Farming Systems (farming + system)

Distribution by Scientific Domains
Distribution within Life Sciences


Selected Abstracts


Assessing the habitat quality of oil mallees and other planted farmland vegetation with reference to natural woodland

ECOLOGICAL MANAGEMENT & RESTORATION, Issue 3 2009
F. Patrick Smith
Summary, Much of the tree and shrub planting that has been conducted on farms in Western Australia over the past three decades has not been done with the specific intention of creating habitat or conserving biodiversity, particularly commercially oriented monocultures like oil mallee plantings. However, such plantings may nonetheless provide some habitat resources for native plants and animals. This study assessed the habitat quality of farm plantings (most of which were not planted with the primary intention of biodiversity conservation) at 72 sites across a study region in the central wheatbelt of Western Australia. Widely accepted habitat metrics were used to compare the habitat resources provided by planted farmland vegetation with those provided by remnant woodland on the same farms. The impact of adjacency of plantings to woodland and, in the case of oil mallees, the planting configuration on predicted habitat quality is assessed. Condition Benchmarks for five local native vegetation communities are proposed. Farmland plantings achieved an average Vegetation Condition Score (VCS) of 46 out of a possible 100, while remnant woodland on the same farms scored an average 72. The average scores for farm plantings ranged from 38,59 depending on which of five natural vegetation communities was used as its benchmark, but farm plantings always scored significantly less than remnant woodland (P < 0.001). Mixed species plantings on average were rated more highly than oil mallees (e.g. scores of 42 and 36 respectively using the Wandoo benchmark) and adjacency to remnant woodland improved the score for mixed plantings, but not for oil mallees. Configuration of oil mallees as blocks or belts (i.e. as an alley farming system) had no impact on the VCS. Planted farmland vegetation fell short of remnant woodland in both floristic richness (51 planted native species in total compared with a total of more than 166 naturally occurring plant species in woodland) and structural diversity (with height, multiple vegetation strata, tree hollows and woody debris all absent in the relatively young 7,15-year-old farm plantings). Nonetheless farmland plantings do have measurable habitat values and recruitment and apparent recolonization of plantings with native plant species was observed. Habitat values might be expected to increase as the plantings age. The VCS approach, including the application of locally relevant Benchmarks is considered to be valuable for assessing potential habitat quality in farmland vegetation, particularly as a tool for engaging landholders and natural resource management practitioners. [source]


Long-term land-cover changes in the Belgian Ardennes (1775,1929): model-based reconstruction vs. historical maps

GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, Issue 7 2002
C. C. Petit
Abstract Understanding long-term human-environment interactions requires historical reconstruction of past land-cover changes. The objective of this study is to reconstruct past land-use and land-cover changes in a rural municipality of the Belgian Ardennes over the last 250 years. Two approaches were compared. The first approach produced backward projections based on a mechanistic model which computes the demand for different land uses under the assumption of an equilibrium between the production and consumption of resources. The second approach involved using a series of historical maps to extract directly land-use areas. A stochastic Markov chain model was also used to project backward missing land-cover data in the time series. The consistency between the results obtained with the different approaches suggests that land-use area can be successfully reconstructed on the basis of the mechanistic model, under conditions of a subsistence farming system and a closed economy. Land-use/cover changes in the Belgian Ardennes from 1775 to 1929 were more driven by the interventionist measures of the Belgian government and by technological progress than by the ,pressure' of the growing population and livestock. Thanks to agricultural intensification, a decrease in land under human use was supporting increasing human and livestock populations from 1846 to 1880. Reforestation has accelerated since the mid-19th century. This case study illustrates the highly dynamic and non-linear character of land-use change trajectories over long time periods and their strong interactions with the history of societies. [source]


The grassland farming system and sustainable agricultural development in China

GRASSLAND SCIENCE, Issue 1 2005
Zhibiao Nan
Abstract Grassland is the largest terrestrial ecosystem in China, at about 39 280 × 104 ha and covers 41% of the total land area. Grasslands not only provide forage to feed livestock, but also play a critical role in alleviating many of the most challenging environmental and ecological problems that humankind is facing. About 90% of the total usable grassland in China has been degraded to various extents and this is the number one problem facing agricultural production, rural development and environmental improvement. Research on grassland degradation has been carried out since the early 1950s. Enormous achievements have been made and theory and a technical system for pastoral agriculture have been developed. This pastoral agriculture system is a well-organized modern farming system including four production levels, that is, preplant, plant, animal and postbiotic levels, and is linked by three interfaces, including vegetation-site, grassland-animal and production-management. The system capacity and productivity could be improved by system coupling. Since it emerged, this pastoral agriculture system has been established in various ecological regions in China and significant improvements in agricultural sustainability, farmer's income and environmental stability have been obtained. In the future, it will play a more critical role in developing sustainable agriculture in China. [source]


Genetic and morphometric characterization of a local Vietnamese Swamp Buffalo population

