scholarly journals Global Decline of Insects: A Review from Agricultural Perspective

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.K. Mazed ◽  
M. Afroz ◽  
M.M. Rahman
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Direct Effect ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Insect Pests ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Pollination Services ◽  
Human Welfare ◽  
Insect Decline ◽  
Diverse Groups

The diversity and abundance of insect is facing serious challenges globally in the current era. Although the loss of biodiversity other than invertebrates has been a burning issue from a long ago, some recent reports on insect decline and its impact on agriculture have given it a crucial dimension. Studies related to insect decline revealed that 40% of insect taxa are going through the risk of decline. The current situation is the resultant of several human-influenced factors, most prominently the intensification of agriculture. Insect is one of the most diverse groups having immense effects on ecosystem as an integral part of food web which ultimately has direct effect on other organisms of environment. The most conspicuous contribution of insect is its pollination services to 80% of the flowering plants worldwide which have direct effect on human food security. Decline of pollinator insects and natural enemies of insect pests can impair the crop production due to insufficient pollination and underutilization of the insect control potential of predator insects. To resist the vulnerability of nature and to ensure food security, insect decline should be cut down by controlling anthropogenic stressors through the conservation of natural habitats, eliminating deleterious agricultural practices, implementing insect friendly policies, etc. Immediate action is necessary to alter the nature exploiting agricultural practices causing insect decline to ensure the normal functioning and integrity of entire ecosystem and for human welfare.

scholarly journals Potential Impacts of Agriculture on Nepal Birds

Our Nature ◽  
1970 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 270-312 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Inskipp ◽  
H.S. Baral
Keyword(s):  
Crop Production ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
System Of Rice Intensification ◽  
Cereal Crops ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Effective Microorganisms ◽  
Cash Crops

This paper is a review of the potential impacts of agriculture on Nepal birds. It includes an overview of agriculture in Nepal and the changes that have taken place between the early 1950s and 2007. Agricultural development has been sluggish, and has failed to keep pace with population growth. In recent years the yields of major food crops in Nepal have been lower than other South Asian countries and Nepal is now dependent on food imports. Land holding size per family and field sizes have both decreased markedly during the period. If hill regions are considered independently, all cereal crops yields have stagnated in the last 30 years and gains in production that have been made, have been due to increases in area of cultivation, at the expense of natural habitats: forests, wetlands and grasslands. Crop productivity in the hills has declined due to land degradation. Of the 28% of Nepal land that is degraded, 10% is poorly managed sloping agriculture terraces. As yields and production of cereal crops have fallen, many farmers have shifted to growing cash crops, to meet the demands of the increasing urban population and encouraged by government agricultural policies. Cultivation area, production and yields of some cash crops have significantly increased since 1964/65. Nepal’s livestock population is one of the highest in Asia and nearly every rural household keeps domestic animals resulting in widespread and serious problems of livestock overgrazing. The importance of agricultural habitats for Nepal birds is reviewed: 21% of bird species recorded in Nepal utilizes agricultural habitats for foraging at some season. The many ecological benefits of birds to agriculture and the damage caused by birds to agriculture are described: the former far outweigh the latter. Changes in agricultural practices (including changes in crops and crop production, impacts of livestock overgrazing) are having major and far-reaching impacts on natural habitats - grasslands wetlands and forests and their bird species; these changes and impacts are detailed and analysed. The increasing use of pesticides in Nepal, which is especially high on vegetable cash crops, the serious impacts of pesticides on birds and the environment and alternatives to pesticides are reviewed. Fertilizer use in Nepal and the damaging impacts of fertilizer over-use on birds and the environment are also reviewed. Recommendations to improve farming methods for the benefit of the environment are given. These include government measures to promote organic agriculture; government measures to expand the System of Rice Intensification and to encourage further use of Effective Microorganisms, both of which have significant benefits for environment, birds and farmers; field surveys to monitor bird populations and bird distribution on agricultural lands, and outreach and awareness-raising for farmers to apply best practice for sustainable environmentally friendly farming.DOI: 10.3126/on.v8i1.4339

scholarly journals Entomophages as a Perspective Direction of Plant Protection

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tatiana Marinchenko
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Production Efficiency ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Plant Protection ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Plant Diseases ◽  
Green Economy ◽  
Increase Production Efficiency ◽  
Environmental Burden

