The Environmental-Economic Performance of a Poblano Family Milpa System: An Emergy Evaluation

The family milpa system (FMS) is of great importance to food security and the livelihoods of rural families in Mexico. However, the performance of the system can be compromised due to inappropriate agricultural practices. Therefore, a suitable evaluation strategy is required to identify the best management of resources. Nonetheless, at present, there is no holistic understanding around the nature–society interface that allows us to predict the global behavior of the FMS. Thus, this study assesses the global performance of a Poblano FMS through emergy-based indices. The emergy evaluation was carried out by accounting for the available energy of different qualities used in the system, which were subsequently converted to one kind of energy (solar emjoules). The percentage of renewable emergy (%Ren) used in the system was 72.16%. The emergy self-support ratio (ESR) showed that 74% of the emergy used came from free local resources. The emergy investment ratio (EIR) of 0.36 indicated that the emergy use was efficient. The emergy yield ratio (EYR) was 3.78, which in terms of net emergy (NE), was equivalent to a gain of 1.35 × 1016 sej ha−1 y−1. The environmental loading ratio (ELR) was 0.39, which indicated a low potential environmental impact. The emergy sustainability index (ESI) was high (9.80) compared to other agricultural systems. The performance of the FMS is superior compared to other agricultural systems, including ecologic and recycling systems. However, the use of resources is not optimum and needs to be improved to reach maximum empower.

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Assessment of the effectiveness of agricultural technologies based on production data

BIO Web of Conferences ◽

10.1051/bioconf/20213608009 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 36 ◽

pp. 08009

Author(s):

N.V. Stepnykh ◽

S.D. Gilev ◽

E.V. Nesterova ◽

A.M. Zargaryan ◽

S.A. Kopylova

Keyword(s):

Crop Production ◽

Agricultural Practices ◽

Annual Reports ◽

Management Tool ◽

Agricultural Technologies ◽

Agricultural Enterprises ◽

Use Of Resources ◽

Scientific Organizations ◽

Literary Sources ◽

Digital Management

Modern agriculture is characterized by a variety of technologies associated with a multivariance of means of production. Due to the fact that the forces of scientific organizations do not allow to study most of the innovations in agriculture, the analysis of the effectiveness of technologies is possible directly in agricultural enterprises, where a large amount of agronomic and economic information obtained in the specific conditions of the introduction of agricultural practices is accumulated. The purpose of the study was to analyze the effectiveness of modern technologies for growing grain crops according to accounting and agronomic reports of agricultural enterprises of the Kurgan region. The methods of monographic, mathematical, and statistical analysis of data from literary sources, annual reports of agricultural enterprises of the region, as well as data from production fields of the Kurgan Research Institute of Agricultural Sciences were used. The results of the study showed the possibility of obtaining high results in crop production due to different methods of tillage (with and without surface tillage), the use of optimal doses of fertilizers. The reserves of profitability growth are associated with a more accurate use of resources, which is possible when considering the data of each field, thanks to the maintenance of electronic books of the field history, as a variant of a digital management tool in crop production.

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Potential impacts of climate change on agriculture - A review

Emirates Journal of Food and Agriculture ◽

10.9755/ejfa.2020.v32.i6.2111 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 397 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Isabel P. Pais ◽

Fernando H. Reboredo ◽

José C. Ramalho ◽

Maria F. Pessoa ◽

Fernando C. Lidon ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Food Systems ◽

