2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gashaw Tenna Alemu ◽  
Zewdu Berhanie Ayele ◽  
Assefa Abelieneh Berhanu

Generally, land fragmentation is a universal trait of all agricultural systems which affects farmland productivity and no one had documented a rural society where there was no land fragmentation. Hence, this study sought to ascertain the effects of land fragmentation on farmland productivity in the highland districts of Northwestern Ethiopia by using cross-sectional data collected from 240 respondents during 2015/16 production seasons and analyzed by using linear and Cobb-Douglass production functions. In land productivity model, 38% of variations in farmland productivity are explained by variations in independent variables including land fragmentation parameters. Average farmland size of 1.25 ha was obtained as minimum size that can generate minimum food and cash requirement of an average family of five adult equivalents. Hence, the government should come up with land use policy and population growth controlling program, which enables determining minimum economic farmland size, improving land productivity, and finding ways to strengthen off-farm activities and livestock sector to absorb more labor and enhance means of generating more income so as to decrease minimum farmland size required.


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. e04942784
Author(s):  
Andrea Aline Mombach ◽  
Carla Grasiele Zanin Hegel ◽  
Rogério Luis Cansian ◽  
Sônia Beatris Balvedi Zakrzevski

The perception of a basic education of the importance of agroecological agricultural systems for human and environmental health is fundamental for changes in consumption habits, the conservation of local biodiversity and long-term social transformation. We analyzed, by utilizing a questionnaire consisting of open and closed questions, the perceptions about agroecological and conventional agricultural production systems in 360 final students of basic education residing in nine Functional Planning Regions of southern Brazil. We used classification categories for answers within thematic axes, expressed in percentages and analyzed by means of Chi-square and Kruskal-Wallis tests. In general, students recognize agroecological systems as healthier for their families and for soil and water conservation, largely because they do not use agrochemicals. However, they demonstrated difficulties when arguing their importance for the conservation of biodiversity, ecosystems and for ensuring the food security of populations. Television was the main source of information related to agroecology, mainly for students residing in rural areas, thus pointing out shortcomings in basic education regarding the approach of the theme in schools. Our results show the need to build a complex network of knowledge and discussions on agroecological agricultural systems in basic education, involving changes in student perceptions, behaviors and sustainable choices.


Author(s):  
William R. Sutton ◽  
Jitendra P. Srivastava ◽  
James E. Neumann ◽  
Peter Droogers ◽  
Brent Boehlert

2020 ◽  
pp. 102-109
Author(s):  
D.KH. DOMULLODZHANOV ◽  
◽  
R. RAHMATILLOEV

The article presents the results of the field studies and observations that carried out on the territory of the hilly, low-mountain and foothill agro landscapes of the Kyzylsu-yuzhnaya (Kyzylsu-Southern) River Basin of Tajikistan. Taking into account the high-altitude location of households and the amount of precipitation in the river basin, the annual volumes of water accumulated with the use of low-cost systems of collection and storage of precipitation have been clarified. The amount of water accumulated in the precipitation collection and storage systems has been established, the volume of water used for communal and domestic needs,the watering of livestock and the amount of water that can be used to irrigate crops in the have been determined. Possible areas of irrigation of household plots depending on the different availability of precipitation have been determined. It has been established that in wet years (with precipitation of about 10%) the amount of water collected using drip irrigation will be sufficient for irrigation of 0.13 hectares, and in dry years (with 90% of precipitation) it will be possible to irrigate only 0.03 ha of the household plot. On the basis of the basin, the total area of irrigation in wet years can be 4497 ha, and in dry years only 1087 ha. Taking into account the forecasts of population growth by 2030 and an increase in the number of households, the total area of irrigation of farmlands in wet years may reach 5703 hectares,and in dry years – 1379 hectares. Growing crops on household plots under irrigation contributes to a significant increase in land productivity and increases the efficiency of water use of the Kyzylsu-yuzhnaya basin.


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