JOURNAL OF ANIMAL BREEDING AND GENETICS, Issue 1 2010
C. Berthouly
Summary The water buffalo plays a key role in the socio-economy of South-East Asia as it is the main draught power for paddy rice cultivation. While in the Indian subcontinent the water buffalo is the riverine type, in South-East Asia the majority of buffaloes are of the swamp type. In the poor remote northern province of Ha Giang in Vietnam, improvement of the swamp buffalo breed may be one of the best ways to increase sustainability of farming systems. Therefore, analysis of the genetic structure of the province buffalo population is a prerequisite to any conservation or improvement project. A total of 1122 animals were described for 11 body and horn measurements for morphometric characterization. From this sample set, 744 animals were genotyped for 17 microsatellite markers. Also 17 animals from southern provinces of Vietnam were genotyped as a comparative sample. The results showed that genetic diversity as well as inbreeding value in the Ha Giang was high. The FST values within the province and across Vietnam were low indicating that most of the population variation is explained by individual variability. Bayesian clustering analysis did not highlight the presence of subdivided populations. These results are useful for the implementation of a conservation and improvement strategy of the swamp buffalo in order to guarantee the householders' needs for sustainability of the farming system in the Ha Giang province. [source]


Impact of eucalyptus and pine growing on rural livelihood: the lesson from Bukoba area, north western Tanzania

AFRICAN JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY, Issue 2009
Phillip K. MwanukuziArticle first published online: 3 FEB 200
Abstract Sustainable resource management intends to allocate resources in such a way that unnecessary deterioration of biophysical and socio-economical systems is avoided. In Bukoba Area where rainfalls are plenty, evergreen grasslands were expansive and forests were limited, eucalypts (eucalyptus spp.) and pines (pinus spp.) were grown on grasslands for preventing land degradation through deforestation and for providing additional source of income for rural poor. This study shows that in addition to detrimental consequence of eucalyptus and pine forests on soil resources, conversion of Bukoban grasslands to forests has negatively impacted livelihood of the rural poor. Growing eucalypts and pines on grasslands prevented a farming system that enabled integration of grasslands, cattle keeping and crop production. Consequently, the grasslands role of nutrients cycling was disrupted, food crop production reduced, home-gardens productivity declined, majority deprived important livelihood asset and foreign income flow into the area reduced. [source]


Evolution of the Minangkabau's shifting cultivation in the West Sumatra highland OF Indonesia and its strategic implications for dynamic farming systems

LAND DEGRADATION AND DEVELOPMENT, Issue 1 2005
A. Dendi
Abstract This paper explores the evolution of the shifting cultivation of the Minangkabau, the biggest matrilineal society in Indonesia, and examines factors underlying the instability and vulnerability of farmers' livelihoods and the degradation of their resource base using an extended factor analysis technique, in order to understand how development strategies might be modified towards a more dynamic farming system. The study distinguished three main phases of the farming system's changes and found that these changes highly corresponded with the emerging market and institutional incentives. Furthermore, the factor analysis generated a six-factor model suggesting strategic interventions to foster the improvement of farmers' livelihoods and environment in future. In addition, consistent with the results of these factors analysis, we argue that, provided land tenure is conducive, there are substantial possibilities for policies and interventions that focus first on agricultural diversification and then on organization building, to assist in dealing with farmers' vulnerability and environmental degradation in the uplands. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


AN APPLICATION OF MULTI-CRITERIA DECISION MAKING INCORPORATING STOCHASTIC PRODUCTION FRONTIERS: A CASE STUDY OF ORGANIC COFFEE PRODUCTION IN KONA, HAWAII

NATURAL RESOURCE MODELING, Issue 1 2010
TADAYOSHI MASUDA
Abstract In this paper, we develop a land use allocation model to search for the optimal ratio of organic (nonchemical) and conventional (chemical-use) farming acreage. The idea is to incorporate stochastic production frontiers (SPFs) to a multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) model as technological constraints. The objectives of this model are to maximize net returns, minimize chemical inputs, and optimize organic inputs given environmental and ecological concerns. The compromise solutions suggest the desirable ratio of organic and conventional farming acreage and targetable operations for each farming system to improve regional welfare. This method was applied to the Kona coffee belt, Hawaii, and the analysis determined the optimal proportion of organic and conventional Kona coffee farming fields as 0.265 to 0.735 in terms of optimizing community benefits or regional welfare. [source]


Agricultural policies and the emergence of cotton as the dominant crop in northern Côte d'Ivoire: Historical overview and current outlook

NATURAL RESOURCES FORUM, Issue 2 2009
Oluyede Clifford Ajayi
Abstract In most of sub-Saharan Africa, where the agricultural sector experiences dismal performance and is characterized by a gloomy picture, the cotton sub-sector in Côte d'Ivoire is often mentioned as a "success story" given the spectacular rise in the quantity of cotton production and the profile of the crop within the farming system. What are the historical and political antecedents of the development of cotton and the factors responsible for the feat accomplished in the midst of general failures in the same continent? To what extent can cotton be regarded as a "success story" and, what lessons can be drawn for agricultural development strategies based on the Ivorian case study? This paper traces the historical and socio-political background of cotton development in Côte d'Ivoire and identifies key policy and institutional interventions that have influenced the rise of cotton production and its emergence as the dominant crop in the farming systems of the country. Four stages in Ivorian cotton development are identified: planning, take off, crisis and the renaissance phases. The study demonstrates how a combination of good planning, technological advancement and appropriate policy and institutional conditions have contributed significantly to the rise of cotton production and its influence on the agricultural economy of northern Côte d'Ivoire. The study also highlights how the sustainability of agricultural development has been impacted by domestic and international policies and political events over which smallholder farm families have little control, and can at best only respond to. Important questions about cotton development in Côte d'Ivoire are raised that need to be answered before the program can be categorized conclusively as a success story. The study shows that there are no quick fixes to agricultural development in the sub-region. Rather, good planning and putting the necessary building blocks in place are important prerequisites. It is recommended that agricultural development efforts in the continent take cognizance of the complexity of the sector and address the inter-relationships that exist among the technical, policy, market and institutional factors that combine individually and collectively to influence African agriculture. [source]


