scholarly journals Using an Agroecological Approach to Farming Systems Research

2002 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 345-354 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Delate
Keyword(s):  
Focus Groups ◽  
Systems Theory ◽  
Plant Protection ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Organic Production ◽  
Theory Approach ◽  
Organic Systems ◽  
Systems Research

Sales of organic products reached $8 billion in the U.S. in 2000, continuing the nearly decade-long trend of 20% annual growth. In Iowa alone, organic production for all crops was 5265 ha (13,000 acres) in 1995 but 60,750 ha (150,000 acres) in 1999. Despite the growth in organic agriculture, our knowledge of organic farming systems remains limited. We have adopted a systems theory approach in our current research program at Iowa State University (ISU) to help address this gap in understanding. Systems theory holds that biological systems, such as agroecosystems, consist of integrated units of people, plants, animals, soil, insects and microorganisms, and each subsystem provides feedback to the other. In order to obtain input on research questions and experimental design, the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture and ISU held six focus groups across Iowa in 1998 before long-term site establishment. Producers and agricultural professionals at the focus groups supported the need for long-term agroecological research (LTAR) sites in four distinct agroecological zones in Iowa. The goal of each LTAR is to examine the short- and long-term physical, biological, and socioeconomic effects of organic and conventional farming systems. By establishing long-term experiments, we are testing the hypothesis that longer crop rotations, typical of organic farms, provide yield stability, improve plant protection, and enhance soil health and economic benefits compared to conventional systems with shorter rotations and greater off-farm inputs. Examples of research results from two LTAR experiments in Iowa include similar pepper (Capsicum annuum) and soybean (Glycine max) yields in the conventional and organic systems. Organic systems used mechanical weed control and locally produced compost in place of synthetic fertilizers. Feedback from the local farm associations that are responsible for farm stewardship and farm finances is inherent in the LTAR process.

scholarly journals Development and Implementation of a Long-term Agricultural Systems Study: Challenges and Opportunities

2002 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 362-368 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.P. Mueller ◽  
M. E. Barbercheck ◽  
M. Bell ◽  
C. Brownie ◽  
N.G. Creamer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
North Carolina ◽  
Production System ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Organic Production ◽  
Soil Parameters ◽  
State University ◽  
Agricultural Systems ◽  
Systems Research ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities

The Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS) is dedicated to farming systems that are environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable. Established in 1994 at the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDACS) Cherry Farm near Goldsboro, N.C.; CEFS operations extend over a land area of about 800 ha (2000 acres) [400 ha (1000 acres) cleared]. This unique center is a partnership among North Carolina State University (NCSU), North Carolina Agriculture and Technical State University (NCATSU), NCDACS, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), other state and federal agencies, farmers and citizens. Long-term approaches that integrate the broad range of factors involved in agricultural systems are the focus of the Farming Systems Research Unit. The goal is to provide the empirical framework to address landscape-scale issues that impact long-run sustainability of North Carolina's agriculture. To this end, data collection and analyses include soil parameters (biological, chemical, physical), pests and predators (weeds, insects and disease), crop factors (growth, yield, and quality), economic factors, and energy issues. Five systems are being compared: a successional ecosystem, a plantation forestry-woodlot, an integrated crop-animal production system, an organic production system, and a cash-grain [best management practice (BMP)] cropping system. An interdisciplinary team of scientistsfrom the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at NCSU and NCATSU, along with individuals from the NCDACS, NGO representatives, and farmers are collaborating in this endeavor. Experimental design and protocol are discussed, in addition to challenges and opportunities in designing and implementing long-term farming systems trials.

An Agro-Economic Analysis of Field Trials from a Farming Systems Research Perspective: Weed Control in Rainfed Lowland Rice in Senegal

1991 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 231-241 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua L. Posner ◽  
Eric W. Crawford
Keyword(s):  
Economic Analysis ◽  
Weed Control ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Economic Effects ◽  
Lowland Rice ◽  
Direct Seeding ◽  
Research Perspective ◽  
Systems Research ◽  
Rainfed Lowland

SummaryUsing a farming systems approach, a multidisciplinary team in southern Senegal examined three strategies for weed control in rainfed lowland rice: use of herbicide; replacement of broadcast seeding by row seeding with mechanical seeders; and transplanting compared with direct seeding of rice. Thorough evaluation of the agronomic and economic benefits of these strategies for farmers was facilitated by supplementing the standard analysis of on-farm trials with multivariate analysis incorporating agronomic survey data to explain treatment effects better, and by considering technical and economic effects throughout the farming system. The agro-economic analysis led the team to conclude that: where soils are productive, herbicide use is a profitable investment; when converting to direct seeding, farmers should facilitate weeding by seeding in rows with a mechanical seeder; and transplanting should not be discouraged in areas where it is still feasible, since it is less time-consuming, fits in better with other farm activities and requires less fertilizer.

