Rehabilitation of degraded grasslands in north Syria: use of farmer participatory research to encourage the sowing of annual pasture legumes

1999 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 489-506 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. GHASSALI ◽  
P. S. COCKS ◽  
A. E. OSMAN ◽  
G. GINTZBURGER ◽  
S. CHRISTIANSEN ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Common Property ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Total Biomass ◽  
Pasture Legumes ◽  
Farmer Participatory Research ◽  
Legume Seeds ◽  
Increase Productivity ◽  
Series Of Experiments ◽  
Average Size ◽  
Ownership Of Land

A series of experiments on communally-owned grasslands in the barley–livestock zone of north Syria were conducted to test the hypothesis that introduction of Mediterranean annual legumes will increase productivity. The experiments were preceded by a survey to determine farmers' attitudes, describe the farming systems and to select appropriate collaborators. The first experiment examined the establishment of medics (Medicago spp.) and clovers (Trifolium spp.) distributed by hand, and monitored their effects on biomass and seedbank size. Later experiments extended these results to other villages. The principles of farmer participation in research were used to overcome the constraints imposed by the communal ownership of land. The survey revealed that the average size of the 20 villages was 36 families and that each village owned 887 sheep and 790 ha land. All villages had access to communally-owned grasslands, although their dependence on income from sheep varied greatly. These villages were subsequently divided into groups of high, intermediate and low potential.Of the 11 clovers sown in the first experiment, seed numbers of T. tomentosum, T. purpureum, T. haussknechtii, T. pilulare and T. resupinatum increased over three years. By 1996, there were more than 3000 legume seeds m−2 in the seeded treatment compared with less than 2000 in the unseeded treatment (mainly the naturally-occurring Trigonella monspeliaca). The number of medic and clover seedlings also increased significantly, while the number of Trigonella seedlings decreased significantly. Biomass production increased in the final two years and there was no response to added phosphorus.There were similar results in the later experiments. Seedbank size was greater in seeded treatments than in unseeded treatments, there were more seedlings in the seeded treatments, and the most successful species were T. campestre, T. tomentosum, T. speciosum and M. rigidula. The response in biomass was limited to the legume component, although total biomass increased in at least one of the two years. The highest biomass produced was 1112 kg ha−1 and there was no response to added phosphorus.The results suggested that the on-station research previously conducted at ICARDA headquarters was applicable to communally-owned land, although important modifications were needed. For example, at ICARDA phosphorus was necessary to stimulate the growth of legumes; in contrast, it was necessary to sow legumes at the four villages involved in these experiments. The results also suggested that the grasslands were common property, owned and controlled by defined groups of farmers.

Acceleration of the growth of populations and of the multiplication of tetrathyridia of Mesocestoides corti Hoeppli, 1925 (Cestoda: Cyclophyllidea) by some cytostatic agents

1973 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie Novak ◽  
George Lubinsky
Keyword(s):  
Echinococcus Multilocularis ◽  
Considerable Increase ◽  
Single Injection ◽  
Total Biomass ◽  
Cytostatic Agents ◽  
Average Size

Experiments with tetrathyridia of Mesocestoides corti implanted intraperitoneally into LDF1, SEC, and SWR mice showed that a single injection of cyclophosphamide, 200 mg/kg 1 day after infection, increased the total biomass of tetrathyridial populations in mice dissected 50 days later by 50 to 200%. Similar, though less pronounced, increases in the total biomass of populations were produced by dactinomycin, 0.35 mg/kg once a week, for 4 to 6 weeks. The average size of individual tetrathyridia decreased despite a considerable increase in the total biomass of their populations.The parasiticides lucanthone, which inhibits the growth of Echinococcus multilocularis cysts, and quinacrine, which is inactive in this respect, accelerate the growth of the biomass of tetrathyridial populations much less than the cytostatic agents cyclophosphamide and dactinomycin.

scholarly journals Intercropping Short and Long Duration Groundnut (Arachis Hypogaea) Genotypes to Increase Productivity in Environments Prone to End-of-season Droughts

1990 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. C. Nageswara Rao ◽  
K. D. R. Wadia ◽  
J. H. Williams
Keyword(s):  
Arachis Hypogaea ◽  
Short Duration ◽  
Total Biomass ◽  
Season Length ◽  
Water Deficits ◽  
Pod Yield ◽  
Long Duration ◽  
Increase Productivity

SUMMARYThree short duration and one long duration groundnut genotypes, grown either ‘sole’ or as intercrops (in 1:1 ratios of the short duration with the long duration genotypes), were compared in four trials. The intercrop treatments resulted in Land Equivalent Ratios (LERs) of up to 1.25 for pod yield and total biomass despite moderate or severe water deficits at the end of the season. Specific combinations of genotypes were necessary to maximize the LER. The results indicate there is scope for achieving greater productivity in environments with a variable season length by growing late and early genotypes together in an intercrop system.

