Evaluation of Different Land Preparation Techniques for Preparing Medium Textured Soil in Rice Production under Agro-Ecological Conditions of Sheikhupura-Pakistan

Tillage is an important factor affecting different soil properties and crop yields. Tillage relates to applying forces to soil using different implements for preparation of a proper seed bed. For rice crop, land preparation is a rigorous and time consuming operation that needs special attention for preparing a puddled soil condition to transplant the weak and tender rice seedlings. A field experiment was established under agro-ecological conditions of Sheikhupura to evaluate different land preparation techniques during fall in 2017 and 2018 years. The experiment was performed at Adaptive Research Farm Sheikhupura. It was laid out in randomized complete block design (RCBD) with four different land preparation techniques including T1= Cultivator (4 times) + Planking (2 times) (Farmer’s Practice), T2=MB plough (1 time) + Disc Harrow (1 time) + Planking (2 Times), T3=MB plough (1 time) + Cultivator (2 times) + Planking (2 Times) and T4= Rotavator (1 time) + Disc Harrow (1 time) + Planking (2 Times), each treatment replicated thrice during both the years. All the other agronomic and crop husbandry operations were kept uniform throughout the growing season every year. The results revealed that preparing land with MB plough (1 time), Disc Harrow (1 time) and Planking (2 times) is the best land preparation method can increase the paddy yield 13.5-17.5% as compared to the traditional method practised by the farmers. Moreover, highest plant height (134.00 cm and 132.00 cm), number of tillers (224 and 220 m-2), number of grains per spike (130 and 116) and 1000-grain weight (23.0 and 22.0 g) respectively during Kharif-18 and Kharif-19 was also recorded in the same treatment. So, preparation of land for paddy in agro-ecological conditions of Sheikhupura using MB plough (1 time), Disc Harrow (1 time) and Planking (2 times) can significantly enhance the paddy yield.

Integrated highland wildfire, smoke, and haze management in the Upper Indochina region

Fire has long been used in Southeast Asia for the purposes of cooking, protection, and warmth. However, climate change and economic pressure have modified the life of locals, including fire practices in daily life and other fire uses. The land use of forest cover in highland area (mostly deciduous forest) has shifted to cultivation, with the application of slash-and-burn techniques. This results in frequent unplanned fires causing pollution in the form of smoke and haze. A zero-burn policy has been implemented to tackle this problem but such a policy may not be appropriate as people still need fire as a basic tool for agriculture land preparation. Moreover, the deciduous forest is a fire-dependent ecosystem to maintain its ecosystem. Frequent burning by local people or excessive government intervention in preventing fires can impact this ecosystem. In the highlands, shifting cultivation has gradually been replaced by rotational agricultural practice with a cycle of 2 to 5 years. However, the fuel load for a 2-year rotation period is only 0.25 tha-1 higher than that of a mixed deciduous forest. New fire risk maps classified according to forest types were produced for Thailand, Lao PDR, and Myanmar. We report that the mixing layer (ML) height in Chiang Mai Province was, on average, 500 m during March, with common occurrence of subsidence inversion resulting in further lowering of air quality during this month. A participatory process to develop a Community Based Fire Management (CBFiM) was undertaken and it was observed that a successful implementation would need a community with a strong leadership.

Rice straw open burning: emissions, effects and multiple benefitsof non-burning alternatives

Rice is one of the most important staple foods not just to people in Asia, but around the world. To meet domestic and export demands, farmers in Southeast Asia (SEA) grow 2-3 crop cycles per year, which leaves only a short period for land preparation. Field open burning of rice straw has been widely practiced to quickly clear the surface biomass for the next crop planting. However, this uncontrolled open combustion of rice straw releases large amounts of toxic air pollutants including key conventional pollutants along with carcinogenic compounds like dioxins, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and benzene, as well as major climate forcing agents. Emissions from rice straw open burning (RSOB) have been shown to significantly elevate ambient levels of PM2.5 and surface ozone in adjacent urban areas. During the dry season, when stagnant meteorological conditions are prevalent, intensive open burning activities further intensify haze episodes. Rice straw, however, is a valuable resource that should be recovered and not disposed of by open burning. Indeed, several non-open burning alternatives are available that would bring in multiple benefits to air quality, climate, health, and economy. For example, the production of rice straw fuel pellets for cooking in clean gasifier cookstoves is one promising option. For the successful elimination of RSOB in SEA, technology development along with formulation and implementation of appropriate policies should be in place to mobilise active participation from all stakeholders.

