Technological Intensification Research Articles

From Traditionally Extensive to Sustainably Intensive: A Review on the Path to a Sustainable and Inclusive Beef Farming in Brazil.

Brazil is the second largest beef producer and a leading exporter, contributing to some 3000 t CWE in global markets (27.7% of market share). The sector has experienced substantial development, but yields remain far below potential, and there are growing concerns regarding land use change and greenhouse gas emissions. The need for sustainable technologies, such as sound pasture management and integrated farming systems, is evident, but adoption may be low amongst farmers unable to keep up with technological advances. This article describes the historical developments of Brazilian beef farming towards sustainability and discusses possible socioenvironmental outcomes. We combined an extensive literature review, public data, and our own insights as senior researchers to achieve that. The trajectory shown here evidenced the technological intensification of Brazilian beef farming, with strong support of public policies for decarbonizing agriculture. Nonetheless, the pace of this transition may affect small to medium farmers with limited access to information, technologies, and credit. Our recommendations involve a broad program of technical assistance and training on sustainable technologies, including financial and digital literacy. A novel approach to financing farmers is suggested to support a sustainable and inclusive transition in beef farming in Brazil.

Technology Intensification and Farmers’ Welfare: A Case Study from Karnataka, a Semi-arid State of India

Technology adoption has been advocated to be an important way to improve agricultural productivity and welfare of the farmers in the semi-arid regions across the globe. Government of Karnataka implemented Bhoosamrudhi programme in four districts of the state (Bidar, Chikballapur, Dharwad and Udupi) as a pilot project to increase the crop yield and income of smallholder farmers. This programme was launched on the theme of technology adoption, along with convergence among different departments of agriculture. Farmers have been classified into five categories based on their levels of technology intensification to assess the impact of different levels of technology intensification on their income level. The research is built on a primary survey conducted in pilot districts of the state in 2018 over a sample of 1,465 farmer households. The results are generated using econometric methods of propensity score matching (PSM) and inverse probability weighted with regression adjustment (IPWRA), which highlight that higher the intensification, higher the net returns to the farmers. The results state that non-adopters would benefit additional ₹3,200 per month if they adopt at least one level of technology intensification. Hence, this programme turned out to be a successful model for smallholder farmers in semi-arid region of India. Steps should be taken to maintain and expand the momentum of the adoption to ensure food and livelihood security in the economy. JEL Codes: Q16, Q54, Q55, C13

Can process intensification of liquefaction technology for LNG and LH2 accelerate adoption for transportation use?

One of the reasons gaseous fuels, methane, and hydrogen, are renewable and sustainable replacements for traditional liquid hydrocarbon-based transportation fuels is their small carbon footprint. Global awareness of the immediate need to address impacts of emissions from transportation energy use has emphasized urgency of changes from business as usual. However, the transition from existing fuels to new fuels is complex because fuel usage is huge, and so many variables influence the rate of adoption. When one reads excellent energy outlooks of major energy companies, data driven reports of international and national energy agencies, along with thoughtful studies of the water, energy, food nexus, the systemic complexities are daunting. Marchetti’s insightful numerical modeling of the rate of transition among different energy sources over the past two centuries with credible validation from recorded usage data shows the time scale for appreciable changes among energy systems is several decades. A further important observation of Marchetti’s work is that transitions among energy sources were and are driven by substitution of superior technology rather than by depletion of prevalent sources. These observations incentivize developments of more efficient, less expensive, robust, scalable methods of production, liquefaction, storage, transport, delivery, and dispensing of hydrogen and natural gas to accelerate adoption by transportation customers. This paper presents a few examples of process intensification in advanced liquefiers for LNG and LH2 at the same location could reduce capital costs, energy costs, and footprints of different sized liquefiers. These combinations could help address gaps in existing technology for several essential needs such as liquefiers for heavy-duty vehicle refueling stations or marine vessel bunkering systems, or refrigerators for storage tank boil-off management systems. Modular, containerized liquefiers plants with several tonne/day capacity could be scaled by interconnecting multiple units to make small industrial plants that match localized fuel demands from distributed mobile users.

