The Future of Climate Resilience in Wheat

As the most widely cultivated crop globally - providing 20% of all human calories and protein - there is an urgent need to increase wheat’s resilience to harsher climates [1]. The risk of simultaneous crop failures due to heat and/or drought in global “breadbaskets” has risen and is projected to rise further [2-4]. Severe water scarcity events are predicted for up to 60% of the world’s wheat-growing areas by the end of this century [5]. Furthermore, for each 1°C increase in average seasonal temperature, it is predicted that wheat yields will decrease by 6% on average globally, and much more in some already marginal environments where wheat is a traditional staple food [6,7]. At the current rate of yield gain, wheat production is predicted to fall well short of future demand due to population growth alone. Emerging environmental threats only make the challenge harder. On top of this, demand by consumers, farmers and the food industry is predicted to increase due to wheat’s high grain-protein content relative to other cereals, wide growing range and adaptability to most environmental stresses. Since farmer adoption of improved cultivars is a critical part of adaptation [8], new and more targeted breeding efforts are needed to ensure that wheat's climate resilience is maximized [9-11]. This article briefly outlines research that has been conducted and current research needs to develop climate resilient wheat.

Adopsi Petani dalam Penggunaan Varietas Unggul Ubi Kayu Malaysia (Manihot Esculenta Crantz) di Kecamatan Sei Rampah, Kabupaten Serdang Bedagai, Provinsi Sumatera Utara

<p align="justify"><em>This study aims to determine the adoption of farmers and the factors that influence the adoption of farmers in the use of superior varieties of Malaysian cassava. This study was conducted in Sei Rampah Sub-district, Serdang Bedagai Regency from March to May 2021. This location was chosen because it is a cassava-producing village. Determination of the sample using a random sample, ie all members of the population are assumed to have the same opportunity to be selected as the research sample. The data collection method used is observation, interviews and distributing questionnaires that have been tested for validity and reliability. To determine the level of adoption, a Likert scale model was used and to determine the factors that influence adoption, multiple linear regression analysis models were used. Based on the results of the study, it was found that the adoption rate of farmers in the use of superior varieties of Malaysian cassava in Sei Rampah Sub-district was very, simultaneously the variables of innovation characteristics (X1), communication media (X2), the role of extension workers (X3) and the role of farmer groups (X4) together -equally significant effect on farmer adoption in the use of Malaysia cassava varieties, while partially the factors that significantly influence are the characteristics of innovation (X1), communication media (X2) and the role of farmer groups (X4) while the non-significant influence is the role of extension worker (X3).</em></p>

Measuring Adoption of Integrated Pest Management Practices by Citrus Farmers in Tartous Governorate, Syria

Faskha, S.M. 2021. Measuring Adoption of Integrated Pest Management Practices by Citrus Farmers in Tartous Governorate, Syria. Arab Journal of Plant Protection, 39(4): 257-267. https://doi.org/10.22268/AJPP-039.4.257267 A questionnaire study was conducted to analyze the IPM adoption by citrus farmers in Tartous Governorate during two seasons (2018 and 2019). The questionnaire was designed to collect the required information from a representative sample of farmers (370 farmers). Responses were tabulated, and the extracted data were statistically analyzed by using Chi–Square (X 2 ) at P=0.05. The results obtained indicated that the mean rate of farmer adoption was 5.55 points based on a 10-point scale. Accordingly, practices of the surveyed farmers came in the third level: “IPM level” (based on a proposed scale for adoption consisting of four levels, namely, conventional control, entry level IPM, normal IPM level, and bio-intensive IPM level). The implemented cultural practices, the handling of pesticides, and farmers' knowledge were at the forefront of good practices with mean index of attribute values of 0.66, 0.72 and 0.85, respectively. On the other hand, the Adoptability Index values showed that the non-use of attractant traps, planting mixed varieties, and voluntary lack of commitment to stop spraying (conservation biological control) were -0.46, -0.44 and -0.75, respectively, and those were among the most negative indicators in IPM practices adoption, although 31.35% of farmers did not use chemical control. Keywords: Integrated pest management, IPM, adoption, citrus, Syria.

