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

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.

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Strategies for Sustainable Crop Production in Semi-Arid Africa

Outlook on Agriculture ◽

10.1177/003072709202100105 ◽

1992 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

pp. 21-31 ◽

Cited By ~ 48

Author(s):

R.L. McCown ◽

B.A. Keating ◽

M.E. Probert ◽

R.K. Jones

Keyword(s):

Sustainable Agriculture ◽

Crop Production ◽

Farming Systems ◽

Farming System ◽

Population Pressure ◽

Productive Capacity ◽

Soil Enrichment ◽

Systems Research ◽

Conducting Research ◽

Semi Arid

This is a record of the experience of a research team attempting to identify a development path for a farming system in semi-arid Africa. The farming system is the largely-subsistence production of crops and livestock by smallholders in the Machakos and Kitui Districts in Eastern Kenya. The region is known locally as Ukambani- “the place where the Kamba people live”. This region has a long history in which the food demands of rapidly growing populations have periodically outstripped the productive capacity of the land and current technology. Today, the population pressure on land and its rate of growth are among the highest in the world, and emigration is no longer a feasible solution. But numerous other areas of Africa are not far behind in population pressures and a more sustainable agriculture in this region is important not only for Kenya. Almost certainly, the problems of agriculture in Machakos-Kitui today represent a future scenario for much of semi-arid Africa. This article is also concerned with methodology for conducting research on farming systems. While the project was designed according to the concepts of Farming Systems Research (FSR) (Collinson, 1982), the realities of development assistance projects created challenges in implementation. The research also departed from the conventional FSR plan as new possibilities were realized, and with great benefit. The outcome is a well-founded hypothesis: contrary to much contemporary wisdom, a strategy of augmenting traditional soil enrichment practices with modest amounts of fertilizer is economically feasible for many farmers and provides the best prospects for food security and sustainable agriculture in this climatic zone.

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Micro and Macro-level Analysis of Crop Diversification: Evidence from an Agrarian State West Bengal

Indian Journal of Economics and Development ◽

10.35716/ijed/20037 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 489-499

Keyword(s):

Crop Production ◽

West Bengal ◽

Farming Systems ◽

Field Studies ◽

Farming System ◽

Structure Questionnaire ◽

Crop Diversification ◽

The Status ◽

Block Level ◽

Diversified Farming Systems

The farming system in West Bengal is being shifted by integration between the set of cash crops and the main food harvest process. This change in diversified farming systems, where smallholders have a production base in rice can complement production; affect technical efficiency and farm performance. The goal of this study was to investigate the status of crop diversification on smallholders in West Bengal. First, crop diversification regions were developed in West Bengal based on the Herfindahl index, which were categorized into three regions. Three sample districts were studied separately at the block level, and 915 small farmers from 41 sample villages of 9 sample blocks were interviewed through a good structure questionnaire for field studies from the sample districts. West Bengal was gradually moving towards multiple crop production. Furthermore, increasing rice production reduced the marginal use of inputs for the production of other crops. Farming and other vital factors such as HYVs area to GCA, average holding size and per capita income in some districts of West Bengal can be identified as determinants of crop diversification.

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Pertanian Organik sebagai Salah Satu Konsep Pertanian Berkelanjutan

PengabdianMu Jurnal Ilmiah Pengabdian kepada Masyarakat ◽

10.33084/pengabdianmu.v5i2.1033 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 5 (2) ◽

pp. 127-132

Author(s):

Yuriansyah Yuriansyah ◽

Dulbari Dulbari ◽

Hery Sutrisno ◽

Arief Maksum

Keyword(s):

Organic Farming ◽

Organic Agriculture ◽

Environmental Sustainability ◽

Crop Production ◽

Farming Systems ◽

Farming System ◽

Agricultural System ◽

Study Program ◽

Alternative Farming ◽

Organic Farming System

Excessive use of inorganic chemicals results in adverse impacts on land and plants. In the midst of the community, there is anxiety about the high content of pesticide residues in agricultural products. There is a need to develop alternative farming systems that are able to produce quantities and quality of healthy products in a sustainable manner. One agricultural system that supports the concept is the organic farming system. The basic principles of organic farming are: (1) Keeping the ecosystem healthy, (2) Applying the principle of efficiency to the cultivation system, (3) Conducting production activities with the concept of sustainable agriculture, (4) Producing pesticide-free products, and (6) Maintaining environmental sustainability. Food Crop Production Study Program Lampung State Polytechnic makes Organic Agriculture as one of the leading competencies for its graduates. The establishment of the Organic Agriculture Business Unit on campus will increase student competencies, foster entrepreneurship, be a place for competency internships, and as an independent source of income.

