scholarly journals Ranchers or pastoralists? Farm size, specialisation and production strategy amongst cattle farmers in south-eastern Kazakhstan

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Robinson ◽  
Zhanyl Bozayeva ◽  
Nozilakhon Mukhamedova ◽  
Nodir Djanibekov ◽  
Martin Petrick
Keyword(s):  
Production Systems ◽  
Government Support ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Farm Size ◽  
Infrastructure Development ◽  
South Eastern ◽  
Livestock Sector ◽  
Production Strategy ◽  
Large Farms ◽  
Eastern Kazakhstan

AbstractAgainst the global trend towards sedentary, specialised and feed-intensive cattle farming, we explore current patterns of production in Kazakhstan’s traditionally nomadic livestock sector. Experts see considerable potential for output expansion, and the government hopes to promote the sector as an alternative to revenues from hydrocarbons. Which production systems emerge will determine the use of the country’s vast pastoral resources, patterns of economic contribution from livestock and future greenhouse gas emissions. We focus on the beef sector, using original survey data and interviews from south-eastern Kazakhstan to compare rural households and farms by production strategy, generated using cluster analysis from data on livestock holdings, fodder provision and grazing. We examine in particular the relationships between farm size and the characteristics identified. We find that, rather than being specialised and intensive, larger farms tend to be highly diversified in terms of stock species, are more mobile and provide fewer supplements per head than smaller farms. Winter pastures appear to be a key resource associated with larger operations. Many large farms provide fodder mainly as low-quality roughage, although a subset with better access to cropland provide higher quality rations and fatten cattle before sale. Medium-sized farms lack either winter pasture bases or cropland for growing supplements, but proximity to markets enables some to compensate through fodder purchases. Inability to access government support, available only to large farms, hampers their expansion. Farmers’ professional background, distance from markets and environmental conditions are all associated with the production systems observed. In terms of policy, high transaction costs associated with leaseholds and lack of transferability between farmers impede access to land. Current pasture access mechanisms and institutions almost entirely exclude small farms and households. Changes in these systems, combined with infrastructure development, may bring economic, social and environmental benefits for the livestock sector and rural communities.

scholarly journals Technical and environmental characterization of Colombian beef cattle-fattening farms, with a focus on farm size and ways of improving production

2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
pp. 153-162 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ricardo González-Quintero ◽  
María Solange Sánchez-Pinzón ◽  
Diana María Bolívar-Vergara ◽  
Ngonidzashe Chirinda ◽  
Jacobo Arango ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Spatial Separation ◽  
Environmental Information ◽  
Mixed Data ◽  
Farm Size ◽  
Categorical Variables ◽  
Pasture Management ◽  
Livestock Sector ◽  
Large Farms

In Colombia, cattle-fattening farms account for 20.7% of the Colombian cattle herd and play an important role in terms of economic and social benefits for rural communities. However, few characterization studies have been conducted on these production systems, which limit our understanding of their production dynamics and environmental impacts. This study aimed to characterize very small, small, medium, and large cattle-fattening farms from technical and environmental perspectives. The data analyzed were obtained from the Ganadería Colombiana Sostenible and the LivestockPlus projects, which gathered information from a total of 2618 farms, classified according to their cattle production orientation. From those, 275 cattle-fattening farms were classified as being either very small (1–30 bovines), small (31–50 bovines), medium (51–250 bovines), or large farms (more than 251 bovines). Numerical and categorical variables were distributed into five components: (1) general farm information, (2) composition and management of the herd, (3) pasture management, (4) production information, and (5) environmental information. Each component was analyzed using the factorial analysis of mixed data (FAMD) method. According to FAMD, for the components general farm information, herd composition and management, pasture management, and production information, distribution of variables led to a spatial separation of the centroid from each category of producers. For the component environmental information, there was no separation of the centroid. Better infrastructure, machinery and equipment, better pasture management, and better productive parameters and practices were observed in larger farms. This suggests that those public policies aimed at improving productive and environmental performance of the livestock sector should give priority to small- and medium-sized livestock producers considering their farm characteristics.

scholarly journals Risk of Low Productivity is Dependent on Farm Characteristics: How to Turn Poor Performance into an Advantage

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (19) ◽  
pp. 5504 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peltonen-Sainio ◽  
Jauhiainen
Keyword(s):  
Crop Production ◽  
Vegetation Index ◽  
Normalized Difference Vegetation Index ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Poor Performance ◽  
Farming System ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Farm Size ◽  
Production Region ◽  
Farm Type

