Farmer-led Innovations in Rice Farming System in the Flood-prone Ecosystem of Bangladesh

2010 ◽  
pp. 6-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Shahe Alam ◽  
MM Husain ◽  
MZ Abedin

Farmers in the flood-prone areas of Faridpur district have innovated rice-based farming technologies to improve their farm production and household income. One of such innovations is relay cropping of modern variety (MV) rice with jute. In order to investigate the detail socioeconomic issues of this farmer-led innovation, a survey-based study was undertaken during 2003. The analysis revealed that, following Jute + rice relay cropping method, farmers could enrich their farm productivity and household income. Farmers’ innovation involves lesser production costs compared to the conventional method and obtained much higher gross margin. Moreover, the new method proved to be advantageous in several ways: (i) the innovation involves about 6% less labour in MV Aman cultivation; (ii) under this technology, MV Aman rice can escape water stress in October, i.e. needs no supplemental irrigation; (iii) farmers have the scope of bearing almost 20% less input cost; and (iv) farmers can avoid the botheration of Aman seed bed preparation. Partial budget analysis further showed that, farmers could receive higher profit of Tk.4021/ha through MV rice production as relay cropping with Jute compared to that of rice production as sequential cropping.

Author(s):  
Ahmed Abu Shaban

Organic farming has achieved significant growth in developing countries. However, it is still in some areas such as Gaza strip at embryonic stage. Introduction and promotion of organic farming would need more information about economic feasibility of shifting from the existing conventional farms to organic farming system. This is the main aim of this study. Data was collected from 100 randomly selected farmers in southern area of Gaza strip using standard questionnaire. Additional focus group discussions were conducted for further qualitative analyses. Data was also collected from the organic farm of Safe Agriculture Association where vegetables are organically produced and marketed. Gross margin and comparative analyses were used to describe cost structure of conventional and organic production and to assess economic potentialities to shift to organic farming. Results varied among vegetable crops as some crops showed very high economic potential to shift to organic farming while other crops did not. Major reasons for crops with good potential were higher yield under organic farming, premium market prices and lower production costs. Major reasons for lower economic potential to shift were the significant lower yield and higher production costs. The study recommends further technical research to explore organic production techniques that allows for higher yield and lower production cost. The study also recommends further market research to investigate consumers' preferences and willingness to pay for organic products.


Author(s):  
Thomas Koutsos ◽  
Georgios Menexes

Precision agriculture (PA) as an integrated information- and production-based farming system is designed to delivery high-end technology solutions to increase farm production efficiency and profitability while minimizing environmental impacts on the ecosystems and the environment. PA technologies are technology innovations that incorporate recent advances in modern agriculture providing evidence for lower production costs, increased farming efficiency and reduced impacts. However, the adoption of the precision agriculture technologies has encountered difficulties such as additional application or management costs and investment on new equipment and trained employees. Some of these PA technologies were proven efficient, providing tangible benefits with lower costs and as a result they quickly gained scientific interest. To investigate further the economic, agronomic, and environmental benefits from the adoption of PA technologies a systematic review was conducted, based on the systematic search and evaluation of related eligible articles.


Author(s):  
Ahmed Abu Shaban

Organic farming has achieved significant growth in developing countries. However, it is still in some areas such as Gaza strip at embryonic stage. Introduction and promotion of organic farming would need more information about economic feasibility of shifting from the existing conventional farms to organic farming system. This is the main aim of this study. Data was collected from 100 randomly selected farmers in southern area of Gaza strip using standard questionnaire. Additional focus group discussions were conducted for further qualitative analyses. Data was also collected from the organic farm of Safe Agriculture Association where vegetables are organically produced and marketed. Gross margin and comparative analyses were used to describe cost structure of conventional and organic production and to assess economic potentialities to shift to organic farming. Results varied among vegetable crops as some crops showed very high economic potential to shift to organic farming while other crops did not. Major reasons for crops with good potential were higher yield under organic farming, premium market prices and lower production costs. Major reasons for lower economic potential to shift were the significant lower yield and higher production costs. The study recommends further technical research to explore organic production techniques that allows for higher yield and lower production cost. The study also recommends further market research to investigate consumers' preferences and willingness to pay for organic products.