Profitability of coupled potato and dairy farms in Maine

2006 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 261-272 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aaron K. Hoshide ◽  
Timothy J. Dalton ◽  
Smith N. Stewart
Keyword(s):  
Returns To Scale ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Dairy Farms ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Coupled Systems ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Livestock Farming ◽  
Livestock Farming Systems ◽  
Integrated Or

AbstractAfter decades of farm specialization, re-integrating crop and livestock farming systems is being reconsidered as a key step toward sustainable agriculture. The relative profitability of Maine farms integrating crops and livestock is compared to non-integrated or conventional farms. Crop and livestock integration in Maine occurs through either diversified on-farm integration or, more commonly, through coupled interactions between specialized crop and livestock producers. Potato and dairy systems coupled for only 2 years (short-term) had greater profitability compared to conventional systems. Profitability increased in the short term in two ways. First, potato farms grew more of their primary cash crop. Secondly, dairy farms expanded cow numbers, increasing profitability assuming increasing returns to scale. Coupled systems integrated for more than 10 years (long-term) had more favorable profitability than short-term couplers since greater manure-nutrient credits were taken for potatoes and silage corn. The advantages of potato–dairy integration were even greater if potato yields increased in the long term, as suggested by long-term rotation plot studies in Maine. Even if coupling is more profitable than non-integrated systems, it requires that farms be in close proximity and for farmers to have adequate working relationships and management skills. Despite these challenges to re-integrating crops and livestock, short- and long-term economic benefits may encourage farmers in appropriate areas to consider coupling with other producers.

Long-term farming systems research in the central High Plains

2012 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 183-193 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rajan Ghimire ◽  
Jay B. Norton ◽  
Urszula Norton ◽  
John P. Ritten ◽  
Peter D. Stahl ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Climatic Variability ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Integration Scheme ◽  
High Plains ◽  
Variable Environment ◽  
Systems Research ◽  
Central High ◽  
Livestock Systems

AbstractIn recent decades, there has been growing interest among farming and scientific communities toward integrated crop–range–livestock farming because of evidence of increased crop production, soil health, environmental services and resilience to increased climatic variability. This paper reviews studies on existing cropping systems and integrated crop–range–livestock systems across the USA which are relevant in the context of summarizing opportunities and challenges associated with implementing long-term crop–range–livestock systems research in the highly variable environment of the central High Plains. With precipitation ranging from 305 to 484mm and uncertain irrigation water supply, this region is especially vulnerable to changing moisture and temperature patterns. The results of our review indicate that diverse crop rotations, reduced soil disturbance and integrated crop–livestock systems could increase economic returns and agroecosystem resilience. Integrating agricultural system components to acquire unique benefits from small- to medium-sized operations, however, is a challenging task. This is because assessment and identification of suitable farming systems, selection of the most efficient integration scheme, and pinpointing the best management practices are crucial for successful integration of components. Effective integration requires development of evaluation criteria that incorporate the efficiency of approaches under consideration and their interactions. Therefore, establishing the basis for more sustainable farming systems in the central High Plains relies on both long-term agricultural systems research and evaluation of short-term dynamics of individual components.

