scholarly journals Dealing with Water Scarcity and Salinity: Adoption of Water Efficient Technologies and Management Practices by California Avocado Growers

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 3555
Author(s):  
Julie Reints ◽  
Ariel Dinar ◽  
David Crowley
Keyword(s):  
Water Scarcity ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Saline Water ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Irrigated Agriculture ◽  
Water Supplies ◽  
Self Organizing Maps ◽  
Agriculture Sector ◽  
Elevated Salinity

The irrigated agriculture sector has been facing an increased scarcity of good quality water worldwide. Consequently, the sustainability of water intensive crops, such as avocado, is threatened when water becomes scarce and expensive, or when growers must use saline water supplies that reduce crop yields. A variety of irrigation technologies and water management practices are now recommended to help growers through times of limited water supplies and elevated salinity levels. To examine how growers adopt different practices and combinations of practices, we collected data from a sample of avocado growers in California. We used Kohonen self-organizing maps, and developed logit models to identify the most common bundles of technologies and management practices that growers are using to deal with water scarcity. We test the validity of the proposed bundles and factors affecting their adoption, using primary data obtained from a survey of California avocado growers at the height of the drought during 2012–2013. Results show that farm location, share of income from agricultural production, use of cooperative extension advice, and farmer characteristics, such as age and education, all play important roles in grower adoption of individual and bundled methods to adapt to water scarcity.

scholarly journals Carbon and water footprint of coffee consumed in Finland—life cycle assessment

2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (10) ◽  
pp. 1976-1990
Author(s):  
Kirsi Usva ◽  
Taija Sinkko ◽  
Frans Silvenius ◽  
Inkeri Riipi ◽  
Hannele Heusala
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Carbon Footprint ◽  
Water Scarcity ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Water Footprint ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Climate Impacts ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Coffee Cultivation ◽  
Irrigation Optimization

Abstract Purpose Coffee is one of the most widely grown cash crops globally, but there are few scientific articles on its carbon footprint and water scarcity impacts. The aim of this study was to assess the carbon footprint and water scarcity impacts throughout the life cycle of the coffee chain (cradle-to-grave) and to identify the most important sources of the impacts (hotspots). Methods The system included all the key stages of the supply chain from land use change and coffee cultivation to roasting and household consumption. Primary data was collected from eight coffee cultivation farms in Brazil, Nicaragua, Colombia and Honduras and coffee roastery and packaging manufacturers in Finland. The AWARE method was applied in a water scarcity impact assessment. Results and discussion The carbon footprint varied from 0.27 to 0.70 kg CO2 eq/l coffee. The share of the coffee cultivation stage varied from 32 to 78% and the consumption stage from 19 to 49%. The use of fertilizers was the most important process contributing to the carbon footprint. Furthermore, deforestation-related emissions notably increased the carbon footprint of coffee from Nicaragua. Compared with the previous literature, our results indicate a relatively larger share of climate impacts in the cultivation stage and less during consumption. The water scarcity impact was relatively low for non-irrigated systems in Central America, 0.02 m3 eq/l coffee. On Brazilian farms, irrigation is a major contributor to the water scarcity impact, varying from 0.15 to 0.27 m3 eq/l coffee. Conclusions Improving the management practices in cultivation and fertilization is key for lower GHG emissions. Irrigation optimization is the most important mitigation strategy to reduce water scarcity impact. However, actions to reduce these two impacts should be executed side by side to avoid shifting burdens between the two.

scholarly journals PHYSICOCHEMICAL QUALITY OF FRUITS OF WEST INDIAN CHERRY UNDER SALINE WATER IRRIGATION AND PHOSPHATE FERTILIZATION1

2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 217-225
Author(s):  
GEOVANI SOARES DE LIMA ◽  
ANTHONY RAMOS PEREIRA DA SILVA ◽  
FRANCISCO VANIES DA SILVA SÁ ◽  
HANS RAJ GHEYI ◽  
LAURIANE ALMEIDA DOS ANJOS SOARES
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Saline Water ◽  
Block Design ◽  
West Indian ◽  
Fresh Mass ◽  
Soluble Solids ◽  
Northeastern Brazil ◽  
Water Salinity ◽  
Irrigated Agriculture ◽  
Semiarid Region