The principle role of agriculture is to produce food for the increasing human population. However, the environmental footprint needs to be simultaneously reduced. Data from the Finnish Food Authority (181,108 parcels in the south-western crop production region of Finland) were used to identify the farming system, farm type, farm size, field parcel scale, physical parcel characteristics, cultivated crops, crop rotations and cultivars. Sentinel-2 derived Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) values were used to identify fields with very low productivity. Thereby, the impacts of farm and field characteristics on risks of low NDVI values and their associated means of coping by the farmer were studied. High variations in field parcel characteristics and growth capacity were typical in the studied area. Although it is challenging for farmers, high variation can provide many opportunities for the development of multifunctional and resource-smart production systems, e.g., by optimizing land use: allocating high-quality fields for food production, and poorly performing fields for extensification, i.e., the production of environmental benefits. Many usable policy instruments are available to support such a transition, but more focus should be put onto the most efficient means to enable progress towards environmentally, economically and socially sustainable high-latitude agricultural systems.

Lepidopteran species (Insecta: Lepidoptera) feeding on saxauls (Amaranthaceae) in desert areas of South-Eastern Kazakhstan

2016 ◽  
Vol VIII (19) ◽  
pp. 69-73
Author(s):  
Nagima Tumenbayeva ◽  
Bagdavlet Taranov ◽  
Dimitar Grekov ◽  
Vili Harizanova
Keyword(s):  
South Eastern ◽  
Lepidopteran Species ◽  
Desert Areas ◽  
Eastern Kazakhstan

NOTE ON TWO UMBELLIFERAE TAXA OF SOUTH-EASTERN KAZAKHSTAN, INVALIDLY PUBLISHED BY M. S. BAJTENOV, "БОТАНИЧЕСКИЙ ЖУРНАЛ"

2012 ◽  
pp. 650-658
Author(s):  
М.Г. ПИМЕНОВ ◽  
E.V. KLJUYKOV ◽  
G.V. DEGTJAREVA
Keyword(s):  
Rare Species ◽  
Monotypic Genus ◽  
Southern Limit ◽  
South Eastern ◽  
Middle Asia ◽  
New Material ◽  
Eastern Kazakhstan

New material on a rare species Silaum saxatilis (Umbelliferae) from southern limit of the Dzungarian Alatau (South-Eastern Kazakhstan) allowed to describe the structure of its fruits. The species is assigned to a distinct monotypic genus Tschulaktavia, the generic name was proposed by M. S. Bajtenov and validated here. Another speciens described by Bajtenov, Stenotaenia iliensis, is synonymized with Hyalolaena tshuiliensis. The genus Stenotaenia does not occus in Kazakhstan and the Middle Asia. 658

scholarly journals Strategic deployment of riparian buffers and windbreaks in Europe can co-deliver biomass and environmental benefits

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Oskar Englund ◽  
Pål Börjesson ◽  
Blas Mola-Yudego ◽  
Göran Berndes ◽  
Ioannis Dimitriou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Production ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Riparian Buffers ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Nitrogen Emissions ◽  
Environmental Objectives ◽  
Eu Policies

AbstractWithin the scope of the new Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union, in coherence with other EU policies, new incentives are developed for farmers to deploy practices that are beneficial for climate, water, soil, air, and biodiversity. Such practices include establishment of multifunctional biomass production systems, designed to reduce environmental impacts while providing biomass for food, feed, bioenergy, and other biobased products. Here, we model three scenarios of large-scale deployment for two such systems, riparian buffers and windbreaks, across over 81,000 landscapes in Europe, and quantify the corresponding areas, biomass output, and environmental benefits. The results show that these systems can effectively reduce nitrogen emissions to water and soil loss by wind erosion, while simultaneously providing substantial environmental co-benefits, having limited negative effects on current agricultural production. This kind of beneficial land-use change using strategic perennialization is important for meeting environmental objectives while advancing towards a sustainable bioeconomy.

scholarly journals Barriers and bridges to the adoption of biodegradable plastic mulches for US specialty crop production

2013 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 143-153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica R. Goldberger ◽  
Robert Emmet Jones ◽  
Carol A. Miles ◽  
Russell W. Wallace ◽  
Debra A. Inglis
Keyword(s):  
Crop Production ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Biodegradable Plastic ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Design Development ◽  
Plastic Mulch ◽  
Specialty Crop ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Polyethylene Mulch

