Agile Agricultural System Using Wireless Fidelity

The decay of leaf litter by microflora and fauna furnish nutrient supply to the soil and also uphold ecological sustainability. Applying of proper technique and exploring of result provides information for the betterment of agricultural system. Vermicomposting of Sandalwood (Santalum album) leaf litters were studied with an emphasis of physio-chemical deviation during the process and also compared with 100 % cattle dung. Obtained result explore that temperate of 50 % leaf litter (LL) and 100 % cattle dung (CD) was slightly elevated (37ºC ±1 ºC and 35ºC ±1 ºC respectively) at beginning phase and later came down to ambient level (20ºC±1 ºC). The total organic carbon (TOC) exhausted 44 % in 50 % LL Vermicomposting mixture while 70 % in 100 % CD during the process. At the final stage, TOC found more in 50% LL as compared to 100% CD. Nitrogen content was found 1.02±0.1 in 50 % LL and 0.88±0.1 in 100 % CD at the initial phase but after completion of Vermicomposting, their level was increased up to 40 to 44 %. pH was also measured during vermicomposting and found 7.2±0.1 in 50% LL while 8.4±0.1 in 100% CD at the initial phase. The at the end of process pH raised and set up to 8.2 ±0.1 in 50% LL while in 100% CD it was found 8.0 ±0.1.

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Designing an agricultural system to enhance the quality of human life based on the capability approach

International Journal of Sustainable Design ◽

10.1504/ijsdes.2020.112168 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 3 (4) ◽

pp. 251

Author(s):

Masahito Enomoto

Keyword(s):

Capability Approach ◽

Human Life ◽

Agricultural System ◽

The Capability Approach

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The Role of Selected Ecosystem Services in Different Farming Systems in Poland Regarding the Differentiation of Agricultural Land Structure

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13126673 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (12) ◽

pp. 6673

Author(s):

Lidia Luty ◽

Kamila Musiał ◽

Monika Zioło

Keyword(s):

Ecosystem Services ◽

Agricultural Land ◽

Soil Formation ◽

Farming Systems ◽

Agricultural System ◽

Organic System ◽

Supporting Soil ◽

Management Method ◽

The Impact

The functioning of various agroecosystems is nowadays shaped by different farming systems, which may impair their functions, as well as being beneficial to them. The benefits include ecosystem services, defined as economic and noneconomic values gained by humans from ecosystems, through supporting soil formation and nutrient circulation, and the impact of agriculture on climate and biodiversity. Their mutual flow and various disturbances depend on the agroecosystem’s management method, which is associated with the type of management of agricultural land (AL) in individual farms. This paper raises a problem of transformation in the structure of three main farming systems in Poland, in 2004–2018, in relation to the implementation of 16 selected ecosystem services and their scale. Special attention was given to organic farming, as the most environmentally friendly and sustainable. The analysis demonstrates the increase in ALs in that type of production during the analyzed period of time. Disparities of transformation associated with the type of agricultural system were noticeable at the regional level, which were presented in 16 Polish voivodeships. The results of the analysis confirm that the organic system, which is an important carrier of various ecosystem services, gained a stable position. Moreover, areas with integrated farming still do not exceed 0.5% of total agricultural lands in such voivodeships. The analysis of factors influencing the deterioration or disappearance of selected environmental services characterizing agricultural systems indicates the need to depart from an intensive conventional management system.

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Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra)—Growth and Phytochemical Compound Secretion in Degraded Lands under Drought Stress

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13052923 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (5) ◽

pp. 2923

Author(s):

Botir Khaitov ◽

Munisa Urmonova ◽

Aziz Karimov ◽

Botirjon Sulaymonov ◽

Kholik Allanov ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Drought Stress ◽

Water Deficit ◽

Background Field ◽

Field Trials ◽

Glycyrrhiza Glabra ◽

Agricultural System ◽

Positive Effects ◽

Relative Water ◽

Moderate Drought ◽

Four Levels

Water deficiency restricts plant productivity, while excessive soil moisture may also have an adverse impact. In light of this background, field trials were conducted in secondary saline soil (EC 6.5 dS m−1) at the experimental station of Tashkent State Agrarian University (TSAU), Uzbekistan to determine drought tolerance of licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) by exposure to four levels of water deficit, namely control (70–80%), moderate (50–60%), strong (30–40%) and intense (10–20%) relative water content (WC) in the soil. The moderate drought stress exhibited positive effects on the morphological and physiological parameters of licorice, and was considered to be the most suitable water regime for licorice cultivation. Plant growth under the 50–60% WC treatment was slightly higher as compared to 70–80% WC treatment, exhibiting weak water deficit promotes licorice growth, root yield and secondary metabolite production. In particular, secondary metabolites i.e., ash, glycyrrhizic acid, extractive compounds and flavonoids, tended to increase under moderate water deficit, however further drought intensification brought a sharp decline of these values. These results contribute to the development of licorice cultivation technologies in arid regions and the most important consideration is the restoration of ecological and economical functions of the dryland agricultural system.