Production tests of a sorption feed additive for rainbow trout

Against the backdrop of intensification of aquaculture technologies, the severity of deterrent factors is increasing; among the most relevant in this issue, the quality of feed should be noted, the low level of which creates the risks of feed poisoning, metabolic disorders and the initiation of disease development. In the conditions of fish farms, research was carried out to study the safety and effectiveness of using a sorptionmetabolic feed additive for fish, developed by employees of the Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education of St. Petersburg State University of Internal Affairs and EcoGroup LLC (Russia). The object of the study was rainbow trout, which during the growing period for 60 days received feed with the specified additive. Statistical processing of the results obtained using the Statistica 8.0 program included the calculation of the arithmetic mean and its standard error (M±m), and the intergroup difference (p) was assessed using the student’s t test. The results of the study showed that the developed feed additive does not have a negative effect on the fish body, and its use eliminates the occurrence of metabolic disorders and the development of liver and kidney pathologies, the risk of which increases with the intensification of aquaculture technology. Against the backdrop of giving a new feed additive, not only does the weight and body size of the fish increase, but its growth potential during periods of further cultivation increases. Thus, the developed sorption-metabolic feed additive is harmless to fish, has a positive effect on their growth and development, and reduces the risks of metabolic disorders and the development of pathologies. All this provides grounds for the use of this feed additive in aquaculture.

The Mediating Role of Segmentation in Social Media Marketing and Brand Equity: A Study in Food and Beverage Industry

Food and beverage industry in Malaysia provides a significant GDP contribution. However, majority of firms are SMEs that face financial access as their main problem. Social media marketing is a novel trend in business nowadays due to technology intensification. This article investigates the link between social media marketing and brand equity whereby segmentation is the mediator variable in the SME food and beverage industry. By using questionnaires distributed systematically to consumers at shopping malls, about 329 usable responses were obtained. The results indicated no direct relationship between social media marketing and brand equity. A positive and significant relationship exists, however, between social media marketing and segmentation, segmentation and brand equity which indicates that segmentation is a partial mediator. The findings imply that SMEs especially in the food and beverage industry should carefully segment their market and at the same time, increase social media usage in marketing their products. This study is the first attempt to examine segmentation as mediating variable in the food and beverage industry.

School of Rocks: a Transmission Time Investment Model for Pleistocene Lithic Technology

We propose a transmission time investment model for integrating the tenets of human behavioral ecology and cultural evolutionary theory to investigate agency and optimality in the social transmission of lithic technologies. While the cultural transmission process is often overlooked in discussions of optimality, we view it as a critical area for the application of adaptive reasoning to further understand the mechanisms responsible for change in lithic technologies. The proposed model modifies a technological intensification model based on the marginal value theorem (Bettinger et al. Journal of Archaeological Science, 33(4), 538–545, 2006; Mohlenhoff and Codding Evolutionary Anthropology, 26(5), 218–227, 2017) to explore how transmissibility may have affected the complexity of socially transmitted lithic production systems during the Pleistocene. This transmission investment model is contrasted with a passive demographic model derived from traditional explanations for changes in lithic technologies. To highlight how optimal considerations of transmissibility may have affected the long-term evolution of lithic technologies, we apply this model to three Pleistocene archaeological case studies investigating increases and decreases in lithic technological complexity. We propose that technological changes in each of these case studies is consistent with the predictions of the model, suggesting that time management strategies may have played a role in the long-term evolution of Pleistocene technologies. It is unlikely that transmission constraints alone were wholly responsible for the observed patterns, and future research should refine the measures of time availability and cost used here, as well as explore the interplay between transmission investment and other optimizing and social constraints.

