scholarly journals Farmers’ Adoption Preferences for Sustainable Agriculture Practices in Northwest China

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (15) ◽  
pp. 6269 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yixin Nong ◽  
Changbin Yin ◽  
Xiaoyan Yi ◽  
Jing Ren ◽  
Hsiaoping Chien
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Agriculture ◽  
Northwest China ◽  
Gansu Province ◽  
Cash Crop ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Best Worst Scaling ◽  
Structure Adjustment ◽  
Perceived Importance ◽  
Agroclimatic Zones ◽  
Arid And Semiarid

In the highest soil erosion regions of arid and semiarid northwest China, water resource deficits and farmland misuse have further exacerbated soil degradation. Therefore, understanding how farmers in diverse agroclimatic zones perceive and respond to different conservation practices is important to the implementation of sustainable agriculture practices (SAPs). To this end, this study uses a best–worst scaling approach to examine the adoption preferences for nine SAPs among grain and cash crop farmers and investigates the influence of farm and climatic characteristics on adoption preferences based on a face to face survey of 554 households in Gansu province, which is classified as an arid and semiarid area in northwest China. Both grain and cash crop farmers had stronger preferences for the practices of using organic instead of chemical fertilizers and of improving irrigation practices. In addition, while cash crop farmers also had strong preferences for cover crop-related practices, they preferred long-term fallows least. Household income, livestock, and precipitation influence the potential perceived importance of SAPs. The different perceived importance of these practices suggests new possible combinations or packages for a sustainable agriculture program during the cropping structure adjustment in Gansu.

scholarly journals Prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in free-range yaks (Bos grunniens) in Gansu Province, Northwest China

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Si-Yuan Qin ◽  
Ming-Yang Yin ◽  
Guang-Yao Song ◽  
Qi-Dong Tan ◽  
Jin-Lei Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Northwest China ◽  
Gansu Province ◽  
Gastrointestinal Parasites ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
Parasitic Infections ◽  
Cattle Industry ◽  
Free Range ◽  
Bos Grunniens ◽  
High Prevalence ◽  
Different Seasons

Abstract Background Little information about the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in yaks (Bos grunniens) in northwest China is available. Therefore, the objective of the study was to quantify faecal egg counts of gastrointestinal parasites (helminths and coccidia) in free-range yaks from Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Gansu Province, Northwest China. Results Parasites were detected in 290 of 733 (39.56%) faecal samples. The results showed that Strongylidae, Trichuris spp. and Eimeria spp. were detected all year round, Strongyloides papillosus was detected in autumn and summer, and Nematodirus spp. was detected in both autumn and spring. In contrast, Fasciola spp. was only detected in spring. The prevalence rates of parasitic infections in different seasons were significantly different. Conclusions To our knowledge, this is the first investigation of gastrointestinal parasites in yaks (Bos grunniens) in Gansu, China. The results demonstrated a high prevalence of gastrointestinal parasitic infections, specifically GN infections, in yaks in GTAP and these infections can cause economic losses to the local cattle industry.

scholarly journals The Perception of Physical Activity and Sports Professionals’ Competence in Working With Individuals With Disabilities in Spain

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
María Gutiérrez-Conejo ◽  
María-Dolores González-Rivera ◽  
Antonio Campos-Izquierdo
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Professional Competence ◽  
People With Disabilities ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Individuals With Disabilities ◽  
Knowledge And Skills ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Perceived Importance ◽  
And Training

The importance of professional competence lies in the effective application of job-oriented knowledge and skills which guarantee one’s successful adaptation to the work. This study analyzes the perception of the importance of physical activity and sports (PAS) professionals’ competence in working with individuals with disabilities in Spain. As a descriptive quantitative study, face-to-face interviews were conducted through a survey to extract the data. The sample consisted of 214 PAS professionals working with people with disabilities. According to the results, the analyzed constituents of professional competence are important for adequate performance (>65%), with the exception of competences of leadership and use of new technologies (<50%). It was also found that the perceived importance of each element of professional competence varies according to age, experience and training. Based on the obtained results, the degree of importance of each constituent of professional competence and its implication for the access of people with disabilities to high-quality physical activity and sports services was determined.

scholarly journals Driving Factors and Future Prediction of Land Use and Cover Change Based on Satellite Remote Sensing Data by the LCM Model: A Case Study from Gansu Province, China

