Factors affecting the adoption of productive pastures by participants in a paired-paddock extension program

2000 ◽  
Vol 40 (8) ◽  
pp. 1089 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. P. Trompf ◽  
P. W. G. Sale ◽  
B. Graetz
Keyword(s):  
Regression Models ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Annual Rainfall ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Exit Survey ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Phosphorus Fertiliser ◽  
Fertiliser Use ◽  
Extension Program

A survey of 146 pastoral producers across south-eastern Australia was conducted after they had participated for 3 years in the Grassland’s Productivity Program. The exit survey, together with earlier surveys, enabled the changes in whole-farm stocking rate and phosphorus fertiliser use, management practices, and perceptions of the Grassland’s Productivity Program, to be determined. The magnitude of the increases in productivity settings and the increased use of most recommended management practices were not influenced by either the facilitator who guided the groups of participants, or by the annual rainfall for the farm, which varied between 400 and 1000 mm. Path analysis of the survey data found that changes in productivity settings during 1993–97 did not depend on any one feature of the extension program. Rather the changes resulted from a hierarchy of interacting effects including certain initial (1993) and final (1997) management practices, attitudes to the program and perceived benefits from the program, and situational constraints such as the availability of suitable soil types on the farm. There were differences in the significant terms in the regression models that predicted the change in stocking rate, the change in fertiliser rate, or the combined variable for both, that was designated as the change index.

The Brigalow Catchment Study: III. Productivity changes on brigalow land cleared for long-term cropping and for grazing

Soil Research ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 45 (7) ◽  
pp. 512 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. J. Radford ◽  
C. M. Thornton ◽  
B. A. Cowie ◽  
M. L. Stephens
Keyword(s):  
Crop Production ◽  
Clay Soil ◽  
Soil Nutrient ◽  
Grain Protein Content ◽  
Annual Rainfall ◽  
Soil N ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Beef Production ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Productivity Decline

Productivity of grain crops and grazed pastures inevitably declines without soil nutrient replacement and may eventually make these enterprises unprofitable. We monitored these declines in north-eastern Australia during 23 years after clearing 2 of 3 adjacent brigalow catchments, in order to define the productivity levels of developed brigalow land over time. One catchment (11.7 ha) was used for grain production and another (12.7 ha) for beef production from a sown buffel grass pasture. There was no upward or downward trend in annual rainfall amounts throughout the study period. In the cropped catchment, grain yield from 14 winter crops without added nutrients declined significantly in 20 years from 2.9 to 1.1 t/ha.year on the upper-slope clay soil (92 kg/ha.year) and from 2.4 to 0.6 t/ha.year on the Sodosol (88 kg/ha.year). Crop production per year declined by 20% between 2 successive 10-year periods. Wheat grain protein content also declined with time, falling below the critical value for adequate soil N supply (11.5%) 12 years after clearing on the Sodosol and 16 years after clearing on the clay soil. Such declines in grain quantity and quality without applied fertiliser reduce profitability. The initial pasture dry matter on offer of 8 t/ha had halved 3 years after clearing, and a decline in cattle liveweight gain of 4 kg/ha.year was observed over an 8-year period with constant stocking of 0.59 head/ha. Due to fluctuating stocking rate levels of 0.3–0.7 head/ha over the trial period, liveweight productivity trends are attributed to the multiple effects of stocking rate changes and fertility decline. The amount of nitrogen exported from the cleared catchments was 36.1 kg/ha.year in grain but only 1.6 kg/ha.year in cattle (as liveweight gain). Total soil N at 0–0.3 m declined by 84 kg/ha.year under cropping but there was no significant decline under grazing. The soil nutrients removed during grain and beef production need to be replaced in order to avert productivity decline post-clearing.