ANALYSIS OF THE CANVAS MODEL BUSINESS FOR FISH FARMING IN SANGRIANG FARM, TUATUNU SUB-DISTRICT, GERUNGGANG SUB-DISTRICT, PANGKALPINANG CITY

The fish farming business in Pangkalpinang City is growing along with the increasing demand for aquaculture products. Sangriang Farm is a fish farming business engaged in the hatchery and rearing of Gurame ( Osphronemus goramy ), Catfish ( pangasius sp .), Goldfish ( Cyprinus carpio ), Tilapia ( Oreochromis niloticus ), and Catfish ( Clarias sp .). This study aims to analyze existing business models and recommend new business models through the Business Model Canvas (BMC). The research method used in this study is a survey method with a case study technique. Analysis of existing conditions reinforced by SWOT analysis resulted in BMC improvements in Channels elements (use of social media, product labels, and packaging), Key Resources (additional human resources, capital, and intensification of cultivation technology), Customer Segments (target consumers of semi-finished processed products and restaurant suppliers), and Revenue Streams (bookkeeping management and product diversification). Implementing the recommendations is expected to increase the business capacity of Sangriang Farm.

Indian Telecommunication Sector- 2g to 5g Revolution

India as an economy is witnessing growth in different segments and world is looking at India as a potential prospect due to robust demand, flexibilities, expertise, government initiatives, intensification of technology and young population. Amongst different segments, telecommunication sector is witnessing remarkable growth and has emerged as second largest market for subscriber base and third largest in terms of FDI attraction. Telecommunication sector is witnessing the incredible transformation from 2G to implementation of 5G. It is expected that India will become the digital economy of $1 tn by 2025. This research work is addressing the overview of Indian telecommunication sector, its incredible prospects, Government policy assistance, ample investments availability and future potential. Robust demand and bright future prospect is observed in the Indian telecommunication sector. As per the survey of Zenith media, India is projected as a potential telecom sector advertisement market, with a yearly rate of growth of 11 per cent It is also found that the government has initiated various structural and regulatory changes to boost telecommunication sector like 100 per cent FDI through automatic route, Satellite based NB-IoT, production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme and phased manufacturing programme. Revolutionary changes have been observed in the sector from 2G implementation to 5G initiatives.

Agent‐Based Modeling of Alternative Futures in the British Land Use System

AbstractSocio‐economic scenarios such as the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) have been widely used to analyze global change impacts, but representing their diversity is a challenge for the analytical tools applied to them. Taking Great Britain as an example, we represent a set of stakeholder‐elaborated UK‐SSP scenarios, linked to climate change scenarios (Representative Concentration Pathways), in a globally‐embedded agent‐based modeling framework. We find that distinct model components are required to account for divergent behavioral, social and societal conditions in the SSPs, and that these have dramatic impacts on land system outcomes. From strong social networks and environmental sustainability in SSP1 to land consolidation and technological intensification in SSP5, scenario‐specific model designs vary widely from one another and from present‐day conditions. Changes in social and human capitals reflecting social cohesion, equality, health and education can generate impacts larger than those of technological and economic change, and comparable to those of modeled climate change. We develop an open‐access, transferrable model framework and provide UK‐SSP projections to 2080 at 1 km2 resolution, revealing large differences in land management intensities, provision of a range of ecosystem services, and the knowledge and motivations underlying land manager decision‐making. These differences suggest the existence of large but underappreciated areas of scenario space, within which novel options for land system sustainability could occur.

Readings in Times of Crisis: New Interpretations of Stories about the Settlement of Iceland

Readings in Times of Crisis: New Interpretations of Stories about the Settlement of Iceland

A full-scale black soldier fly larvae (Hermetia illucens) bioconversion system for domestic biodegradable wastes to resource.

Domestic biodegradable wastes (DBW) pose a threat to environmental quality and human health. Bioconversion via black soldier fly larvae (BSFL; Hermitia illucens L.) is an expedient way for converting 'waste to resource' (insect protein and biofertilizer). Although researches abounded in laboratory-reared experiments and bioconversion mechanisms were pertinent, the void of data from actual and full-scale operation restricts the intensification of BSFL technology and its global adoption. Hence, a full-scale BSFL bioconversion system lasting 4 years in Hangzhou (China) was investigated, and the feasibility and efficiency of 15 tonnes of DBW per day were studied. Through continuous technical optimization, the average production of fresh larvae was increased from 8.5% in 2017 to 15.3% in 2020, along with bioconversion rate of final vermicompost decreased from 35.4% to 14.5%. The total biomass reduction rate in 2020 was 68.7 ± 17.4 kg/(m3 d), equivalent to 0.735 ± 0.215 kg/(kg d) in the form of fresh larvae. Crude fat in fresh larvae accounted for 13.4%, and crude protein accounted for 16.2% in which the determined amino acid profile bore a strong resemblance to fish meal only except histidine and tyrosine. Its economic benefits proved the feasibility of this technology, and the profit reached up to 35.9 US$ per tonne of DBW in 2019. In conclusion, BSFL bioconversion system under current 'insect-farm' operation was a promising solution for DBW treatment with value-added waste recycling.