Increased demand for food to feed the ever-growing population led to the development and adoption of synthetic chemicals as a quick and effective strategy of managing crop pests and diseases. Such agricultural practices have contributed to environmental pollution, which is further affecting food security, human health, and the climate. At the same time, up to 40% of crops die due to pests and plant diseases. Therefore, sustainable crop production and global food security depend on the timely implementation of the latest scientific projects in various fields of crop production including genetics, breeding, agronomy, crop physiology, crop management practices, biotechnology, and even entomology. The introduction of biological agents to protect, control and stimulate the development of agricultural crops is one of the ways of increasing the efficiency and profitability of production, reducing the environmental burden and increasing the competitiveness of producers. This is consistent with the concepts of a green economy and the sustainable development of agriculture. Since the unilateral use of chemicals does not meet today’s requirements, special attention must be paid to preventative, agrotechnical measures, as well as the use of natural factors for regulating the number of pests using parasitic and predatory insects. Domestic biotechnological developments for crop production which increase production efficiency and reduce the environmental burden are discussed. Keywords: plant growing, entomophages, protection, efficiency, ecology, ecology

scholarly journals Effect of Climate Change on Soil Health and Implications on Food Security: A Review

2021 ◽  
pp. 38-46
Author(s):  
Wycliffe Tumwesigye ◽  
Bobe Bedadi ◽  
Johnson Atwiine
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Soil Health ◽  
Large Contribution ◽  
Soil Water Retention ◽  
Human Welfare ◽  
Human Wellbeing ◽  
The Impact

Climate change and soil health are intertwined complex processes that affect each other. The aim of this review was to find out the impact of climate change on soil health, its implication on food security and human welfare across the globe. The study found out that soil health is affected by land use practices and several anthropogenic activities carried out on landscapes; climate change and variability. Soil health also contributes to soil water retention, crop productivity, households’ food and income security culminating into a large contribution towards achieving sustainable development goals across the globe. Soil components affect climate and climate affects soil health and human wellbeing. The review article concluded that climate change and soil health are complex and intertwined multidisciplinary processes that require multidisciplinary approaches for better understanding and improvement of crop production. Appropriate climate smart agricultural practices are recommended to enhance soil health and mitigate and adapt to the changing climate for the improved farmers’ income, food security and human wellbeing across the globe.

scholarly journals Contribution of animal pollination to food nutrient production in Benin-West Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 82 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hermann Cyr Toni ◽  
Armand Avohou ◽  
Bruno Agossou Djossa
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
Fruit Production ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
United States Department ◽  
Pollination Services ◽  
Food And Agriculture ◽  
Food And Agriculture Organization ◽  
Animal Pollination

Abstract Background Pollinators play a key role in human food production by improving the yield and quality of crops. Several studies assessed the economic value of pollination services delivered by animals through yield improvement. However, little is known about the contribution of animal pollinators to nutrient production. This study assessed the contribution of animal pollination to nutrient production in Benin. Food and Agriculture Organization data on crop production and United States Department of Agriculture crop composition data of 37 leading crops were used. These crops were categorized into five classes, depending on their degree of dependence on animal pollinators for fruit production. Results The study showed that more than half of the studied crops (56.75%) relies at different levels on animal pollination for fruit production. Minerals, namely fluoride (83.92%) and selenium (52.62%), were the most delivered by animal-pollinated crops. Roughly 50% of lipids outputs and 24% of proteins outputs were obtained from pollinator-dependent crops. Significant outputs of fat-soluble vitamins up to 65% were also attributed to animal pollination. A low contribution of animal pollination (up to 8%) was reported for water-soluble vitamins. Conclusion Animal-pollinated crops significantly contribute to the supply of nutrients and consequently to nutritional and food security in Benin. Conservation of pollinators should be considered as an important component of food security programs in the country.

