Socioeconomic Impact of Climate Change in Rural Areas of Greece Using a Multicriteria Decision-Making Model

Agriculture is the main and, in some cases, the only, source of income and employment in rural areas. The change in the conditions under which agriculture is practiced has various effects on the agricultural economy but also on the social structure of rural areas. Climate change has multiple effects on agricultural production, necessitating the reorganization of agricultural production in some cases. These effects of climate change will also impact the economic and social aspects of farms in rural areas. This paper attempts to identify these effects by measuring the socioeconomic impacts of climate change in the region of Central Macedonia in Greece. For this reason, a multicriteria model was developed to simulate these impacts by estimating a set of seven social and economic indicators. The model was implemented to the average farm which was estimated from the main cultivations of the region. A scenario analysis was also used in combination with the multicriteria model. The multicriteria model suggests modifications are needed in the average farm crop plan of the region as a result of the climate change impact. The scenarios results show that climate change will negatively affect all the social and economic indicators and will continue to affect them over the years. These results can be used by policymakers to understand the economic and social impacts of climate change in the region to plan their future policies.

Effect of Different Management Techniques on Bird Assemblages on Rice Fields in the Republic of Korea

Many bird species rely on the ecological functions of rice field microhabitats. However, recent intensive practices are causing rice fields to provide fewer suitable habitats. This study examined bird microhabitat usage and the effects of intensive use of chemical substances on it. Eco-friendly and conventional rice fields were surveyed from January 2014 to December 2016, and the species presence, the number of birds, and the location of observed microhabitats were recorded. It was found that shorebirds and herons used more eco-friendly rice paddies with fewer or no chemical substances, while waterfowl used the paddy microhabitat more than the other microhabitats, regardless of the amount of chemical substances used. It was confirmed that land birds used ditches or roads in conventional rice fields more than those in fields that used chemical substances. Chemical substances affected bird assemblages differently. Consequently, bird assemblages used habitats differently depending on the farm crop cultivation as well as food abundance. These results provided valuable information useful for managing rice fields that serve as habitats for birds.

Using agricultural metadata: a novel investigation of trends in sowing date in on-farm research trials using the Online Farm Trials database

Background: A growing ability to collect data, together with the development and adoption of the FAIR guiding principles, has increased the amount of data available in many disciplines. This has given rise to an urgent need for robust metadata. Within the Australian grains industry, data from thousands of on-farm research trials (Trial Projects) have been made available via the Online Farm Trials (OFT) website. OFT Trial Project metadata were developed as filters to refine front-end database searches, but could also be used as a dataset to investigate trends in metadata elements. Australian grains crops are being sown earlier, but whether on-farm research trials reflect this change is currently unknown. Methods: We investigated whether OFT Trial Project metadata could be used to detect trends in sowing dates of on-farm crop research trials across Australia, testing the hypothesis that research trials are being sown earlier in line with local farming practices. The investigation included 15 autumn-sown, winter crop species listed in the database, with trial records from 1993 to 2019. Results: Our analyses showed that (i) OFT Trial Project metadata can be used as a dataset to detect trends in sowing date; and (ii) cropping research trials are being sown earlier in Victoria and Western Australia, but no trend exists within the other states. Discussion/Conclusion: Our findings show that OFT Trial Project metadata can be used to detect trends in crop sowing date, suggesting that metadata could also be used to detect trends in other elements such as harvest date. Because OFT is a national database of research trials, further assessment of metadata may uncover important agronomic, cultural or economic trends within or across the Australian cropping regions. New information could then be used to lead practice change and increase productivity within the Australian grains industry.