Developing the role of perennial forages for crop–livestock farms: a strategic multi-disciplinary approach

2014 ◽  
Vol 65 (10) ◽  
pp. 945 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rick S. Llewellyn ◽  
Michael J. Robertson ◽  
Richard C. Hayes ◽  
David Ferris ◽  
Katrien Descheemaeker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Crop Production ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Farming System ◽  
Perennial Grasses ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Perennial Species ◽  
Functional Roles ◽  
Farmer Participatory Research ◽  
Systems Research ◽  
Livestock Farms

Developing new and improved grazing systems for crop–livestock farms where crop production is the major driver of farm management decisions presents a unique research and development challenge. In southern Australia, a substantial proportion of animal production from grazing comes from regions and farms where cropping is the major enterprise. In this paper, we describe a multi-disciplinary farming-systems research approach (EverCrop) aimed at improving farm profitability, risk management and environmental impacts through the development and integration of new grazing options with an emphasis on perennial species. It has been used to analyse and target new opportunities for farmers to benefit from perennial species across dry Mediterranean-type and temperate regions of southern Australia. It integrates field experimentation, on-farm trialling, farmer participatory research, soil–plant–climate biophysical modelling, whole-farm bioeconomic analysis and evaluations of adoptability. Multi-functional roles for summer-active grasses with winter cropping, integration of forage shrubs and establishment of new mixes of perennial grasses in crop rotations to improve farming system performance are identified, along with an analysis of factors likely to affect rate of uptake by farmers.

Emerging microbiome technologies for sustainable increase in farm productivity and environmental security

2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brajesh K Singh ◽  
Pankaj Trivedi ◽  
Saurabh Singh ◽  
Catriona A Macdonald ◽  
Jay Prakash Verma
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Human Microbiome ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Plant Diseases ◽  
Farm Productivity ◽  
Agriculture Industry ◽  
Increase Productivity ◽  
Global Biogeochemical Cycles ◽  
Global Population

Farming systems are under pressure to sustainably increase productivity to meet demand for food and fibre for a growing global population under shrinking arable lands and changing climatic conditions. Furthermore, conventional farming has led to declines in soil fertility and, in some cases, inappropriate and excessive use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides has caused soil degradation, negatively impacting human and environmental health. The soil and plant microbiomes are significant determinants of plant fitness and productivity. Microbes are also the main drivers of global biogeochemical cycles and thus key to sustainable agriculture. There is increasing evidence that with development of appropriate technologies, the plant microbiome can be harnessed to potentially decrease the frequency of plant diseases, increase resource use efficiencies and ultimately enhance agricultural productivity, while simultaneously decreasing the input of chemical fertilisers and pesticides, resulting in reduced greenhouse gas emissions and promoting environmental sustainability. However, to successfully translate potential to practical outcomes, both fundamental and applied research are needed to overcome current constraints. Research efforts need to be embedded in industrial requirements and policy and social frameworks to expedite the process of innovation, commercialisation and adoption. We propose that learning from the advancement in the human microbiome can significantly expedite the discovery and innovation of effective microbial products for sustainable and productive farming. This article summarises the emergence of microbiome technologies for the agriculture industry and how to facilitate the development and adoption of environmentally friendly microbiome technologies for sustainable increase in farm productivity.

scholarly journals Intra- and interspecific facilitation in mangroves may increase resilience to climate change threats

2010 ◽  
Vol 365 (1549) ◽  
pp. 2127-2135 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Huxham ◽  
Marappullige P. Kumara ◽  
Loku P. Jayatissa ◽  
Ken W. Krauss ◽  
James Kairo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Seedling Survival ◽  
Avicennia Marina ◽  
Total Biomass ◽  
Mangrove Species ◽  
Sea Levels ◽  
Interspecific Facilitation ◽  
The Face ◽  
Series Of Experiments ◽  
Rising Sea Levels