ABSTRACT In the semiarid region of Northeastern Brazil due to the qualitative and quantitative scarcity of water resources, the use of saline water should be considered as an alternative to expand irrigated agriculture. However, the use of waters with high levels of salts depends on management practices that minimize deleterious effects on plants. In this context, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of irrigation with water of increasing salinity and fertilization with phosphorus on the postharvest physicochemical composition of fresh fruits of West Indian cherry, cv. ‘BRS 366 Jaburu’. The research was carried out in a protected environment, in lysimeters with Neossolo Regolítico Psamitico Típico (Entisol) of clay loam texture, using a randomized block design, in a 5x2 factorial scheme with three replicates and one plant per plot, relative to five levels of irrigation water electrical conductivity (0.6; 1.4; 2.2; 3.0 and 3.8 dS m-1) and two phosphorus doses [100 and 140% of the recommendation of Musser. Increase in water salinity reduced fruit size and fresh mass formation, but increased soluble solids contents and titratable acidity in the pulp of West Indian cherry fruits. Phosphate fertilization, regardless of dose, stimulated the formation of fresh mass of West Indian cherry fruits. Water salinity inhibited the formation of ascorbic acid in West Indian cherry fruits, and the highest value was observed in plants irrigated with 0.6 dS m-1 water and fertilized with a dose of 100% of the recommendation of P2O5.

scholarly journals Use of Machine Learning in Evaluation of Drought Perception in Irrigated Agriculture: The Case of an Irrigated Perimeter in Brazil

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 1546 ◽  
Author(s):  
Louise Caroline Peixoto Xavier ◽  
Samiria Maria Oliveira da Silva ◽  
Taís Maria Nunes Carvalho ◽  
João Dehon Pontes Filho ◽  
Francisco de Assis de Souza Filho
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Standardized Precipitation Index ◽  
Adaptation Strategy ◽  
Irrigated Agriculture ◽  
Drought Duration ◽  
Drought Period ◽  
Agriculture Sector ◽  
Proactive Management ◽  
Allocation Process ◽  
Irrigated Perimeter

This study aimed to understand the perception of drought among farmers, in order to support decision-making in the water allocation process. This study was carried out in the Tabuleiro de Russas irrigated perimeter, in northeast Brazil, over the drought period of 2012–2018. Two analyses were conducted: (i) drought characterization, using the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) based on drought duration and frequency criteria; and (ii) analysis of farmers’ perceptions of drought via selection of explanatory variables using the Random Forest (RF) and the Decision Tree (DT) methods. The 2012–2018 drought period was defined as a meteorological phenomenon by local farmers; however, an SPI evaluation indicated that the drought was of a hydrological nature. According to the RF analysis, four of the nine study variables were more statistically important than the others in influencing farmers’ perception of drought: number of cultivated land plots, farmer’s age, years of experience in the agriculture sector, and education level. These results were confirmed using DT analysis. Understanding the relationship between these variables and farmers’ perception of drought could aid in the development of an adaptation strategy to water deficit scenarios. Farmers’ perception can be beneficial in reducing conflicts, adopting proactive management practices, and developing a holistic and efficient early warning drought system.