Environmental impacts of a Japanese dairy farming system using whole-crop rice silage as evaluated by life cycle assessment

ANIMAL SCIENCE JOURNAL, Issue 6 2008
Akifumi OGINO
ABSTRACT The objectives of this study were to assess and compare the environmental impacts of two types of dairy farming systems, one of which makes use of whole-crop rice silage and the other of which is conventional, using life cycle assessment (LCA). The functional unit was defined as 1 kg of 4% fat-corrected milk (FCM). The processes associated with the dairy farming life cycle, such as feed production, feed transport, animal management including biological activity of the animal, and waste treatment were included within the system's boundaries. Environmental impacts of the rice silage-using and conventional dairy farming systems were 987 and 972 g CO2 equivalents for global warming, 6.87 and 7.13 g SO2 equivalents for acidification, 1.19 and 1.23 g PO4 equivalents for eutrophication, and 5.53 and 5.81 MJ for energy consumption, respectively. Our results suggest that the dairy farming system using rice silage in Japan has smaller environmental impacts for acidification, eutrophication, and energy consumption, and a larger impact for global warming compared with conventional farming. Further interpretation integrating these impact categories suggested 1.1% lower environmental impact of the rice silage-using dairy farming system as a whole. [source]


Farming flexibility and food security under climatic uncertainty: Manang, Nepal Himalaya

AREA, Issue 2 2010
Tor Halfdan Aase
Climate change is predicted to cause a substantial decrease in food production in poor regions during this century. But since reliable models of future climates have not been produced at local level as yet, this article focuses on the flexibility of farming systems in terms of adaptability to changing conditions of production, whatever those changes may turn out to be. Defining flexibility as ,uncommitted potentiality for change'Bateson 1972, the aim of the article is to identify such potentialities among subsistence farmers in a remote part of the Himalayas. Our analysis reveals four ,uncommitted potentialities' for adaptation to a future situation that will be climatologically different from the present. In order to maintain local food security under changing climate conditions, farmers in the study valley of Manang can reclaim abandoned land, they can depend more on barley, they may reduce the conspicuous exhibition of horses, and relocate farming from the slope to the valley bottom. The inherent flexibility in their farming system renders Mananges quite robust in facing future uncertainties. Thus, Manang is more appropriately labelled ,dynamic' than ,fragile', which is a term often ascribed to high Himalayan communities and environments. [source]


Climate Change and the Economics of Farm Management in the Face of Land Degradation: Dryland Salinity in Western Australia

CANADIAN JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS, Issue 4 2005
Michele John
Projected changes in climate would affect not only the profitability of agriculture, but also the way it is managed, including the way issues of land conservation are managed. This study provides a detailed analysis of these effects for an extensive dryland farming system in south-west Australia. Using a whole-farm linear programming model, with discrete stochastic programming to represent climate risk, we explore the consequences of several climate scenarios. Climate change may reduce farm profitability in the study region by 50% or more compared to historical climate. Results suggest a decline in the area of crop on farms, due to greater probability of poor seasons and lower probability of very good seasons. The reduced profitability of farms would likely affect the capacity of farmers to adopt some practices that have been recommended to farmers to prevent land degradation through dryland salinization. In particular, establishment of perennial pastures (lucerne or alfalfa, Medicago sativa), woody perennials ("oil mallees", Eucalyptus spp.), and salt-tolerant shrubs for grazing ("saltland pastures", Atriplex spp.) may become slightly more attractive in the long run (i.e., relative to other enterprises) but harder to adopt due to their high establishment costs in the context of lower disposable income. Les changements climatiques prévus influeraient non seulement sur la rentabilité de l'agriculture, mais aussi sur la gestion, y compris la façon de gérer les questions de conservation des terres. La présente étude offre une analyse détaillée de ces effets sur un système d'aridoculture extensive dans le sud-ouest de l'Australie. À l'aide d'un modèle de programmation linéaire d'une exploitation, comprenant une programmation stochastique discrète pour représenter le risque lié aux changements climatiques, nous avons examiné les conséquences de plusieurs scénarios climatiques. Dans la région à l'étude, un changement climatique pourrait diminuer la rentabilité d'une exploitation de 50 p. 100 ou plus par rapport au climat historique. Les résultats ont laissé supposer un déclin dans le domaine des cultures, en raison de la probabilité accrue de connaître des saisons médiocres et de la probabilité diminuée de connaître saisons exceptionnelles. Une diminution de la rentabilité des exploitations freinerait probablement la capacité des producteurs à adopter certaines pratiques recommandées pour prévenir la dégradation des sols par la salinisation des terres arides. Certaines pratiques, telles que l'établissement de pâturages de plantes fourragères vivaces (luzerne ou Medicago sativa), de plantes ligneuses vivaces (Eucalyptus) et d'arbustes tolérants au sel (Atriplex), peuvent devenir un peu plus attrayantes à long terme (c'est-à-dire, comparativement à d'autres pratiques), mais également plus difficiles à adopter en raison des coûts d'établissement élevés dans un contexte de faible revenu disponible. [source]


