis of deforestation and economically sustainable farming systems to foster forest landscape restoration in central Togo

Cropland expansion, driven by increasing population pressure and economic demands, is a major contributor to accelerating deforestation. While most studies have focused on the spatial and temporal analysis of landscape changes using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and remote sensing, there has been less emphasis on the socioeconomic analysis of these changes. Understanding the socioeconomic dynamics of affected areas is essential for implementing practical corrective actions. We apply linear programming and welfare maximization theory to examine how population growth impacts competition between agriculture and forest land use, per capita cash income, and subsistence consumption from privately owned farms. Focusing on the Tchamba district in Togo, we aim to determine the sustainability of farming systems to better inform the ongoing Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR) program. The findings show that the current agricultural systems can support the population growth rate (2.68% per year in the Tchamba district) and per capita income until at least 2063. However, the current agricultural systems cannot support one human generation, which is estimated to be 65 years. These results underscore the need to enhance farming technologies, boost land productivity, diversify income sources to meet the rising food demand and curb forest clearing for farmland expansion. By integrating these insights into the FLR program, this research highlights the importance of a comprehensive policy framework that supports sustainable agricultural practices, community engagement, enforcement of regulations, and economic diversification. This approach will guide restoration efforts and strengthen the resilience and productivity of agricultural systems under population and income pressures.

Nitrogen flow in food production and consumption system of Inner Mongolia from 2000 to 2020

Decoupled crop and livestock production caused serious disconnection of nitrogen utilization in agro-pastoral ecotone of northern China. In this study, we employed a material flow analysis approach to investigate reactive nitrogen (Nr) flow in the food production and consumption system in Inner Mongolia from 2000 to 2020. Results indicated that agricultural production system is the primary source of Nr input for the food consumption system. The environmental nitrogen load in Inner Mongolia has been increasing progressively, from 266 Gg in 2000 to 882 Gg in 2020, primarily due to the rapid increase in livestock farming and significant losses of nitrogen in feces and urine. Our results raise the attention to promote the close integration of farmland production and livestock system in the decoupled crop and livestock production system.

Climate Fluctuations and Growing Sensitivity of Grape Production in Abruzzo (Central Italy) over the Past Sixty Years

The sensitivity of the agricultural production system to short- and long-term climate variations significantly affects the availability and prices of food resources, raising relevant issues of sustainability and food security. Globally, productive systems have adapted to climate change, leading to increased yields over the past century. However, the extent to which these adaptations mitigate the impacts of short-term climate fluctuations, both extreme and ordinary, remains poorly studied. To evaluate the vulnerability of crop yield to short-term climate fluctuations and to determine whether it changes over time, we conducted a statistical analysis focusing on one of the main crops in the Abruzzo region (central Italy) as a case study: grape. The study involves correlation analysis between opportune climatic indices (SPI and SPEI) and grape yield data over the sixty-year period from 1952 to 2014, aimed at evaluating the impact of short-term climatic fluctuations—both extreme and ordinary—on crop yield. Our findings reveal an increasing correlation, mainly in the summer–autumn season, which suggests a rising sensitivity of the productive system over time. The observed increase is indicative of the Abruzzo grape production system’s adaptation to climate change, resulting in higher overall yields but not enhancing the response to short-term climatic fluctuations.