Closing Research Investment Gaps for a Global Food Transformation

Recent calls for a global food transformation have centered on simultaneously improving human and environmental health, recognizing that food and nutrient diversity have declined over time while food systems have exacted a heavy climate and ecological toll. Grain legumes and coarse grain crops provide important human nutrition and environmental benefits, but the production and consumption of many of these crops remains relatively low compared to major commodities, such as maize, wheat, rice, and soy. Outstanding hurdles to scaling up these “minor commodity” crops include (among other things) their relatively lower yields, and lower farmer adoption, based partly on actual or perceived profitability and marketability. We hypothesize that these limitations are attributable in part to unequal funding for these crops' research and development (R&amp;D) both on a national and global scale. In the United States, we show that investment patterns for a snapshot of USDA-funded research grants from 2008 to 2019 consistently favor major commodity crops, which received 3 to 4.5 times more funding and 3 to 5 times as many grants than the minor commodity crop groups. This current USDA funding allocation poses a barrier to food system transformations. Achieving nutritious diets for planetary health requires more public agricultural investment toward minor commodity crops and increased collaboration between public health, nutrition, agriculture, and environmental sectors.

Using a Technology Acceptance Model to investigate what factors influence farmer adoption of a nutrient management plan

The agricultural sector will play a key role in reaching the goals set out in the Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC, and so understanding farmer behaviour in relation to farm management best practice is important. In this paper, we investigate if the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) can predict farmer adoption of an online nutrient management plan (NMP). A NMP has the potential to reduce the risk of nutrient transfer from agricultural land, without negatively affecting farm-level profitability. The TAM identifies two psychological constructs, perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived ease of use (PEOU), which are believed to be key factors in technology adoption. The data were collected through a survey from 358 farms by a team of professional data recorders in 2015. Results indicate that PU and PEOU of a NMP are positively and significantly related to a farmer’s intention to adopt and use the technology in the future. However, PU, which captures the perceived benefits in terms of usefulness, is the main driver of technology adoption. Results show that those farmers who adopt and use the technology are more likely to have larger farms and are full-time farmers. They use agricultural extension services and the farm is also more likely to be the main contributor to overall household income. The research recommends that the usefulness of a NMP, in terms of increased profitability, improving nutrient management practices, labour and time-saving advantages, should be highlighted and clearly communicated to farmers.

Ecological Engineering for Rice Insect Pest Management: The Need to Communicate Widely, Improve Farmers’ Ecological Literacy and Policy Reforms to Sustain Adoption

Ecological engineering (EE) involves the design and management of human systems based on ecological principles to maximize ecosystem services and minimize external inputs. Pest management strategies have been developed but farmer adoption is lacking and unsustainable. EE practices need to be socially acceptable and it requires shifts in social norms of rice farmers. In many countries where pesticides are being marketed as “fast moving consumer goods” (FMCG) it is a big challenge to shift farmers’ loss-averse attitudes. Reforms in pesticide marketing policies are required. An entertainment education TV series was able to reach wider audience to improve farmers’ ecological literacy, shifting beliefs and practices. To sustain adoption of ecologically based practices organizational structures, incentives systems and communication strategies to support the new norms and practices are needed.