Climate Changes ◽

Industrial Revolution ◽

Agricultural Practices ◽

Water Shortage ◽

Emissions Reduction ◽

Adaptation Measures ◽

Use Of Resources ◽

Ca 50 ◽

Impacts Of Climate Change

Greenhouse gases content in the atmosphere significantly raised since the beginning of the industrial revolution, mainly associated to anthropogenic emissions, namely those related to altered land use. Such rise is driving changes in the climate, which will worsen throughout the 21st century. Agricultural systems are particularly vulnerable to Climate Changes (CC) thus the attempts to achieve higher crop productivities, simultaneously with more efficient use of resources, while minimizing environmental impacts could fail. The CC mitigation/adaptation measures require a major effort to decarbonise the economy, which includes a global greenhouse gas emissions reduction of ca. 50-60% by 2050, as compared to 1990. These actions should be used in a complementary manner, in order to greatly reduce the vulnerability of agri-food systems, thus, contributing to food security and safety. The water shortage and increase of extreme events episodes in Southern Europe may lead to abandonment of agricultural practices, whereas in the northern Europe it is foreseen the expansion of suitable crop´s areas and yield increases, thus emphasizing that the estimated impacts of climate changes will not be uniform throughout the world.

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Plant Biodiversity Knowledge Varies by Gender in Sustainable Amazonian Agricultural Systems Called Chacras

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su11154211 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (15) ◽

pp. 4211 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Carmen X. Luzuriaga-Quichimbo ◽

Míriam Hernández del Barco ◽

José Blanco-Salas ◽

Carlos E. Cerón-Martínez ◽

Trinidad Ruiz-Téllez

Keyword(s):

Rural Communities ◽

Gender Bias ◽

Agricultural Practices ◽

Agricultural Systems ◽

Sustainable Development Goal ◽

Plant Knowledge ◽

Biodiversity Knowledge ◽

Amazonian Ecuador ◽

Tropical America

Chacras, which are Amazonian agricultural systems, are examples of traditional agricultural management that are sustainable. They are also characteristic of the identities of different ethnographic groups in tropical America. However, information regarding the botanical characterization of chacras is scant. In tropical rural communities, there is a gender bias hypothesis that makes women potential reservoirs of traditional chacras plant knowledge. We present an experimental study in order to demonstrate if this knowledge difference really exists and to plan accordingly. We performed workshops in an isolated Kichwa community from Amazonian Ecuador. We calculated the cultural signififcance index (CSI) for 97 local flora plants. Our results revealed statistically significant differences. They were coherent with the Kichwa worldview and the structure of their society. We concluded that gender perspective must be taken into account in biodiversity conservation programs, such as, for example, those to implement the resilient agricultural practices of tropical contexts promoted by The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 2 (SGD2).

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Linking Coleopteran Diversity With Agricultural Management of Maize-Based Agroecosystems in Oaxaca, Mexico

Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems ◽

10.3389/fsufs.2020.590720 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 ◽

Author(s):

Cecilia González González ◽

Tania Lara García ◽

Lev Jardón-Barbolla ◽

Mariana Benítez

Keyword(s):

Pest Control ◽

Soil Conservation ◽

Management Practices ◽

Agricultural Practices ◽

Agricultural History ◽

Agricultural Systems ◽

Agricultural Matrix ◽

Matrix Quality ◽

Coleoptera Diversity ◽

Natural Pest Control

Biodiversity is known to be influenced by agricultural practices in many ways. However, it is necessary to understand how this relation takes place in particular agroecosystems, sociocultural contexts and for specific biological groups, especially in highly biodiverse places. Also, in order to systematically study and track how biodiversity responds or changes with agricultural practices, it is necessary to find groups that can be used as practical indicators. We conduct a study of beetle (Coleoptera) diversity in maize-based agricultural plots with heterogeneous management practices in the Central Valleys of Oaxaca, Mexico, a region with outstanding biodiversity and a long agricultural history. We use a mixture of local knowledge and multivariate statistics to group the plots into two broad and contrasting management categories (traditional vs. industrialized). Then, we present an analysis of Coleopteran diversity for each category, showing higher levels across different diversity indexes for the traditional plots. Specifically, Coleopteran guilds associated with natural pest control and soil conservation are more common in traditional plots than in industrialized ones, while herbivorous beetles are more abundant in the second. Also, our results let us postulate the Curculionidae family as an indicator of both management type and overall Coleopteran diversity in the agricultural lands of the study site. We discuss our results in terms of the agricultural matrix quality and its role in strategies that favor the coexistence of culturally meaningful agricultural systems and local biodiversity.