Soil organic matter in rainfed cropping systems of the Australian cereal belt

Soil Research ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 435 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. C. Dalal ◽  
K. Y. Chan
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Organic Matter ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Performance Indicator ◽  
Annual Rainfall ◽  
Soil Productivity ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Soil C ◽  
Eastern Australia

The Australian cereal belt stretches as an arc from north-eastern Australia to south-western Australia (24˚S–40˚S and 125˚E–147˚E), with mean annual temperatures from 14˚C (temperate) to 26˚C (subtropical), and with annual rainfall ranging from 250 mm to 1500 mm. The predominant soil types of the cereal belt include Chromosols, Kandosols, Sodosols, and Vertosols, with significant areas of Ferrosols, Kurosols, Podosols, and Dermosols, covering approximately 20 Mha of arable cropping and 21 Mha of ley pastures. Cultivation and cropping has led to a substantial loss of soil organic matter (SOM) from the Australian cereal belt; the long-term SOM loss often exceeds 60% from the top 0–0.1 m depth after 50 years of cereal cropping. Loss of labile components of SOM such as sand-size or particulate SOM, microbial biomass, and mineralisable nitrogen has been even higher, thus resulting in greater loss in soil productivity than that assessed from the loss of total SOM alone. Since SOM is heterogeneous in nature, the significance and functions of its various components are ambiguous. It is essential that the relationship between levels of total SOM or its identif iable components and the most affected soil properties be established and then quantif ied before the concentrations or amounts of SOM and/or its components can be used as a performance indicator. There is also a need for experimentally verifiable soil organic C pools in modelling the dynamics and management of SOM. Furthermore, the interaction of environmental pollutants added to soil, soil microbial biodiversity, and SOM is poorly understood and therefore requires further study. Biophysically appropriate and cost-effective management practices for cereal cropping lands are required for restoring and maintaining organic matter for sustainable agriculture and restoration of degraded lands. The additional benefit of SOM restoration will be an increase in the long-term greenhouse C sink, which has the potentialto reduce greenhouse emissions by about 50 Mt CO2 equivalents/year over a 20-year period, although current improved agricultural practices can only sequester an estimated 23% of the potential soil C sink.

Differences in management practices and attitudes between the Triple P Program entrants and other pastoral producers in the region

2001 ◽  
Vol 41 (6) ◽  
pp. 773 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. P. Trompf ◽  
P. W. G. Sale
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Good Condition ◽  
Direct Consequence ◽  
Triple P ◽  
Attitudes And Practices ◽  
Select Group ◽  
Fertiliser Use ◽  
Stocking Rates ◽  
Extension Program

A survey of the pasture productivity settings, practices and attitudes was undertaken for 229 pastoral producers who volunteered to enter the Triple P Program in 1997, and for 89 pastoral producers from 2 representative districts of Victoria. The latter group of producers was considered to be representative of the general population of pastoral producers in the regions where the Triple P Program was undertaken. Comparison of the survey results reveals that the volunteer participants entering the paired-paddock extension program employed different management practices and had different attitudes to productivity issues compared with the general pastoral producers. Before entering the program the Triple P volunteers were already employing more productive practices such as soil testing, measuring pasture availability and spring lambing. In addition the volunteers had higher whole-farm stocking rates and fertiliser use than the general pastoral producers. The different management practices employed by the 2 groups were consistent with their contrasting attitudes towards managing their farms. The Triple P volunteers were focussed on improving production per hectare through increased stocking rates, which could be achieved by additional expenditure on fertiliser and pasture renovation. The general pastoral producers were more focussed on improving production per head which was achieved by gauging animal performance, maintaining stock in good condition and maintaining expenditure on animal health. We contend that the differences identified between the producers volunteering to participate in the Triple P Program and the general pastoral producers are a direct consequence of the voluntary approach used to recruit Triple P participants. This approach attracts a select group of farmers who are inclined to engage in extension and training activities and tend to have different attitudes and practices to the general pastoral producer. A more proactive approach to recruitment will be required if a larger proportion of the general producer population is to engage in the paired-paddock extension program.

Birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) and greater lotus (Lotus uliginosus) in perennial pastures in eastern Australia. 2. Adaptation and applications of lotus-based pasture

2006 ◽  
Vol 46 (4) ◽  
pp. 521 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. F. Ayres ◽  
M. J. Blumenthal ◽  
L. A. Lane ◽  
J. W. O'Connor
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Lotus Corniculatus ◽  
Low Fertility ◽  
Annual Rainfall ◽  
North Coast ◽  
Birdsfoot Trefoil ◽  
Severe Drought ◽  
Learning Study ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Lotus Uliginosus