Ovule and seed development of crop plants in response to climate change

The ovule is a plant structure that upon fertilization, transforms into a seed. Successful fertilization is required for optimum crop productivity and is strongly affected by environmental conditions including temperature and precipitation. Climate change refers to sustained changes in global or regional climate patterns over an extended period, typically decades to millions of years. These shifts can result from natural processes like volcanic eruptions and solar radiation fluctuations, but in recent times, human activities—especially the burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, and industrial emissions—have accelerated the pace and scale of climate change. Human-induced climate change impacts the agricultural sector mainly through global warming and altering weather patterns, both of which create conditions that challenge agricultural production and food security. With food demand projected to sharply increase by 2050, urgent action is needed to prevent the worst impacts of climate change on food security and allow time for agricultural production systems to adapt and become more resilient. Gaining insights into the female reproductive part of the flower and seed development under extreme environmental conditions is important to oversee plant evolution, agricultural productivity, and food security in the face of climate change. This review summarizes the current knowledge on plant reproductive development and the effects of temperature and water stress, soil salinity, elevated carbon dioxide, and ozone pollution on the female reproductive structure and development across grain legumes, cereal, oilseed, and horticultural crops. It identifies gaps in existing studies for potential future research and suggests suitable mitigation strategies for sustaining crop productivity in a changing climate.

Dinámicas socioproductivas en sistemas agrícolas. Bases teóricos conceptuales para su estudio

Agricultural production systems are very dynamic, the use and combination of production factors by the farmer is reflected in different levels of production and family well-being. The objective of this article was to build a theoretical - conceptual reflection, for a multiple, interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approach in the interpretation of phenomena that are not caused exclusively by one factor. For this, a systematic bibliographic review of documents hosted on Google Scholar/Google was carried out, which allowed analyzing and comparing concepts and theories associated with the topic, highlighting Bertalanffy's systems theory, Morín's complexity and Lonergan's economic dynamics. In addition, concepts associated with the research such as productivity, agricultural systems, territory and family well-being were considered. The search yielded fifty-eight documents, which were subjected to filters for pre-established exclusions. As a result of these filters, eighteen were selected for analysis, which allowed the construction of a theoretical-conceptual body for the study and analysis of socio-productive dynamics in agricultural systems, which focuses on how the inputs represented by the producer, capital, Information and agricultural inputs are related to each other and interact with other factors such as local technology, workforce, territory, environment and marketing and how these generate different levels of performance, productivity and well-being in the system for the farmer and his family. Keywords: family well-being, territory, farmer

Characterization of circulating miRNA in cow milk and colostrum.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short RNA molecules, typically 21-25 nucleotides long, synthesized within eukaryotic cells. They play a crucial role in coordinating complex gene expression regulatory networks. The miRNAs are involved in post-transcriptional regulation, either by degrading target mRNA or suppressing their transcription, thereby influencing protein translation. Also, the variation of miRNAs expression in different milk components suggests diverse metabolic pathways. Additionally, characteristics of farm production systems exert a noticeable influence on miRNAs profiles, shaping the functional properties of bovine milk. In this study, milk and colostrum samples of Holstein cows (Bos taurus) were collected for RNA extraction and sequencing. Sequencing data underwent quality controls, and short non-coding RNA reads were analyzed to identify and compare miRNAs profiles. The sequencing runs yielded 73,567,661 and 44,283,978 reads for milk and colostrum samples, respectively. Following trimming, 8,335,860 and 7,778,212 reads for milk and colostrum samples were retained. A total of 4.3% milk and 37.8% colostrum reads were identified as miRNAs. Overall, 157 miRNAs were common to milk and colostrum, 2 were unique to milk, and 90 were unique to colostrum. After applying a minimal cutoff of 100 reads per miRNA, 146 miRNAs were considered as expressed. In milk, bta-miR-101 was unique; in colostrum, bta-miR-18a, bta-miR-262-3p, bta-miR-130a, and bta-miR-224 were unique; and 141 miRNAs were common to colostrum and milk. Chromosome distribution of these miRNAs varied, with higher representation on autosome 19 and sexual chromosome X. Overall, colostrum contained a greater number of miRNAs, although specific miRNAs such as miR-11-988b, miR-140, and miR-146b were more abundant in milk. Conversely, miRNAs such as miR-7a-5p, let-7e, and miR-16a were more prevalent in colostrum. Validation through qPCR confirmed the expression levels of selected miRNAs from RNA sequencing, establishing concordance between the methods. Analysis of gene regulation by specific miRNAs identified key miRNAs (e.g., miR-223, miR-181a, and miR-155) involved in regulating various genes. Distinct miRNAs profiles in milk and colostrum suggest various functionalities, potentially influencing calf development and immune responses. The study unveils a comprehensive map of miRNAs in milk and colostrum and highlights their potential roles in regulating biological processes, as they play an essential role in calf development, disease resistance, and metabolism.