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Agroforestry Heritage Systems as Agrobiodiversity Hotspots. The Case of the Mountain Oases of Tunisia

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su12104054 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (10) ◽

pp. 4054 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Antonio Santoro ◽

Martina Venturi ◽

Sihem Ben Maachia ◽

Fadwa Benyahia ◽

Federica Corrieri ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Genetic Resources ◽

Landscape Structure ◽

Biological Diversity ◽

Agricultural Land ◽

Agricultural Practices ◽

Fruit Trees ◽

Land Uses ◽

Agricultural Systems ◽

Food And Agriculture ◽

Traditional Agricultural Practices

Traditional agricultural systems are receiving increasing attention at the international level due to their multifunctional role. The Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) programme of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) aims to identify agricultural systems of global importance, preserve landscape, agrobiodiversity and traditional knowledge and apply the principles of dynamic conservation to promote sustainable development. Biodiversity associated to traditional agricultural practices is particularly important, especially in difficult environments, like traditional oases, for ensuring food and nutrition to local communities. We documented landscape and biological diversity associated with traditional agricultural practices in three traditional oases in Tunisia, through a landscape analysis based on land-use survey, and an assessment of cultivated species. Results show that the landscape structure is dominated by agricultural land uses and characterized by a high level of diversification. Agrobiodiversity is high: we identified 20 varieties of date palm, 21 species of fruit trees, 21 vegetable species and two fodder crops. Results highlighted that traditional oases, as other agroforestry and agricultural heritage systems, continue to play a crucial role in maintaining genetic resources and agrobiodiversity. Farmers who, all over the world, still cultivate applying traditional practices are the main actors that practice a real conservation of genetic resources and diversity by maintaining traditional cultivars and a diversified landscape structure. Our methodology, based on the combined assessment of land uses and agrobiodiversity, can be replicated in other agricultural heritage systems to evaluate and measure possible transformations and identify the best strategies for their preservation.

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The Impact of Organic vs. Conventional Agricultural Practices on Selected Quality Features of Eight Potato Cultivars

Agronomy ◽

10.3390/agronomy9120799 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (12) ◽

pp. 799 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Renata Kazimierczak ◽

Dominika Średnicka-Tober ◽

Ewelina Hallmann ◽

Klaudia Kopczyńska ◽

Krystyna Zarzyńska

Keyword(s):

Vitamin C ◽

Agricultural Practices ◽

Potato Cultivars ◽

Agricultural System ◽

Agricultural Systems ◽

Potato Tubers ◽

Conventional Production ◽

The Impact ◽

Quality Features ◽

Means Of Production

An organic agricultural system based on natural methods and means of production is an alternative to intensive agriculture. The available research suggests that organic crops, in comparison to the conventional ones, are richer in phenolics and other antioxidants while containing less undesirable pesticide residues and nitrates. The aim of this study was to determine concentrations of polyphenols, lutein, vitamin C, and nitrates in eight potato cultivars (Mazur, Justa, Lawenda, Lech, Tacja, Laskana, Otolia, Magnolia) grown organically and conventionally in a controlled field experiment in Poland. Significant differences between potato tubers of the tested cultivars coming from organic and conventional production were identified for the majority of parameters. Higher concentrations of nitrates and lutein were found in conventional compared to the organic tubers, while organic potatoes were, on average, richer in phenolic compounds. Among the tested cultivars, Magnolia, Otolia, and Laskara were richest in vitamin C and phenolics. Otolia and Laskara also accumulated the highest levels of nitrates. If further confirmed, these observations might be of importance for the producers and consumers, who increasingly search for foods from sustainable and well-controlled agricultural systems.