Farmers' Sources and Varieties of Cassava Planting Materials in Coastal Kenya

Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) grows in diverse agro-ecological zones. In Kenya, it is widely cultivated in Western and Coastal regions. It is mainly grown for food and nutrition security and excess roots are sold to generate income for the farm households. Its productivity per unit of the land area is high compared to maize and wheat which are staple crops in the country. However, scarcity of cassava planting materials and pests and diseases limit production in these regions. This study aimed at revealing the sources and varieties of cassava planting materials used by farmers and other farmers' practices in coastal Kenya. Four focus group discussions (FGD) and a survey were conducted in 2018, using a semi-structured questionnaire targeting 250 farmers. The data collected on the sources of planting materials, preferred varieties and the practices employed by the farmers in cassava production, was analyzed using descriptive statistics. Majority of farmers (83%) interviewed indicated that they recycled planting materials from the previous crop while some 67% respondents obtained the planting material from their neighbors. Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization's (KALRO) and the local markets were reported as sources of planting materials by 11 and 5% farmer respondents, respectively. The only formal seed source reported was KALRO. The rest, own seed, neighbors, and the local markets, were informal seed sources. Piecemeal harvesting practiced by 98% of the farmers favored planting material recycling. Farmers dedicated a small proportion of their land (mean 0.2 ha) to cassava production as reported by 60 and 72.8% of farmers from Taita Taveta and Kilifi, respectively. Slightly above half (56%) of the farmers in Kilifi dedicated slightly more land to cassava, planting between 100 and 4,000 cuttings (2.5% of an acre up to a full acre) compared to 87% farmers from Taita Taveta who planted 100 cuttings or less (which is about 2.5% of an acre or less). A majority (81.1%) of farmers in Taita Taveta planted local cassava varieties compared to Kilifi's 57.8%. Slightly above half of the farmer respondents reported Kibandameno as the preferred variety followed by Tajirika as the second preferred variety as reported by 18% farmers. Kibandameno was preferred for its sweet taste by 75.6% farmers while Tajirika was preferred by 52.4% farmers because of the high yielding capacity. Nearly all farmer respondents, in Taita Taveta County obtained the planting material from informal seed sources, except a negligible number, who reported buying their planting material from KALRO, a formal seed source, far from their locality. Farmers sourcing cuttings from a formal seed source such as those from Kilifi County were more likely to use a tractor for land preparation compared to those who sourced planting materials informally who more likely had scarce knowledge on cassava production and the value of cassava. Therefore, interventions to establish a sustainable healthy cassava planting materials seed system are needed to address the systemic constraint and help develop a viable cassava value chain.

Multiple Leveling for Paddy Field Preparation with Double Axis Rotary Tillage Accelerates Rice Growth and Economic Benefits

In the multiple cropping regions of southern China, straw returning has become a widely practiced agronomic measure for rice cultivation. However, excessive straw often leads to a high proportion of stubble in topsoil, which prolongs the leveling time of the paddy field and delays the transplanting date for rice seedlings. In particular, scholars in this region have successively improved multiple paddy field levelers to realize excellent straw returning and subsequent land preparation synchronously, but the economic benefit from land preparation to crop harvest was less reported. Therefore, this study carried out a 2-year rice cultivation experiments to compare the effects of paddy field preparation methods on rice growth and economic benefits within the same growing duration. Three treatments were designed: traditional tillage (TT), double axis rotary tillage (DR) and multiple operations for paddy field preparation (DR + ML), with three repeats. The results showed that DR + ML treatment simplified the operation process while improving the quality of land preparation. Within the same growing duration, DR + ML treatment could reduce the paddy field preparation time and extend the growing time in the field by 5–6 days. Furthermore, in comparison to TT treatment, DR + ML showed advantages in stimulating plant development, increasing dry matter accumulation (DMA), and thereby increasing rice yield by more than 12%. The economic benefits were mainly reflected in saving operation cost of paddy field preparation and improving the output (grain yield), which can generally increase the total profit by 58%. The implementation of this study can provide a reference for a simplified high yield cultivation technique in rice-related multiple cropping systems.

The Analysis of the Applications of Crop Seed Tape Sowing Technology and Equipment: A Review

Seed tape sowing technology is a kind of crop cultivation technology based on a carrier. This technology first wraps crop seeds in a kind of carrier materials and makes them into seed tape. The seed tape is then laid down in farmland with special equipment. Seed tape planting has the advantages of accurate control of hill spacing, simplification of field sowing process and helps to implement order agriculture. Seed tape manufacturing and laying equipment are the core equipment of the technology and their working reliability directly affects the advantages of seed tape planting technology. Based on the research status of seed tape planting technology and equipment, this article made comparisons between the key technologies which include the method for seed tape manufacturing, seed tape sowing, furrowing, seed tape guiding technology, etc. In this paper, the basic problems of seed tape technology that still need further study are put forward. The future development of tape sowing technology and equipment are predicted as follows: the intelligent high precision and high-speed seed tape manufacturing equipment, the large intelligent integrated seed tape planter of “land preparation-seeding tape making-sowing”, the small and medium-sized mobile walk-behind planters, the application on the agricultural landscape and the crop transplanting. This study will be helpful to promote the further development of seed tape planting technology and provide a reference for the research of tape planting technology and equipment.

