Rural landscapes and agrarian spaces under soybean expansion dynamics: a case study of the Santarém region, Brazilian Amazonia

Following the boom of soybean production from 2000 to 2006 in the Santarém region of the Brazilian Amazon, the mechanized agricultural area remained stable, unlike other regions. Deforestation was controlled, but this initial expansion led to the restructuring of the agrarian space in the region. Given this scenario, we aimed to understand the mechanized agricultural expansion effects in the region by comparing the periods 1999–2007 and 2007–2015. Our hypothesis was that it impacted heterogeneous actors and land tenure categories. We combined multi-temporal land change maps derived from remote sensing to land tenure information to evaluate how land change transitions differed over time, both in public (traditional and sustainable use official settlements) and private areas. In private areas, we observed a 12% reduction in forest cover in 1999–2007 and a 2.5% reduction in 2007–2015. In sustainable use settlements, forest loss was only 3% and 2% in each period, respectively. Mechanized agriculture occupied areas of family farming (42%), secondary vegetation (20%), pasture (20%), and forest areas (18%). Family farming lost most of the area to other uses. Within settlements, the area of family farming increased by 50% at the expense of the forest area. We conclude that the rise and fall of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon hide multiple social and territorial processes. Understanding such dynamics is critical for establishing measures toward a sustainable future.

COVID-19 and Food Supply in Bangladesh: A Review

The pandemic COVID-19 has slowed down human activities globally and throwing countries into a slump and possibly economic depression. Bangladesh, a growing economic country, is also experiencing severe economic shockwaves. Besides the economic shock, it is also facing an imbalance in the food supply in all of its channels. The purpose of this paper is to provide a general understanding of the possible impacts of COVID-19 on food supply in Bangladesh. The paper presents a brief summary of the global COVID-19 situation and the current food supply status concerning COVID-19. In Bangladesh, the trend of COVID-19 cases is increasing and due to the lockdown situation, the food supply is hampering badly. Since most farmers are not adapted to mechanized agriculture and facing labour shortages, their production has fallen at risk in terms of harvesting. Due to buyer shortage and unavailability of supply channels, products are being forced to sell at a low price and it will take years to overcome this shock as the prognosis of COVID-19 is still unknown to all. Though the government has taken some policy measures to maintain a sufficient food supply, protect the agriculture sector, and mitigate the possible losses.

Hidden destruction of older forests threatens Brazil’s Atlantic Forest and challenges restoration programs

Understanding the dynamics of native forest loss and gain is critical for biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services, especially in regions experiencing intense forest transformations. We quantified native forest cover dynamics on an annual basis from 1990 to 2017 in Brazil’s Atlantic Forest. Despite the relative stability of native forest cover during this period (~28 Mha), the ongoing loss of older native forests, mostly on flatter terrains, have been hidden by the increasing gain of younger native forest cover, mostly on marginal lands for mechanized agriculture. Changes in native forest cover and its spatial distribution increased forest isolation in 36.4% of the landscapes. The clearance of older forests associated with the recut of 27% of younger forests has resulted in a progressive rejuvenation of the native forest cover. We highlight the need to include native forest spatiotemporal dynamics into restoration programs to better estimate their expected benefits and unexpected problems.

Application of GIS and Remote Sensing in Determining Trends in Wind Energy Potential and Its Uses for Designing Development Strategies in Ghana

This paper is purported to determine the wind energy potential of Ghana for 2010 and 2018 using GIS and RS technologies and how the result could be used to develop a country strategy that benefits the ordinary Ghanaian. In doing this, two different wind potential maps of Ghana were generated for 2010 and 2018 using data from Ghana meteorological Unit and Windfinder respectively. Moreover, the Inverse Distance Weighted interpolation of winds peed was used to generate the maps at different hub heights for 2010 and 2018. The results indicate that, the 2010 wind map showed wind speed is highest (8m/s) in the southernmost part of Ghana (i.e. Coastal part of Greater Accra and Volta Regions) at 10m high while the wind map of 2018 showed that wind speed is highest (9m/s) in the Upper East Region of Ghana at 10m high. As wind energy is untapped in Ghana, we advised that Government should further explore the results for the Upper East Region in ascertaining that it was not influenced by Trade winds and apply to different sectors of the economy through appropriate institutional regulations. The wind energy in Northern Ghana should be dedicated to mechanized agriculture, augmenting electricity tariffs for the poor in those areas and extending electricity to rural communities that do not have access to the national grid under the rural electrification project. Meanwhile, the wind energy generated from the southern part of Ghana should be dedicated mostly to commercial and industrial activities. Keywords: Wind Energy Potential, mechanized agriculture, industrial application, GIS, RS

The Upsurge of Farm Mechanization and Its Impact on Land Occupancy System in Nigeria