Spatial optimization of agricultural production from the perspective of “Greater Food Concept” in Yangzhou, China

Global food security continues to face serious challenges. The “Greater Food” perspective can guarantee regional food security and the availability of basic agricultural products. However, there is still a lack of an appropriate methodology to optimize the spatial agricultural production system under the concept of “greater food.” In this study, we quantitatively analyzed agricultural production space’s quality and spatial distribution characteristics using multi-scale fusion and ecological niche suitability models. The results showed that The overall level of agricultural production function in Yangzhou was high, with firm spatial heterogeneity, high in the southeast and low in the southwest bounded by the line of Gaoyou Lake. The distribution pattern was closely related to the land use status, urban development, topography, and spatial functional positioning of the national territory. The natural quality of agricultural production was better, and the spatial form was more regular and compact. However, due to the coercion of urbanization and industrialization development, the overall ecological location suitability was average. The suitability around the built-up areas, Gaoyou Lake, Baoying Lake, and the Yangtze River was generally low. Based on the results of the comprehensive evaluation of agricultural production functions and ecological suitability, it could be divided into four areas: core protection area, integration and optimization area, comprehensive improvement area, and restricted development area. We plan to propose a classification and optimization strategy accordingly. The method of this study synthesized the multifunctionality and suitability of land use for agricultural production space identification. In this way, it may provide innovative ideas for delineating agricultural production space in economically developed areas, which could guide the optimization of agricultural production space with high quality.

Analysis of Climate Change Impacts on Spring Maize Yields in the Loess Plateau

Using daily climate projection data from Agricultural Production Systems sIMulator (APSIM) and the Sixth International Coupled Model Comparison Program (cmip6) Scenario Model Comparison Program (ScenarioMIP), the impacts of climate change on maize yields in Yuzhong were assessed under two future social development pathways, namely, SSP126 (low greenhouse gas-emitting sustainable development) and SSP585 (high GHG-emitting conventional development) two future social development pathways, the impacts of climate change on maize yields in Gansu were assessed. It was found that under the baseline and SSP126、SSP585 climatic conditions, spring maize yield was 206 kg ha-1 higher in the N200 treatment than in the N150 treatment, and 736 kg ha-1 and 373 kg ha-1 in the SSP126 and SSP585 scenarios, respectively, and that increasing N application could effectively increase yield. There were significant spatial and temporal differences in the effect of climate change on spring maize yield under the same N application level treatment, when the N application level was 150 kg ha-1, compared with the baseline (1980~2014) regional spring maize annual average yield increased by 1335 kg ha-1 (SSP126) and 516 kg ha-1 (SSP585); when the N application level was 200 kg ha-1 (SSP126) and 683 kg ha-1 (SSP585); when the N application level was 200 kg ha-1, the average annual spring maize yield increased by 1865 kg ha-1 (SSP126) and 683 kg ha-1 (SSP585) compared to the baseline region, and the regional climatic changes favored the production of spring maize, and the effect of the yield increase was higher in SSP126 than in the SSP585 climatic scenario.

