Farming System最新文献

This study fills important gaps in research by analyzing the evolution over time of productive, environmental, and socio-economic aspects of agricultural production in the Argentine Pampas, utilizing farm-level data. A longitudinal study was conducted to examine the changes that occurred in farming systems during the period 2007–2018. The study evaluated the changes in 30 farms, examining modifications in the structure and management of each farm, as well as in productive, economic, and environmental performance. Canonical correlation analysis was used to relate the changes that occurred in performance to farms' characteristics at the beginning of the study period. The results indicated that, among the farms that stayed in business, there were no significant changes in land tenure and the amount of labor employed. There was a significant increase in the average age of farmers by 7 years, along with a decrease in the percentage of farmers expecting growth, dropping from 70% to 42% over the period. Canonical correlation analysis revealed that smaller farms, with a higher number of workers at the beginning of the period, were more likely to expand their farming area during the analysis period. The findings also indicate a substantial turnover of producers, with leaving farms being succeeded by larger-scale operations. The yields of the main crops and the direct production costs increased by 16% and 48% respectively, during the period. The environmental indicators for the main crops present a mixed picture: soil organic carbon input increased by 12%, while environmental impact quotient decreased on average, by 6% for cereals but increased by 40% for soybeans, and nutrient imbalances rose. The significance of this study resides in its application of a comprehensive approach to analyze the transformation of farming systems over time.

Indian agriculture system is facing severe crisis due to multiple stressors, including climate change, excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides, poor socio-economic condition of farmers and water scarcity. Adoption of sustainable form of agriculture is one of the remedies to deal with these stressors. Despite this, adoption of Sustainable Agriculture Practices (SAPs) is quite limited among farmers, which necessitates understanding the factors driving farmers’ adoption of SAPs. So far, studies have majorly prioritized socio-economic and demographic variables and lack comprehensive understanding of institutional and behavioural factors towards adoption of SAPs by farming community. Current research aims to address the underlying gaps, by focusing on understanding the contribution of institutional, attitudinal and perceptual factors manifesting in attitude and perception. Thereby, to understand the factors driving adoption of SAPs, we conducted a field survey of 400 farmers across Vidarbha and Marathwada regions of Maharashtra, India. We further used structural equation modeling to model the relationship between SAPs and its driving factors i.e., intrinsic motivation and institutional factors. Findings show that perceived usefulness, easiness and compatibility are strong motivation in implementing sustainable agriculture practices by farmers. These factors need to be inculcated among farmers for improving their adoption of SAPs. The subsidy provided on seeds, fertilizers, and water leads to overutilization of these resources, which itself is an unsustainable practice. Only incentives and extension services showed a statistically significant and positive relationship with the adoption of SAPs. Findings can help policymakers in designing targeted interventions for farmers and agriculture sector in India.

Global climate change, soil and water scarcity, soil degradation and increasing population are putting tremendous pressure on current agriculture and food production systems. These factors are threatening the food– and nutritional– security not only at regional level but also at global scale. In addition to these, mismanagement of agro-industrial waste and rampant burning of crop residues has adverse impact on the environment putting the public health at risk. As a result, in order to maintain food and nutritional security, it is critical to improve waste management and recycling for farming and other allied sectors. Mushroom farming has the potential to alleviate poverty, hunger, malnutrition and also fulfil nutritional security. Mushrooms are a highly nutritious food that are used all over the world as a tonic, medicine, and dietary food. Mushrooms are grown on lignocellulose substrates such as crop residue, processed waste, horticultural waste, saw dust, and wood chips. So, mushroom cultivation converts low–quality and low value waste materials to high–quality food. In this review, we discuss future strategies for improving mushroom quality including breeding aspect and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emission/global warming. Further, we interlink soil health with various substrate quality and quantity for mushroom farming, and review the role of mushroom farming in environment and food and nutritional security, and zero waste farming.

The rice-wheat system in the Indo-Gangetic Plain, often termed the ‘food basket’ of South Asia, has witnessed a concerning trend in its potassium balance over the past few decades. This negative trend stems from intensive and exhaustive agricultural practices, leading to 79% of the soil in the region falling into the low to medium potassium available category. Consequently, there has been a decline in soils with high potassium availability. Despite misconceptions about soil potassium sufficiency, abundant crop responses to potassium fertilization in alluvial soils, like those in the Indo-Gangetic Plain, have been observed. However, the current negative potassium balance exceeds acceptable levels, posing a significant threat to system sustainability. Soil deficient in potassium fails to yield optimal outputs without external potassium inputs. Thus, maintaining adequate potassium levels within the rice-wheat system is imperative for sustaining agricultural productivity, preserving soil health, ensuring food security, and mitigating associated environmental impacts. To address these challenges, this review provides a comprehensive understanding of the current nutrient balance, existing fertilizer application rates and methods, and various strategies to optimize potassium mining. These strategies include balanced fertilizer usage, crop residue recycling, minimizing potassium leaching losses, employing customized fertilizers and potassium-solubilizing microbes, establishing a national soil data repository, and implementing policy interventions. By synchronizing potassium application with crop requirements, these strategies aim to enhance potassium use efficiency and maximize return on investment, ensuring the long-term sustainability of the rice-wheat system in the Indo-Gangetic Plains.