Local Histories, Global Markets: Cocoa and Class in Upland Sulawesi

DEVELOPMENT AND CHANGE, Issue 3 2002
Tania Murray Li
Research and policy concerning the Southeast Asian uplands have generally focused on issues of cultural diversity, conservation and community resource management. This article argues for a reorientation of analysis to highlight the increasingly uneven access to land, labour and capital stemming from processes of agrarian differentiation in upland settings. It draws upon contrasting case studies from two areas of Central Sulawesi to explore the processes through which differentiation occurs, and the role of local histories of agriculture and settlement in shaping farmers' responses to new market opportunities. Smallholders have enthusiastically abandoned their diversified farming systems to invest their land and labour in a new global crop, cocoa, thereby stimulating a set of changes in resource access and social relations that they did not anticipate. The concept of agency drawn from a culturally oriented political economy guides the analysis of struggles over livelihoods, land entitlements, and the reconfiguration of community, as well as the grounds on which new collective visions emerge. [source]


Field systems and farming systems in late medieval England , By Bruce M. S. Campbell

ECONOMIC HISTORY REVIEW, Issue 4 2009
JOHN S. MOORE
No abstract is available for this article. [source]


Region-specific assessment of greenhouse gas mitigation with different manure management strategies in four agroecological zones

GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, Issue 12 2009
SVEN G. SOMMER
Abstract Livestock farming systems are major sources of trace gases contributing to emissions of the greenhouse gases (GHG) nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4), i.e. N2O accounts for 10% and CH4 for 30% of the anthropogenic contributions to net global warming. This paper presents scenario assessments of whole-system effects of technologies for reducing GHG emissions from livestock model farms using slurry-based manure management. Changes in housing and storage practice, mechanical separation, and incineration of the solid fraction derived from separation were evaluated in scenarios for Sweden, Denmark, France, and Italy. The results demonstrated that changes in manure management can induce significant changes in CH4 and N2O emissions and carbon sequestration, and that the effect of introducing environmental technologies may vary significantly with livestock farming practice and interact with climatic conditions. Shortening the in-house manure storage time reduced GHG emissions by 0,40%. The largest GHG reductions of 49 to, in one case, 82% were obtained with a combination of slurry separation and incineration, the latter process contributing to a positive GHG balance of the system by substituting fossil fuels. The amount and composition of volatile solids (VS) and nitrogen pools were main drivers in the calculations performed, and requirements to improve the assessment of VS composition and turnover during storage and in the field were identified. Nevertheless, the results clearly showed that GHG emission estimates will be unrealistic, if the assumed manure management or climatic conditions do not properly represent a given country or region. The results also showed that the mitigation potential of specific manure management strategies and technologies varied depending on current management and climatic conditions. [source]


Integrated models of livestock systems for climate change studies.

GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, Issue 2 2001

Summary The potential impact of climate change by the year 2050 on intensive livestock systems in Britain is assessed through the use of simulation models of farming systems. The submodels comprise livestock feeding, livestock thermal balance and the thermal balance of controlled environment buildings and a stochastic weather generator. These are integrated to form system models for growing pigs and broiler chickens. They are applied to scenarios typical of SE England, which is the warmest region of the country and represents the worst case. For both species the frequency of severe heat stress is substantially increased, with a consequent risk of mortality. To offset this, it would be necessary to reduce stocking densities considerably, or to invest in improved ventilation or cooling equipment. Other effects on production are likely to be small. [source]


Irrigation Externalities and Agricultural Sustainability in South-eastern Nigeria

JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS, Issue 3 2004
Kevin C. Urama
Agricultural intensification by irrigation is increasingly regarded as the key to solving food supply problems in Sub-Saharan Africa. Conversely, mounting empirical evidence suggests that irrigation externalities might preclude long-term sustainability of arable agriculture. Choosing between intensive irrigation schemes and less intensive farming systems is therefore, problematic. The paper examines the implications of irrigation intensification in south-eastern Nigeria using adjacent rain-fed farms as the counterfactual. The analyses found mixed results. When first introduced, the irrigation scheme increased marginal factor productivity and gross margins but this has subsequently declined to the extent that the marginal factor product of land has become negative. The annual yields of the irrigated farms were also less stable than those of the less intensive rain-fed farms. These results indicate the dilemma that irrigation externalities present to sustainable agricultural policy and suggest a need to look again at the potential for developments in rain-fed systems. [source]


