Irrigation water saving through adoption of direct rice sowing technology in the Indo-Gangetic Plains: empirical evidence from Pakistan

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 610-620 ◽  
Author(s):  
Akhter Ali ◽  
Dil Bahadur Rahat ◽  
Olaf Erenstein

The main purpose of this article is to estimate the impact of the direct rice sowing (DRS) technology on irrigation water saving in the Indo-Gangetic plains. For this study, a comprehensive data set was collected from the rice-wheat area of the Pakistani Punjab. In total, 238 farmers were interviewed from the three major rice-producing districts i.e. Gujranwala, Sheikhupura and Hafizabad. The empirical analysis was carried out by employing the propensity score matching approach to correct for potential sample selection bias that may arise due to systematic differences between the participants and non-participants. The empirical results indicate that the DRS technology is a water saving technology and, on average, the adopters need four less irrigation as compared to the traditional transplanting method. The DRS technology is also labour saving and requires less labour than the conventional rice sowing technology. The water productivity of the DRS technology is also higher as compared to the conventional transplanting method. The DRS technology also has a beneficial yield impact on the subsequent wheat crop. However, the major problem with the DRS technology is weed infestation which needs to be addressed. Farm size analysis indicates that DRS technology has a positive impact for all farmers and particularly on the small and medium scale farmers.

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (AAEBSSD) ◽  
pp. 340-347
Author(s):  
Sumandeep Kaur ◽  
Arun Kaushal ◽  
Pramodkumar Shelke

Surge irrigation is the intermittent application of water to surface irrigated furrows or borders in a series of relatively short on and off time periods during the irrigation which may be between 20 minutes to two hours. In this technique, water is usually applied intermittently rather than with a continuous stream, as in conventional surface irrigation..Water productivity and water saving of six crops viz. wheat, cotton, maize, capsicum, onion and fennel under surge irrigation were compared with traditional method for the crops grown in different environmental conditions at different location of the world.It is concluded that surge flow irrigation performs better than continuous flow irrigation in terms of water saving and yield resulting in enhancement of water productivity. In case of wheat crop, surge irrigation saved and decreased irrigation water by 27, 33.4 and 37.4 % and increased yield by 15.1, 17.7 and 12.7 % under slope of 0.0, 0.1 and 0.2 % respectively compared with continuous flow irrigation for the same discharge. It had the maximum water use efficiency values of 1.39, 1.56 and 1.59 kg/m3 for surge flow irrigation under slopes of 0.0, 0.1 and 0.2 %, respectively.Surge irrigation system for maize obtained the highest value of WUE (1.63 kg/m3) with 40 m furrow length under 12.24 l/min inflow rate, while the lowest value of WUE obtained by continuous irrigation system, with 20 m furrow length under 44.4 l/min inflow rate (1.05 kg/m3). It can be applied by farmers in areas where irrigation water is limiting factor in crop production and farmers cannot afford costly micro-irrigation system.


2019 ◽  
Vol 80 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martinson Ankrah Twumasi ◽  
Yuansheng Jiang ◽  
Monica Owusu Acheampong

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to determine the factors influencing rural youth farmers’ credit constraints status and the effect of credit constraint on the intensity of participation of these farmers in Ghana. Design/methodology/approach The econometric estimation is based on cross-sectional data collected in 2018 from the Brong Ahafo region in Ghana. The sample data set consists of 450 rural youth farmers. The collected data were analyzed through different econometric techniques, using the endogenous switching regression model (ERSM). Findings The direct elicitation approach employed in this study revealed that out of the 450 farmers, 211 (47 percent) of the respondents were credit constrained compared to 239 (53 percent) of their counterparts who were unconstrained. The ERSM indicated that youth farmers education, age, savings, parents occupation reduced the probability of the rural youth farmer to be credit constrained but cumbersome loan application procedure and loan disbursement time positively affect credit constraint. Moreover, farmers that are credit constrained have lower intensity of participation in agriculture activities than a random farmer from the sample. This suggests that access to credit has a positive impact on the intensity of participation in agriculture activities. Research limitations/implications In this study, only rural youth farmers in a particular region were considered. However, there are youths all over the nation. Therefore, future researchers could consider other youth’s farmers elsewhere in the country. Originality/value Although existing studies have examined rural youth farmers’ participation in agriculture and credit constraint separately, the unique contribution of this paper is the analysis of credit constraint of rural youth farmers as well as the impact of credit constraint on the intensity of participation in agriculture activities.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-75
Author(s):  
B. D. Adamu ◽  
H. Y. Michael