The Impact of Shariah Governance and Corporate Governance on the Risk Management Practices: Evidence from Local and Foreign Islamic Banks in Malaysia

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-20
Author(s):  
Sabri Embi ◽  
Zurina Shafii
Keyword(s):  
Risk Management ◽  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
T Test ◽  
The Body ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Islamic Banks ◽  
Shariah Governance ◽  
The Impact

The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of Shariah governance and corporate governance (CG) on the risk management practices (RMPs) of local Islamic banks and foreign Islamic banks operating in Malaysia. The Shariah governance comprises the Shariah review (SR) and Shariah audit (SA) variables. The study also evaluates the level of RMPs, CG, SR, and SA between these two type of banks. With the aid of SPSS version 20, the items for RMPs, CG, SR, and SA were subjected to principal component analysis (PCA). From the PCA, one component or factor was extracted each for the CG, SR, and RMPs while another two factors were extracted for the SA. Primary data was collected using a self-administered survey questionnaire. The questionnaire covers four aspects ; CG, SR, SA, and RMPs. The data received from the 300 usable questionnaires were subjected to correlation and regression analyses as well as an independent t-test. The result of correlation analysis shows that all the four variables have large positive correlations with each other indicating a strong and significant relationship between them. From the regression analysis undertaken, CG, SR, and SA together explained 52.3 percent of the RMPs and CG emerged as the most influential variable that impacts the RMPs. The independent t-test carried out shows that there were significant differences in the CG and SA between the local and foreign Islamic banks. However, there were no significant differences between the two types of the bank in relation to SR and RMPs. The study has contributed to the body of knowledge and is beneficial to academicians, industry players, regulators, and other stakeholders.

Corrigendum to: Conservation agriculture effects on soil properties and crop productivity in a semiarid region of India

Soil Research ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 57 (2) ◽  
pp. 200 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Somasundaram ◽  
M. Salikram ◽  
N. K. Sinha ◽  
M. Mohanty ◽  
R. S. Chaudhary ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Properties ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Soil Layer ◽  
Conservation Agriculture ◽  
Semiarid Region ◽  
Reduced Tillage ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Residue Retention

Conservation agriculture (CA) including reduced or no-tillage and crop residue retention, is known to be a self–sustainable system as well as an alternative to residue burning. The present study evaluated the effect of reduced tillage coupled with residue retention under different cropping systems on soil properties and crop yields in a Vertisol of a semiarid region of central India. Two tillage systems – conventional tillage (CT) with residue removed, and reduced tillage (RT) with residue retained – and six major cropping systems of this region were examined after 3 years of experimentation. Results demonstrated that soil moisture content, mean weight diameter, percent water stable aggregates (>0.25mm) for the 0–15cm soil layer were significantly (Pmoderately labile>less labile. At the 0–15cm depth, the contributions of moderately labile, less labile and non-labile C fractions to total organic C were 39.3%, 10.3% and 50.4% respectively in RT and corresponding values for CT were 38.9%, 11.7% and 49.4%. Significant differences in different C fractions were observed between RT and CT. Soil microbial biomass C concentration was significantly higher in RT than CT at 0–15cm depth. The maize–chickpea cropping system had significantly (P–1 followed by soybean+pigeon pea (2:1) intercropping (3.50 t ha–1) and soybean–wheat cropping systems (2.97 t ha–1). Thus, CA practices could be sustainable management practices for improving soil health and crop yields of rainfed Vertisols in these semiarid regions.

scholarly journals Combined simulation and optimization framework for irrigation scheduling in agriculture fields

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mireia Fontanet ◽  
Daniel Fernàndez-Garcia ◽  
Gema Rodrigo ◽  
Francesc Ferrer ◽  
Josep Maria Villar
Keyword(s):  
Crop Yields ◽  
Root Zone ◽  
Growing Season ◽  
Irrigation Scheduling ◽  
Irrigated Agriculture ◽  
Traditional Methods ◽  
Simulation And Optimization ◽  
Optimization Framework ◽  
Net Margin ◽  
Combined Simulation