Comparative Advantage of Using Biopesticides in Ukrainian Agroecosystems

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hasrat Arjjumend ◽  
Konstantia Koutouki ◽  
Olga Donets
Keyword(s):  
Shelf Life ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Plant Protection ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
Soil Biology ◽  
Chemical Contamination ◽  
High Concentration ◽  
Irreversible Damage

The use of unsustainable levels of chemical fertilizers and plant protection chemicals has resulted in a steady decline in soil and crop productivity the world over. Soil biology has undergone irreversible damage, coupled with a high concentration of toxic chemical residues in plant tissues and human bodies. Agricultural practices must evolve to sustainably meet the growing global demand for food without irreversibly damaging soil. Microbial biocontrol agents have tremendous potential to bring sustainability to agriculture in a way that is safe for the environment. Biopesticides do not kill non-target insects, and biosafety is ensured because biopesticides act as antidotes and do not lead to chemical contamination in the soil. This article is part of a larger study conducted in Ukraine by researchers at the Université de Montréal with the support of Mitacs and Earth Alive Clean Technologies. The responses of farmers who use biofertilizers (“user farmers”) and those who do not (“non-user farmers”), along with the responses of manufacturers or suppliers of biofertilizers, and research and development (R&D) scientists are captured to demonstrate the advantages of applying microbial biopesticides to field crops. Participants reported a 15-30% increase in yields and crop production after the application of biopesticides. With the use of biopesticides, farmers cultivated better quality fruits, grains, and tubers with a longer shelf life. Moreover, while the risk of crop loss remains high (60-70%) with chemically grown crops, this risk is reduced to 33% on average if crops are grown using biopesticides. The findings indicate that a large proportion of farmers would prefer to use biopesticides if they are effective and high quality products. In this context, the quality and effectiveness of products is therefore very important. Despite their benefits to soil, human health, and ecosystems, biopesticides face significant challenges and competition vis-à-vis synthetic pesticides for a variety of reasons. Therefore, the development of biopesticides must overcome the problems of poor quality products, short shelf life, delayed action, high market costs, and legal/registration issues.

scholarly journals Microbial Biocontrol as an Alternative to Synthetic Fungicides: Boundaries between Pre- and Postharvest Applications on Vegetables and Fruits

Fermentation ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 60
Author(s):  
Vincenzo Michele Sellitto ◽  
Severino Zara ◽  
Fabio Fracchetti ◽  
Vittorio Capozzi ◽  
Tiziana Nardi
Keyword(s):  
Crop Production ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Control Plant ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Plant Diseases ◽  
Postharvest Quality ◽  
Crucial Point ◽  
Production Chain ◽  
Vegetables And Fruits ◽  
And Storage

From a ‘farm to fork’ perspective, there are several phases in the production chain of fruits and vegetables in which undesired microbial contaminations can attack foodstuff. In managing these diseases, harvest is a crucial point for shifting the intervention criteria. While in preharvest, pest management consists of tailored agricultural practices, in postharvest, the contaminations are treated using specific (bio)technological approaches (physical, chemical, biological). Some issues connect the ‘pre’ and ‘post’, aligning some problems and possible solution. The colonisation of undesired microorganisms in preharvest can affect the postharvest quality, influencing crop production, yield and storage. Postharvest practices can ‘amplify’ the contamination, favouring microbial spread and provoking injures of the product, which can sustain microbial growth. In this context, microbial biocontrol is a biological strategy receiving increasing interest as sustainable innovation. Microbial-based biotools can find application both to control plant diseases and to reduce contaminations on the product, and therefore, can be considered biocontrol solutions in preharvest or in postharvest. Numerous microbial antagonists (fungi, yeasts and bacteria) can be used in the field and during storage, as reported by laboratory and industrial-scale studies. This review aims to examine the main microbial-based tools potentially representing sustainable bioprotective biotechnologies, focusing on the biotools that overtake the boundaries between pre- and postharvest applications protecting quality against microbial decay.

scholarly journals Agro-economic and socio-environmental assessments of food and virtual water trades of Iran