Farm‐scale assessment of maize–pigeonpea productivity in Northern Tanzania

Little is known about productivity of smallholder maize–pigeonpea intercropping systems in sub-Saharan Africa. We conducted a survey of 277 farm households in Northern Tanzania to assess socio-economic factors, field management characteristics, and their association with productivity of maize–pigeonpea intercrops. On each farm, crop assessments were focused on a field that the farmer identified as most important for food supply. Variables associated with yields were evaluated using linear regression and regression classification. Biomass production ranged between 1.0 and 16.6 for maize, and between 0.2 and 11.9 t ha−1 for pigeonpea (at maize harvest). The corresponding grain yields ranged between 0.1 and 9.5 for maize, and between 0.1 and 2.1 t ha−1 for pigeonpea. Plant density at harvest, number of years the field had been cultivated, slope, weeding, soil fertility class, fertiliser and manure use were significantly associated with variation in maize grain yield, with interactions among the factors. Fields on flat and gentle slopes with plant density above 24,000 ha−1 had 28% extra yields when fertiliser was applied, while less than 24,000 plants ha−1 yielded 16% extra yield when manure was applied. Plant density at harvest was the key factor associated with pigeonpea yield; fields with densities above 24,000 plants ha−1 yielded an average of 1.4 t ha−1, while less than 24,000 plants ha−1 yielded 0.5 t ha−1. We conclude that performance of intercrops can be enhanced through application of organic and inorganic nutrient sources, and agronomic interventions including weeding, implementing soil conservation measures on steep slopes and optimising plant density.

On-Farm Crop Diversity for Advancing Food Security and Nutrition

In 2019, nearly 690 million people were hungry, indicating that the achievement of Zero Hunger by 2030 is not on-track. The enhanced conservation and use of crop diversity, which demonstrably improves farm productivity and hence food security and nutrition, could be one of the solutions to this problem. The broadening of the inter- and intra-specific diversity of crops contributes to dietary diversification and nutrition and improves the resilience of production systems to shocks, especially the biotic and abiotic stresses attributed to climate change. Examples of successful interventions that resulted in enhanced on-farm crop diversity are provided. Relevant tools and guidelines to strengthen national capacities for the enhanced on-farm management of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture are also highlighted. Guidance, based primarily on the Second Global Plan of Action for Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, is presented to enable the conservation of farmers’ varieties/landraces, their genetic improvement and seed delivery systems; promote their cultivation, consumption and marketing; develop and implement policies; foster partnerships and strengthen requisite institutional and human capacities. Finally, the case is made for research and development, including using modern techniques, to achieve these aims.

DEVELOPMENT PROSPECTS FOR METHODS AND TECHNICAL MEANS OF FARM CROP PROTECTION

Modern intensive highly productive agricultural production should be based on a combination of various types of plant protection measures – quarantine, agrotechnical, chemical, breeding, biological, mechanical and physical methods, taking into account the balance between their effi ciency, minimal negative impact on the environment and economic feasibility. The paper discusses the advantages and disadvantages of the listed methods. The chemical method of plant protection, despite its shortcomings, is one of the most widely used productive and eff ective methods. The negative eff ect of the chemical method can be signifi cantly reduced by tightening the requirements for the safety of using pesticides for the environment and human health, ensuring targeted application of the product directly to the treated object, increasing the quality of application and reducing the loss of working fl uid, using productsw with a narrower range of action and short decomposition time. The authors stress that in order to achieve maximum effi ciency of chemical treatment, sprayer nozzles must provide a monodisperse spray and, at the same time, be able to adjust the size of monodisperse aerosol droplets in the range from 10 to 150 microns. Technical means for plant protection should be equipped with means that allow eliminating or minimizing the working fl uid drift as a result of wind exposure and evaporation, and ensuring the forced deposition of aerosol droplets on the treated objects to reduce the loss of working fl uid.

Using agricultural metadata: a novel investigation of trends in sowing date in on-farm research trials using the Online Farm Trials database