AbstractIn the context of growing evidence of climate change and the fact that agriculture uses about 70% of all the water available for irrigation in semi-arid areas, there is an increasing probability of water scarcity scenarios. Water irrigation optimization is, therefore, one of the main goals of researchers and stakeholders involved in irrigated agriculture. Irrigation scheduling is often conducted based on simple water requirement calculations without accounting for the strong link between water movement in the root zone, soil–water–crop productivity and irrigation expenses. In this work, we present a combined simulation and optimization framework aimed at estimating irrigation parameters that maximize the crop net margin. The simulation component couples the movement of water in a variably saturated porous media driven by irrigation with crop water uptake and crop yields. The optimization component assures maximum gain with minimum cost of crop production during a growing season. An application of the method demonstrates that an optimal solution exists and substantially differs from traditional methods. In contrast to traditional methods, results show that the optimal irrigation scheduling solution prevents water logging and provides a more constant value of water content during the entire growing season within the root zone. As a result, in this case, the crop net margin cost exhibits a substantial increase with respect to the traditional method. The optimal irrigation scheduling solution is also shown to strongly depend on the particular soil hydraulic properties of the given field site.

scholarly journals High probability of yield gain through conservation agriculture in dry regions for major staple crops

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yang Su ◽  
Benoit Gabrielle ◽  
Damien Beillouin ◽  
David Makowski
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Relative Yield ◽  
Conservation Agriculture ◽  
Conventional Tillage ◽  
Machine Learning Algorithms ◽  
Agricultural Practice ◽  
Crop Species ◽  
Yield Gain

AbstractConservation agriculture (CA) has been promoted to mitigate climate change, reduce soil erosion, and provide a variety of ecosystem services. Yet, its impacts on crop yields remains controversial. To gain further insight, we mapped the probability of yield gain when switching from conventional tillage systems (CT) to CA worldwide. Relative yield changes were estimated with machine learning algorithms trained by 4403 paired yield observations on 8 crop species extracted from 413 publications. CA has better productive performance than no-till system (NT), and it stands a more than 50% chance to outperform CT in dryer regions of the world, especially with proper agricultural management practices. Residue retention has the largest positive impact on CA productivity comparing to other management practices. The variations in the productivity of CA and NT across geographical and climatical regions were illustrated on global maps. CA appears as a sustainable agricultural practice if targeted at specific climatic regions and crop species.

scholarly journals How downstream sub-basins depend on upstream inflows to avoid scarcity: typology and global analysis of transboundary rivers

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (5) ◽  
pp. 2795-2809 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hafsa Ahmed Munia ◽  
Joseph H. A. Guillaume ◽  
Naho Mirumachi ◽  
Yoshihide Wada ◽  
Matti Kummu
Keyword(s):  
Water Stress ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Water Availability ◽  
Water Scarcity ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Global Analysis ◽  
Water Shortage ◽  
River Basins ◽  
Analytical Framework ◽  
Available Water

Abstract. Countries sharing river basins are often dependent upon water originating outside their boundaries; meaning that without that upstream water, water scarcity may occur with flow-on implications for water use and management. We develop a formalisation of this concept drawing on ideas about the transition between regimes from resilience literature, using water stress and water shortage as indicators of water scarcity. In our analytical framework, dependency occurs if water from upstream is needed to avoid scarcity. This can be diagnosed by comparing different types of water availability on which a sub-basin relies, in particular local runoff and upstream inflows. At the same time, possible upstream water withdrawals reduce available water downstream, influencing the latter water availability. By developing a framework of scarcity and dependency, we contribute to the understanding of transitions between system regimes. We apply our analytical framework to global transboundary river basins at the scale of sub-basin areas (SBAs). Our results show that 1175 million people live under water stress (42 % of the total transboundary population). Surprisingly, the majority (1150 million) of these currently suffer from stress only due to their own excessive water use and possible water from upstream does not have impact on the stress status – i.e. they are not yet dependent on upstream water to avoid stress – but could still impact on the intensity of the stress. At the same time, 386 million people (14 %) live in SBAs that can avoid stress owing to available water from upstream and have thus upstream dependency. In the case of water shortage, 306 million people (11 %) live in SBAs dependent on upstream water to avoid possible shortage. The identification of transitions between system regimes sheds light on how SBAs may be affected in the future, potentially contributing to further refined analysis of inter- and intrabasin hydro-political power relations and strategic planning of management practices in transboundary basins.