Agricultural LCA for Food Oil of Winter Rapeseed, Sunflower, and Hemp, Based on Czech Standard Cultivation Practices

The demand for food vegetable oil is rising and this trend is reflected in the agricultural sector of the Czech Republic. The traditional oil crops of the Czech Republic are winter rapeseed and sunflower. These oil crops have high demands on energy inputs, for example, in the form of land preparation and chemical protection. At the same time, they are characterized by high food oil production and oiliness. Moreover, marginal oils crops, such as hemp, are also gaining prominence. This work aimed to evaluate the environmental impacts associated with the cultivation of winter rapeseed and sunflowers based on standard cultivation practices typical of the conditions of the Czech Republic. For comparison, an intensive cultivation strategy for hemp was modelled, also corresponding to the conditions of the Czech Republic. This study assessed the environmental impact of traditional oil crops from the agricultural Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) perspective. The system boundaries included all the processes from the cradle to the farm gate. Mass-based (volume of food oil) and area-based (land demand for generating the same volume of food oil) functional units were employed. The results cover nine impact categories related to the agricultural LCA. ReCiPe Midpoint (H) characterization and normalization models were used for the data expression. Hemp is a plant with generally low demands on the inputs of the growing cycle but generally has a low oil production, which affects the character of the results relating to the goal and scope definition of the study. Hemp food oil thus generated a higher environmental impact per unit of production and area compared to sunflower and rapeseed food oil.

Machinery and Technical Efficiencies in Selected Paddy Areas in Malaysia

Malaysia’s paddy sector frequently relies on machinery in its activities, from land preparation until harvesting. However, the shortfall of meeting domestic demand, ineffective use of machinery, mismanagement, and technical inefficiency were among the sector’s challenges. This study analyses the socio-economic effect on machinery and technical efficiencies in Malaysia’s Muda Agricultural Development Authority (MADA) and Integrated Agricultural Development Area Barat Laut Selangor (IADA BLS) paddy areas. Qualitative data were collected using a face-to-face interview. The results confirmed that MADA respondents were highly trained, more educated, and more efficient in using machinery in the agriculture sector than IADA BLS. The same goes for MADA’s productivity, energy outputs, machinery efficiency, labour, and technology use, which were higher than IADA BLS. However, inadequate planning and managing farm activities led to poor paddy field conditions, including insufficient water supply system, irregularly shaped paddy field plots, and increasing difficulties in handling paddy diseases and maintaining the machinery. These challenges resulted in a frequent interruption of paddy production activities, incurring additional costs, decreasing profit, and jeopardising the farmers’ financial status. Therefore, it is recommended to use types of machinery that fit a particular purpose in terms of cost and technology and ensure the required services are carried out on time to maximise machinery efficiency. On the other hand, technical efficiency’s main challenges were the high operation cost and increasing fossil fuel use, combined with a lack of government subsidies. Research and development in agricultural energy use, environment, and government subsidies could decrease production costs and improve paddy production.

Determinants of Gender Division in Agricultural Works and Agrobiodiversity Management in Nepal

This study was designed to assess the access of Nepalese farmers to the training and extension service, gender division on agricultural work, and factors affecting agrobiodiversity management activities. A total of 2,817 respondents were interviewed at different locations throughout Nepal. The information was collected using the mWater surveyor. Descriptive and inferential analyses were done. The respondents having received training in agriculture were significantly higher among elite, educated, and agricultural households. Access to extension facilities was significantly determined by the type of household, ethnicity, occupation, and education of respondents. Male domination in the choice of crops, land preparation, and seed selection were significantly higher in male-headed households, marginalized groups, and agricultural households. However, females were more likely to be involved in seed sowing. The male domination in male-headed households were significantly higher for applying fertilizers, weeding, irrigation, and pest control. Among elite ethnic groups, domination of males was significantly higher for fertilizer application. The role of the male in agricultural households was significantly higher in all aspects. One unit increase in the area increased the likelihood of male involvement in irrigation by 30%. The males are likely to be more involved in harvesting, sales of products, and control of income. Elite and educated respondents coupled with access to training practiced more crop rotation compared to the rest. The likelihood of practicing intercropping and mixed cropping was influenced by extension facilities and training facilities. Elite groups and farmers with extension facilities tended to practice more agroforestry. So, the types of households, education, and ethnicity have a key role in the gender differentiation in agriculture operation. Moreover, training and extension facilities help a lot in the conservation and practice of agrobiodiversity. There is an urgent need in improving the women's role and overall management of the agricultural landscape.

Buruan Sae in the city of Bandung: Realizing ideas from urban society

Buruan Sae is part of an integrated urban farming program implemented in the city of Bandung. The program relates to various urban farming products, which are mainly to meet their own food needs, and some are sold to the local markets. One of the targeted products is lime, but its cultivation is not yet well described. This study aimed to determine activities in cultivating lime in Buruan Sae. The study used a qualitative method, and the data were collected from 61 locations in Bandung city through observation, interviews, and literature review. In general, the results of this study showed that Buruan Sae includes the cultivation of vegetables, livestock or fish, fruit trees, family medicinal plants, processed urban farming products, seedling processes, and composting processes. An example for fruit trees is lime cultivation described in this paper, including land preparation, seed preparation, planting, maintenance, harvesting, and post-harvest. One site, namely Buruan Sae Jasmine, was found to be good learning for showing improvement in cultivation.