Systematic Development of Peptide-Based Biostimulants from Whey Protein Hydrolysates

Due to global warming, agricultural production systems are exposed to increasing abiotic stresses, which threaten an economically and environmentally sustainable food production. Innovative environmentally friendly solutions are needed to cope with climate-related risks and to reduce the use of high amounts of synthetic agrochemicals. A promising solution to foster sustainable agriculture involves the use of biostimulants. This strategy, however, is not adopted by the industry to a great degree due to the scarce number of reproducible effects observed in published studies as well as the lack of fundamental knowledge about their mode of action. Biostimulants are substances that positively impact plant physiology by enhancing growth, improving fruit quality, and increasing stress resilience. Among these, protein hydrolysates stand out as a particularly promising category. However, their precise mechanisms of action and the optimal conditions for their application are still not fully understood. This project aims to develop peptide-based biostimulants in a reproducible manner, ensuring their availability for use in plant model systems under strictly controlled conditions. To achieve this, various protein hydrolysates will be produced through the enzymatic hydrolysis of whey, a by-product of cheese production. These hydrolysates will be employed in subsequent studies within plant model systems.

A comparative study of production systems in the Goharkuh Taftan complex utilising emergy and economic analysis

This study evaluated the sustainability of five agricultural production systems (wheat, barley, alfalfa, cotton, and Pistachio) in the Goharkuh Taftan complex using emergy assessment and economic analysis. Pistachio exhibited the highest gross return (1200 million Rials/ha), net profit (850 million Rials/ha), benefit-to-cost ratio (3.43), transformity (Tr) (9.53E + 05 sej/j), specific emergy (2.37E + 10 sej/g), renewability index (%R) (15.12 %), modified emergy sustainability index (0.207), modified emergy yield ratio (1.397), and the lowest modified environmental loading ratio (5.61) among the various products within the complex, as determined through the integration of emergy assessment and economic analysis outcomes. The standard Environmental Loading Ratio (ELR) (143.16), standard Emergy Sustainability Index (ESI) (0.008), Emergy Index for Sustainable Development (EISD) (0.0028), and Emergy Index of Agricultural Product Safety (EIPS) (0.437) of this product were found to be in a favourable condition. On the other hand, cotton exhibited the least favourable performance in various emergy indicators, including the %R (2.07 %), ELR (344.13), ESI (0.003), EISD (0.0021), and EIPS (0.198) within the given context. The alfalfa product exhibiting the most unfavourable economic indicators demonstrated the highest EIPS (0.554) and the lowest Tr (1.34E + 05 sej/j) value among the various systems within the complex. Wheat and barley had similar emergy performance but were less profitable than pistachio and cotton. Reducing reliance on non-renewable resources and lowering costs for land, labor, seed, and machinery improved both emergy and economic indicators. The study revealed a trade-off between emergy and economic indicators in complex production systems. To enhance sustainability, balancing renewable and non-renewable resource use is crucial.

Conservation Agriculture Boosts Soil Health, Wheat Yield, and Nitrogen Use Efficiency After Two Decades of Practice in Semi-Arid Tunisia

Conservation Agriculture Boosts Soil Health, Wheat Yield, and Nitrogen Use Efficiency After Two Decades of Practice in Semi-Arid Tunisia

Assessing Salinity, Drought and High Temperature Stress in Maize (Zea mays L.) and Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Varieties: Theoretical Combination as Multifactorial Stress

ABSTRACTMaize and wheat are two important cereal crops for the food security of the world population. However, constant climate change and the intensification of anthropic activities have intensified the emergence of stressful environmental in the various agricultural production systems around the world. Therefore, in this study we evaluate the chlorophyll content, photosynthesis, transpiration and grain yield of maize and wheat crops exposed to soil salinity, drought and high temperatures and determine the damage intensity of these stressing conditions and the theoretical multifactorial damage intensity. Field experiments were conducted during the 2022 and 2023 agricultural seasons in the Yaqui Valley, Sonora, Mexico. The treatments consisted of the cultivation of maize and wheat in three stressful production environments (soil salinity, drought and high temperatures) and a non‐stressful production environment (Control), with four repetitions. The tolerance and intensity index of abiotic stresses, as well as the intensity of theoretical multifactorial stress (salinity, drought and high temperatures), for morphological traits and grain yield, were calculated. The results reported that physiological traits and yield of maize and wheat are severely affected by drought stress conditions. High temperatures are the second abiotic stress factor that most limits physiological traits and grain yield of maize and wheat crops, being more harmful than soil salinity. The theoretical multifactorial stress has a greater negative impact on the yield of the elite maize and wheat varieties. The sum of a stressful environmental factor increases the intensity of multifactorial stress on grain yield of both cereal crops, especially for maize crop.