2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (3.2) ◽  
pp. 792
Author(s):  
L Lindawati ◽  
Mhd. Buhari Sibuea ◽  
Desi Novita ◽  
Muhammad Ilham Riyadh ◽  
Abdurrozzaq Hasibuan

Integrated farming system is a system that emphasized linkages and synergism of farming units waste utilization. The objective of this study was to analyze  the economic farming activity of Rice Livestock Integrated Farming System (RLIFS) and non RLIFS farmers. The results showed the usage allocation of family and external labor to RLIFS farmers was relatively greater than non RLIFS farmers. The RLIFS farmers’ income of rice farming, other crops and non-agricultural was relatively larger than non RLIFS  farmers, while non RLIFS farmers had greater income from livestock (cow and non cow) business and farm labor. The production costs of rice farming and livestock business were still greater in RLIFS farmers although they used manure produced by their own and also provide straw of rice production as animal feed. This was due to several factors (1) The proportion of the cost of using manure was very small in the cost of rice farming if the use of manure only a supporting fertilizer and not the main fertilizer for plant. (2) Some farmers were still buying and using anorganic or chemical fertilizers because of their mindset who wanted fast and instantaneous ones. Some farmers also felt that manure contained less nutrients so they used it in small quantities. The household income total of RLIFS farmers was higher than non RLIFS farmers.  


HortScience ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 55 (7) ◽  
pp. 1083-1089 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ravneet K. Sandhu ◽  
Nathan S. Boyd ◽  
Shaun Sharpe ◽  
Zhengfei Guan ◽  
Qi Qiu ◽  
...  

Strawberry growers face rising production costs combined with competition from foreign imports. Relay cropping vegetables with strawberries is a unique approach that can diversify income and reduce the risk associated with strawberry production. Planting vegetable transplants on the same bed before strawberry crop termination enables continued berry harvesting while the new vegetable transplants become established. Relay cropping techniques of strawberry with eggplants were evaluated during the 2016–17 and 2017–18 seasons in Balm, FL. The strawberry crop was planted in September, and eggplant was transplanted into the beds either as a sole crop or with strawberry plants. Two experiments were conducted to optimize the planting date of strawberries and the termination date of strawberries. The objective of the research was to examine the competitive relationship between strawberry and eggplant crops and to define the optimal planting date for the eggplant and termination date of strawberries to minimize the competitive interaction and maximize the yield of both crops. Strawberry yields were unaffected (P = 0.938) by relay cropping or by the planting date of the eggplant. Eggplants grown without strawberries had 27% to 32% higher yields (P = 0.004) compared with relay-cropped eggplants, and eggplant yield decreased with later planting dates (P < 0.001). A partial budget analysis showed that transplant dates of 4 and 18 Jan. for eggplants with strawberries resulted in increased profits of $7320 and $3461 per ha, respectively, over the baseline treatment of strawberries alone, but later planting dates resulted in an overall economic loss ($7800–$16,000/ha). Strawberry termination dates did not affect eggplant yields. In conclusion, relay cropping eggplants with strawberries resulted in no effect on strawberry yields, reduced eggplant yields, but increased overall profits when eggplant were transplanted in early to mid-January. Relay cropping of strawberries with eggplants in early February to early March is less profitable than a monocrop of strawberries.


2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 187 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arief Pambudi ◽  
Nita Noriko ◽  
Endah Permata Sari