Mangroves are intertidal ecosystems that are particularly vulnerable to climate change. At the low tidal limits of their range, they face swamping by rising sea levels; at the high tidal limits, they face increasing stress from desiccation and high salinity. Facilitation theory may help guide mangrove management and restoration in the face of these threats by suggesting how and when positive intra- and interspecific effects may occur: such effects are predicted in stressed environments such as the intertidal, but have yet to be shown among mangroves. Here, we report the results of a series of experiments at low and high tidal sites examining the effects of mangrove density and species mix on seedling survival and recruitment, and on the ability of mangroves to trap sediment and cause surface elevation change. Increasing density significantly increased the survival of seedlings of two different species at both high and low tidal sites, and enhanced sediment accretion and elevation at the low tidal site. Including Avicennia marina in species mixes enhanced total biomass at a degraded high tidal site. Increasing biomass led to changed microenvironments that allowed the recruitment and survival of different mangrove species, particularly Ceriops tagal .

The cyclization of natural rubber

1963 ◽  
Vol 273 (1354) ◽  
pp. 345-359 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Natural Rubber ◽  
Stannic Chloride ◽  
Double Bonds ◽  
Perbenzoic Acid ◽  
Infra Red ◽  
Iodine Chloride ◽  
Series Of Experiments ◽  
Average Size ◽  
Kinetics Of ◽  
Reaction In Solution

Several methods of measuring the unsaturation remaining in natural rubber after cyclization have been compared. Approximate agreem ent was obtained with the reagents, perbenzoic acid, phenyl iododichloride and ozone; iodine chloride gave high values. Perbenzoicacid is considered the most satisfactory of these reagents. The unsaturation in some cyclized rubber samples was found to be below 20% of that in the original rubber. This value is inconsistent with a cyclized rubber structure of single rings each involving two isoprene units and supports instead a polycyclic structure. This structure is also supported by some degradation experiments. Infra-red spectroscopy shows that the double bonds remaining after cyclization are not of the original trialkyl-substituted type. Use has been made of measurements of total unsaturation by means of perbenzoic acid and of trialkyl-substituted double bonds by infra-red spectrometry to investigate the kinetics of the cyclization reaction in solution and catalyzed by stannic chloride. All the results were accurately fitted by theoretical equations derived for a reaction proceeding in stepwise fashion along the rubber chains. The average size of the polycyclic structures formed during cyclization was found to be independent of both rubber and catalyst concentrations but to be markedly dependent on the temperature, varying in a series of experiments from approximately one and a half condensed rings at 110 °C to six rings at 60 °C. The rate of the reaction was first order in the rubber and second order in the catalyst.

scholarly journals Ethics of Digital Animal Farming

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suresh Neethirajan
Keyword(s):  
Farming Systems ◽  
Automatic Monitoring ◽  
Societal Implications ◽  
Ethical Aspects ◽  
Livestock Farming ◽  
Animal Products ◽  
Animal Farming ◽  
Livestock Farming Systems ◽  
Increase Productivity ◽  
Digital Farming

The demand for animal products is expected to continue to rise, which requires the development of efficient livestock farming systems. Environmental, societal and economic concerns regarding this industry are however accumulating, addressing the large resource demand, pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions and health concerns that the livestock industry is responsible for. Precision livestock farming systems allow the continuous automatic monitoring of various physiological, behavioural and phenotypic parameters of animals in order to increase productivity and animal welfare while controlling and minimizing the environmental impact. There is a high potential for digital farming to be the solution for responsibly and ethically feeding the growing and urbanizing population. However, many problems and concerns are still present in this developing industry and remain relatively unaddressed, starting with the ethical aspects in regard to the animal, including its objectification, human-animal relationships and welfare and ending with the societal implications of this digitalization. Concrete frameworks, inter-disciplinary studies and global legislation need to be put in place in order to ensure the safety and protection of the animals, farmer and society. Here, implications of digital farming for the animals, farmers, society and the planet are critically reviewed with the future outlook of digital farms.

scholarly journals Nanotechnological innovation for the production of daughter less Tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus (Linnaeus, 1758)

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 1921-1925
Author(s):  
Harshavardhan D. Joshi ◽  
V. K. Tiwari ◽  
Rupam Sharma ◽  
Subodh Gupta ◽  
W. S. Lakra ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Particle Size ◽  
Oreochromis Niloticus ◽  
Sex Differentiation ◽  
Plga Nanoparticles ◽  
Duration Of Treatment ◽  
Male Population ◽  
Effective Delivery ◽  
Series Of Experiments ◽  
Average Size ◽  
Differentiation Period