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New Technologies and Approaches for Weed Management in Sustainable Agriculture Systems

Weed Technology ◽

10.1017/s0890037x00039014 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 8 (2) ◽

pp. 403-407 ◽

Cited By ~ 33

Author(s):

Donald L. Wyse

Keyword(s):

Sustainable Agriculture ◽

Weed Management ◽

Crop Production ◽

New Technologies ◽

Production Systems ◽

Farming Systems ◽

The United States ◽

Alternative Methods ◽

Systems Research ◽

Agriculture Systems

Weed science has a long history of solving weed management problems for farmers. Over the last four decades most of the solutions to weed problems have been based on herbicide technology. Thus, most crop production systems in the United States rely heavily on herbicides as the primary method of weed management. During the last decade environmentalists, farmers, agricultural scientists, policy makers, and the general public have begun to question the long-term sustainability of conventional farming systems. The sustainability of these systems is being questioned because of environmental, social, and economic concerns caused by global competition, cost of production, soil erosion, water pollution, and concern over the quality of rural life. Weeds are the major deterrent to the development of more sustainable agriculture systems. Since weeds dictate most of the crop production practices (e.g., tillage, herbicides, cultivation, row spacing) weed scientists must become the leaders of collaborative integrated approaches to agriculture systems research. New crop production systems must be developed that are less destructive to the environment, are profitable, conserve energy, and support rural community development. The goal is to facilitate the development of ecologically based alternative methods of weed management that will support crop production systems that require less tillage and herbicide inputs. To accomplish this goal, research efforts must be radically expanded in weed/crop ecology and in the development of ecologically based technologies for weed management.

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Flood-based Farming as Affected by Hydrological Deficit in the Semiarid Lowlands of Northern Ethiopia

10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-22061 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Emnet Negash ◽

Jan Nyssen ◽

Girmay Gebresamuel ◽

Tesfa-alem Embaye ◽

Alick Nguvulu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Crop Production ◽

Flash Flood ◽

Current Trend ◽

Farming Systems ◽

Farming System ◽

Flood Management ◽

Crop Productivity ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Irrigated Agriculture ◽

Northern Ethiopia

Agriculture remains the dominant source of food production and the livelihood foundation for majority of the rural poor in the sub-Saharan Africa, including Ethiopia. Access to agricultural-water is, however, a limitation hindering crop productivity and end food insecurity in the drylands. In rain-deficit lowlands such as in the Raya-valley, flood-based farming is a means of improving crop production. Such spate irrigation systems grow in importance; though the effects of headwater hydrological deficit on flood-farming systems are lacking evidence. The present work investigates the impacts of headwater hydrological deficit on spate-irrigated agriculture in Tsge&#8217;a spate systems. Canal length and area of spate-irrigated agriculture along Guguf river for the 1980s and 2010s were tracked using Global Positioning System; while runoff trend analysed using linear regression. Annual volume of flash-flood shrunk by 7.36x106 m3. This is mainly due to changing climate and increasing water retention by the soil and humans at the escarpment. As a result, length of canals and area of spate-based farms downstream declined by 1.37 km (35%) and 1540 ha (57.5%), respectively, only in three decades time. This corresponds to an average withdrawal of -44 ha yr-1. A 1x106 m3 decline in flash-flood caused a 366.4 ha decline in spate-based farms. Moreover, farm fields located next to the river course are less affected, as compared to farms on the tail of the scheme. If the current trend continues, there is likely a high risk that the remaining farms currently receiving flood may run out of spate systems. Therefore, flood management technologies are needed to optimize the efficiency of soil moisture in the spate system.The abstract is based on Negash, E., Gebresamuel, G., Embaye, T., Nguvulu, A., Meaza, H., Gebrehiwot, M., Demisse, B., Gebreyohannes, T., Nyssen, J., & Zenebe, A. (2020). Impact of headwater hydrological deficit on the downstream flood-based farming system in northern Ethiopia. Irrigation and Drainage, In Press.