Matching Technologies with Potential End Users: A Knowledge Engineering Approach for Agricultural Research Management

JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS, Issue 1 2004
J. David Reece
This paper addresses the problem of priority setting that faces developing country agricultural research, a problem whose relevance has been sharpened by the current context of demands for greater efficiency and targeted impact. A new method for ex ante estimation of the impact of developing each of several alternative proposed technologies is described and illustrated through an example from West Africa. This method is based on the notion of market segmentation, which normally makes intensive use of secondary data-sets that are simply not available for rural areas of developing countries. To circumvent this lack of secondary data, the method adopts a knowledge engineering approach based on the views of an expert panel familiar with the region to be served. Descriptions of proposed technologies are matched with the interests and resources of identified market segments, together with the characteristics of their farming systems and locations, to identify those segments whose members are likely to use the proposed technology. Further development of the method is discussed. [source]


Effects of 15N Split-application on Soil and Fertiliser N Uptake of Barley, Oilseed Rape and Wheat in Different Cropping Systems

JOURNAL OF AGRONOMY AND CROP SCIENCE, Issue 1 2007
K. Sieling
Abstract In intensive farming systems, farmers split up and apply the N fertilization to winter cereals and oilseed rape (OSR) at several dates to meet the need of the crop more precisely. Our objective was to determine how prior fertilizer N application as slurry and/or mineral N affects contributions of fertilizer- and soil-derived N to N uptake of barley (1997), oilseed rape (OSR; 1998) and wheat (1999). In addition, residual fertilizer N effects were observed in the subsequent crop. Since autumn 1991, slurry (none, slurry in autumn, in spring, in autumn plus in spring) and mineral N fertilizer (0, 12 and 24 g N m,2) were applied annually. Each year, the treatments were located on the same plots. In 1997,1999, the splitting rates of the mineral N fertilization were labelled with 15N. Non-fertilizer N uptake was estimated from the total N uptake and the fertilizer 15N uptake. All three crops utilized the splitting rates differently depending on the time of application. Uptake of N derived from the first N rate applied at the beginning of spring growth was poorer than that from the second splitting rate applied at stem elongation (cereals) or third splitting rate applied at ear emergence or bud formation (all three crops). In contrast, N applied later in the growing season was taken up more quickly, resulting in higher fertilizer N-use efficiency. Mineral N fertilization of 24 g N m,2 increased significantly non-fertilizer N uptake of barley and OSR at most of the sampling dates during the growing season. In cereals, slurry changed the contribution of non-fertilizer N to the grain N content only if applied in spring, while OSR utilized more autumn slurry N. In OSR and wheat, only small residual effects occurred. The results indicate that 7 years of varying N fertilization did not change the contribution of soil N to crop N uptake. [source]


Genetic and morphometric characterization of a local Vietnamese Swamp Buffalo population

JOURNAL OF ANIMAL BREEDING AND GENETICS, Issue 1 2010
C. Berthouly
Summary The water buffalo plays a key role in the socio-economy of South-East Asia as it is the main draught power for paddy rice cultivation. While in the Indian subcontinent the water buffalo is the riverine type, in South-East Asia the majority of buffaloes are of the swamp type. In the poor remote northern province of Ha Giang in Vietnam, improvement of the swamp buffalo breed may be one of the best ways to increase sustainability of farming systems. Therefore, analysis of the genetic structure of the province buffalo population is a prerequisite to any conservation or improvement project. A total of 1122 animals were described for 11 body and horn measurements for morphometric characterization. From this sample set, 744 animals were genotyped for 17 microsatellite markers. Also 17 animals from southern provinces of Vietnam were genotyped as a comparative sample. The results showed that genetic diversity as well as inbreeding value in the Ha Giang was high. The FST values within the province and across Vietnam were low indicating that most of the population variation is explained by individual variability. Bayesian clustering analysis did not highlight the presence of subdivided populations. These results are useful for the implementation of a conservation and improvement strategy of the swamp buffalo in order to guarantee the householders' needs for sustainability of the farming system in the Ha Giang province. [source]


Plant diversity and land use under organic and conventional agriculture: a whole-farm approach

JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY, Issue 4 2007
R. H. GIBSON
Summary 1Organic farming is thought to lead to increased biodiversity and greater sustainability than higher-yielding conventional farming systems. It is usually assumed that organic farms have both larger and higher quality areas of semi-natural habitats, although this assumption has not been unequivocally tested. 2Here we test the hypothesis that in comparison to conventional farms, organic farms have larger areas of semi-natural and boundary vegetation, and organic farms support higher levels of plant abundance, richness and diversity within cropped and semi-natural areas. 3Our study compared whole-farms: 10 organic farms were paired with 10 conventional farms in a complex landscape in the south-west of England. On average, organic farms were 7·3 years post conversion. Plant abundance, species richness and diversity were measured in all crop and non-crop landscape elements on each farm. 4Organic farms had greater total areas of semi-natural habitat (woodland, field margins and hedgerows combined). Woodland area on it's own was also significantly greater. Organic farms had more continuous blocks of woodland (with simpler perimeters than similarly sized patches on conventional farms), whereas woodland on conventional farms often consisted of more linear patches. 5Semi-natural habitats on organic farms did not have higher plant abundance, richness or diversity than their conventional counterparts. The only landscape element that showed a significant increase in plant abundance, richness or diversity was arable fields. 6Synthesis and applications. Even within a complex agricultural landscape differences do exist between organic and conventional farms, these differences being larger areas of semi-natural habitats on organic farms. However, with the exception of arable fields, no habitats on organic farms were yet of a better quality than their conventional counterparts in terms of plant abundance and diversity. Conventional farmers may be able to achieve an increase in plant diversity within arable fields by adopting some organic management practices at the field scale (e.g. exclusion of synthetic herbicides), and whole-farm conversion to organic practice might not be required. However, further work is needed to determine any biodiversity benefits of larger areas of semi-natural habitat on conventional farmland. [source]