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Emergy evaluation of the performance and sustainability of three agricultural systems with different scales and management

Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment ◽

10.1016/j.agee.2005.12.016 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 115 (1-4) ◽

pp. 128-140 ◽

Cited By ~ 97

Author(s):

Jay F. Martin ◽

Stewart A.W. Diemont ◽

Erick Powell ◽

Michele Stanton ◽

Samuel Levy-Tacher

Keyword(s):

Agricultural Systems ◽

Emergy Evaluation

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Root traits for low input agroecosystems in Africa

10.22541/au.162348333.37725366/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Mame Sokhatil Ndoye ◽

Jimmy Burridge ◽

Rahul Bhosale ◽

Alexandre Grondin ◽

Laurent Laplaze

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Food Security ◽

Nutrient Uptake ◽

Agricultural Practices ◽

Root Traits ◽

Farming Systems ◽

Agricultural Systems ◽

Low Input ◽

Small Holder ◽

New Cultivars

In Africa, agriculture is largely based on low-input and small-holder farming systems that use little inorganic fertilizers and have limited access to irrigation and mechanization in comparison to modern agricultural systems. Improving agricultural practices and developing new cultivars adapted to these low-input environments, where production already suffers from climate change, is a major priority for ensuring food security in the future. Root phenes improving water and nutrient uptake could represent a solution toward achieving these goals. In this review, we illustrate how breeding for specific root phenes could improve crop adaptation and resilience in Africa using three case studies covering very contrasted low-input agro-ecosystems. We conclude with a discussion on how these phenes could be validated and made available to breeders and agronomists.

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PPGIS applied to environmental communication and hazards for a community-based approach: a dualism in the Southern Italy "calanchi" landscape

AIMS Geosciences ◽

10.3934/geosci.2021028 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 (3) ◽

pp. 490-506

Author(s):

Francesca Romana Lugeri ◽

◽

Piero Farabollini ◽

Francesco De Pascale ◽

Nicola Lugeri ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Management Strategies ◽

Well Being ◽

Environmental Communication ◽

Community Based ◽

The Sustainable Development ◽

Natural Processes ◽

Local Resources ◽

Use Of Resources ◽

Development Policies ◽

Innovative Management

<abstract> <p>The need of protection of the territory is a priority for the society, which is an integral part of it (unfortunately, this coincidence is often forgotten): the new environmental issues require the development of innovative management strategies and of appropriate knowledge and models. The balanced use of resources, essential for the survival and well-being of society, can be optimised through the promotion of the territory. The identification and the sustainable development of local resources can only be achieved by directing development policies towards a path of integration between ecological needs, protection of the landscape and socio-economic and cultural needs. The landscape, read as a result of the interaction between human and natural processes, is a rich heritage to safeguard, enhance and promote. The key requirement underlying each cultural and environmental enhancement project is the knowledge of the territory in its manifold aspects; knowledge that can be properly synthesised through cartographic representation: maps are tools to make data easily accessible and meaningful. In this contribution, after having carried out a review of the literature on GIS technologies and having provided some work examples, we analyse some proposals about the application of PPGIS on communication of environmental promotion initiatives; PPGIS, in fact, are effective in risk communication and information and in the consequent prevention of disasters. The mediated and participatory use of PPGIS technologies, furthermore, allows a community-based approach, fundamental for reducing the disaster risk.</p> </abstract>

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Evolution of Agricultural Practices and the Transformation of the English Landscape

Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Environmental Science ◽

10.1093/acrefore/9780199389414.013.200 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Tom Williamson

Keyword(s):

Large Scale ◽

Agricultural Practices ◽

State Intervention ◽

Physical Structure ◽

Agricultural Systems ◽

Principal Influence ◽

Local Environments ◽

Constant Rate ◽

Productive Potential ◽

Economic Developments

Agriculture has been the principal influence on the physical structure of the English landscape for many thousands of years. Driven by a wider raft of demographic, social, and economic developments, farming has changed in complex ways over this lengthy period, with differing responses to the productive potential and problems of local environments leading to the emergence of distinct regional landscapes. The character and configuration of these, as much as any contemporary influences, have in turn structured the practice of agriculture at particular points in time. The increasing complexity of the wider economy has also been a key influence on the development of the farmed landscape, especially large-scale industrialization in the late 18th and 19th centuries; and, from the late 19th century, globalization and increasing levels of state intervention. Change in agricultural systems has not continued at a constant rate but has displayed periods of more and less innovation.

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