EFFECT OF FARMING TECHNOLOGIES INTENSIFICATION ON WHEAT YIELD IN THE DRY STEPPE OF SIBERIA: AN ANALYSIS BASED ON THE METHOD OF PROPENSITY SCORE MATCHING

The study examines the effect of crop production technology intensification on wheat yield under drought conditions. The causal effect of fertilizers and herbicides usage was quantified based on a dataset of reports from 196 farms located in the Kulunda Steppe in Altai Krai. To quantify causal effects, the various methods were tested – Two Means Comparison tests and Linear regression. Due to the not experimental nature of the data, Propensity Score Matching was used to balance the sample based on the main indicative signs (covariates).
 We refined the effects of crop technologies intensification based on the balanced sample. The results showed that, according to all considered methods, intensification of agriculture even in the dry climatic conditions resulted in the expected growth of wheat yield. The average causal effect of intensive farming was +2.02 dt/ha. The results also showed that it is possible to obtain more correct estimates of causal effects based on balanced samples. Using simple approaches like Two Means Comparison methods lead to underestimation or overestimation. Finally, we highlighted some limitations and peculiarities of the Propensity Score Matching method. However, the Propensity Score Matching can be considered a good and prospective tool for developing digital services in agricultural analytics.

Факторы, оказывающие влияние на численность и пространственное распределение жужелиц (Coleoptera, Carabidae) в агроценозах с разным уровнем интенсификации агротехнологий

This paper describes the results of data analysis on species composition and population of ground beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae) in agrocenoses of spring wheat and corn at different levels of intensification in the forest-steppe of Western Siberia in the period of 2019-2021. The research was aimed at identifying correlating factors with the abundance of ground beetle communities and assessing their significance. The data analysis methods were specified with regard to the peculiarities of the structure and nature of the initial data distribution. Analysis of the population dynamics was performed for 20 species common and abundant for all agrocenoses (represented by dominants and subdominants). A position of the crop in the crop rotation was a significant factor for the agrocenoses of spring wheat, given that the distance from the steam increases the total biomass of vegetation due to weeds, as well as the number of pests, which probably forms more favorable conditions for the activity of ground beetles. Another correlation was also established between the index of dynamic density of ground beetles in wheat crops and the sum of active temperatures (t>5 ºC), revealing the significant role of heat supply for poikilothermic organisms. The correlation between the index of dynamic density of ground beetles and the vegetation index NDVI values in corn pointed to the features of microclimate formation, given the biology of corn and the ability to build up a large volume of biomass already by mid-summer. No significant correlation between the technology of cultivation (level of intensification) and the dynamic density of ground beetles in agrocenoses was found. Therefore, the level of intensification (the use of crop protection agents and fertilizers regulated by the cultivation technology) does not have a significant effect on the number of ground beetles in the crops. Keywords: GROUND BEETLES, SPECIES DIVERSITY, COMMUNITY STRUCTURE, COMMUNITY DYNAMICS, AGROCENOSIS, INTENSIFICATION OF AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY

