Scale To Measure the Attitude of Perennial Crop Farmers towards Climate Change in Tamil Nadu

The degree of positive or negative affect associated with a psychological object is referred to as attitude. Any symbol, phrase, slogan, person, institution, idea or ideal toward which people could differ in terms of positive or negative influence can be used as a psychological object. Attitude scale provides a quantitative assessment of attitudes, views, or values by summarizing numerical scores assigned by researchers to people's replies to sets of statements investigating different aspects of a central subject. The objective of this research was to construct and standardize the same. A scale measuring the attitude of perennial crop farmers towards climate change in Tamil Nadu is developed. One hundred possible statements were prepared to assess the perennial crop farmers attitude towards climate change using the five-point continuum. The S-value and Q-value of each statement were found. The scale was developed using the equal appearing interval method, which comprises of 10 statements (four positive and six negative).

Effect of hop growing technology on the accounting system in the agricultural entity

With the beginning of market relations, Russian hop-growing practically ceased to function due to the lack of purchases from the side of brewing companies. But the government policy of import substitution, pursued in recent years, has given a certain impetus to the revival of this industry. The purpose of this study is to describe the agrobiological and technological features of hop growing and their impact on the accounting process in an agricultural organization. To reveal the main scientific provisions, such general scientific techniques and methods were used as observation, comparison, analysis and synthesis, operation research, etc. Hops as a perennial crop require large capital and current expenditures. When carrying out agrotechnical measures related to the cultivation of hops, it becomes necessary to group costs in a certain system. The study shows that in the international and Russian scientific community, the issue of cost formation and accounting is considered within the framework of crop production in general. The article reveals the main stages of the formation of costs in hop-growing with an indication of accounting objects. Separately, innovations in the regulatory framework for accounting for non-current assets in connection with the reform of the national accounting system are touched upon.

Climate change alters impacts of extreme climate events on a tropical perennial tree crop

Anthropogenic climate change causes more frequent and intense fluctuations in the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Understanding the effects of ENSO on agricultural systems is crucial for predicting and ameliorating impacts on lives and livelihoods, particularly in perennial tree crops, which may show both instantaneous and delayed responses. Using cocoa production in Ghana as a model system, here we show that in recent times, El Niño years experience reductions in cocoa production followed by several years of increased production, a significantly different pattern than prior to the 1980s. ENSO phase affects the climate in Ghana, and over the same time period, we see concomitant significant shifts in the climatic conditions resulting from ENSO extremes, with increasing temperature and water stress. Our results illustrate the big data analyses necessary to improve understanding of perennial crop responses to climate change in general, and climate extremes in particular.

Spinless Forage Cactus: The Queen of Forage Crops in Semi Arid Regions

Forage cactus is a perennial crop, which has been widely exploited for feeding ruminants in the semiarid region of different countries around the world. The main objective of this chapter is to describe the use and importance of spineless cactus as forage, desertification mitigation, source of water for animals and a source of income for producers in semiarid regions. The main species explored in Brazil are Opuntia spp. and Nopalea spp., due to characteristics such as resistance to pests, productivity, water-use efficiency and demand for soil fertility. The productivity of the species in a region will depend on its morphological characteristics, plant spacing, planting systems and its capacity to adapt to climatic and soil conditions. In other parts of the world, cactus species are the most cosmopolitan and destructive among invasive plants. However, the use of spineless forage cactus in areas where it can develop normally and may become the basis for ruminants’ feed would increase the support capacity production systems. Thus, specifically for Brazil’s semiarid region these species can make the difference as forage for animal feeding, cultivated as monoculture or intercropped, for soil conservation and desertification mitigation, source of water for animals, preservation of the Caatinga biome and be a potential source of income for producers if cultivated as vegetable for nutritional properties and medicinal derivative of fruits and cladodes for exports.

Evaluation of Suitable Lands for Elaeis guineensis Jacq. Using Geographic Information Systems in the Sierra Region, Tabasco, Mexico

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the edaphic suitability of Elaeis guineensis at a semi-detailed scale (1:50000), in the Plains and Terraces of Tabasco, Mexico (PTT). Design/Methodology/Approach: The edaphic requirements consisted of a semi-detailed soil map. The evaluation of the edaphic suitability was based on the agroecological zoning methodology proposed by FAO and the final 1:50000 scale map was developed using the algebra mapping tool with the ArcGis® Geographic Information System. Results: The Gleysols, Fluvisols, Luvisols, and Lixisols groups dominate the PTT, with 65.1, 16.2, 6.3, and 4%, respectively. Most of the soils (79.95%) have zero suitability for oil palm. Study Limitations/Implications: Oil palm is the eighth most important perennial crop (over cocoa) for the economy of southeastern Mexico. In this scenario, the expansion of plantations in the country is a possibility; therefore, complying with internal regulations and carry is important. Findings/Conclusions: The internal drainage of Gleysols soils limits the establishment of E. guineensis plantations in the plains and terraces of Tabasco, Mexico.