The reinvigorated approach by stakeholders towards Farm Mechanization has given birth to emerging fears in the existing relationship between mechanized agriculture and traditional land occupancy systems in Nigeria. The increased importation of agricultural machines into the country gave room for cropland growth that butt in farm lands acquired by rural farmers through customary ways. This paper examines these fears in four segments. The first segment searches the unstable land occupancy systems in Nigeria that have showed an elegant equilibrium relationship between constitutions and traditional acts. The second observes the acceptance of Agricultural mechanization and the expanding relevance of tractors. The third scrutinizes the different fears, aggravated by population increase, which come in being as mechanization overshoots on traditionally secured lands. These fears result in to the abuse of labour, continuous land seizures, and the imposing of rural farmers into a blank in which few market options live. To assist relief these fears, the final segment recommends the moderating of large Agricultural machines growth and the systematic improvement of land occupancy systems in preparation for more privatization. By marrying land occupancy systems and Farm mechanization, the environments will survive for more judicious evolution in Nigeria.

IMPACTS OF AGRICULTURAL MECHANIZATION: A CASE OF PALPA DISTRICT OF NEPAL

A study was conducted in 2019 to assess the impacts of agriculture mechanization in Palpa district of Nepal. Two hundred and twenty farmers who have been the beneficiaries of mechanization programs launched by any of the three different tiers of government and other non-governmental organizations were selected randomly by adopting snowball method and interviewed. Majority (72.3%) of the farmers of the study area were found adopting mini tiller as the result of which the bullock driven plough was found almost replaced by it. Majority (92.7 %) of the farmers had experienced increase in cost of production for first and second year and decrease in cost of production afterwards. Most of the farmers experienced increase in working efficiency and improvement in the living standard after the adoption of machines in different agriculture operations. Agriculture mechanization was found having positive impacts in productivity of agriculture products because majority (89%) of the farmers experienced increase in productivity of their agriculture products after mechanization. Assuming those farmers who did not experienced any increase in productivity of their agriculture products (11%) as 100% majority (43.5 %) of them had pointed out lack of technical skills to operate machines as the major factor responsible for it. Therefore, the concerned authorities should be focused in proper arrangements of trainings and capacity building programs for farmers to operate those machines in addition to purchase and distribution of machines for the transformation of existing traditional agriculture into commercial, modern and mechanized agriculture.

Economic Comparison between Pasture-Based Beef Production and Afforestation of Abandoned Land in Swedish Forest Districts

Large areas of agricultural land have been abandoned or are at risk of being abandoned such as small scattered fields and pastures in forest-dominated landscapes are unsuitable for modern mechanized agriculture and cost-efficient grazing. These areas have therefore become unprofitable to cultivate and graze. Spruce planting has been seen as the obvious alternative on these lands but is today questioned from landscape points of view. Now most abandoned land is left for natural afforestation. This study aims to compare the profitability in use of abandoned or marginal agricultural land in Swedish forest districts for spruce planting, natural birch afforestation, or organic beef cattle grazing large pasture-forest mosaics. The pastures consist of remaining semi-natural pastures, abandoned and marginal agricultural land, and adjacent forest land. Calculations of contribution to land, management, and risk suggest that, given present supports and environmental payments, organic beef production with herds of more than 20 suckler cows in large pasture-forest mosaics could be more profitable than forestry, except for in the most fertile areas of southern Sweden, where spruce planting has the highest contribution. Future tree breeding progress and possible decrease of livestock-related support and environmental payments would however increase the competitiveness of resumed afforestation relative to beef production.