Assessing the joint adoption and complementarity between in-field conservation practices of Kansas farmers

Agricultural conservation systems consist of a myriad of conservation practices. The mix and intensity of conservation practices adopted can benefit farmers and affect the entire production system in addition to soil and water conservation. The purpose of this study is to examine and analyze farmer adoption of and complementarity between conservation practices from a joint and conditional probabilistic perspective using Kansas as a case study. We develop a modeling framework that can analyze and examine farmers’ joint and conditional adoption decisions using a multinomial logistic regression model. This framework is used to estimate conditional probabilities of adopting conservation practices given adoption of other practices to better capture the complementarity between different conservation practices. These estimates allow for an assessment of linkages between adoption of different conservation practices and the socioeconomic factors that affect the likelihood of adopting conservation practices given other conservation practices have already been adopted on-farm. The results can help guide policy and outreach efforts to promote further intensification of adoption by farmers.

Time to Transition: Barriers and Opportunities to Farmer Adoption of Soil GHG Mitigation Practices in Dutch Agriculture

As the second largest exporter of agricultural products worldwide, the Netherlands is a production hub, a leading example of high yields per hectare. However, this productivity includes intensive farming practices, placing a risk on the climate through the emission of greenhouse gases N2O and CO2 from soil. To meet global efforts, the Netherlands must reduce its climatic impact, including soil emissions, but the transition to alternative farming practices can be challenging. This research identifies the barriers and opportunities for arable farmers to adopt practices which mitigate emissions from agricultural soils, and consists of a literature review, informant interviews, and semi-structured interviews with farmers, policy-makers, and boundary organizations. Main findings are (1) a lack of awareness by farmers of their soil greenhouse gas production, and (2) six barriers and five opportunities for farmer adoption with placement of these findings into different steps of adoption. Critical barriers include economic challenges, personal mindset, on-farm complications, and the need to reconcile different stakeholders' rates of adoption. Opportunities lie with farmers becoming interested and able to quantify soil health, positive framing in the media, and policies or economic mechanisms to assist farmers. If the Netherlands can transition its farming system, the opportunities for the global food system could be significant.

Faktor-Faktor yang Mempengaruhi Adopsi Inovasi SITT Sapi Potong di Kabupaten Bengkulu Selatan

Adoption of the crop-livestock system (CLS) technology innovation is influenced by internal and external factors of farmers. The purpose of this study was to determine the influencing factors of CLS adoption technology innovation for beef cattle in South Bengkulu Regency. The research was carried out from January to April 2020 at the location of the Integrated intensive livestock village (Integrated ILV) in South Bengkulu Regency located at 5 villages. Data were collected through a census involving 73 farmers i.e. farmers’ characteristics, performance of the extension agents, attributes of CLS innovation, communication channels, farmers' attitudes towards innovation, and the farmer adoption of CLS. Data analysis using SEM-PLS method. The results showed that farmer adoption of CLS was significantly influenced by the performance variables of the extension agents and the attributes of innovation, but not influenced by communication behavior and farmers’ attitudes.

Disaggregating the Value of Conservation Agriculture to Inform Smallholder Transition to Sustainable Farming: A Mexican Case Study

Conservation Agriculture (CA) is promoted by research and development (R&D) agencies to sustainably intensify agricultural systems with the goals of improving food security and livelihoods and adapting food systems to global climate change. Despite the many benefits of CA, there are few farmers around the world that have simultaneously implemented all facets of the strategy. In part, this reflects the challenges in applying, adapting, and understanding this complex and multi-dimensional agricultural innovation in the context of diverse farming systems. In this paper, we applied an integrated framework that combines bioeconomic simulation, risk analysis, adoption theory, and impact assessment to investigate how various combinations of CA components (no-tillage, soil cover, crop diversification, plus growing a new crop or variety) performed over a 10-year period in representative farms in a central Mexican case study. We found significant differences in profit, net value, downside risk, and risk-aversion cost between double-component scenarios (and improved CA to a lesser extent) and all other scenarios, which suggested that disaggregating CA into smaller component packages could increase farmer adoption in risky contexts. Our findings provided valuable insights on CA feasibility and could help establish policy and reporting metrics. The study highlighted the need for employing a range of research tools to understand the relative value of agricultural innovations and to identify and reduce trade-offs and uncertainty in farming systems.