An economic comparison of organic and conventional grain crops in a long-term agroecological research (LTAR) site in lowa

2003 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 59-69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen Delate ◽  
Michael Duffy ◽  
Craig Chase ◽  
Ann Holste ◽  
Heather Friedrich ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Economic Analysis ◽  
Economic Performance ◽  
Organic Production ◽  
Price Premiums ◽  
Organic Systems ◽  
Production Practices ◽  
Certified Organic ◽  
Economic Comparison ◽  
Term Analysis

AbstractBased on the interest of organic and conventional farmers in Iowa in long-term analysis of organic systems, the Neely-Kinyon Long-Term Agroecological Research (LTAR) site was established in 1998 to examine the agronomic and economic performance of conventional and organic systems, using certified organic production practices. We report the results of the economic analysis from 3 years of production (1999–2001). Using organic price premiums for organic crops, returns for corn within the organic corn-soybean-oat and corn-soybean-oat-alfalfa rotations were significantly greater than conventional corn-soybean rotation returns (US$126 ha−1). Com returns were not significantly different between the two organic rotations, at US$655 ha−1 and US$674 ha−1, respectively. Returns for soybean within the organic corn-soybean-oat and com-soybean-oat-alfalfa rotations were not significantly different, at US$1233 ha−1 and US$1326 ha−1, respectively. Organic soybean returns were significantly greater than conventional soybean crop returns (US$235 ha−1) in the corn-soybean rotation. Rotational 3-year average returns were US$180 ha−1 for the conventional corn-soybean rotation, compared to US$734 ha−1 for the organic corn-soybean-oat and US$739 ha−1 for the organic com-soybean-oat-alfalfa rotation.

scholarly journals Presence of aflatoxins and deoxynivalenol in seeds of maize, spelt wheat and soya bean - preliminary research

2020 ◽  
pp. 19-28
Author(s):  
Jelena Golijan ◽  
Slavoljub Lekic ◽  
Gorica Vukovic ◽  
Mile Secanski
Keyword(s):  
Aflatoxin B1 ◽  
Plant Protection ◽  
Soya Bean ◽  
Organic Production ◽  
Spelt Wheat ◽  
Conventional Production ◽  
Synthetic Pesticides ◽  
Preliminary Research ◽  
Long Term Studies

Mycotoxins naturally contaminate plant - based food. Since organic production does not allow the use of synthetic pesticides in plant protection, many researchers state that organically produced foods are more contaminated with mycotoxins than conven?tional ones. In this regard, the aim of this study was to observe the content of aflatoxins B1, B2, G1 and G2 and deoxynivalenol, as the most common mycotoxins, in organically and conventionally produced seeds of maize, spelt wheat and soya been during the 2015-2017 period. The HPLC/FLD and HPLC/DAD were used to determine the presence of aflatoxins and deoxynivalenol, respectively. The highest number of samples was not positive to the presence of these mycotoxins. Aflatoxin B1 (1.16 ?g/kg) and deoxynivalenol (101.53 ?g/kg) were detected only in the sample of organic maize harvested in 2015. Based on obtained results, no conclusion can be drawn on the effects of organic and conventional production on contents of mycotoxins in seeds of maize, spelt wheat and soya bean, and further long-term studies are required.

scholarly journals 687 Implementation of Long-term Farming Systems Studies: Challenges and Opportunities

HortScience ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 517C-517
Author(s):  
N.G. Creamer ◽  
J.P. Mueller
Keyword(s):  
North Carolina ◽  
Production System ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Growth Yield ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Organic Production ◽  
Technical State ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities

The Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS) is dedicated to developing farming systems that are environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable. Established in 1994 at the North Carolina Dept. of Agriculture Cherry Farm near Goldsboro, CEFS has >2000 acres (1000 cleared). This unique center is a partnership among North Carolina State Univ., North Carolina Agriculture and Technical State Univ., North Carolina Dep. of Agriculture and Consumer Services, nongovernmental organizations, and other state and federal agencies, farmers, and citizens. Long-term cropping systems that integrate the broad range of factors involved in agricultural systems is the focus of the Cropping Systems Unit at CEFS. The USDA SARE program has provided funding to help establish a comprehensive long-term, large-scale experiment. Data collection and analyses include comprehensive soil and water quality, pests and predators (weeds, insects, and disease), crop factors (growth, yield, and quality), economic factors (viability, on/off farm impact, and community), and energy issues. Systems being compared are a successional ecosystem, plantation forestry/wood lot, integrated crop/animal production system, organic production system, and a cash-grain cropping system (BMP). An interdisciplinary team of scientists from almost every department from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, along with faculty from North Carolina Agriculture and Technical State Univ., NGO representatives, and farmers are collaborating in this endeavor. Challenges and opportunities in building collaborative teams and setting up such long-term trials will be discussed.

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