This co-learning study with greater lotus (Lotus uliginosus Schukr.) and birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.) was undertaken in the Perennial Pasture Zone of New South Wales (NSW), Australia, in conjunction with 14 community groups. The overall study combined a field experiment investigating grazing management practices with a co-learning study assessing the adaptation and potential applications of these 2 Lotus species. The present paper reports on the co-learning study. Seventeen sites were established on farms situated in the North Coast, Northern Tablelands, North West Slopes, South Coast and Southern Tablelands regions of NSW. Of the 17 co-learning sites, greater lotus or birdsfoot trefoil was established successfully and yielded useful findings at 9 of 10 sites in northern NSW and 3 of 7 sites in southern NSW. Establishment failure of greater lotus or birdsfoot trefoil at the 5 remaining sites was associated with severe drought conditions at, or shortly following, sowing. Results from across the 4 regions are collated to report on the adaptation of the 2 Lotus species to a diversity of climatic, edaphic and management applications. The study has confirmed that greater lotus is a valuable perennial legume for high rainfall coastal plains, coastal low-lands, coastal hill-country and niche tablelands environments where the average annual rainfall (AAR) exceeds 1000 mm. Significantly, the study shows that birdsfoot trefoil has important potential for low fertility acidic soils on tablelands and slopes where the AAR is 650–1000 mm, especially in northern NSW.

scholarly journals Factors Affecting Adoption of Recommended Management Practices in Stocker Cattle Production

2010 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel J. Johnson ◽  
Damona Doye ◽  
David L. Lalman ◽  
Derrell S. Peel ◽  
Kellie Curry Raper ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Regression Models ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Cattle Production ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Logit Regression ◽  
Stocker Cattle ◽  
Binary Logit ◽  
Production Strategy ◽  
Binary Logit Regression ◽  
Recommended Management Practices

Binary logit regression models were used to estimate factors affecting adoption of recommended management practices. Variables analyzed include aspects of farm structure, human capital, farm objectives, and production system employed by the producer. Results reveal that operation size and dependency upon income from the stocker operation, in particular, influence the adoption of recommended practices. Older producers and those pursuing a year-round production strategy were found to lag in adoption.

Aspects of the biology of the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) and rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) in coastal eastern Australia

2007 ◽  
Vol 34 (5) ◽  
pp. 398 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. J. Richardson ◽  
S. Phillips ◽  
R. A. Hayes ◽  
S. Sindhe ◽  
B. D. Cooke
Keyword(s):  
Breeding Season ◽  
Population Biology ◽  
Late Summer ◽  
European Rabbit ◽  
Annual Rainfall ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
High Rainfall ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease ◽  
High Rainfall Area

A population of wild rabbits in a high-rainfall area near Sydney, New South Wales, was studied for 8 years to investigate the population biology of the rabbit in a high-rainfall area, to examine factors affecting the length of the breeding season, and to describe the biology of RHDV and a RHDV-like virus in the population. The breeding season was short, starting in June and ending in October, though some conceptions occurred in every month of the year. Supplementary feeding with grain, germinated wheat or high-protein rabbit pellets did not extend the breeding season, so predictions that the length of the breeding season and occurrence of anaemia were influenced by a lack of protein in the diet were not upheld. Myxomatosis appeared in late summer each year as in inland southern Australia. Studies of the immunostatus of the population showed that, even in the years before RHDV was released in Australia, 80–100% of adult animals were seropositive when tested with ELISA specifically designed to detect antibodies to RHDV, arguably owing to the presence of a RHDV-like virus. The proportion of seropositive animals fell when annual rainfall was below 600 mm and rose when it was above 700 mm. Presumably, in areas where rainfall is usually low the proportion of the population infected with the putative RHDV-like virus would slowly drop to a low level, providing a possible basis for the different epidemiological patterns found for RHDV in different parts of Australia.

Management of grazing systems

1989 ◽  
pp. 117-122 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Hodgson
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Management Control ◽  
Grazing Management ◽  
Relative Importance ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Pastoral Systems ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Alternative Means ◽  
Grazing Systems ◽  
Stocking Rates

Recent assessments of the relative importance of stocking rate. stocking policy and grazing management on the output from pastoral systems are used as a starting point to argue the need for objective pasture assessments to aid control of livestock enterprises to meet production targets. Variations in stocking rates, stocking policy and other management practices all provide alternative means of control of pasture conditions which are the major determinants of pasture and animal performance. Understanding of the influence of pasture conditions on systems performance should provide a better basis for management control and for Communication between farmers, extension officers and researchers. Keywords: Stocking rate, pasture condition, pasture cover

