Examining Farm Management Practices and Implications for Food Crop Production in Semi-arid Ghana

2017 ◽  
pp. 265-289 ◽  
Author(s):  
Effah Kwabena Antwi ◽  
John Boakye-Danquah ◽  
Kwabena Awere Gyekye ◽  
Alex Owusu Barimah ◽  
Isaac Botchwey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Crop Production ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Farm Management ◽  
Food Crop ◽  
Food Crop Production ◽  
Semi Arid

scholarly journals A multiobjective DEA model to assess the eco-efficiency of major cereal crops production within the carbon and nitrogen footprint in China

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhongdu Chen ◽  
Chunchun Xu ◽  
Long Ji ◽  
fuping fang
Keyword(s):  
Crop Production ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
N Fertilizer ◽  
Environmental Cost ◽  
Cereal Crops ◽  
Staple Food ◽  
Food Crop ◽  
Corn Production ◽  
Impact Reduction ◽  
Food Crop Production

Abstract [Background]Agricultural production systems are facing the challenges of increasing food production while reducing environmental cost, particularly in China. Understanding the eco-efficiency of the staple food crop production contributes to sustainable agriculture. In this study, the eco-efficiency of rice, wheat and maize production within the carbon (C) footprints (CF) and nitrogen (N) footprint (NF) at a province scale based on 555 farm survey data from China was measured in which a combination of life cycle assessment (LCA) and data envelopment analysis (DEA) was used. [Results] The results showed that the synthetic N fertilizer applications and CH4 emissions dominated the CF of crop production, while NH3 volatilization was the main contributors to the NF in the grain crop production process. Based on DEA-based sustainability performance assessment results, the eco-efficiency of major cereal crops production were all found to be inefficient (eco-efficiency <1). An increase in yields had only limited effects on improvement in eco-efficiency of rice, wheat and corn production because the yield increase potential rates were very small (0.1~3.4%), and there were no significant differences in increase potentials of yields between provinces. From a perspective of environmental impact reduction potential rates, GWP (22.7~25.1%) was more important for the environmental mitigation target than Nr (10.9~17.9%) in rice production, but the opposite scenario appears in wheat and corn production. [Conclusions] Improving crop management practices by reducing N fertilizer use and adopting water-saving irrigation technology could be strategic options to mitigate climate change and eutrophication and improve the eco-efficiency of the staple food crop production in Chinese agriculture.

scholarly journals Linear Programming-Based Cropland Allocation to Enhance Performance of Smallholder Crop Production: A Pilot Study in Abaro Kebele, Ethiopia

Resources ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 76 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meselu Mellaku ◽  
Travis Reynolds ◽  
Teshale Woldeamanuel
Keyword(s):  
Linear Programming ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Production Performance ◽  
Limited Attention ◽  
Food Crop ◽  
Household Food ◽  
Food Crop Production ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Cropland Allocation

Smallholder farmer crop production is a mainstay of the Ethiopian economy. A series of agricultural extension programs have been implemented since the 1950s in an effort to improve smallholder productivity. In this study, we argue that the limited attention that is given to cropland allocation by smallholders is one key driver of low performance of crop production as well as a key factor in environmental degradation. Drawing on data from a household survey of 75 randomly selected households in Abaro Kebele, Ethiopia, combined with focus-group discussions, key informant interviews, and secondary data sources, we use linear programming to highlight the impact of cropland allocation decisions on the performance of rural smallholder crop production systems. We find that under current land use practices households are not able to meet their consumption needs. The average profitability of farms under the current cropland allocation is also significantly below the estimated level of profit that could be realized by reallocating cropland while using linear programming. Additionally, survey results suggest that low crop production performance (in terms of meeting both household food crop production needs and profit goals) is the primary reason why households do not participate in conservation efforts and sustainable resource management practices. This study suggests that linear programming-based cropland allocation modeling might be applied to enhance the profit performance of smallholder crop production, help meet household food crop production requirements, and thereby promote the sustainable utilization of environmental resources.

scholarly journals A multiobjective DEA model to assess the eco-efficiency of major cereal crops production within the carbon and nitrogen footprint in China

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
zhongdu chen ◽  
chunchun xu ◽  
long ji ◽  
fuping fang
Keyword(s):  
Crop Production ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
N Fertilizer ◽  
Environmental Cost ◽  
Cereal Crops ◽  
Staple Food ◽  
Food Crop ◽  
Corn Production ◽  
Impact Reduction ◽  
Food Crop Production

