scholarly journals Sustainability Matters: Consumer Acceptance of Different Vertical Farming Systems

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (15) ◽  
pp. 4052 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristin Jürkenbeck ◽  
Andreas Heumann ◽  
Achim Spiller
Keyword(s):  
Structural Equation ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Farming System ◽  
Growth Conditions ◽  
Consumer Acceptance ◽  
Conventional Farming ◽  
Vertical Farming ◽  
The One ◽  
Global Population

Fresh produce within vertical farming systems grows vertically in different layers stacked atop each other, thus allowing for the efficient use of space. As the environment in vertical farming systems is completely controlled, neither sunlight nor soil is necessary. On the one hand, vertical farming may help to provide a healthy diet for the growing global population because it has a greater crop yield per square meter used than conventional farming; moreover, it can offer the opportunity to grow food in climatically disadvantaged areas. On the other hand, growth conditions may be perceived as unnatural and the entire vertical farming system as unsustainable. Therefore, understanding the consumers’ acceptance of vertical farming systems is important. This study is the first work to provide insights into consumers’ acceptance of three different vertical farming systems. Data are collected through an online survey of 482 consumers in Germany in February 2018. Drivers of consumer acceptance of vertical farming systems are identified through structural equation modelling. The results indicate that perceived sustainability is the major driver of consumer acceptance of vertical farming systems. The larger the system, the higher the likelihood that it will be considered as sustainable. Obviously, consumers perceive something like ecologies of scale.

scholarly journals Impact of microbial preparations on the activity of rhizosphere and the productivity of oil flax under no-till

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
T.N. Melnichuk ◽  
◽  
A.A. Gongalo ◽  
A.Yu. Egovtseva ◽  
E.R. Abdurashytova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Farming Systems ◽  
Farming System ◽  
Stress Factors ◽  
Microbiological Analysis ◽  
Conventional Farming ◽  
Nitrogen Fixers ◽  
No Till ◽  
Number Of Microorganisms ◽  
Resistance To Stress ◽  
Direct Sowing

Microbial preparations improve mineral nutrition of plants, protect against phytopathogens, and increase their resistance to stress factors. The aim of our research is to study the effect of microbial preparations on the biological activity of rhizosphere and the productivity of oil flax under no-till in the Crimean Steppe. Microbiological analysis of the rhizosphere of oil flax showed that there is a tendency to increase the number of microorganisms of various ecological and trophic groups both under the conditions of the conventional farming system (CFS) and no-till when seeds are inoculated with a complex of microbial preparations (CMP). Under CFS, the number of microorganisms using mineral forms of nitrogen as nutrition increased by 28 %; pedotrophs – by 37 %; ammonifiers and oligotrophs increased under both farming systems. The total number of nitrogen fixers increased by 29 % under CFS as a result of biological preparations use, while under no-till there was only a trend towards increasing the amount of azotobacter. The number of actinomycetes increased under the influence of CMP by 50% under direct sowing; micromycetes decreased under both farming systems. The number of cellulose-degrading microorganisms increased by 18 and 27 % under no- till and CFS, respectively. The yield of oilseed flax under no-till was 0.11 t/ha (12.9 %) higher than under conventional farming system. On average, over three years (2017-2019), an increase in yield amounted to 0.12 t/ha (19%) due to the use of microbial preparations.

scholarly journals Environmental Assessment of an Urban Vertical Hydroponic Farming System in Sweden

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (15) ◽  
pp. 4124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Martin ◽  
Elvira Molin
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Resource Depletion ◽  
Farming System ◽  
Electricity Demand ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Vertical Farming ◽  
Growing Medium

With an expanding population and changing dynamics in global food markets, it is important to find solutions for more resilient food production methods closer to urban environments. Recently, vertical farming systems have emerged as a potential solution for urban farming. However, although there is an increasing body of literature reviewing the potential of urban and vertical farming systems, only a limited number of studies have reviewed the sustainability of these systems. The aim of this article was to understand the environmental impacts of vertical hydroponic farming in urban environments applied to a case study vertical hydroponic farm in Stockholm, Sweden. This was carried out by evaluating environmental performance using a life cycle perspective to assess the environmental impacts and comparing to potential scenarios for improvement options. The results suggest that important aspects for the vertical hydroponic system include the growing medium, pots, electricity demand, the transportation of raw materials and product deliveries. By replacing plastic pots with paper pots, large reductions in GHG emissions, acidification impacts, and abiotic resource depletion are possible. Replacing conventional gardening soil as the growing medium with coir also leads to large environmental impact reductions. However, in order to further reduce the impacts from the system, more resource-efficient steps will be needed to improve impacts from electricity demand, and there is potential to develop more symbiotic exchanges to employ urban wastes and by-products.