This study examined the impact of Development Exchange Centre microcredit programme on crops output and standard of living among women farmers in Kaduna State, Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling method was employed to select 420 respondents. Primary data were collected through the use of questionnaires and were subjected to both descriptive and inferential statistics. The mean farming experience was 22 years for DEC participants and 19 years for non-DEC participants while mean farm size for participants and non-DEC participants was 2.0 ha. Determinant of standard of living on programme participants, the study concludes that, age (0.0405, P<0.01), farm size (47.510, P<0.01), education, credit (0.6031, P< 0.01) and extension contact (0.002, P< 0.01), had direct relationship with the standard of living of programme  participants, This implies DEC, increase the standard of living of  programme participants in Kaduna State. Determinant of crops output of programme participants shows that, farm size (0.046, P<0.01), credit (0.821, P< 0.01), extension contact (0.0542, P< 0.05). F-chow statistics shows that DEC microcredit had positive impact on crops output of programme participants. Z – statistics also indicated positive impact on living standard of the participants. It was recommended that, DEC microcredit organization should increase the amount of loan disbursement to N100, 000, so as to increase participation; extend the repayment period, lowered interest rates and extend the programme to other farming communities in Kaduna State, there by improving the standard of living of women farmers in the state


2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 411-431
Author(s):  
Benlu Hai ◽  
Qingzhu Gao ◽  
Ximing Yin ◽  
Jin Chen

Purpose Significant increase or decrease in research and development (R&D) expenditure may have an immense impact on market value. Based on the punctuated equilibrium theory, this paper aims to empirically analyze the impact of R&D volatilities on market value and the moderating effect of executive overconfidence. Design/methodology/approach The study uses the panel data set that covers 902 Shanghai and Shenzhen A-share manufacturing listed firms and multiple regression method to test the theoretical hypotheses. Findings The results show that both positive and negative R&D volatilities have a robust and significant positive impact on the market value. Further analysis shows that the executive overconfidence positively moderates the relationship between R&D volatilities and market value. Research limitations/implications In a rapidly changing and highly competitive environment, firms should recognize that the balance of innovation strategies will help to bring higher market value. Furthermore, firms could improve corporate governance to make the best of managerial characteristics, such as overconfidence, on the innovation decision-making process. Originality/value By pushing the static perspective to a dynamic perspective and empirically documenting the role of executive overconfidence, this study contributes to the literature on the relationship between R&D expenditure and market value, generating theoretical and practical insights for firms to improve innovation governance and innovation strategies to achieve better business performance.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Le Khuong Ninh

PurposeThis paper investigates the impact of education on output of rice farming households in Vietnam.Design/methodology/approachGiven the literature review, this paper specifies three empirical models (i.e. linear constant coefficient model, partially nonlinear model and linear varied coefficient model) with variables that well describe the mechanism through which education affects output. The data were collected from 901 rice farming households randomly selected out of ten provinces and city in the Mekong River Delta (MRD) of Vietnam. The models are estimated using ordinary least squares (OLS) and Robinson's (1988) double residual estimators.FindingsEstimates of the empirical models show that seed, fertilizer, labor and farm size have significant impacts on output of rice farming households while pesticide and herbicide do not. Education is also found to have a positive effect on output of rice farming households because it helps them better manage farms of larger size via combining various inputs in a more desirable way.Originality/valueThis paper confirms the positive impact of education on agricultural output, which implies that policies aiming to provide better education to rural people will greatly enhance their income as well as trigger long-term economic and agricultural growth.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 4917 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aleksander Grzelak ◽  
Jakub Staniszewski ◽  
Michał Borychowski

The theory about the impact of farm size, income and assets on the environmental approach of farmers is ambiguous. We contribute to the existing discussion in two ways. Firstly, we look for the determinants of the environmental approach. Secondly, we treat farm size as a heterogeneous factor, affected not only by the value of assets but also flows of incomes. The main objective of the article is, therefore, to recognize the impact of assets and income on the environmental approach of agricultural producers. We analyze the results of surveys carried out in 2020 on a group of 120 farms from the Wielkopolska region (Poland), using structural equation modelling (generalized structural equation modelling (GSEM)-multiple indicators and multiple causes (MIMIC) model). Our results indicate that both the income and assets of the agricultural producers have a positive impact on their approach to the environment. However, to a greater extent, the farmer’s approach to the environment is influenced more by income than by assets. This may be influenced by the capitalization of subsidies in the price of agricultural land, which makes this element of farm assets detached from real processes. It is easier for farms with a higher income and assets to realize the orientation towards sustainability.