Agricultural Innovations and Adaptations to Climate Change in the Northern Cameroon Region

Adaptation to climate change has remained a major socio-ecological issue in the Northern Region of Cameroon since 1973. Presently, this region is subject to the severe chaos of drought, floods, and ecosystem degradation, causing harm and disrupting climatic patterns. Climate change results in the drying of surface water and crops, threatening food security and the well-being of households. It has a serious impact on the entire agricultural production system at global scale. Here, it is suggested that successive adjustments to deeper systemic and transformational adaptations through efforts from NGOs, the Government, and donors, as well as innovations, are necessary to offset the negative impact of climate change on the agricultural value chain. Therefore, this research aimed to identify adaptation strategies and practices for rural communities and households, who suffer from limited access to these agricultural innovations, for a transformative adaptation. Through surveys and focus group discussions carried out in several villages in the Northern Cameroon Region, this study provides empirical data on emerging agricultural innovations in contrasting socio-economic, agricultural, and ecological contexts. Our findings demonstrate that agricultural innovations fostered at the village level have several characteristics that contribute to adaptation and mitigation of the impact of climate change. To begin with, conservation agriculture is very interesting, because crop residues left on the soil protect it from rainfall and dry winds, and gradually add humus to the top soil. In addition, agroforestry plays an important role for the household regarding ecosystem services, including food supply, soil fertility, protection from erosion, regulation of water regime, and sociocultural value. Generally, heads of households (83%) were more involved in innovative initiatives than other social strata, resulting in unequal access and proximity to agricultural innovations. Furthermore, the results highlight a significant lack of coordination and poor visibility of permanent structures supporting agricultural innovations at local level, weakening the sustainable transformation of adaptation. From a scientific perspective, this study could help build a conceptual relationship between agricultural innovation and sustainability transformation, i.e., a climate-smart agriculture. In practice, it provides levers that can be used to multiply and expedite agricultural innovation processes, water conservation, and livestock sustainability, thus contributing to the sustainability of the whole agricultural system in Cameroon and within the Sahel region of Africa.

Productivity effects of agroecological practices in Africa: insights from a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Scholars have proposed agroecology as a promising method for promoting sustainable and socially just agricultural production systems. However, the extent to which agroecological practices will generate the yields required to ensure sufficient food globally remains unclear. This notion is particularly true in the context of Africa, where agricultural productivity is low but levels of hunger and malnutrition are high. To address this knowledge gap, this article undertakes a systematic review of empirical studies to assess the overall status of agroecology-related research in Africa. Using descriptive and meta-analytical methods, we evaluate empirical evidence on the effect of agroecological practices on land and labour productivity. Our analysis of 501 peer-reviewed articles reveals that the body of agroecology-related literature in Africa has been growing in the past 10 years from approximately 10 to more than 70 studies per annum before and after 2014, respectively, with a strong focus on East Africa, particularly Kenya. The majority of the reviewed studies relate to but do not mention agroecology in the title or abstract. Thus, solely relying on studies that use the term may introduce bias and overlook valuable research contributions to the field. The meta-analysis could identify 39 agronomic studies with 392 observations in which agroecological practices were compared to monocrop systems (defined as plots where similar plants grow alongside each other simultaneously and sequentially from one season to the next) with or without inputs as the control groups. The meta-analysis indicates that agroecological practices are associated with a positive and significant difference in land productivity, compared to that for monocrop systems especially so when monocrops are grown without inputs. However, the size and direction of yield differs by practice, crop, climatic factor, soil property and type of control.