Seasonal patterns in post-dispersal seed predation of Abutilon theophrasti and Setaria faberi in three cropping systems

JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY, Issue 5 2006
ANDREW H. HEGGENSTALLER
Summary 1Post-dispersal seed predation is an important source of mortality for arable weed populations that can potentially contribute to ecologically based management strategies. The extent to which cropping practices influence rates of seed predation is not well established. 2Removal of Abutilon theophrasti and Setaria faberi seeds by predators was measured in 2-year (maize/soyabean), 3-year (maize/soyabean/triticale + red clover) and 4-year (maize/soyabean/triticale + lucerne/lucerne) crop rotations in Iowa, USA, during 27 48-h sampling periods conducted during the 2003 and 2004 cropping seasons. 3Predation of S. faberi seeds was equal (eight sampling periods) or greater (19 sampling periods) than predation of A. theophrasti seeds, but the influence of crops on seasonal predation patterns was generally similar for the two weeds. 4Seasonal patterns in seed predation were crop-specific and complementary. In maize and soyabean, seed predation was low in spring, high in summer and low in autumn. In triticale,legume intercrops, seed predation was high in spring, low in summer and moderate in autumn. In lucerne, seed predation fluctuated from high to low, matching the periodic harvest and regrowth cycle of the crop. 5Measurements of crop canopy light interception taken in 2004 were positively correlated with rates of seed removal for both A. theophrasti (r = 0·54, P < 0·001) and S. faberi (r = 0·25, P < 0·001), suggesting that vegetative cover promotes weed seed predation. 6Synthesis and applications. The results indicate that crop vegetation can be managed to promote weed seed predation. Diversified farming systems that include a range of phenologically dissimilar crop species are likely to provide the greatest opportunities for weed seed destruction by predators. [source]


Diffusion and spillover of new technology: a heterogeneous-agent model for cassava in West Africa

AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS, Issue 2 2006
Michael E. Johnson
Positive mathematical programming; Technology adoption; Technical change Abstract Understanding what determines the geographic spread of innovations can help guide the funding and implementation of research and extension programs. Our approach uses household survey data as model parameters, to simulate behavior across the entire surveyed population and avoid the aggregation bias associated with representative-farm models. Such a "heterogeneous agent" approach allows us to infer the distribution of a technology's impacts across one set of households, and predict the potential for spreading to another set that shares similar characteristics with respect to natural resource endowments and farming systems. We apply the technique to new cassava varieties in West Africa, finding a strongly poverty-alleviating impact, with substantial spillover potential from Nigeria to neighboring countries. [source]


Monopsonistic exploitation in contract farming: articulating a strategy for grower cooperation

JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, Issue 3 2008
Sashi Sivramkrishna
Abstract Contract farming has been considered a new hope to instil dynamism in third world agriculture. However, there remains serious concern whether small peasants will be able to benefit from this system since buyers may often be a single large or at most, few large corporations, a typical case of monopsony. In this paper we question the basis of the fears that are often raised in the literature. A clear analytical approach to understanding the (economic) meaning of monopsony helps us articulate a strategy for grower cooperation that could effectively deal with monopsony power in contract farming systems. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


"The principles of rational agriculture" by Albrecht Daniel Thaer (1752,1828).