Sensors ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (10) ◽  
pp. 2757 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kongming Li ◽  
Mingming Feng ◽  
Asim Biswas ◽  
Haohai Su ◽  
Yalin Niu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Land Use ◽  
Satellite Remote Sensing ◽  
Gansu Province ◽  
Driving Factors ◽  
Driving Mechanism ◽  
Second Stage ◽  
Arid And Semiarid ◽  
Land Use And Cover

Land use and cover change (LUCC) is an important issue affecting the global environment, climate change, and sustainable development. Detecting and predicting LUCC, a dynamic process, and its driving factors will help in formulating effective land use and planning policy suitable for local conditions, thus supporting local socioeconomic development and global environmental protection. In this study, taking Gansu Province as a case study example, we explored the LUCC pattern and its driving mechanism from 1980 to 2018, and predicted land use and cover in 2030 using the integrated LCM (Logistic-Cellular Automata-Markov chain) model and data from satellite remote sensing. The results suggest that the LUCC pattern was more reasonable in the second stage (2005 to 2018) compared with that in the first stage (1980 to 2005). This was because a large area of green lands was protected by ecological engineering in the second stage. From 1980 to 2018, in general, natural factors were the main force influencing changes in land use and cover in Gansu, while the effects of socioeconomic factors were not significant because of the slow development of economy. Landscape indices analysis indicated that predicted land use and cover in 2030 under the ecological protection scenario would be more favorable than under the historical trend scenario. Besides, results from the present study suggested that LUCC in arid and semiarid area could be well detected by the LCM model. This study would hopefully provide theoretical instructions for future land use planning and management, as well as a new methodology reference for LUCC analysis in arid and semiarid regions.

scholarly journals Sustainability for Food Consumers: Which Perception?

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (21) ◽  
pp. 5955 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristiana Peano ◽  
Valentina Maria Merlino ◽  
Francesco Sottile ◽  
Danielle Borra ◽  
Stefano Massaglia
Keyword(s):  
Choice Experiment ◽  
Social Economic ◽  
Sustainable Consumption ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Food Sector ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Agenda 2030 ◽  
Best Worst Scaling ◽  
Production Distribution ◽  
Safe Food

A sustainable future for the community is one of the objectives established by the European Union Agenda 2030. Furthermore, sustainable consumption has been identified as one of the possible trajectories for sustainable development. It is for this reason that food production, distribution and consumption ways cannot be overlooked for sustainability achievement, as well as the consumer’s related perception. In this research the Best–Worst scaling methodology was adopted to explore the priorities declared by a sample of 801 consumers among 12 different sustainability definitions selected from the scientific literature. The choice experiment was carried out through face-to-face interviews during two food and wine events closely related to the sustainability theme in the food sector. The respondents considered as sustainability priority definition the “preservation of natural resources”, followed by “decent working conditions” and “accessibility for everyone to healthy and safe food”. Moreover, 5 consumer’s clusters were identified according to the priorities assigned to the different sustainability definitions, as well as to individuals socio-demographic characteristics. The description of the priorities assigned by the clusters to the different sustainability definitions have also been described as guidelines for consumer attitudes towards the different sustainability dimensions (environmental, social, economic and governance).

scholarly journals Seroprevalence and Risk Factors ofChlamydia abortusInfection in Tibetan Sheep in Gansu Province, Northwest China

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Si-Yuan Qin ◽  
Ming-Yang Yin ◽  
Wei Cong ◽  
Dong-Hui Zhou ◽  
Xiao-Xuan Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Logistic Regression ◽  
Regression Analysis ◽  
Logistic Regression Analysis ◽  
Multivariate Logistic Regression Analysis ◽  
Northwest China ◽  
Gansu Province ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Tibetan Sheep ◽  
Different Seasons

Chlamydia abortus, an important pathogen in a variety of animals, is associated with abortion in sheep. In the present study, 1732 blood samples, collected from Tibetan sheep between June 2013 and April 2014, were examined by the indirect hemagglutination (IHA) test, aiming to evaluate the seroprevalence and risk factors ofC. abortusinfection in Tibetan sheep. 323 of 1732 (18.65%) samples were seropositive forC. abortusantibodies at the cut-off of 1 : 16. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the risk factors associated with seroprevalence, which could provide foundation to prevent and controlC. abortusinfection in Tibetan sheep. Gender of Tibetan sheep was left out of the final model because it is not significant in the logistic regression analysis (P>0.05). Region, season, and age were considered as major risk factors associated withC. abortusinfection in Tibetan sheep. Our study revealed a widespread and high prevalence ofC. abortusinfection in Tibetan sheep in Gansu province, northwest China, with higher exposure risk in different seasons and ages and distinct geographical distribution.