Determinants of adoption of automation and robotics technology in the agriculture sector–A mixed methods, narrative, interpretive knowledge synthesis

Automation and robotics technologies in agriculture promise to increase productivity with a smaller environmental footprint. However, adoption of agri-innovations is rarely a simple decision. The decision to adopt is determined by numerous factors. Employing a mixed methods narrative, interpretive knowledge synthesis, we review 72 unique studies between 2017–2021, and conduct a thematic analysis. Noting the innate complexity of agriculture, we identify 13 determinants of adoption of automation and robotic technologies in agriculture: data; farm characteristics and surrounding physical environment; farmer characteristics; policy and regulation; labour’s absorptive capacity; social elements; interoperability; standards; access to information; operational benefits; public infrastructure; technological characteristics; and uncertainty and risk. We conclude with seven observations. First, while automation and robotics are promising agri-innovations, they will not be appropriate or beneficial for all farms. There are other forms of agricultural innovation, and their uptake likely will always vary even within the same commodity and region. Second, taking a reductive approach to understanding adoption of agri-innovations may hinder the transformation to sustainable agriculture production systems; it is important to understand the role of complexity in shaping the dynamic interplay among determinants. Third, public infrastructure is more than just the Internet, yet there was little reference to other forms of public infrastructure in the dataset. Fourth, while many papers argue public policy is important for increasing the adoption of these innovations, few provide concrete policy suggestions or scalable examples. Fifth, trust and transparency are central to adoption. Technology developers need to take farmers concerns and needs seriously. Sixth, technology developers must offer practical solutions to real problems. Seventh, automation and robotics encompasses many technologies, and yet no standard or consistent terminology exists. This makes communication about these innovations more difficult. We propose a typology under the rubric of data-driven agricultural technologies.

Impact of farm mechanization on crop productivity and economic efficiency in central and southern Oromia, Ethiopia

IntroductionFarm mechanization has multi-dimensional impacts on agricultural production systems like economic efficiency and productivity, thereby improving the quality of life in the farming community by reducing work drudgeries. However, these impacts were not studied empirically in Ethiopia. Hence, this research was initiated to estimate the level of economic efficiency, and productivity of wheat and barley, and the impact of farm mechanization on economic efficiency and productivity of wheat and barley.MethodsThe analysis was done for 232 and 257 wheat and barley producer farmers respectively who are selected from the Arsi and West Arsi zones. The stochastic frontier model was used to estimate economic efficiency while augmented inverse probability weighted (AIPW) was used to estimate the impact.Results and discussionBased on the result, it is apparent that farm mechanization has a significant positive impact on wheat productivity while the percentage change in average treatment effect for the barley was not statistically significant. Farm mechanization also affects wheat and barley economic efficiency positively. Hence, we recommended the wider use of farm mechanization to improve economic efficiency and productivity. Therefore, policy design should focus on ways to avail farm machinery easily like establishing farm mechanization service centers and facilitating credit services for mechanization service renders.

Economic Sustainability Foraging Scenarios for Ruminant Meat Production—A Climate Change Adapting Alternative

Climate changes affect all agricultural production systems, directly or indirectly, including that of ruminant meat, through the limitation of forage resources sensitive to reduced water regimes and drought. The present paper assessed the economic sustainability of ruminant meat production in the context of climate change, with a particular focus on integrating bioeconomy principles through the use of drought-resistant crops such as sorghum and millet in livestock feed. This study included scenarios for two farm-level models, a sheep fattening farm and a cattle fattening farm, to determine the economic benefit and impact of integrating resilient crops in the total feed ration. The findings showed that the dry scenario system could offer economic and environmental advantages over traditional water-intensive crops like maize. The results demonstrated that replacing maize with sorghum or millet could result in a reduction in feed costs and enhanced economic benefit over the traditional feed system.