JOURNAL OF PLANT NUTRITION AND SOIL SCIENCE, Issue 6 2003
An approach to the sustainability of cropping systems at the beginning of the 19th century
Abstract The identification of quantitative fertility indicators for evaluating the sustainability of cropping and farming systems has become a major issue. This question has been extensively studied by the German agronomist Albrecht Daniel Thaer at the beginning of the 19h century. In this paper Thaer's work is set in its historical background, from the end of the 16th century (Palissy, 1580) to the middle of the 19th century (Liebig, 1840). Then the paper focuses on Thaer's quantitative and complex fertility scale (expressed in "fertility degrees"), which was based on soil properties, on the requirement of nutrients by plants, and on the cropping system (including crop rotation). Thaer expressed soil fertility and economic results as a function of rye production in "scheffel of rye per journal" (ca. 200 kg per hectare). He also proposed a scale to describe the intrinsic fertility of soil. Thaer used this approach to assess the effect of major German cropping systems on soil fertility. He applied it to eight theoretical systems and nine existing systems in a true modeling approach. Thaer completed the fertility evaluation for the nine existing systems with a detailed economical analysis commenting the limits and potentialities of each system. Thaer's approach was used with success during half a century as it combined numerous empirical findings on soils and fertilization with organic substances in a sophisticated model. Unfortunately and despite effective practical applications, the scientific foundations of Thaer's "Humus Theory" proved definitively false as soon as 1840 when Sprengel and Liebig published on mineral nutrition of plants. Thaer's work deserves to be rediscovered since it approaches the modern issue of the sustainability of cropping and farming systems. "Grundsätze der rationalen Landwirtschaft" von Albrecht Daniel Thaer (1752,1828). Ein Ansatz zur Nachhaltigkeit von Anbausystemen zu Beginn des 19. Jahrhunderts Die Identifizierung von quantitativen Fruchtbarkeitsindikatoren, mit denen die Nachhaltigkeit von Anbau- und Bewirtschaftungssystemen evaluiert werden kann, ist ein wichtiges Thema geworden. Diese Frage wurde zu Beginn des 19. Jahrhunderts von dem deutschen Agronomen Albrecht Daniel Thaer intensiv untersucht. In diesem Beitrag wird die Arbeit von Thaer in ihren historischen Zusammenhang gestellt, d.h. vom Ende des 16. Jahrhunderts (Palissy (1580)) bis zur Mitte des 19. Jahrhunderts (Liebig (1840)). Anschließend wird Thaers komplexe quantitative Fruchtbarkeitsskala (ausgedrückt in "Fruchtbarkeitsgraden") vorgestellt, die auf Bodeneigenschaften, dem Nährstoffbedarf der Pflanzen und dem Anbausystem (einschließlich der Fruchtfolge) basierte. Thaer formulierte die Bodenfruchtbarkeit und ökonomische Resultate einer Kultur oder einer Fruchtfolge in "Scheffel Roggen pro Morgen" (ca. 200 kg pro Hektar). Thaer schlug auch eine Skala vor, um den inhärenten Wert des Bodens zu beschreiben. Er benutzte diesen Ansatz, um die Auswirkungen von in Deutschland verbreiteten Anbausystemen auf die Bodenfruchtbarkeit zu bestimmen. Er wandte diesen Ansatz auf acht theoretische und neun reale Systeme an, d.h. mit einem echten Modellierungs-Ansatz. Er vervollständigte die Beurteilung der Fruchtbarkeit der neun existierenden Systeme mit einer detaillierten wirtschaftlichen Analyse, wobei er die Grenzen und die Leistungsfähigkeit jedes Systems kommentierte. Thaers Ansatz wurde ein halbes Jahrhundert lang mit Erfolg benutzt, da er zahlreiche empirische Beobachtungen über Böden und Düngung mit organischen Substanzen in einem komplexen Modell vereinigt. Trotz erfolgreicher praktischer Anwendung erwiesen sich die wissenschaftlichen Grundlagen von Thaers "Humustheorie" schon 1840 definitiv als falsch, als Sprengel und Liebig ihre Arbeiten über die mineralische Ernährung der Pflanzen veröffentlichten. Thaers Werk verdient es, neu entdeckt zu werden, da es die aktuelle Frage nach der Nachhaltigkeit von Anbau- und Bewirtschaftungssystemen behandelt. [source]


Balancing fertility management and economics in organic field vegetable rotations

JOURNAL OF THE SCIENCE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE, Issue 15 2007
Ulrich Schmutz
Abstract BACKGROUND: Organic field-scale vegetables are among the most profitable enterprises in organic farming systems. They are also some of the most nutrient-demanding crops, and many organic arable systems with field-scale vegetables are stockless. Without livestock manure inputs, nutrient supply depends on fertility-building crops, which generate only costs and no income. Different strategies of fertility management were compared on a central England research farm. Fertility management treatments consisted of different lengths of fertility building with green waste compost additions. Outputs and inputs in terms of nutrients and economics were monitored for 31 rotations during 1996,2002. RESULTS: N, P and K rotational nutrient balances, as well as C inputs, showed a negative relationship with rotational gross margins. Variable and allocated fixed costs of fertility building were low, between 2 and 5% of variable costs (£0.5,2 ha,1 for 1 kg N ha,1 supplied to the rotation). The intensity of vegetable cropping in these rotations was moderate (25,40% vegetable crops in the rotation) and balancing of fertility management and economics was possible at this intensity without livestock manure or other permitted fertiliser additions. CONCLUSION: Completely stockless systems (in analogy may be called vegan) are possible in organic vegetable production without compromising on fertility or economics. However, for a higher vegetable-cropping intensity (up to 90%) a more sophisticated mix of short-term fertility-building and N-trapping crops will be needed and such rotations may require further external addition of green waste or livestock manure. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry [source]