Effect of Lentil’s Variety and Cultural Farming System on Nutritional Value and Physicochemical Sensory Properties as Related to Human Daily Coverage

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Karagounis I ◽  
◽  
Avdikos ID ◽  
Pankou CI ◽  
Kostoula SD ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physicochemical Properties ◽  
Nutritional Value ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Farming System ◽  
Conventional Farming ◽  
Multivariate Statistical ◽  
Calcium Magnesium ◽  
Swelling Coefficient ◽  
Organic And Conventional Farming

The aim of this study is to determine if there is any influence of lentil variety and environment of cultivation in the chemical composition of seeds originating from organic and conventional farming systems. Particularly, an evaluation was made on the physicochemical properties of three lentil cultivars (‘Thessalia’, ‘Dimitra’, ‘Samos’) and also the effect of farming system towards the composition of seeds to be assessed for discovering the tendency which specific cultivar or farming system are most preferable for the consumers. For the evaluation of the physicochemical properties of lentil seeds: (a) Seed density, (b) Hydration coefficient, (c) Swelling coefficient, (d) pH and (e) Content in macro- and micronutrients (total nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, manganese, and boron), were estimated. Multivariate statistical analysis was applied for every characteristic in order to determine similarities/ differences among the cultivars in both organic and conventional farming systems. In addition, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) were conducted. Regarding the three cultivars under evaluation, cv. ‘Dimitra’ is superior especially in the organic environment, followed by cv. ‘Thessalia’, whose nutritional value increases under organic farming conditions. While ‘Samos’ exhibited a slightly better performance under conventional conditions. Based on the results of this research, the interaction between the lentil cultivar and the cultivating environment can influence the nutritional value and the physicochemical properties of lentil’s seeds.

Response of soil arthropods population to different farming systems under cotton integrated with groundnut and pigeonpea crops

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Chethan ◽  
R.K. K. Patil ◽  
B. Halappa
Keyword(s):  
Organic Farming ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Farming System ◽  
Pitfall Trap ◽  
Seasonal Abundance ◽  
Soil Arthropods ◽  
Conventional Farming ◽  
Below Ground ◽  
Abundance And Diversity ◽  
Organic Farming System

A study was carried out to know the response of organic, integrated and conventional farming systems on the diversity of soil meso and macro arthropod populations in the cotton inter cropped with groundnut and pigeonpea at MARS, UAS, Dharwad during kharif -2015-16. The organic farming system has recorded highest meso and macro arthropod population of 21.35 per 100 g of soil and 42.00 per pitfall trap respectively. Cotton intercropped with groundnut has recorded higher population of meso and macro arthropods (15.50 /100 g of soil and 41.26/ pitfall trap, respectively). The seasonal abundance of soil arthropods was high in October (25.89/100g of soil) and least in December (5.78/ 100g of soil) months. The diversity of soil arthropod populations assessed on the Shannon’s index of below ground arthropod populations recorded was highest in organic farming (0.61) and least in conventional farming (0.51) system. Hence, the organic farming system increases abundance and diversity of soil organisms and soil fertility, and it adds large amounts of organic residue inputs, which in turn increases the biological activity in soil.

Comparing wheat grown in South Australian organic and conventional farming systems. 1. Growth and grain yield

2003 ◽  
Vol 54 (9) ◽  
pp. 889 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. L. Kitchen ◽  
G. K. McDonald ◽  
K. W. Shepherd ◽  
M. F. Lorimer ◽  
R. D. Graham
Keyword(s):  
Grain Yield ◽  
Organic Farming ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Farming System ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
Conventional Farming ◽  
Wheat Varieties ◽  
Organic Farming Systems ◽  
Conventional Systems ◽  
Organically Grown

Organic farming standards do not allow addition of water-soluble fertilisers and therefore it is likely that growth of organically grown crops will be limited by nutrient availability. However, in marginal rainfall conditions, when growth in conventional systems is limited by water availability, yields of organically grown crops could be comparable with those conventionally grown. Similarly, micronutrient-efficient plant varieties could be expected to perform comparatively better under organic farming conditions than they do in conventional systems, when compared with micronutrient-inefficient varieties.In this study, biomass and grain production of wheat from certified organic farming systems were compared with neighbouring conventional farming systems in 'across the fence' field trials in 1 moderate and 2 marginal rainfall areas of South Australia. Wheat varieties compared included 2 old wheat varieties developed under relatively low-input conditions (Baroota Wonder and Dirk-48) and varieties shown to be micronutrient-efficient (Janz and Trident) and inefficient (Yallaroi).The organic farming systems produced significantly less biomass than the conventional farming systems at late tillering in both the moderate and marginal rainfall areas. Grain yield was variable, but significantly lower in the organic farming system for 11 of the 14 comparisons. None of the varieties showed an adaptive advantage for 1 farming system over the other. The relative yield of the organic system, compared with the conventional system, was not associated with rainfall.