PASTRY BASED ON FLOUR WITH SPECIFIC CHARACTERISTICS

Preservation of initially high quality of the pastry based on the natural ingredients throughout their shelf-life is amajor factor to ensure their competitiveness. One of the effective ways of solving this task is using the types of wheatflour with specific characteristics. Differential approach to the technological characteristics of flour, depending onbaked goods types, makes it possible to ensure the stability of the technological process and the quality of the producedproducts without usage of inorganic improvers. Among the types of wheat flour with specific characteristics the flour ofwaxy wheat, the starch of which does not contain amylose, which plays an important role in the stealing of flour products,is to particular interest. The studies found that waxy wheat flour characterised with higher gassing power andwater absorption compare with control. According to their technological characteristics it is suggested to use wheatflours with specific characteristics in the technology of yeast-containg cakes, hardtacks with lower sugar capacity.Flour of extra-soft wheat Oksana is characterized by low water absorption and weak gluten, which are desirable technologicalproperties for the production of most types of confectionery dough. It was found that waffles and wafers basedon extra-soft wheat Oksana flour are characterized with lower density and better porosity and texture compared withthe control. It is shown that the use of waxy wheat flour and biscuit wheat flour in the technology of mentioned pastrytypes leads to the technological process intensification, stabilization of their rheological characteristics, product qualityand their freshness without adding of improvers.

Beyond technofix: Thinking with Epimetheus in the anthropocene

The Prometheus myth has long now provided inspiration for those who envision solutions to environmental issues. Prometheus is the figure par excellence of human forethought and progress in the anthropocene. In this article, we introduce the concept of ambient Prometheanism to describe the way of thinking that foregrounds foresight and anticipation and advances technological solutions developed by capital and energy-intensive projects. We question this stance, arguing that ambient Prometheanism, with its emphasis on technofix, leads to the economisation and depoliticisation of planetary environmental issues. Following Bernard Stiegler, we recover from the myth the figure of Epimetheus, Prometheus’ brother, as well as his associated faculty, epimetheia to theorise what we call an ‘Epimethean politics’. Thinking the anthropocene from the perspective of ambient Prometheanism and Epimetheanism means to consider the role of technology in climate politics, and in particular to make the case for the importance of afterthought in face of unintended consequences and accumulated errors. To substantiate our argument, we outline the challenge posed by emerging solutions focussed on technological intensification (geoengineering) and socio-economic acceleration (green growth and accelerationism). An Epimethean politics of the climate requires to use reflexivity as a capacity to anticipate, but also to mobilise epimetheia to account for accidents and past mistakes. Such a politics builds from an alternative conception of technology, one that radically differs from ambient Prometheanism. Finally we read as actualisations of Epimethean politics contemporary eco-political struggles and their imperatives for multispecies living and convivial livelihoods.

Responsiveness of spring wheat to the use of chemicals

Increase in grain production in the Krasnoyarsk Territory is possible with the use of three intensification factors in wheat cultivation technology – intensive varieties, increased doses of fertilizers and intensive protection. The fulfillment of these conditions makes a huge contribution to obtaining a high grain yield of excellent quality. In the conditions of agricultural intensification, with the increase in the chemical’s usage prospects for more complete potential realization of spring wheat for the formation of high yields and improving the quality of grain are opening up. The article considers the reaction of the varieties «Novosibirskaya 15», «Novosibirskaya 29», «Novosibirskaya 41» and «Altayskaya 75» to the intensification of cultivation technology. The response of the most popular spring wheat varieties to the use of nitrogen fertilizer, as well as to the introduction of herbicide, fungicide and insecticide in its crops was studied. Methods of mathematical statistics determine the degree of variation in the crop structure, as well as its amount in the above varieties of spring soft wheat after the use of pesticides and fertilizers. It is established that with financial tension in the farms of this zone, it is possible to make a choice in favor of the use of pesticides to control the number of pathogens and weeds in the phytocenosis.

Knowledge management practices in an agribusiness chain: differences between farmers who are members of agricultural cooperatives and suppliers of firms