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Pasture cropping: a new approach to integrate crop and livestock farming systems

Animal Production Science ◽

10.1071/an09017 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 49 (10) ◽

pp. 777 ◽

Cited By ~ 32

Author(s):

G. D. Millar ◽

W. B. Badgery

Keyword(s):

Soil Fertility ◽

Crop Production ◽

Crop Yields ◽

Ground Cover ◽

Farming Systems ◽

Perennial Grasses ◽

Crop Failure ◽

Gross Margin ◽

Livestock Farming ◽

No Till

Pasture cropping is a farmer-initiated concept of sowing a winter active cereal into a summer-active native perennial pasture. Proponents claim that by using pasture cropping they are able to maintain or improve the perennial pasture. Research was carried out on a Bothriochloa macra dominant pasture at Wellington, in the central western slopes of New South Wales, to compare pasture cropping to conventional no-till cropping and pasture only systems under different fertiliser rates and rotations. Key variables for the comparison included forage and crop production, pasture perenniality and ground cover, soil fertility and water use, and profitability. Our results show that pasture cropping can successfully retain perennial grasses and ground cover while still producing profitable cropping and grazing compared with continuous pasture. Crop yields from pasture cropping were less than 65% of those for conventional no-till cropping, which led to conventional no-till cropping having the greatest, but also most volatile, gross margin throughout the experiment. However, the lower input costs associated with pasture cropping reduced the effects of crop failure on farm profit. While soil moisture differences did not occur between treatments during the experiment, soil fertility, especially N, played a major role in determining crop yield. The role of pasture cropping in farming systems is discussed.

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Approaches to improve soil fertility in sub-Saharan Africa

Journal of Experimental Botany ◽

10.1093/jxb/erz446 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 71 (2) ◽

pp. 632-641 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Zachary P Stewart ◽

Gary M Pierzynski ◽

B Jan Middendorf ◽

P V Vara Prasad

Keyword(s):

Soil Fertility ◽

Value Chain ◽

Farming Systems ◽

Farming System ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Inorganic Fertilizer ◽

Evidence Based ◽

Systems Research ◽

Comprehensive Survey ◽

Sub Saharan

Abstract Soil fertility provides the foundation for nutritious food production and resilient and sustainable livelihoods. A comprehensive survey and summit meeting were conducted with the aims of understanding barriers to enhancing soil fertility in sub-Saharan Africa and providing evidence-based recommendations. The focus regions were West Africa, East Africa, the Great Lakes region, and Ethiopia. Overall recommendations were developed with four emerging themes: (1) strengthening inorganic fertilizer-based systems, (2) access to and use of quality organic inputs, (3) capacity building along the entire knowledge-transfer value chain, and (4) strengthening farming systems research and development across biophysical and socio-economic factors. The evidence-based process and methodology for prioritizing these recommendations makes these findings useful for setting out action plans for future investments and strategies. Access to inorganic fertilizer, its use, and related implementation issues were prominent considerations; nevertheless, biophysical and socio-economic barriers and solutions were identified as equally important to building soil fertility and natural resources. Soil management initiatives should focus on providing holistic solutions covering both biophysical and socio-economic aspects along the entire value chain of actors and creating an enabling environment for adoption. A broader view of soil fertility improvement using all available options including both inorganic and organic sources of nutrients and farming system approaches are highly recommended.

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Agricultural Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services of Major Farming Systems: A Case Study in Yayo Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve, Southwestern Ethiopia

Agriculture ◽

10.3390/agriculture9030048 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (3) ◽

pp. 48 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Mezgebu Duguma ◽

Debela Feyssa ◽

Lisa Biber-Freudenberger

Keyword(s):