scholarly journals The Performance of Oat-Vetch Mixtures in Organic and Conventional Farming Systems

Agriculture ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 332 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katarzyna Pużyńska ◽  
Agnieszka Synowiec ◽  
Stanisław Pużyński ◽  
Jan Bocianowski ◽  
Kazimierz Klima ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Crop Rotation ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Farming System ◽  
Conventional Farming ◽  
Common Vetch ◽  
Organic System ◽  
Area Index ◽  
Organic Farming Systems ◽  
Organic And Conventional Farming ◽  
Selection Of

The research aimed to compare the yields and yield components of mixtures of oats with common vetch grown for seeds in organic and conventional farming systems. Moreover, the selection of oat cultivars for the mixture and its performance in a crop rotation experiment in different growing years was analyzed. Additionally, the leaf area index (LAI) and the relative content of chlorophyll (SPAD) of the mixtures were assessed. The field experiment with four-field crop rotation in organic or conventional farming systems was carried out in 2012–2014 in southern Poland. Common vetch (Vicia sativa L., cv. ‘Hanka’) was mixed with one of two oat (Avena sativa L.) cultivars, ‘Celer’ or ‘Grajcar.’ The effects of all of the factors on the mixtures’ canopy indices and yield were found. The canonical analysis revealed that the weather course, especially drought, had the largest effect on the oat-vetch mixtures’ performance. Moreover, the mixtures developed the highest LAI (5.28 m2∙m−2) and seed yield (4.57 t ha−1) in the conventional farming system. On the contrary, the share of vetch seeds in the mixtures was 24% higher in the organic system than in the conventional one. The selection of cv. ‘Grajcar’ oats for the mixture with vetch increased the share of vetch seeds in the yield by 16.5%. In summary, a balanced share of oat-vetch mixture components depends on the proper selection of the oat cultivar, especially for organic farming systems.

scholarly journals Multi-community effects of organic and conventional farming practices in vineyards

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Noémie Ostandie ◽  
Brice Giffard ◽  
Olivier Bonnard ◽  
Benjamin Joubard ◽  
Sylvie Richart-Cervera ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Farming ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Farming System ◽  
Conventional Farming ◽  
Farming Practices ◽  
Large Variability ◽  
Soil Microbial ◽  
Pollinator Abundance ◽  
Certified Organic ◽  
Multiple Species

AbstractUnderstanding the response of biodiversity to organic farming is crucial to design more sustainable agriculture. While it is known that organic farming benefits biodiversity on average, large variability in the effects of this farming system exists. Moreover, it is not clear how different practices modulate the performance of organic farming for biodiversity conservation. In this study, we investigated how the abundance and taxonomic richness of multiple species groups responds to certified organic farming and conventional farming in vineyards. Our analyses revealed that farming practices at the field scale are more important drivers of community abundance than landscape context. Organic farming enhanced the abundances of springtails (+ 31.6%) and spiders (+ 84%), had detrimental effects on pollinator abundance (− 11.6%) and soil microbial biomass (− 9.1%), and did not affect the abundance of ground beetles, mites or microarthropods. Farming practices like tillage regime, insecticide use and soil copper content drove most of the detected effects of farming system on biodiversity. Our study revealed varying effects of organic farming on biodiversity and clearly indicates the need to consider farming practices to understand the effects of farming systems on farmland biodiversity.

scholarly journals The influence of microbial preparations and farming systems on the structure of the microbocenosis of the rhizosphere of Triticum aestivum L.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.Yu. Egovtseva ◽  
◽  
T.N. Melnichuk ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Triticum Aestivum ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Farming System ◽  
Triticum Aestivum L ◽  
Plant Diseases ◽  
Microbiological Analysis ◽  
Conventional Farming ◽  
No Till ◽  
Number Of Microorganisms ◽  
The Impact

Microorganisms are the most important bioindicators of the environment and ecological risk assessment. The impact of the no-till farming system in combination with microbial preparations needs to be studied and is an urgent task aimed at preserving fertility. The aim of our study was to determine the effect of pre-sowing inoculation with complex microbial preparations (CMP) and farming systems (no-till and conventional farming system) on the microbocenosis of the rhizosphere of Triticum aestivum L. in the Crimean Steppe. Microbiological analysis of the rhizosphere showed a significant increase in the number of actinobacteria (twice). The number of micromycetes, among which there are many pathogens of various plant diseases, decreased under direct sowing by 23 % as a result of inoculation and amounted to 21.5 thousand CFU/g of soil. The number of cellulose-destroying microorganisms that form soil fertility increased under the influence of microbial preparations by 23 % under conventional farming system (10.0 thousand CFU/g of soil); by 20 % under no-till (15.4 thousand CFU/g of soil). Thus, it was found that the use of microbial preparations under both farming techniques contributed to an increase in the number of microorganisms of most ecological-trophic groups that participate in the transformation of nitrogen in the rhizosphere, enhanced enzymatic processes, reduced the development of pathogenic microbiota and, consequently, contributed to improving the state of soil biocenosis.