2015 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 355-379 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ghasem Shiri ◽  
Loïc Sauvée ◽  
Zam-Zam Abdirahman

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to study the impact of networks diversity on innovation activity of firms. It aims to review the structural issue in innovation networks and to distinguish different structures of networks for product and process innovation through an empirical research. Design/methodology/approach – Using a data set of 348 European agri-food firms, the authors study the impact of bridge and redundant ties on product and process innovation of firms. This is an empirical research based on an online survey in five European countries. Findings – The finding shows that bridge ties (measured by the number of heterogeneous networks in which firm participate) always facilitate product innovation in firms. The authors found also that a high number of heterogeneous ties in term of partners (simultaneous presence of redundant and non-redundant ties) motivate both product and process innovation in firms. Furthermore, the authors found a positive impact of network competence on process innovation. Research limitations/implications – The measures of bridge ties and redundant ties are indirect measures. This choice is a willing choice. Direct measurement of bridge and redundant ties always requires in-depth interviews with firms managers and thereby are limited by the number of observations. Originality/value – Research on innovations networks are dominated by case studies and researches with limited number of observations. Studying the networking behaviour, particularly the tie selection, of a wide range of firms brings additional knowledge in this field of research.


Author(s):  
Joshua A. Eaton ◽  
David J. Mendonça ◽  
Matthew-Donald D. Sangster

Objective: This research studies the impact of role familiarity on team performance by examining performance of the “Carry” role in the Multi-player Online Battle Arena gaming environment, League of Legends™. Background: Roles are typically defined as stable patterns of expectations, relationships, and behaviors. As social constructs, roles therefore include notions of status, relationships with additional social actors, and of defined sets of behaviors tied to the assigned role. We hypothesize that the importance of role familiarity in teams is mediated by the nature and extent of team members’ experience working together in defined roles. Methods: The data set used for this study is from League of Legends’ Application Program Interface and consists of ranked match play from 2011–2016. Results: ANOVA and visualization techniques are used to explore match-level data in order to address the proposed research questions. The proportion of time the same team member is assigned to the “Carry” role (role familiarity) has a direct and positive impact on team performance. Conclusions: This study shows how objective, detailed data on teamwork may be used to provide insights into questions of the composition and performance of teams. Additionally, the results illustrate the importance of role familiarity in the performance of teams. Application: This research highlights the value and feasibility of studying virtual teams for new insights into team performance.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyle Barron ◽  
Edward Kung ◽  
Davide Proserpio

We assess the impact of Airbnb on residential house prices and rents: using a data set of Airbnb listings from the entire United States and an instrumental variables estimation strategy, we show that Airbnb has a positive impact on house prices and rents.


2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 327-364
Author(s):  
Mahfoudh Hussein Mgammal

Purpose This paper aims to examine the impact of corporate tax planning (TP) on tax disclosure (TD). Using tax expenses data set, with the detailed effective tax rate (ETR) by reconciling individual items of income and expenses. Design/methodology/approach A firm-level panel data set is used to analyse 286 non-financial listed companies on Bursa Malaysia that spans the period 2010-2012. Multivariate statistical analyses were run on the sample data. The empirical understanding of TD depends on public sources of data in the financial statement, characterized in the aggregated note of tax expenses. Fitting with Malaysian environment, the authors measured TD using modified ETR reconciling items. Findings Results show that TP, exhibit a robust positive influence on TD. This suggests that TP is related to lower corporate TD. In addition, companies with high TP attempt to mitigate the disclosure problem by increasing various TD. The authors further find significant positive impact between each of firm size and industry dummy, on TD. This means that company-specific characteristics are significant factors affecting corporate TD. Research limitations/implications This study contributes to the literature on the effect of TP on TD. It depends on both the signalling theory and the Scholes–Wolfson framework, which are the main theories concerned with TP and TD. Therefore, from a theoretical side, the authors add to the current theories by verifying that users are the party influenced whether positively or negatively, by the extent of TD or the extent of TP activities through Malaysian organizations. Practical implications The evidence found in this paper has important policy and practical implications for the authorities, researchers, decision makers and company managers. The findings can provide them some relevant insights on the importance of TP actions from companies’ perspective and contribute to the discussion of who verifies and deduces from TD directed by companies. Originality/value This paper originality is regarded as the first attempt to examine the impact of TP on TD in a developing country such as Malaysia. Malaysian setting is an interesting one to examine because Malaysia could be similar to other countries in Southeast Asia. Results contribute significant insights to the discussion about TD regarding, which parties are responsible for the verification of TD by firms, and which parties benefit from this disclosure. Findings suggest that companies face a trade-off between tax benefits and TD when selecting the type of their TP.


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