Solid Waste Management on Romanian Households

2018 ◽  
Vol 68 (12) ◽  
pp. 2941-2947
Author(s):  
George Ungureanu ◽  
Gabriela Ignat ◽  
elena Leonte ◽  
Carmen Luiza Costuleanu ◽  
Nicoleta Stanciu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Waste Management ◽  
Solid Waste ◽  
Agricultural Development ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Solid Waste Management ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Rapid Development ◽  
Disposal Site ◽  
Solid Waste Disposal ◽  
Factors Affecting

The problem associated with the household behavior on solid waste disposal site in today�s society is complex because of the large quantity and diverse nature of the wastes. Due increase the population, rapid development, global agricultural development has moved rapidly, limitations of financing, emerging limitations of both energy and raw materials and also add to the complexity of any waste management system, large quantities of wastes are being generated in different forms such as solid, liquid and gases. This research explored factors affecting the level of participation in solid waste segregation and recycling of households in Romania, as well as examining current Romania households waste management practices and their knowledge of waste management. This study investigated the solid waste situation and the organization of solid waste management in both urban and rural settings from the perspective of households. Solid waste management is a key component of public services which needs to serve the urban and rural municipalities in an efficient way in order to maintain a decent standard of public health.

Extension Program Delivery for Greenhouse Growers Using Compressed Video Technology

HortScience ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 507d-507
Author(s):  
Steven E. Newman ◽  
Karen L. Panter
Keyword(s):  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Compressed Video ◽  
Educational Programming ◽  
Video Technology ◽  
Best Management ◽  
Personal Interaction ◽  
Session Evaluations ◽  
Greenhouse Growers ◽  
Extension Program

There is a need for educational programming for greenhouse growers on effective uses of biorational pesticides and biological controls of insect and mite pests, diseases, and alternatives to herbicide sprays in confined areas; however, in many states, travel for specialists for programming and workshops is becoming prohibitive. A series of programs outlining Best Management Practices (BMP) for the greenhouse industry outlining techniques and practices reducing pesticide use were conducted at multiple sites in Colorado simultaneously using interactive compressed video technology. This conferencing technology is gaining wide acceptance in many venues and provides an opportunity for wider participation of clientele without travel. Participants in the programs reported in post-session evaluations that they did miss the personal interaction with the speakers, but did acknowledge that not having to drive 5 hours to attend a seminar was quite beneficial.

scholarly journals Analyzing Factors Affecting the Sustainability of Land Management Practices in Mecha Woreda, Northwestern Ethiopia

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (13) ◽  
pp. 7007
Author(s):  
Habtamu Nebere ◽  
Degefa Tolossa ◽  
Amare Bantider
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Land Management ◽  
Land Degradation ◽  
Quantitative Data ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Decision Making Processes ◽  
Household Heads ◽  
The Impact

In Ethiopia, the practice of land management started three decades ago in order to address the problem of land degradation and to further boost agricultural production. However, the impact of land management practices in curbing land degradation problems and improving the productivity of the agricultural sector is insignificant. Various empirical works have previously identified the determinants of the adoption rate of land management practices. However, the sustainability of land management practices after adoption, and the various factors that control the sustainability of implemented land management practices, are not well addressed. This study analyzed the factors affecting the sustainability of land management practices after implementation in Mecha Woreda, northwestern Ethiopia. The study used 378 sample respondents, selected by a systematic random sampling technique. Binary logistic regression was used to analyze the quantitative data, while the qualitative data were qualitatively and concurrently analyzed with the quantitative data. The sustained supply of fodder from the implemented land management practices, as well as improved cattle breed, increases the sustainability of the implemented land management practices. While lack of agreement in the community, lack of enforcing community bylaws, open cattle grazing, lack of benefits of implemented land management practices, acting as barrier for farming practices, poor participation of household heads during planning and decision-making processes, as well as the lack of short-term benefits, reduce the sustainability of the implemented land management practices. Thus, it is better to allow for the full participation of household heads in planning and decision-making processes to bring practical and visible results in land management practices. In addition, recognizing short-term benefits to compensate the land lost in constructing land management structures must be the strategy in land management practices. Finally, reducing the number of cattle and practicing stall feeding is helpful both for the sustainability of land management practices and the productivity of cattle. In line with this, fast-growing fodder grass species have to be introduced for household heads to grow on land management structures and communal grazing fields for stall feeding.

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