PurposeDriven by scientific and technological intensification, Brazilian agribusinesses are among the main food producers and exporters worldwide. Knowledge management contributes to the development of agribusinesses. The objective of this study is to analyze knowledge management practices in the supply chain of broilers at the level of farmers and compare the differences between farmers who are members of cooperatives, and those who are suppliers of firms.Design/methodology/approachUsing data from a sample of broiler farmers (n = 240, where 80 respondents are associated with cooperatives) from Brazil, descriptive statistics were used to measure the four knowledge management dimensions (leadership, people, process and technology). The Mann–Whitney test was performed to verify the difference in the adoption of knowledge management practices between farmers who are members of cooperatives, and those who are suppliers of firms.FindingsThe results showed significant differences between the analyzed groups of broiler farmers that are members of an agricultural cooperative and suppliers of firms. Farmers who supply firms adopt knowledge management practices with greater intensity. They are also more technified and have a larger scale of production.Research limitations/implicationsThe study was conducted in a single agribusiness chain. Future studies may look at another method of knowledge management assessment to see if the results will be similar.Practical implicationsThe results can contribute to the development of programs and policies, incorporating knowledge management into agribusiness as a competitive strategy.Originality/valueWhile knowledge management is a widely studied topic, there has been little focus on this subject with regard to agribusiness. Empirical findings of an important agribusiness supply chain are provided and show the differences in knowledge management perceptions between farmers who are members of cooperatives and those who are suppliers of firms.

Telecommunication Network Performances and Evaluation of Radio Frequency Electromagnetic Radiation

The ongoing mobile communication technology intensification had occasioned the inevitable multiplications in the ratio of the radio frequency base service stations which had raised public consciousness over the considerable health hazards of the radioactive emissions from the communication systems. The current paper analysed the sequences of electromagnetic field measurements performed on the selected three states in the North West Nigeria in order to establish the compliance of radiation levels of cellular base stations and wireless fidelity access points with respect to internationally approved recommendations. The measured power densities of wireless fidelity access points are minimal and do not surpass 1% of the level allowed by International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation (ICNIRP). The result confirmed the environmental safety of the RF energy maintained by the telecommunication operators within the general public indicating an insignificant health hazards to the citizens.

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) assisted design and prototyping of the immiscible drop separation section for an intensified perstraction system

Bioprocesses development is a fundamental research area nowadays, and downstream processing is one of the main bottlenecks due to its high contribution to production cost. In that regard, process intensification of separation technology is still needed. Particularly, a novel liquid membrane in Taylor flow (LMTF) has demonstrated to intensify organic acid separation performance and potentially facilitate economic bioprocesses viability (Fontalvo and Pérez-Ávila, 2019). However, the current challenge is designing a separation mechanism for the immiscible phases once the extraction has been performed. In this work, a computational fluid dynamic (CFD) approach is used for fast prototype design followed by prototype construction and experimental evaluation. The device aims an immiscible droplets separation based on wettability in a LMTF used for the extraction of lactic acid. Simulation results indicate that a low contact angle for the hydrophilic ramification and a low division angle allowed the best separation performance, where complete phases separation was possible but experimentally some challenges limit the separation performance. CFD simulations have shown to be a powerful tool to assess geometric degrees of freedom which accelerate prototyping and reduce the initial experiments required. The combined LMTF system and drop separation device offers a continuous downstream alternative for bioprocesses further intensification.

Application of Fourth Industrial Revolution Technologies to Marine Aquaculture for Future Food: Imperatives, Challenges and Prospects

This study was undertaken to examine the options and feasibility of deploying new technologies for transforming the aquaculture sector with the objective of increasing the production efficiency. Selection of technologies to obtain the expected outcome should, obviously, be consistent with the criteria of sustainable development. There is a range of technologies being suggested for driving change in aquaculture to enhance its contribution to food security. It is necessary to highlight the complexity of issues for systems approach that can shape the course of development of aquaculture so that it can live-up to the expected fish demand by 2030 in addition to the current quantity of 82.1 million tons. Some of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (IR4.0) technologies suggested to achieve this target envisage the use of real-time monitoring, integration of a constant stream of data from connected production systems and intelligent automation in controls. This requires application of mobile devices, internet of things (IoT), smart sensors, artificial intelligence (AI), big data analytics, robotics as well as augmented virtual and mixed reality. AI is receiving more attention due to many reasons. Its use in aquaculture can happen in many ways, for example, in detecting and mitigating stress on the captive fish which is considered critical for the success of aquaculture. While the technology intensification in aquaculture holds a great potential but there are constraints in deploying IR4.0 tools in aquaculture. Possible solutions and practical options, especially with respect to future food choices are highlighted in this paper.