<p><em>Abstrak -</em><strong> </strong><strong>Produksi padi di Indonesia setiap tahun mengalami peningkatan, namun peningkatan ini belum mampu memenuhi kebutuhan nasional sehingga impor masih harus dilakukan. Salah satu masalah dalam produksi beras adalah penggunaan pupuk berlebih yang tidak hanya meningkatkan biaya produksi, namun juga merusak kondisi tanah. Aplikasi bakteri tanah sebagai Plant <em>Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria</em> (PGPR) dapat menjadi salah satu solusi terhadap masalah ini. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengisolasi bakteri tanah dari 3 lokasi sawah daerah Bekasi, membandingkan keberadaan total bakteri pada ketiga lokasi tersebut,  dan melakukan karakterisasi isolat berdasarkan karakter yang dapat memicu pertumbuhan tanaman. Dari ketiga lokasi, diperoleh total 59 isolat dan 5 diantaranya berpotensi sebagai PGPR karena kemampuan fiksasi Nitrogen, melarutkan Fosfat, katalase positif, dan motil. Dari ketiga lokasi pengambilan sampel, BK1 memiliki jumlah total bakteri terendah karena aplikasi pemupukan dan pestisida berlebih yang ditandai tingginya kadar P total, serta tingginya residu klorpirifos, karbofuran, dan paration. Kondisi fisik tanah BK1 juga didominasi partikel liat yang menyebabkan tanah menjadi lebih padat. Peningkatan jumlah penggunaan pupuk tidak selalu diikuti peningkatan produktivitas tanaman.</strong></p><p> </p><p><strong><em>Kata Kunci</em></strong><strong><em> </em></strong>- <em>Bakteri tanah, Rhizosfer sawah, PGPR, Pupuk Hayati</em></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><em>Abstract</em><strong> - </strong><strong>Rice production in Indonesia has increased annually, but this increase has not reached national demand,so imports still done. </strong><strong>One of the problems in rice production is the use of excessive fertilizers that not only increase production costs, but also decreased the soil conditions. The application of soil bacteria as Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) can be the one solution to face this problem. The objective of this study was isolate soil bacteria from 3 locations of rice field in Bekasi, compare the total bacteria in the three locations, and characterize isolates based on the character that can promote plant growth. From three locations, a total of 59 isolates were obtained and 5 of them were potential as a PGPRs due to its Nitrogen fixation activity, Phosphate solubilization, positive catalase, and motility. From three sampling sites, BK1 has the lowest TPC value because of excessive  fertilizers and pesticides application which indicated by high total P levels, and also high chlorpyrifos, carbofuran and paration residues. The physical condition of BK1 soil is also dominated by clay particles which causes the soil more solid. Increasing of fertilizer application is not always followed by increased plant productivity.</strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong><em>Keywords</em></strong> - <em>Biofertilizer, PGPR, Rice field rhizosphere, Soil Bacteria</em></p>


2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 3020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Esperanza Arnés ◽  
Carlos G. H. Díaz-Ambrona ◽  
Omar Marín-González ◽  
Marta Astier

Farmer field schools (FFSs) emerged in response to the gap left by the worldwide decline in agricultural extension services. With time, this methodology has been adapted to specific rural contexts to solve problems related to the sustainability of peasant-farming systems. In this study we draw upon empirical data regarding the peasant-farming system in the Nicaraguan highlands to evaluate whether FFSs have helped communities improve the sustainability of their systems and the food security of their residents using socioeconomic, environmental, and food and nutrition security (FNS) indicators. In order to appreciate the long-term impact, we studied three communities where FFSs were implemented eight, five, and three years ago, respectively, and we included participants and nonparticipants from each community. We found that FFSs have a gradual impact, as there are significant differences between participants and nonparticipants, and it is the community that first implemented FFSs that scores highest. The impact of FFSs is broad and long lasting for indicators related to participation, access to basic services, and conservation of natural resources. Finally, this paper provides evidence that FFSs have the potential to empower farmers; however, more attention needs to be paid to critical indicators like production costs and the use of external inputs in order to scale up their potential in the future.


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. e4319119938
Author(s):  
Grasiele Coelho Cabral ◽  
Afonso Aurélio de Carvalho Peres ◽  
Ana Carla Chaves Dias ◽  
Wagner de Souza Tassinari ◽  
Maria Izabel Vieira de Almeida ◽  
...  

This study aimed to assess the economic and commercial performance of the Mangalarga Marchador horse breeding, and production costs in the Rio de Janeiro. Data was collected from the ABCCMM archives and from associated breeders, selected through stratified sampling by the mesoregions of the State of Rio de Janeiro. The main means of marketing the animals is selling on the farm. The average of horse’s sale per stud farm in the Rio de Janeiro is 14.92/year with the average of R$16,628.46/horse, generating an estimated sale at the farms of around R$192,026,783.88/year. The sale of mating (8.77 mating/year) and weaned foals (5.44 foals/year) contributed to the largest volume of sales at the stud farms. Donor mares (R$57,318,908.50) and mares (R$42,958,357.20) represented the highest in terms of market value throughout the Rio de Janeiro. The Coastal Lowlands mesoregion had the highest average of animals sold per stud farm/year (40.57 animals) and the Central Fluminense mesoregion had the lowest average (25.39 animals). The average commercialization per farm/year corresponds to R$385,667.90 and the average total value traded in the Rio de Janeiro is R$465,880,252.32/year. The average is 6.52 hired employees, which is equivalent to an average monthly labor gross cost of R$11,286.00. Rio de Janeiro employs around 5,584 people directly, the greatest numbers in the Metropolitan mesoregion (1,833 employees), and the lowest concentration in the Northern Fluminense mesoregion (530 employees). Together with the production costs, Mangalarga Marchador horse’s business turns over more than R$650 million per year in the Rio de Janeiro.


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