Ecosystem Services ◽

Crop Production ◽

Biosphere Reserve ◽

Farming Systems ◽

Farming System ◽

Group Discussions ◽

Human Needs ◽

Southwestern Ethiopia ◽

Diversified Farming Systems ◽

Evenness Indices

Farming systems, with their concerns of biodiversity, ecosystem services, and productivity and production issues towards progress in human needs, wellbeing, and sustainable development, are challenging in most biosphere reserves. In this study, we assess the levels and trends of the agro-biodiversity and ecosystem services of different farming systems in the Yayo Biosphere Reserve in Ethiopia. Interviews with a total of 120 farmers, 16 key informants, and 12 focal group discussions (FDGs) were conducted, and species composition was assessed based on data collected on ten plots per major farming system. Result indicate that four farming systems, namely homegardens (HG), plantation coffee (PC), semi-forest coffee (SFC), and annual crop production (CP) systems, can be identified. Shannon and Evenness indices were highest in the HG system (H′ = 3.14, E = 0.8), and lowest in the CP system (H′ = 0.71, E = 0.18). Additionally, more diversified and relatively less cultivated farming systems provide more ecosystem services, and land users tend to practice less diversified farming systems in order to increase food supply at the expense of other ecosystem services. Therefore, this study recommends that diversified farming systems need to be considered to conserve or enhance specific ecosystem services in ways that reduce their negative tradeoffs.

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Assessments of Lowland Rice-Based Farming Systems and Prospects for Future Research and Development Priorities

Proceedings ◽

10.3390/proceedings2019036153 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 36 (1) ◽

pp. 153

Author(s):

Van Touch ◽

Rebecca Cross ◽

Clemens Grünbühel ◽

Peter Ampt ◽

Try Yorn ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Research And Development ◽

Cover Crops ◽

Crop Production ◽

Agricultural Research ◽

Farming Systems ◽

Lowland Rice ◽

Fine Tuning ◽

Health Improvement ◽

Systems Research ◽

Farmer Behaviour

Projections of global demand for rice is expected to increase at the rate of 1.5% per year (or 48.5% by 2050). The crop production increase must be done sustainably from existing farming land due to the reduction in availability and quantity of resources. Having more local studies enhances our understanding of different farmer characteristics and behaviour, socio-economic conditions and other essential constraints faced by individual farmers. This is needed for fine-tuning farming systems research which will lead to a profitable and sustainable increase in farming production. This study aims to understand and assess the lowland rice-based farming systems in Northwest Cambodia, and examine options to enhance rice production, profitability and sustainability. Farmer surveys were conducted using the CommCare Mobile Acquired Data (MAD) system and 524 farmers were interviewed. The survey identified farmers’ key constraints on crop production, their knowledge gaps and limitations and the rice yield gaps which exist in Northwest Cambodia. Agricultural research and development priorities should be focused on crop establishment method, sowing window, weed and nutrient management strategies, overall soil health improvement, crop rotations and cover crops that can improve cropping systems, profitability and sustainability. An increase in understanding of farmer behaviour, adoption constraints and barriers, together with other essential interaction at the local level is also crucial when aiming to promote improved farming innovations.

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Climate-Smart Adaptations and Government Extension Partnerships for Sustainable Milpa Farming Systems in Mayan Communities of Southern Belize

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13063040 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (6) ◽

pp. 3040

Author(s):

Kristin Drexler

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Crop Production ◽

Soil Nutrient ◽

Farming Systems ◽

Farming System ◽

Livelihood Security ◽

Farming Communities ◽

Smart Agriculture ◽

System Sustainability ◽

Milpa Farming

There are disproportionate adverse impacts related to climate change on rural subsistence farmers in southern Belize, Central America who depend directly on natural resources for their food and livelihood security. Promoting a more resilient farming system with key climate-smart agriculture (CSA) adaptations can improve productivity, sustainability, and food security for Mayan milpa farming communities. Once a sustainable system, the milpa has become less reliable in the last half century due to hydroclimatic changes (i.e., droughts, flooding, hurricanes), forest loss, soil degradation, and other factors. Using interviews with both milpa farmers and Extension officers in southern Belize. This qualitative study finds several socio-ecological system linkages of environmental, economic, socio-cultural, and adaptive technology factors, which influence the capacity for increasing CSA practices. Agriculture Extension, a government service of Belize, can facilitate effective CSA adaptations, specifically, an increase in mulching, soil nutrient enrichment, and soil cover, while working as partners within Maya farming traditions. These CSA practices can facilitate more equitable increases in crop production, milpa farm system sustainability, and resilience to climate change. However, there are several institutional and operational barriers in Extension which challenge their efficacy. Recommendations are presented in this study to reduce Extension barriers and promote an increase in CSA practices to positively influence food and livelihood security for milpa communities in southern Belize.

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