ENTRE CHAPADAS E MALHADAS: TRANSFORMAÇÕES DA PAISAGEM E A EXPANSÃO AGRICOLA EM GILBUES, PIAUI

: Em Gilbués, os cerrados caracterizam-se por extensos chapadões de topografia plana, que facilita a expansão da agricultura mecanizada. Já em outras regiões existem áreas conhecidas como malhadas e grotas, que apresentam intensos processos erosivos causados pelas características climáticas e morfopedológicas. O objetivo, nesse estudo, é analisar a dinâmica da cobertura e uso das terras, enfatizando os aspectos da paisagem, o processo de apropriação, as transformações socioambientais, os arranjos socioeconômicos e sua articulação com as terras erodidas no município de Gilbués, sudoeste do Estado do Piauí. Para o desenvolvimento deste trabalho, foram necessárias quatro etapas distintas e complementares: revisão bibliográfica, trabalhos de campo, construção e análise de gráficos, compilação de mapas temáticos construídos a partir de técnicas de sensoriamento remoto e geoprocessamento. Como resultados, o artigo, elucida a ocorrência de intensos processos erosivos na região centro-sul de Gilbués e no setor norte expansão da agricultura mecanizada em áreas de cerrado. A análise temporal realizada em 1987 e 2009, indicou mudanças na dinâmica da cobertura e uso das terras, como, por exemplo, a expansão agrícola em áreas de cerrado denso que ocasionou a subtração da cobertura vegetal na região norte, o aumento da produtividade, a ampliação de áreas de solo exposto que resultam em feições erosivas do tipo badland. A pesquisa permitiu compreender as trajetórias e dinâmicas socioeconômicas e suas influências nas transformações da paisagem, e também avaliar a importância das configurações naturais que favoreceram a implementação de atividades agrícolas.Palavras-chave: Cerrado. Chapadas. Malhadas. Expansão agrícola. Gilbués. ”BETWEEN PLATEAUS AND BADLANDS”: LANDSCAPE TRANSFORMATION AND AGRICULTURAL EXPANSION AT GILBUÉS-PIAUÍAbstract: At Gilbués, cerrados are characterized by an extensive flat topography, which facilitates the expansion of mechanized agriculture. Other regions present areas known as badlands, which undergo intense erosive processes caused by climatic and morpho-psychological characteristics. The objective herein is to analyze land cover and use dynamics, emphasizing landscape aspects, the appropriation process, social and environmental transformations and socioeconomic arrangements, as well as their articulation with eroded lands in the municipality of Gilbués, southwestern Piauí. Four distinct and complementary steps were necessary for the development of this study: a bibliographical review, field work, graph construction and analysis and the compilation of thematic maps built using remote sensing and geoprocessing techniques. As results, the study elucidates the occurrence of intense erosive processes in south-central Gilbués and the expansion of mechanized agriculture in cerrado areas in the northern sector. The temporal analysis carried out in 1987 and 2009 indicates changes in land cover and use dynamics, such as the agricultural expansion in dense cerrado areas, leading to vegetation cover removal in the northern region and increased productivity of exposed soil, resulting in erosive badland-type features. This study allowed for an understanding of socioeconomic trajectories and dynamics and their influence on landscape transformations, as well as an evaluation of the importance of the natural configurations that favored the implementation of agricultural activities.Keywords: Cerrados; Plateau. Badlands. Agricultural expansion. Gilbués. “ENTRE ALTIPLANOS Y MALHADAS”: TRANSFORMACIONES DEL PAISAJE Y LA EXPANSIÓN AGRÍCOLA EN GILBUÉS-PIAUÍResumen: En Gilbués, los cerrados se caracterizan por extensos altiplanos, lo que facilita la expansión de la agricultura mecanizada. En otras regiones, existen áreas conocidas como malhadas y cuevas, que presentan intensos procesos erosivos causados por las características climáticas y morfopedológicas. El objetivo es analizar la dinámica de la cobertura y del uso de las tierras, enfatizando los aspectos del paisaje, el proceso de apropiación, las transformaciones socioambientales, los arreglos socioeconómicos y su articulación con las tierras erosionadas en el municipio de Gilbués, suroeste del estado de Piauí. Para el desarrollo de este trabajo fueron necesarias cuatro etapas distintas y complementarias: revisión bibliográfica; trabajos de campo; construcción y análisis de gráficos; y la compilación de mapas temáticos, construidos a partir de técnicas de teledetección y geoprocesamiento. Como resultado, este artículo elucida la ocurrencia de intensos procesos erosivos en la región centro-sur de Gilbués y la expansión de la agricultura mecanizada en áreas de cerrado en su región norte. El análisis temporal realizado en 1987 y 2009 indicó cambios en la dinámica de la cobertura y en el uso de las tierras, como, por ejemplo, la expansión agrícola en áreas de cerrado denso, lo que ocasionó la sustracción de la cobertura vegetal en la región norte, el aumento de la productividad y la ampliación de áreas de suelo expuesto, resultando en formaciones erosivas del tipo badland. La investigación permitió comprender las trayectorias y las dinámicas socioeconómicas y sus influencias en las transformaciones del paisaje, así como evaluar la importancia de las configuraciones naturales que han favorecido a la implementación de actividades agrícolas.Palabras- clave: Cerrado. Altiplanos. Malhadas. Expansión Agrícola. Gilbués.

Soil compaction under the wheel of a sprayer

Soil degradation by artificial compaction is recognized by the European Union as a major environmental and agricultural problem. Artificial compaction has worsened with the intensification of mechanized agriculture where heavier machinery is used, often moving on soils with high moisture. Experimental research was designed to determine the influence of five wheel loads and tire inflation pressures, on the contact area, the shape of footprint and the contact pressure, under the wheel of a machine for high accuracy application of phytosanitary treatments in orchards. It was found that the only situation when compaction does not occur is when the tank is empty (2.45 kN wheel load), at lowest tire inflation pressure of 100 kPa. Subsoil compaction (at 0.3-0.4 m) occurs when the sprayer machine’s tank is filled with different amounts of liquid. With empty tank, the sprayer only causes topsoil compaction.