AbstractCommercial farmers have been using polyethylene plastic mulch since the 1950s. Despite the affordability and effectiveness of polyethylene mulch, the disposal process is financially and environmentally costly. Biodegradable plastic mulches, an ecologically sustainable alternative to polyethylene mulch films, were introduced in the 1980s. Biodegradable plastic mulches can be tilled into the soil or composted at the end of the season, reducing the labor and environmental costs associated with plastic removal and disposal. However, research results are mixed as to the effectiveness, degradability and ease-of-use of biodegradable plastic mulches. In 2008–2012, researchers, funded by a USDA Specialty Crop Research Initiative grant, conducted surveys and focus groups in three different agricultural regions of the USA to better understand the barriers and bridges to the adoption of biodegradable plastic mulches for specialty crop production systems. Data on the experiences and views of specialty crop growers, agricultural extension agents, agricultural input suppliers, mulch manufacturers and other stakeholders showed that the major adoption barriers were insufficient knowledge, high cost and unpredictable breakdown. The major bridges to adoption were reduced waste, environmental benefits and interest in further learning. These findings are discussed with reference to the classic innovation diffusion model, specifically work on the innovation–decision process and the attributes of innovations. The study results can be used to guide the activities of those involved in the design, development and promotion of biodegradable plastic mulches for US specialty crop production systems.

PSVII-13 Performance and environmental benefits from biochar supplementation in beef cattle grazing systems

2021 ◽  
Vol 99 (Supplement_3) ◽  
pp. 448-449
Author(s):  
Emily Conlin ◽  
Herbert Lardner ◽  
Jennifer L Ellis ◽  
Ira B Mandell ◽  
Katharine M Wood
Keyword(s):  
Beef Cattle ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Beef Cows ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Stable Form ◽  
Primary Concern ◽  
Ch4 Emissions ◽  
Body Weights ◽  
Cow Calf ◽  
Rapid City

Abstract Worldwide, beef production systems represent a significant source of greenhouse gas (GHG), and enteric methane (CH4) emissions are the primary concern. The objective of this experiment was to determine whether biochar (Oregon Biochar Solution, White City, OR) supplementation can reduce CH4 emissions from grazing beef cows. Biochar is a stable form of carbon produced through the pyrolysis of organic matter (typically forestry waste). Sixty-four cows and their calves were blocked by cow body weight and calf age, and randomly allocated to 8 paddocks, each with 8 cow-calf pairs. Using a crossover design, each paddock was assigned to one of two treatments: (1) biochar supplemented at approximately 3% of estimated dry matter intake (DMI) or (2) control (no biochar). Biochar was incorporated into a pellet containing 45% biochar, 42.5% wheat midds, 10% canola oil, and 2.5% dry molasses and fed in a portable trough once daily. Each period consisted of 28 days: 21 days for biochar adaptation and 7 days for data collection. Enteric gas emissions from each paddock were measured using C-Lock GreenFeed trailers (C-Lock Inc., Rapid City, SD, USA) with pasture DMI estimated using paddock entry/exit quadrats during each sampling week. Enteric CH4 emissions expressed as g CH4/d were 249 and 260 ± 50.3 g (P ≥ 0.37) for control and biochar, respectively. Similarly, g CH4/kg DM and g CH4/kg BW were not affected (P ≥ 0.44) by biochar supplementation on pasture. Biochar supplementation did not affect estimated DMI or cow/calf body weights (P ≥ 0.15). Results suggest that biochar was ineffective for reducing methane emissions from grazing beef cows; however, measures of animal performance were not affected by biochar consumption. Further work is required to determine if type or higher inclusions of biochar can reduce CH4 emissions from beef cattle.

Dietary condensed tannins in bovine faeces and effects on soil microbial dynamics: are there environmental benefits for cattle production systems?