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fatemeh Karandish ◽  
Hamideh Nouri ◽  
Marcela Brugnach
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Water Consumption ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Water Footprint ◽  
Virtual Water ◽  
Environmental Indicators ◽  
Blue Water ◽  
Water Crisis ◽  
Food Trade ◽  
Water Limitations

AbstractEnding hunger and ensuring food security are among targets of 2030’s SDGs. While food trade and the embedded (virtual) water (VW) may improve food availability and accessibility for more people all year round, the sustainability and efficiency of food and VW trade needs to be revisited. In this research, we assess the sustainability and efficiency of food and VW trades under two food security scenarios for Iran, a country suffering from an escalating water crisis. These scenarios are (1) Individual Crop Food Security (ICFS), which restricts calorie fulfillment from individual crops and (2) Crop Category Food Security (CCFS), which promotes “eating local” by suggesting food substitution within the crop category. To this end, we simulate the water footprint and VW trades of 27 major crops, within 8 crop categories, in 30 provinces of Iran (2005–2015). We investigate the impacts of these two scenarios on (a) provincial food security (FSp) and exports; (b) sustainable and efficient blue water consumption, and (c) blue VW export. We then test the correlation between agro-economic and socio-environmental indicators and provincial food security. Our results show that most provinces were threatened by unsustainable and inefficient blue water consumption for crop production, particularly in the summertime. This water mismanagement results in 14.41 and 8.45 billion m3 y−1 unsustainable and inefficient blue VW exports under ICFS. “Eating local” improves the FSp value by up to 210% which lessens the unsustainable and inefficient blue VW export from hotspots. As illustrated in the graphical abstract, the FSp value strongly correlates with different agro-economic and socio-environmental indicators, but in different ways. Our findings promote “eating local” besides improving agro-economic and socio-environmental conditions to take transformative steps toward eradicating food insecurity not only in Iran but also in other countries facing water limitations.

scholarly journals On-farm trees are a safety net for the poorest households rather than a major contributor to food security in Rwanda

Food Security ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alain Ndoli ◽  
Athanase Mukuralinda ◽  
Antonius G. T. Schut ◽  
Miyuki Iiyama ◽  
Jean Damascene Ndayambaje ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Household Income ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Scale Up ◽  
Safety Net ◽  
Farm Size ◽  
Income Sources ◽  
Agroforestry Practice ◽  
On Farm ◽  
Agroforestry Practices

AbstractThe world is challenged to meet the food demand of a growing population, especially in developing countries. Given the ambitious plans to scale up agroforestry in Africa, an improved understanding of the effect of agroforestry practices on the already challenged food security of rural households is crucial. The present study was undertaken to assess how on-farm trees impacted food security in addition to other household income sources in Rwanda. In each of the six agroecologies of Rwanda, a stratified sampling procedure was used where two administrative cells (4th formal administrative level) were selected in which households were randomly selected for interviews. A survey including 399 farmers was conducted and farmers were grouped in three types of agroforestry practice (i) low practitioners (LAP) represented by the first tertile, (ii) medium practitioners (MAP) represented by the second tertile and (iii) high practitioners (HAP) represented by the third tertile of households in terms of tree number. Asset values, household income sources, crop production, farm size, crop yield, and food security (food energy needs) were quantified among the types of agroforestry practice. A larger proportion of HAP households had access to adequate quantity and diversity of food when compared with MAP and LAP households. Food security probability was higher for households with more resources, including land, trees and livestock, coinciding with an increased crop and livestock income. We found no difference in asset endowment among types of agroforestry practices, while farmers in agroecologies with smaller farms (0.42 ha to 0.66 ha) had more on-farm trees (212 to 358 trees per household) than farms in agroecologies with larger farms (0.96 ha to 1.23 ha) which had 49 to 129 trees per household, probably due to differences in biophysical conditions. A positive association between tree density and food security was found in two out of six agroecologies. The proportion of income that came from tree products was high (> 20%) for a small fraction of farmers (12%), with the more food insecure households relying more on income from tree products than households with better food security status. Thus, tree income can be percieved as a “safety net” for the poorest households.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document