Solar irrigation system has evolved as a green farming technology in areas of abundant irradiance. The challenge in Bangladesh is to make the technology affordable for marginal farmers. This study reports the results of a series of experiments carried out to evaluate the performance of solar irrigation pumps (SIPs) in the coastal region of Bangladesh. In this regard, field experiments were conducted on brinjal during the consecutive winter seasons of 2019-2020 and 2020-2021. A field survey on 24 diesel operated low lift pumps (LLPs) schemes and 6 electric AC pump schemes was carried out to estimate the suitable pump size for an average farmhouse in the coastal area. An SIP scheme with a solar pump (0.8 ​kW) was eventually developed to irrigate using three drips, and one furrow irrigation treatment. The experiment was laid out with a randomized control block design and was replicated thrice. Under the SIP schemes, drip irrigated plots produced higher average yields compared to the furrow irrigated plots. The best irrigation frequency under SIP was found to be 5 days under drip method considering the average solar irradiance in the coastal area. In order to emulate multipurpose use, a solar home system (SHS) was also developed receiving power stored from the SIP scheme at times when there was no need for irrigation. The financial evaluation showed that SIPs with multipurpose use could be a profitable investment when compared to LLPs, and electric AC pumps. The discounted benefit-cost ratio, and the internal rate of return for SIPs under multipurpose use were found to be 1.46 and 30% respectively. The break-even point of SIPs (0.80 ​ha) was found to be well within its command area (1.36 ​ha). This indicates that SIPs are a superior investment option for the existing diesel pump owners in the coastal area of Bangladesh and similar regions.

While agriculture provides livelihood to rural poor, it has also been the reason of land degradation and biodiversity loss over time. Although the Integrated Farming Systems (IFS) are promoted to address these issues, their adoption among local farmers has been slow. The adoption is contextual affected by local conditions and factors. To understand the role of IFS in land degradation control and plant diversity enhancement, the objective of this study was to examine the determinants of farmers’ adoption of IFS practices and investigate the role of IFS in land degradation control and plant diversity enhancement on farmlands. Combining socioeconomic survey, econometrics, and ecological assessment techniques, the data representing different types of land degradation and sub-plot level plant diversity were collected using both farmer interviews and field measurements for two groups farmers, those who have adopted some sort of IFS, and other who have not. When compared with non-IFS as base category, the results indicated that education and income positively influenced IFS adoption with a marginal effect of 0.035 and 0.001, respectively, contrasting with the negative impact of landholding size with a marginal effect of -0.081. IFS adoption led to reduced land degradation of various forms as perceived by the farmers, particularly reduced soil acidification with marginal effect of 2.52, soil erosion (2.071), and enhanced plant diversity as shown by the indices, Shannon-Weiner – 1.94, Inverse Simpson – 6.14, species richness – 10.65 for IFS plots compared to 1.03, 2.28, 5.06, respectively for the non-IFS plots. The findings offer valuable insights for agricultural extension authorities and local farmers, emphasizing the benefits of IFS practices. The study also underscores not only the environment gains of IFS practices but also holds the potential for long-term economic and ecological benefits.

Enhancing soil health is critical to improve crop productivity, fertilizer use efficiency, and resilience to climate change impacts for smallholder farmers in Africa. Increasing the use of mineral fertilizers is critical for achieving higher crop yield and residue return. However, it is crucial to consider the simultaneous use of carbon (C)-rich organic materials alongside mineral fertilizers to support soil health and enhance fertilizer use efficiency. It is proposed that increasing mineral fertilizer use without a concurrent increase in C-rich organic materials may not enhance soil organic carbon (SOC) and soil health in the long term. When the labile pool of nutrients is increased through mineral fertilizer, it can reduce microbial C use efficiency, thereby hindering the formation and stabilization of SOC. This reduction in efficiency can cause a more significant proportion of the returned plant residues to be lost as CO₂ through microbial respiration rather than being incorporated into the SOC pool. However, this effect can be mitigated by the concurrent application of large amounts of organic amendments, such as compost, manure or biochar, which provide a balanced supply of nutrients and C substrates to support microbial activity and enhance SOC formation.