An Investigation of Credit Risk Management Strategies of Private Commercial Banks of Bangladesh

2014 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 77-87
Author(s):  
Abu Hanifa Md. Noman ◽  
Md. Amzad Hossain ◽  
Sajeda Pervin
Keyword(s):  
Risk Management ◽  
Credit Risk ◽  
Commercial Banks ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Third Party ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Credit Risk Management ◽  
Risk Management Strategies

Objective - The study aims to investigate credit risk management practices and credit risk management strategies of the local private commercial banks in Bangladesh. Methodology -The investigation is conducted based on primary data collected from a set of both closed end and open end questionnaire from 23 out of 39 local private commercial banks in Bangladesh. Descriptive statistics has been used in processing the data and interpreting the results. Findings - The results reveal that credit risk management practice of the sample banks is sound which is attributed to the appropriate implementation of Basel II and credit risk management guidelines the country's central bank. The findings further show that use of Credit risk grading is most popular and effective criteria for measuring the borrowing capacity of the borrowers. In order to control credit risk and preventing losses from credit exposure banks give more focus on collateralization, accurate loan pricing and third party guarantee. Loan is monitored properly and credit reminder is given to the client if principal and interest remain outstanding for three months. The study further reveals that lack of experienced and trained credit officers, lack of genuine market information and Lack of awareness regarding non-genuine borrower are the most important problems of current credit risk management practices in Bangladesh. Novelty - To the best of the knowledge of the authors the study is the first that investigates credit risk management strategies of private commercial banks, especially on Bangladesh. Type of Paper - Empirical Keyword : Bangladesh; Commercial Bank; Credit risk; Credit risk management; Credit risk management strategies.

Change Management Practices and Performance of National Government Constituencies Development Funded Projects in Bomet County, Kenya

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Lemarimpe N Parsumpat ◽  
Shadrack Bett
Keyword(s):  
Change Management ◽  
Role Model ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
National Development ◽  
Monitoring And Evaluation ◽  
National Government ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Management Ability ◽  
Organizational Culture Change ◽  
Develop Strategy

The purpose of change management is to implement strategies for effecting change, controlling change and helping people to adapt to change. Change management is a systematic approach to dealing with the transition or transformation of an organization's goals, processes or technologies. The National government Constituency development fund to counties has made a great impact, with numerous projects coming up throughout the country. The initiation of the development projects at grassroots level have led to significant rise in wellbeing of citizens in the constituency and county at large. The general objective of this study was to assess change management practices and how it relates to performance of national government CDF funded projects in Bomet County in Kenya. The specific objectives of the study were; to determine the influence of leadership on performance of the national development funded projects in Bomet County, to establish how stakeholder’s involvement influences the performance of the national development funded projects in Bomet County, to assess the influence of resources allocation on performance of the national development funded projects in County and to find out the extent to which monitoring and evaluation influences the performance of the national development funded projects in Bomet County. The study was anchored on Kotter’s 8 step model and the theory of planned change. The study adopted a Census research design targeting all CDFC members and officials managing CDF projects in each of the five wards in Bomet County. The study utilized primary data. Primary data was collected using semi structured questionnaires. Data was analyzed using SPSS. Descriptive and inferential statistics were employed in the study. Analyzed data was presented in percentages, frequencies, mean and standard deviation. From the findings, the researcher can conclude that, change management practices through leadership, stakeholders’ involvement, resources, and monitoring and evaluation has a significant and positive composite effect on performance of NG-CDF in County. Leadership aspects that contribute to this performance includes leaders’ role model and championship capacity towards change management, ability to develop strategy, create mission, motivate people to achieve objectives, employees’ empowerment, and organizational culture change. The researcher therefore recommends that, NG-CDF leadership should observe change management practices by ensuring there is frequent stakeholders’ engagement, role model and championship capacity towards change management, ability to develop strategy, create mission, motivate people to achieve objectives, employees’ empowerment, and sound organizational culture change. https://www.ijcab.org/ ,[email protected] https://journals.ijcab.org/journals/index.php

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