The aim of present work was to develop a new Fadrozole (FDZ)-loaded Poly (D,L-lactide-co– glycolide) lactide:glycolide (50:50)(PLGA) nanoparticles for effective delivery of the masculinization drug, Fadrozole, as an alternative to commercially available masculinization agents like testosterone (dietary supplementation of 17 α- methyltestosterone) which are steroids and banned in most EU countries. The FDZ-loaded PLGA NPs were pre-pared by solvent displacement technique. The particle size of FDZ-loaded PLGA NPs was analyzed using LICOMP particle size analyser. It was found to be in the range of 60±66.7 nm to 560±66.7 nm with average size of 201.4±66.7 nm, where the Zeta potential was estimated to be about -20.82 mV, a series of experiments were carried out to induce masculinization using FDZ-loaded PLGA nanoparticles during the sex differentiation period. Tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus fry were treated with FTZ-loaded PLGA nanoparticles at dosages 5, 25, 50 and 100ppm/kg diet for 10, 15 and 30 days. The results indicated an increase in the proportion of males with dosage and duration of treatment. The male percentage was 92.35±0.86 for T7(50 ppm) at 10 days, 97.76±1.12 for T7 (100 ppm) at 15 days and 100 % for both T6 (50ppm) and T7 (100 ppm) at 30 days. This is first time done by using nanotechnology efficiently in Tilapia species which is very important Fresh water aquaculture species in present era. Which showed increase the male population with lesser dose of nano-encapsulated Fadrozole (FDZ) loaded PLGA nanoparticles drug as compared with naked control Fadrozole (FDZ) drug delivery.

scholarly journals Effects of Probiotics on Growth and Production of Monosex Tilapia (Oreochromis Niloticus) in Nylon Net Cages at Dekar Haor, Sunamganj, Bangladesh

2018 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-78
Author(s):  
P Das ◽  
MS Islam ◽  
M Biswas ◽  
PR Das ◽  
ASM Arif
Keyword(s):  
Survival Rate ◽  
Oreochromis Niloticus ◽  
Conversion Ratio ◽  
Production Performance ◽  
Total Biomass ◽  
Fish Production ◽  
Food Conversion ◽  
Net Profit ◽  
Average Size ◽  
Net Cages

To assess the effect of probiotics on growth, survival rate and production performance of all monosex tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) for a period of 120 days in 2016 in nylon net cages placed in Dekar haor of Sunamganj district. The study was categorized into four treatments as T1 (brand a), T2 (brand b), T3 (brand c) and T4 (control) based on probiotics and each having three replicates. Cages were stocked with nursed male tilapia fry at a density of 35 nos./m3 with average size of 14.33 ± 6.41 - 16.33 ± 3.15 g. Tilapia of all the cages were fed with commercial mega floating feed at a decreasing rate of 10 - 5% of total biomass thrice daily. Feed was supplemented with probiotics at a rate of 0.5 g/kg. Comparatively higher growth (307.33 ± 33.92 g), survival rate (97.6 ± 4.90%), yield (10.5 ± 1.15 kg/m3), net profit (Tk.798.96 ± 90.85/m3) and lower food conversion ratio (1.16) were secured in T3 than that of other treatments, which were manifolds higher than the earthen freshwater and brackish waterbodies. Therefore, results of the study reveal that probiotics may be used in aquaculture for increasing fish production. Asiat. Soc. Bangladesh, Sci. 44(1): 69-78, June 2018

scholarly journals Use of bulk hybrid populations to select for adaptation to contrasting environments in subterranean clover

2006 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 157-162
Author(s):  
Phillip Nichols ◽  
Philip Cocks
Keyword(s):  
Subterranean Clover ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Growing Season ◽  
Fine Tuning ◽  
Hybrid Population ◽  
Population Changes ◽  
Trial Management ◽  
Pasture Legumes ◽  
Different Populations ◽  
Selection For

Population changes were measured over 17 years within a highly variable bulk hybrid population of subterranean clover in a short and long growing season mediterranean-type environment in Western Australia. Flowering time was used as an indicator of evolutionary change and was highly responsive to environment. Markedly different populations evolved, with rapid selection for early flowering at the short growing season site and later flowering at the long growing season site. The use of bulk hybrid populations is suggested as a low-input means of breeding and selecting annual pasture legumes adapted to target environments and farming systems. While adapted genotypes can be selected after just 3 seasons, further adaptive fine-tuning occurs with increased homozygosity. The success of the method hinges on the original parents containing genes for desirable characters, trial sites being representative of target environments and trial management being representative of typical farm practice

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