Background: A growing ability and interest in the collection of data, together with the development and adoption of the FAIR guiding principles, has increased the amount of data available in many disciplines. This has given rise to an urgent need for robust metadata. Within the Australian grains industry, data from over thousands of on-farm research trials (Trial Projects) have been made available via the Online Farm Trials (OFT) website. OFT Trial Project metadata were developed as filters to refine front-end database searches, but could also be used as a dataset to investigate trends in metadata elements. Australian grains crops are being sown earlier, but whether on-farm research trials reflect this change is currently unknown. Methods: We investigated whether OFT Trial Project metadata could be used to detect trends in sowing dates of on-farm crop research trials across Australia, testing the hypothesis that research trials are being sown earlier in line with local farming practices. The investigation included 15 autumn-sown, winter crop species listed in the database, with trial records from 1993 to 2019. Results: Our analyses showed that (i) OFT Trial Project metadata can be used as a dataset to detect trends in sowing date; and (ii) cropping research trials are being sown earlier in Victoria and Western Australia, but no trend exists within the other states. Discussion/Conclusion: Our findings show that OFT Trial Project metadata can be used to detect trends in crop sowing date, suggesting that metadata could also be used to detect trends in other metadata elements such as harvest date. Because OFT is a national database of research trials, further assessment of metadata may uncover important agronomic, cultural or economic trends within or across the Australian cropping regions. New information could then be used to lead practice change and increase productivity within the Australian grains industry.

KARAKTERISASI Bacillus spp. DAN Fusarium sp. DARI TANAMAN LADA (Piper nigrum L.) DI DESA JAGA

Pepper (Piper nigrum L.) is one of the farm crop which become commodities in West Kalimantan. This research aimed to determine the morphological characteristic of Bacillus bacteria from rhizosphere of pepper and Fusarium fungi with symptoms of yellow disease. Sampling was done in pepper farm crops, Sungai Jaga Village, Bengkayang Regency. Isolation and identification were implemented at Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Science, Tanjungpura University, Pontianak. The result of isolation and identification showed 4 bacterial isolates belong to genus Bacillus, namely Bacillus sp. BRF1, Bacillus sp. BRF2, Bacillus sp. BRF3 and Bacillus sp. BRF4 and one isolate of Fusarium sp. JDF from pepper with symptom of yellow desease.

Contraintes et opportunités de l’intégration agriculture-élevage à Mushinga dans l’Est de la RD Congo

1 RESUME Objectif : La présente étude a été menée pour identifier les différentes contraintes et opportunités relatives à cette intégration, une étude a été faite à Mushinga et propose des orientations pour une efficacité et durabilité du système. Méthodologie et résultats : Une enquête collectant des données sur les caractéristiques de l’exploitation, de la production végétale et animale ont été recueillies dans 100 exploitations choisies aléatoirement. Les principales contraintes identifiées pour l’intensification de l’agriculture-élevage dans les exploitations de Mushinga sont la faible fertilité des sols (45%), les maladies et ravageurs des cultures (17%), le prix élevé d’intrants (14%), la rareté des pâturages conduisant à la faible production animale (13%) et les pathologies animales (8%). Les exploitations qui couplent l’agriculture à l’élevage produisent du fumier pour la fertilisation organique des cultures et nourrissent leurs troupeaux des résidus des cultures. Le fumier génère des revenus et les résidus des cultures sont utilisés pour le paillage. Conclusion et application des résultats : La prise en compte des contraintes identifiées serait l’une des voies majeures qui permettraient d’améliorer efficacement et durablement le système d’intégration agriculture-élevage au sein des exploitations rurales de Mushinga en particulier et du Sud-Kivu en général. ABSTRACT Constraints and opportunities of Crop – livestock integration system at Mushinga in the Eastern DR Congo Objective: This study was carried out in Mushinga for assessing the various constraints and opportunities related to this integration and proposes guidelines for the system efficiency and sustainability. Farm, crop and animal production characteristics were collected in 100 farms randomly selected. Methodology and results: A survey collecting data on farm characteristics, crop and animal production into 100 farms was done. The main constraints identified for intensification of crop-livestock in Mushinga farms were low soil fertility (45%), crop diseases and pests (17%), high input prices (14%), the scarcity of pastures leading to low livestock production (13%) and animal diseases (8%). Farmers applying crop-livestock integration, produce manure for organic fertilization of crops and feed their flocks with crop residues. Manure generates income and crop residues are used for mulching. Conclusion and results application: Addressing the identified constraints would be one of the major ways of improving the efficiency and durability of the crop-livestock integration system in rural farms in Mushinga as well as in South –Kivu.