scholarly journals Effect of Low-Input Organic and Conventional Farming Systems on Maize Rhizosphere in Two Portuguese Open-Pollinated Varieties (OPV), “Pigarro” (Improved Landrace) and “SinPre” (a Composite Cross Population)

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aitana Ares ◽  
Joana Costa ◽  
Carolina Joaquim ◽  
Duarte Pintado ◽  
Daniela Santos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Farming ◽  
Arbuscular Mycorrhizae ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Farming System ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Conventional Farming ◽  
Maize Rhizosphere ◽  
Bacterial Microbiota ◽  
Organic Farming Systems ◽  
Soil Rhizosphere

Maize is one of the most important crops worldwide and is the number one arable crop in Portugal. A transition from the conventional farming system to organic agriculture requires optimization of cultivars and management, the interaction of plant–soil rhizosphere microbiota being pivotal. The objectives of this study were to unravel the effect of population genotype and farming system on microbial communities in the rhizosphere of maize. Rhizosphere soil samples of two open-pollinated maize populations (“SinPre” and “Pigarro”) cultivated under conventional and organic farming systems were taken during flowering and analyzed by next-generation sequencing (NGS). Phenological data were collected from the replicated field trial. A total of 266 fungi and 317 bacteria genera were identified in “SinPre” and “Pigarro” populations, of which 186 (69.9%) and 277 (87.4%) were shared among them. The microbiota of “Pigarro” showed a significant higher (P < 0.05) average abundance than the microbiota of “SinPre.” The farming system had a statistically significant impact (P < 0.05) on the soil rhizosphere microbiota, and several fungal and bacterial taxa were found to be farming system-specific. The rhizosphere microbiota diversity in the organic farming system was higher than that in the conventional system for both varieties. The presence of arbuscular mycorrhizae (Glomeromycota) was mainly detected in the microbiota of the “SinPre” population under the organic farming systems and very rare under conventional systems. A detailed metagenome function prediction was performed. At the fungal level, pathotroph–saprotroph and pathotroph–symbiotroph lifestyles were modified by the farming system. For bacterial microbiota, the main functions altered by the farming system were membrane transport, transcription, translation, cell motility, and signal transduction. This study allowed identifying groups of microorganisms known for their role as plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) and with the capacity to improve crop tolerance for stress conditions, allowing to minimize the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. Arbuscular mycorrhizae (phyla Glomeromycota) were among the most important functional groups in the fungal microbiota and Achromobacter, Burkholderia, Erwinia, Lysinibacillus, Paenibacillus, Pseudomonas, and Stenotrophomonas in the bacterial microbiota. In this perspective, the potential role of these microorganisms will be explored in future research.

scholarly journals Determinants of Smallholder Households’ Resilience to Livelihood Insecurity in Goncha District, Northwest Highlands of Ethiopia

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ermias Debie ◽  
Amare Wubishet Ayele
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Management ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Farming System ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Tree Plantation ◽  
Poor Households ◽  
Productive Assets

Poor households are more likely less resilient under climate change, risks of productive assets, social-related shocks, and decline of land productivity. The ability to deal with household resilience against poverty under the uncertain condition of risk is limited in the highlands of Ethiopia. The study aims to identify determinants of household resilience to livelihood insecurity under the crop-livestock mixed farming systems in Goncha district, Northwest highlands of Ethiopia. Primary data were collected by conducting face-to-face interviews among 280 households using structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, Kruskal-Wallis test and structural equation modeling were used to analyse the data. The results disclosed that sustainable management of the farming systems, cultivation of more fertile farmland, saving performance, diversification of income-earning activities, intensification of livestock husbandry practices, access to irrigation, and familiarity with practical technologies were found to be significant determinants at p<0.001 to household resilience of smallholder farmers. Social network development and tree plantation were explained household resilience to livelihood insecurity at P<0.01 and P<0.1 significant levels, respectively. The study concluded that scaling up sustainable management of the farming system and practical technologies, enhancing saving behavior, promoting income diversification, and intensifying agroforestry are significant for household resilience to livelihood insecurity of smallholders across agro-ecologies.

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