2021 ◽  
Vol 61 (7) ◽  
pp. 690
Author(s):  
Gisele M. Fagundes ◽  
Gabriela Benetel ◽  
Mateus M. Carriero ◽  
Ricardo L. M. Sousa ◽  
Kelly C. Santos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Condensed Tannins ◽  
Nutrient Dynamics ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Nutrient Inputs ◽  
Microbial Dynamics ◽  
Soil Microbial ◽  
Soil Microbial Population

Context Plant bioactive compounds such as condensed tannins (CT) are seen as an alternative to rumen chemical modulators to mitigate rumen methanogenesis in livestock; however, the presence of CT in ruminant faeces also produces a series of changes in soil microbiomes. Little is known about these effects on soil nutrient dynamics. Therefore, whether CT affect the decomposition process of faecal organic matter, delaying it and consequently increasing soil carbon and nitrogen (N) sequestration, merits study. Aims Our study investigated the effects of a diet rich in CT on bovine faecal composition and on subsequent dynamics of a soil microbial population. Methods Faeces were analysed from cattle fed the following diets: control (no CT), 1.25% CT, 2.5% CT. In a greenhouse pot experiment over a period of 60 days, faeces from the three dietary treatments were applied to soil and the soil microbial populations were measured against a control with no faeces applied. Key results The presence of CT increased the excretion of faecal N and of neutral and acid detergent fibres and lignin, and the higher rate of CT reduced the rate of soil organic matter decomposition. Treatments with dietary CT resulted in greater total numbers of bacteria in the soil than in the no-faeces control and stimulated numbers of Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria (α-Proteobacteria) and Firmicutes. Conclusions The study showed that CT alter N recycling and other nutrient inputs in a soil–animal ecosystem by increasing faecal N inputs, delaying organic matter breakdown, and changing soil microbial dynamics. Implications The presence of CT in ruminant diets can be beneficial to the soil environment. Sustainable management practices should be encouraged by providing ruminants with feed including high-CT legumes in silvopastoral systems.

scholarly journals The effect of the farm size on milk traits of cows

2011 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 951-958 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Kucevic ◽  
S. Trivunovic ◽  
M. Radinovic ◽  
M. Plavsic ◽  
Z. Skalicki ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Milk Yield ◽  
Milk Fat ◽  
Dairy Farm ◽  
Farm Size ◽  
Small Farms ◽  
Milk Traits ◽  
Holstein Friesian ◽  
Milk Performance ◽  
Fat Yield ◽  
Large Farms

Objective of this study was to analyze the effect of the dairy farm on milk traits of cows in Vojvodina. The research was carried out on small farms with 10 to 20 cows, medium farms with 20 to 50 cows, and large farms with over 50 dairy cows. The study included registered animals of Simmental (SM) and Holstein-Friesian breed (HF; including Red Holstein) in the first lactation for traits of milk yield and yield and content of milk fat. Total of 1323 first lactations were analyzed. The average milk yield (both breeds) in the first lactation of 305 days was 6295 kg of milk with 234,3 kg of milk fat and average milk fat content of 3,74%. Milk performance of cows varied significantly (CV=22,9% and SD=1447,8), as well as milk fat yield (CV=21,6% and SD=50,8). Large farms produced in average 6534 kg of milk, medium farms 6347kg and small farms 4717kg. Size of the farm exhibited significantly high effect on all observed traits, and the tendency was that farms with higher number of animals realize also higher average of production. Farm management and various breeding-zootechnical conditions present on farms had significant effect on milk performance of cows.

scholarly journals Evaluation of prospects and barriers of biogas produced from livestock waste towards sustainable developmentand adaptation to climate change in Nghe An province, Viet Nam

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-88
Author(s):  
Thu-Nga Do ◽  
Thi­Thoa Le ◽  
Ngoc­Bao Pham ◽  
Duc­Truong Dinh ◽  
Duc-Huu Nguyen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Waste Treatment ◽  
Government Support ◽  
Viet Nam ◽  
Livestock Waste ◽  
Adaptation To Climate Change ◽  
Financial Barriers ◽  
Livestock Sector ◽  
Biogas Digestion ◽  
Combat Climate Change

The livestock sector is one of the fastest growing agricultural subsectors in Viet Nam, resulting in growing demand to sustainably dispose or re-use livestock waste. This research examined the current adoption of biogas digestion of livestock waste treatment at household farms in order to provide insights for policy towards effective implementation. A questionnaire survey was conducted in September 2019, with the participation of 120 livestock owners in Nghe An province, which focussed on accessing their perspectives on biogas and examination of factors impacting their decisions to utilize this technology. Most respondents determined biogas to be an attractive solution for improving the environment. However, several factors limited the development of biogas installation, including technical and financial barriers, awareness and capacity limitations, and financial support as the most significant of these. Government support and policies that encourage household biogas utilization as a sustainable energy source to combat climate change is recommended.

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