The coming of age of agroforestry

JOURNAL OF THE SCIENCE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE, Issue 9 2007
PK Ramachandran Nair
The success of modern agricultural and forestry production can be largely attributed to monoculture systems using a few select species. In the drive for maximizing yield and profit, the age-old tradition of using combined farming systems was essentially avoided and in some cases this has resulted in environmental problems such as land and water degradation and increased land clearing. During the last 30 years, however, the positive benefits of agroforestry to the producer and the environment have been increasingly recognized. Combining trees and crops in spatial or temporal arrangements has been shown to improve food and nutritional security and mitigate environmental degradation, offering a sustainable alternative to monoculture production. By providing supportive and complimentary roles with a flexible approach, agroforestry can offer specific social and environmental benefits across a range of landscapes and economies. More research and effort is needed to explore the full potential of agroforestry applications and to fuel awareness. As the plethora of benefits of agroforestry are realized, modern land-use systems are evolving towards a more sustainable and holistic approach to land management. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry [source]


Managing nitrogen on the farm: the devil is in the detail,

JOURNAL OF THE SCIENCE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE, Issue 4 2007
Mark Shepherd
Abstract Agricultural activity is a major source of nitrate in surface and ground waters. There has been a large research effort over the last 20 years to understand nitrate leaching processes and to develop ,best management practices' (BMPs) that can be adopted in farming systems to reduce losses to the wider environment. This paper reviews some of the issues relating to the development, use and adoption of these BMPs in farming systems. There is significant evidence from farming systems experiments and modelling studies that combinations of BMPs can decrease nitrate losses from agricultural land, though nothing is foolproof (the weather plays a key role in determining success). The challenges are greater in some regions (dry climate, ,leaky' soils) and in some enterprises (intensive animal farming systems). The adoption of BMPs on farms requires attention to detail and a high level of management skill, so providing advisory support to farmers is essential. Even with the progress that has been made in recent years, there is still work to do. This includes encouraging uptake on farms and dealing with potential conflicts between BMPs when they create ,pollution swapping' or where there is potential for a large economic penalty for the farmer. We also suggest that there is a need for more innovation in developing BMPs and a need to recognise that, in some situations, radical changes to farming systems may be the only solution. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry [source]


An Economic Analysis of Freshwater Prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii, Farming in Mymensingh, Bangladesh

JOURNAL OF THE WORLD AQUACULTURE SOCIETY, Issue 1 2008
Nesar Ahmed
This paper deals with production systems, cost structure, and profitability of freshwater prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii, farming in a new area of Mymensingh district in the north-central part of Bangladesh. In the study area, prawn farming practice is still extensive, and only a few farmers (20%) cultivate semiintensively. The costs and returns of extensive and semiintensive farming systems are compared. All farmers in different farming systems made a profit, with seed and feed dominating variable costs. Considerable variation in production costs and profitability was observed. Based on the Cobb,Douglas production function model, return to scale indicates that there is scope to increase production and income from prawn farms in extensive and semiintensive systems by applying more inputs (i.e., seed, feed, and fertilizer). [source]


Agricultural trajectories in a Mediterranean mountain region (Priorat, NE Spain) as a consequence of vineyard conversion plans

LAND DEGRADATION AND DEVELOPMENT, Issue 1 2009
R. Cots-Folch
Abstract In mountain regions of Mediterranean European countries, recent economic and technologic changes have involved the intensification of crops, based on heavy land levelling and/or terracing, and the abandonment or marginalization of traditional land use management. These trends have been reinforced by the subsidy policies of the European Union. The objectives of the present research were: (a) to contribute to the understanding of agricultural trajectories and farming systems that are entirely transforming the social and environmental characteristics of Mediterranean mountain areas, focusing on the analysis of the main agricultural trajectories in a sample area of this environment (the Priorat region, NE Spain) over the last 20 years (1986,2005); and (b) to analyse the farming systems that coexist in the region with regard to the landscape impacts they involve and the influence of CAP subsidies in each one. A methodological approach based on the combination of multivariate statistical techniques was used to obtain a better knowledge of the heterogeneity of farming systems on a local scale. The results show that, although most farms cultivate a mosaic of traditional crops and have small mechanized areas, a minority group follows a high intensification and specialization strategy based on new mechanized-terraced vineyards. This group only comprises 12 per cent of the farmers in the region, but owns 61 per cent of the new vineyard plantations and 42 per cent of the total agricultural land, receiving most of the subsidies from the EU vineyard conversion and restructuring policy (68 per cent of total Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) subsidies assigned to the region). Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Evolution of the Minangkabau's shifting cultivation in the West Sumatra highland OF Indonesia and its strategic implications for dynamic farming systems

LAND DEGRADATION AND DEVELOPMENT, Issue 1 2005
A. Dendi
Abstract This paper explores the evolution of the shifting cultivation of the Minangkabau, the biggest matrilineal society in Indonesia, and examines factors underlying the instability and vulnerability of farmers' livelihoods and the degradation of their resource base using an extended factor analysis technique, in order to understand how development strategies might be modified towards a more dynamic farming system. The study distinguished three main phases of the farming system's changes and found that these changes highly corresponded with the emerging market and institutional incentives. Furthermore, the factor analysis generated a six-factor model suggesting strategic interventions to foster the improvement of farmers' livelihoods and environment in future. In addition, consistent with the results of these factors analysis, we argue that, provided land tenure is conducive, there are substantial possibilities for policies and interventions that focus first on agricultural diversification and then on organization building, to assist in dealing with farmers' vulnerability and environmental degradation in the uplands. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]