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Maize intercropping in the milpa system. Diversity, extent and importance for nutritional security in the Western Highlands of Guatemala

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-82784-2 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Santiago Lopez-Ridaura ◽

Luis Barba-Escoto ◽

Cristian A. Reyna-Ramirez ◽

Carlos Sum ◽

Natalia Palacios-Rojas ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quantitative Analysis ◽

Farm Households ◽

Small Scale ◽

Agricultural System ◽

Energy Yield ◽

Common Beans ◽

Nutritional Security ◽

Nutrient Adequacy ◽

Faba Beans ◽

Total Productivity

AbstractWe present an assessment of the extent, diversity, and nutritional contribution of the milpa through a quantitative analysis of data from a survey conducted in 989 small scale farm households in the Western Highlands of Guatemala (WHG). The milpa is a traditional agricultural system in which maize is intercropped with other species, such as common beans, faba beans, squashes or potatoes. Our study shows that more than two-thirds of the 1,205 plots recorded were under the milpa system, with a great diversity of crop combinations. As shown with the 357 plots for which specific yields were available, milpa systems present higher total productivity than monocropped maize, expressed as total energy yield of the harvested crops in the respective system, and were also better at providing the recommended daily allowances of fourteen essential nutrients, based on a Potential Nutrient Adequacy (PNA) indicator. Maize-bean-potato, maize-potato, and maize-bean-faba intercrops had the highest PNAs, and monocropped maize, the lowest. These results support the implementation of milpa systems tailored to different agro-ecologies in order to improve nutrition in the WHG and a variety of similar regions.

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Nano humidity and temperature sensors activated water pump agricultural system

10.1063/5.0044234 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Tijjani Adam ◽

U. Hashim ◽

Yab Chee Thing ◽

M. N. Afnan Uda ◽

M. N. A. Uda

Keyword(s):

Temperature Sensors ◽

Agricultural System ◽

Water Pump

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An Ecosystem-Based Approach to Climate-Smart Agriculture with Some Considerations for Social Equity

Agronomy ◽

10.3390/agronomy11081564 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (8) ◽

pp. 1564

Author(s):

Kofi Akamani

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Food Security ◽

Ecosystem Management ◽

Social Equity ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Management Approach ◽

Agricultural System ◽

Illustrative Case ◽

Mitigation And Adaptation ◽

Smart Agriculture

Although the transition to industrial agriculture in the 20th century resulted in increased agricultural productivity and efficiency, the attainment of global food security continues to be elusive. Current and anticipated impacts of climate change on the agricultural sector are likely to exacerbate the incidence of food insecurity. In recent years, climate-smart agriculture has gained recognition as a mechanism that has the potential to contribute to the attainment of food security and also enhance climate change mitigation and adaptation. However, several conceptual and implementation shortfalls have limited the widespread adoption of this innovative agricultural system at the landscape scale. This manuscript argues for the use of ecosystem management as an overarching framework for the conceptualization and implementation of climate-smart agriculture. The manuscript focuses on clarifying the foundational assumptions and management goals, as well as the knowledge and institutional requirements of climate-smart agriculture using the principles of ecosystem management. Potential challenges that may be faced by the application of an ecosystem management approach to climate-smart agriculture are also discussed. Furthermore, the manuscript calls for a heightened focus on social equity in the transition toward an ecosystem-based approach to climate-smart agriculture. The US farm bill is used as an illustrative case study along with other examples drawn mostly from sub-Saharan Africa.

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Advances in Cereal Crop Genomics for Resilience under Climate Change

Life ◽

10.3390/life11060502 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (6) ◽

pp. 502

Author(s):

Tinashe Zenda ◽

Songtao Liu ◽

Anyi Dong ◽

Huijun Duan

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Genome Sequencing ◽

Gene Editing ◽

Agronomic Traits ◽

Cereal Crops ◽

Agricultural System ◽

Plant Genomics ◽

Crop Species ◽

Underutilized Species ◽

Recent Developments

Adapting to climate change, providing sufficient human food and nutritional needs, and securing sufficient energy supplies will call for a radical transformation from the current conventional adaptation approaches to more broad-based and transformative alternatives. This entails diversifying the agricultural system and boosting productivity of major cereal crops through development of climate-resilient cultivars that can sustainably maintain higher yields under climate change conditions, expanding our focus to crop wild relatives, and better exploitation of underutilized crop species. This is facilitated by the recent developments in plant genomics, such as advances in genome sequencing, assembly, and annotation, as well as gene editing technologies, which have increased the availability of high-quality reference genomes for various model and non-model plant species. This has necessitated genomics-assisted breeding of crops, including underutilized species, consequently broadening genetic variation of the available germplasm; improving the discovery of novel alleles controlling important agronomic traits; and enhancing creation of new crop cultivars with improved tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses and superior nutritive quality. Here, therefore, we summarize these recent developments in plant genomics and their application, with particular reference to cereal crops (including underutilized species). Particularly, we discuss genome sequencing approaches, quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping and genome-wide association (GWAS) studies, directed mutagenesis, plant non-coding RNAs, precise gene editing technologies such as CRISPR-Cas9, and complementation of crop genotyping by crop phenotyping. We then conclude by providing an outlook that, as we step into the future, high-throughput phenotyping, pan-genomics, transposable elements analysis, and machine learning hold much promise for crop improvements related to climate resilience and nutritional superiority.

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