Abstract Agricultural production systems are facing the challenges of increasing food production while reducing environmental cost, particularly in China. Understanding the eco-efficiency of the staple food crop production contributes to sustainable agriculture. In this study, the eco-efficiency of rice, wheat and maize production within the carbon (C) footprints (CF) and nitrogen (N) footprint (NF) at a province scale based on 555 farm survey data from China was measured in which a combination of life cycle assessment (LCA) and data envelopment analysis (DEA) was used. The results showed that the CF for the rice, wheat and maize was 0.87±0.32, 0.30± 0.11, and 0.24 ± 0.06 kg CO 2 -eq kg −1 year −1 at yield-scale, respectively. In addition, the NF was 17.11±7.73, 14.26±5.73, and 6.83±1.83 gN-eq kg −1 year −1 at yield-scale for the rice, wheat and maize, respectively. Synthetic N fertilizer applications and CH 4 emissions dominated the CF of crop production, while NH 3 volatilization was the main contributors to the NF in the grain crop production process. Based on DEA-based sustainability performance assessment results, the eco-efficiency of major cereal crops production were all found to be inefficient (eco-efficiency <1). An increase in yields had only limited effects on improvement in eco-efficiency of rice, wheat and corn production because the yield increase potential rates were very small (0.1~3.4%), and there were no significant differences in increase potentials of yields between provinces. From a perspective of environmental impact reduction potential rates, GWP (22.7~25.1%) was more important for the environmental mitigation target than Nr (10.9~17.9%) in rice production, but the opposite scenario appears in wheat and corn production. Improving crop management practices by reducing N fertilizer use and adopting water-saving irrigation technology could be strategic options to mitigate climate change and eutrophication and improve the eco-efficiency of the staple food crop production in Chinese agriculture.

The Agrarian Question in Contemporary Zimbabwe

2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Toendepi Shonhe
Keyword(s):  
Capital Accumulation ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Job Creation ◽  
Food Crop ◽  
Contract Farming ◽  
Agrarian Question ◽  
Food Crop Production ◽  
The Government ◽  
Agrarian Transition ◽  
Depth Interviews

The reinvestment of rural agrarian surplus is driving capital accumulation in Zimbabwe's countryside, providing a scope to foster national (re-) industrialisation and job creation. Contrary to Bernstein's view, the Agrarian Question on capital remains unresolved in Southern Africa. Even though export finance, accessed through contract farming, provides an impetus for export cash crop production, and the government-mediated command agriculture supports food crop production, the reinvestment of proceeds from the sale of agricultural commodities is now driving capital accumulation. Drawing from empirical data, gathered through surveys and in-depth interviews from Hwedza district and Mvurwi farming area in Mazowe district in Zimbabwe, the findings of this study revealed the pre-eminence of the Agrarian Question, linked to an ongoing agrarian transition in Zimbabwe. This agrarian capital elaborates rural-urban interconnections and economic development, following two decades of de-industrialisation in Zimbabwe. 

Management of acid soils for opportunity food crop production in southern Thailand

1995 ◽  
pp. 761-766 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Suthipradit ◽  
L. Nualsri ◽  
P. Sophanodora ◽  
Y. Limchitti ◽  
N. Kungpisdan
Keyword(s):  
Crop Production ◽  
Acid Soils ◽  
Food Crop ◽  
Southern Thailand ◽  
Food Crop Production

Urbanisation, local food crop production and tourism output of Pakistan

2019 ◽  
Vol 69 (232) ◽  
pp. 105-117
Author(s):  
Suwastika Naidu ◽  
Atishwar Pandaram ◽  
Anand Chand
Keyword(s):  
Crop Production ◽  
Local Food ◽  
Food Crop ◽  
Food Crop Production

scholarly journals The impact of Maize (Zea mays L.) and it uses for human development: A review

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 93
Author(s):  
Monday Sunday Adiaha
Keyword(s):  
Crop Production ◽  
Zea Mays L ◽  
Standard Of Living ◽  
Wet Milling ◽  
Food Crop ◽  
Industrial Utilization ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Food Crop Production ◽  
Animal Diet ◽  
The Impact

Corn possesses significances nutrients, minerals and vitamins, which provides nutrition in animal diet as well as man. Its health benefits have been countless since the prehistoric era. Maize has been revealed to have the potential to sustained human health-related cases, raise standard of living of farmers, served as a soil fertility indicator crop, generate income and increase food-crop production for the increasing human population. Industrial utilization of maize has been shown to include: wet milling, production of bio-fuel, ethanol and other sub-byproducts.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document