The rice seed sub-sector plays a vital role in the self-sufficiency of rice grain and food security in the context of changing climate. Thus, it is imperative to understand the perception of rice seed growers towards climate change and identify the major adaptation strategies against climate change along with their significant determinants. In this light, our study used data from 223 rice seed growers in the Chitwan district of Nepal using purposive sampling followed by simple random sampling from Bharatpur Metropolitan City and Madi Municipality. Descriptive statistics were used to illustrate perception and adaptation strategies. The growers were categorized as adopters or non-adopters of strategies using the adoption index. Probit regression was used to determine the significant determinants of the adoption of strategies. The findings revealed that 71% of growers perceived climate change: increased temperature and decreased frequency of rainfall. Varietal selection, green manuring, planting time, improved water management and nutrient management were the major adaptation strategies adopted in the study area. From the regression analysis, years of formal education, experience, contact with extension agents and training were found to be significant determinants of the adoption of strategies. The farmers of Madi were found to be more likely to adopt the adaptation strategies. It is therefore recommended that the local and provincial-level governments explore the institutional service provision system and socio-economic characteristics while considering the location for better farm-level adoption of strategies. The study is useful for policymakers to deliberately target formal education, extension services and training for increased adoption of adaptation strategies in the face of climate change. The identified adaptation strategies and their significant determinants are applicable for the rice seed farming system in similar agro-ecological regions globally.

The energy consumption of intensive tillage practices is higher, decreasing soil and environment sustainability. Conservation agriculture practices i.e. reduced or no-tillage could be suitable options to conserve energy and environment and increase profitability. However, previous studies evaluated the energy consumption, productivity and profitability in two or three tillage systems, a comprehensive assessment of multiple tillage systems is needed. Therefore, six tillage i) conventional (CT), ii) conventional with bed (CTB), iii) reduced (RT), iv) reduced with bed (RTB), v) zero (ZT), and vi) zero with bed (ZTB) were practiced to evaluate the energy consumption, productivity of wheat-maize and their economic returns. The results showed that CT, RTB, RT, ZTB, and ZT reduced 21% and 13%, 81% and 93%, 36% and 56%, 169% and 263%, and 81% and 152% energy consumption than CTB in wheat and maize, respectively. Considering mean productivity, CT and CTB increased by almost wheat (953.43 ​kg ​ha⁻¹) and maize (466.66 ​kg ​ha⁻¹) yields. However, ZT, and RT had higher EP (energy productivity, 32%) and EUE (energy use efficiency, 30%) in wheat, 14% EP and 10% EUE as compared to CTB in maize. The lower EP and EUE in maize were mainly due to higher inputs/energy consumption in comparison to wheat. The input cost of CT, and CTB was higher in wheat than in other tillage practices, but the wheat yield was statistically similar in CT, CTB, RT, and RTB in both years. The RT had a higher benefit-cost ratio (BCR) in wheat (1.52) and maize (0.74) than intensive CT practice (1.44 (wheat), 0.61 (maize)). In wheat, EUE and EP were significantly higher under RT and ZT treatments, however, both were significantly reduced under bed plantation, contrarily no specific trends were observed in maize. In conclusion, RT could be used for wheat cultivation that consumed lower energy inputs and produced higher EUE, EP, and statistically equal grain yield as compared to CT. However, this practice might not be useful for maize cultivation and needs further evaluation.

Capturing the heterogeneity of farming systems through farm typology is essential for targeting agricultural interventions in any mixed crop-livestock farming system. Therefore, this study aims to construct a farm typology for the Doyogena and Basona districts of Southern and Northern Ethiopia, respectively. A combination of principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical clustering (HC) was used to develop a generalized and domain-specific farm typology in the study areas using farm household survey data collected from 503 respondents. A generalized farm typology was constructed considering all the dataset variables whereas the domain-specific farm typology was developed once all the data variables had been categorized into three groups: variables that describe i) the resource endowment, ii) technologies used, and iii) food and nutrition characteristics of the farm. The farm types identified from the domain-specific farm typologies were merged to develop comprehensive, representative, and meaningful farm types. In both districts, the results of the generalized farm typology are more generic, and are not able to fully capture the diversity of farmers’ resource endowment and food and nutrition security status. Compared to the generalized farm typology, the domain-specific farm typology is more useful for targeting tailored agricultural development interventions. The merged typology results show that a combination of medium resource endowment with medium income, medium technology, and low food and nutrition security farm type (34%) is the dominant farm type in the study areas followed by a farm type combining low resource endowment with low income, high technology and marginal food and nutrition secure (21%). The findings of this study provide several insights into targeting and scaling domain-specific agricultural development interventions that can be applicable for sustainable intensification of mixed farming systems. For example, growing multiple crops in crop rotations and as intercrops; implementing conservation tillage, and introducing improved seed varieties, and livestock breeds offer possible pathways for sustainable agricultural intensification for medium resource endowment, medium technology, and low food and nutrition security farm types.