scholarly journals How Does Targeted Poverty Alleviation Policy Influence Residents’ Perceptions of Rural Living Conditions? A Study of 16 Villages in Gansu Province, Northwest China

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (24) ◽  
pp. 6944 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meimei Wang ◽  
Yongchun Yang ◽  
Bo Zhang ◽  
Mengqin Liu ◽  
Qing Liu
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Poverty Alleviation ◽  
Public Services ◽  
Rural Poverty ◽  
Northwest China ◽  
Living Conditions ◽  
Gansu Province ◽  
Housing Conditions ◽  
Rural Living ◽  
The Impact

Rural living conditions (RLCs) in China are influential on the overall development and stability of regions, particularly for populations in distant poverty-stricken villages. This paper takes 16 villages of Chedao town in Gansu province, Northwest China (NWC) as our case study. Using data from the Poverty Alleviation and Assistance (PAA) project launched by Lanzhou University in June 2017, and the perceptions of residents of Chedao, we pinpoint RLC changes in the targeted poverty alleviation (TPA) process. The three main results show that: (1) From the residents’ perceptions, the impact of alleviation measures on RLC is mainly reflected in improved housing conditions, infrastructure, and public services. We find no significant effect on cultural conditions. However, eco-environmental conditions have obviously weakened. (2) Housing size, accessibility, distance to shops, and safe drinking water are the most significant factors in housing conditions, infrastructure, public services, and eco-environmental conditions, respectively. (3) Out of the different levels of rural poverty households (RPHs), severe rurality villages are more strongly aware of the positive changes in RLC than residents of mild rurality villages. Moreover, in residents’ view, housing conditions are most improved in severe rurality villages, infrastructure is most improved in moderate rurality villages, and public services are most improved in mild rurality villages. Eco-environmental conditions worsen across all levels. Our findings shed light on the perceptions of residents on changes occurring in rural living conditions, and provide a basis for subsequent studies of RLC in Northwest China.

Comparison and modification of equations for calculating evapotranspiration (ET) with data from Gansu Province, Northwest China

2009 ◽  
Vol 59 (4) ◽  
pp. 477-490 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luxin Zhai ◽  
Qi Feng ◽  
Qisen Li ◽  
Cundong Xu
Keyword(s):  
Northwest China ◽  
Gansu Province

Seroprevalence and correlates of Toxoplasma gondii infection in dairy cattle in northwest China

2015 ◽  
Vol 60 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Qi-Dong Tan ◽  
Xiao-Yu Yang ◽  
Ming-Yang Yin ◽  
Ling-Ying Hu ◽  
Si-Yuan Qin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Toxoplasma Gondii ◽  
Dairy Cattle ◽  
Epidemiological Data ◽  
Northwest China ◽  
Gansu Province ◽  
Serum Samples ◽  
Modified Agglutination Test ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Toxoplasma Gondii Infection

AbstractPrevalence of antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii and risk factors with infection were assessed in dairy cattle from Gansu Province and Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region (NXHAR), northwest China. In total, 1657 serum samples were collected and assayed by the modified agglutination test. The overall seroprevalence was 4.83% at a 1:100 cut-off, with titers of 1:100 in 72, 1:200 in 4, 1:400 in 4. Among the risk factors examined, no statistically significant difference was observed between T. gondii seroprevalence and regions or age of dairy cattle in the logistic regression analysis (P>0.05) and left out of the final model. However, numbers of pregnancies of dairy cattle was considered as main risk factor associated with T. gondii infection. Dairy cattle in nulliparity group (8.89%) had 6 times (OR=6.31, 95% CI, 2.69-14.83, P<0.001) higher risk of being seropositive compared to dairy cattle in 3 or above 3 pregnancies group (1.52%), followed by 1 pregnancy group (4.27%) had nearly 3 times (OR=2.89, 95% CI, 1.11-7.52, P = 0.03) higher risk of being seropositive compared to dairy cattle in 3 or above 3 pregnancies group, although no statistical difference was found between 2 pregnancies group and 3 or above 3 pregnancies group (P = 0.70). The results of this survey indicated the presence of T. gondii infection in dairy cattle in Gansu Province and NXHAR, which enriches the epidemiological data of T. gondii infection in dairy cattle in China, and is helpful to strengthen prevention and control of T. gondii infection in dairy cattle in these two regions.

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