State of Crop Landraces in Arcadia (Greece) and In-Situ Conservation Potential

Genetic erosion of landraces is increasing worldwide, however there are still regions rich in landrace biodiversity, such as islands and mountainous isolated areas. Defining the reasons of landrace abandonment in these areas, as well as collecting and preserving landraces, is of outmost importance. In this context, the Agricultural University of Athens organized missions in 53 villages of Arcadia, a prefecture rich in floral biodiversity and variable climatic conditions and topography. The aim was to collect samples of the on-farm (in-situ) conserved annual crop landraces and record the location of perennial crop local varieties. Since traditional knowledge and practices have been playing a vital role in the survival of landraces and local varieties, information was obtained through personal interviews with locals using semi-structured questionnaires. Even though the number of accessions collected from Arcadia has been reduced (141 samples) compared to previous collections and genetic erosion is advancing dramatically for cereals and pulses, a significant number of landraces is still cultivated by the locals. The reasons of landrace abandonment were other sources of occupation than agriculture, such as public service jobs, mechanization, and commercialization of agriculture. Gastronomic and agro-tourism along with European Union trademarks and policies can support locals in landrace/local varieties in-situ conservation.

Economic Evaluation of the Production of Perennial Crops for Energy Purposes—A Review

Biomass is widely used for the production of renewable energy, which calls for an economic evaluation of its generation. The aim of the present work was to review the literature concerning the economic evaluation of the production of perennial crop biomass for energy use. Statistical analysis of the bibliographic data was carried out, as well as an assessment of methods and values of economic indicators of the production of perennial crops for bioenergy. Most of the papers selected for the review were published in the years 2015–2019, which was probably stimulated by the growing interest in sustainable development, particularly after 2015, when the United Nations declared 17 sustainable development goals. The earliest articles concerned the economic analysis of plantations of short rotation coppice; the subsequent ones included the analysis of feedstock production in terms of the net present value and policy. The latest references also investigated transport and sustainability issues. The crops most commonly selected for production cost analysis were willow, poplar, and Miscanthus. The cost of production of willow and poplar were similar, 503 EUR ha−1 year−1 and 557 EUR ha−1 year−1, respectively, while the cost of Miscanthus production was significantly higher, 909 EUR ha−1 year−1 on average. By analogy, the distribution of revenue was similar for willow and poplar, at 236 EUR ha−1 year−1 and 181 EUR ha−1 year−1; Miscanthus production reached the value of 404 EUR ha−1 year−1. The economic conditions of perennial crop production differed in terms of geography; four areas were identified: Canada, the USA, southern Europe, and central and northern Europe.

Phenotypic and Molecular Characterization of Strains Lasiododulpodia theobromae (pat) Griffon & Maulk, Pathogen-Associated with Black Rot Cocoa Pods in the Tshopo Province, Kisangani Region (DR Congo)

The cocoa tree (Theobroma cacao L) is a persistent perennial crop in tropical regions whose production period is sufficiently spread out over the whole year. As a result, it offers pathogens conditions for survival without real disruption of their life cycle. Symptoms of cocoa pod black rot disease have been observed in both the Bengamisa cocoa growing area and the Yangambi area in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This study aimed to characterize the strains of Lasiodiplodia theobromae on cocoa trees in the Kisangani region. Macroscopic and microscopic observations were made on the pods while the identification of the species was confirmed by a molecular approach based on the sequencing of part of the ribosomal DNA including the ITS regions (internal transcribed spacers) and the 5.8S gene. The results of this study showed that the phenotypic characteristics of the strains isolated in the two cocoa growing areas were typical of the L. Theobromae species. These are in particular the spots of soft rot, initially brown, gradually evolving into soot-black which subsequently produced a sort of whitish powder on the surface of the diseased pod. However, the fruiting of the fungus in the PDA medium gave rise to the latter's mycelia, initially whitish, which darkened as they matured. In addition, PCR amplification followed by sequencing of the fungal strain was beneficial by removing any doubt about the nature of the fungal species isolated in the two cocoa-growing areas.