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Aquaculture is an interdisciplinary approach that is based on water-food-energy nexus and involves circular bio-based economy concept. This approach has shown immense potential for reduced resource consumption, anthropogenic discharge mitigation, and recycling of nutrients, energy, and agricultural wastes in meeting the global food demands of ever-increasing population. Thus, in this study, we have analyzed the integration of two farming systems, i.e., lettuce (Lactuca sativa) and gulfam fish (Cyprinus carpio), into an agri-aquaculture and compared them with corresponding non-integrated systems or partially integrated systems. The results showed that both lettuce and gulfam fish supported each other as lettuce provided shade and attracted insects for fish feed and fish nitrogenous wastes were utilized by the lettuce for production of green biomass. Consequently, the fully integrated system showed better biomass production with sustainable resource consumption. The gross revenue, cost variable, and net returns of net cost and benefit flow of lettuce and gulfam fish were found considerably high in fully integrated system compared to partially and non-integrated systems. Overall, the net economic return in fully integrated agri-aquaculture systems (PKR 746.57 ± 61.77) was significantly higher than non-integrated (PKR 4181 ± 4.00) and partially integrated system (PKR 326.66 ± 34.26). In brief, the lettuce-gulfam fish agri-aquaculture system could be adopted as a profitable farming system, especially for resource-constrained small-scale farmers as it requires less expense. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Manure valorization through on-farm use or market transactions is an ancient and widespread practice in the mixed crop-livestock systems of the semi-arid areas of North Africa. While research has long focused on the manure contribution to soil fertility at the plot level, little has been done concerning livelihood conditions. The present paper aims to assess the contribution of manure use and exchange on the livelihoods of rural communities using an original dataset collected in 2021 among 150 farmers in Central Tunisia. This analysis is carried out within the analytical agroecology framework combined with factor analysis methods. Results showed that manure use and valorization differ along the watershed, from a socioeconomic perspective in small farms operating under rainfed tree-pastoral systems, to an environmental and agronomic perspective in the mixed rainfed-irrigated systems downstream. Manure flow analysis confirmed that on-farm manure balance is positively correlated to economic wealth. However, the manure fluxes questioned the environmental sustainability of the vulnerable zones. Its use and management could significantly impact livelihood discrepancies in the future, with the increasing of demand and use of manure in more favorable zones such as irrigated lands at the detriment of the rainfed zones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beekeeping has faced increasing difficulties during the past decades, among which is the decline in floral resources. Agriculture provides essential floral resources for beekeeping, but some farming practices have also been shown to be responsible for their decline. To provide floral resources for beekeeping, what type of agricultural transformation should be promoted, and how? To answer these questions, we still lack knowledge about the floral resources that are used by beekeeping and about the technical-economic obstacles that farmers face in implementing more favorable farming practices, particularly in agropastoral settings. To help fill these gaps, we develop a novel approach that frames both agropastoral farming and beekeeping as farming systems, by characterizing the beekeeping systems of a given place, the floral resources they use, and the impacts these farming systems have on floral resources. This approach is applied to the agropastoral landscapes of Mount Lozère, southern France, using a methodology based on semi-structured interviews with farmers and beekeepers addressing the agronomical functioning of their farms. We demonstrate that the floral resources used by beekeepers on Mount Lozère are threatened by the current dominant agricultural development paths, which seek to maximize the material productivity of labor. Such paths lead to the intensification of agricultural practices in harvested areas and the extensification of rangelands. These pathways are reinforced by the low remuneration of agropastoral labor and by the current rules of the European Union Common Agricultural Policy. "Frugal" farming, a farming system based on reduced inputs and investments, and labor-intensive practices, namely, a labor-intensive use of pasture, seems an effective way to produce floral resources. Both, agropastoral farmers and beekeepers, would benefit from an increase in the number of agricultural workers in agropastoral landscapes. This calls for public policies that promote a better remuneration of agropastoral labor, either directly or by driving market mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Millet agriculture, which originated in northern China, alongside rice agriculture, have nurtured the Chinese civilization. Prehistoric manuring practices likely promoted and maintained sustainable millet agricultural production in the loess area of northern China. However, ongoing controversy exists regarding the indicators of prehistoric manuring intensity of foxtail millet (Setaria italica) and common millet (Panicum miliaceum). Here, we present the results of pot and field fertilization experiments on two millet types. Our findings suggest that manuring can significantly increase the δ15N values of foxtail millet, and its δ15N values increase with increasing manuring levels. The δ15N values of foxtail millet leaves are systematically greater than those of grains by approximately 1.6‰. Manuring could have a long-term residual impact on increasing the δ15N values of soil and millet crops. Combined with previous crop fertilization experiment results, we propose that the impact of manuring on the δ15N values of non-nitrogen-fixing crops is roughly consistent. The δ15N value and amount of manure are key factors determining the extent of change in plant δ15N values. The millet grain δ15N values can serve as reliable indicators of manuring practices. Finally, we provide an interpretive framework for assessing the correlation between manuring levels and the δ15N values of archaeological millet remains. The δ15N values of ancient millet grains suggest widespread and intensive manuring practices in prehistoric millet agriculture in northern China, spanning from the early Yangshao period to the Longshan period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Durant, D. and Kernéïs, E., 2024. Investigating the farm resilience of polder environments after seawater flooding: Results from Storm Xynthia (2010). Journal of Coastal Research, 40(5), 887–900. Charlotte (North Carolina), ISSN 0749-0208. Climate forecasts predict that global warming will cause sea-levels to rise and will increase the frequency of storms in the future, thus also increasing the risk of submersion of coastal agricultural areas. Yet very few studies examine the consequences of seawater flooding, from either an agricultural or an environmental point of view. This study therefore investigates the resilience of coastal farming systems through the case study of the Saint Laurent de la Prée research farm hit by the Storm Xynthia in 2010. Two aspects of resilience are analysed here: (i) the soil characteristics of the system (indicators: salinity, sodicity and structural stability) after the submersion, and the system's ability to recover its productive capacity on croplands (crop yields) and on permanent grasslands (fodder production); and (ii) the ecological resilience of permanent grasslands (indicators: species richness and diversity). Results showed that the system recovered its productive capacity in 2012, so after two years, when the research farm engineers recorded a return of the crops and grasslands to a production level that they considered satisfactory. For crop soils, there was a quick recovery of salinity levels, but the structural stability after the storm was largely degraded and had not totally recovered by 2012. On grasslands, the farm suffered two successive years of low grassland productivity, partially due to a temporary shift in plant species' composition. Finally, two dimensions of resilience are discussed here: (i) the speed of recovery; and (ii) the ability to learn from the storm, in view of the increasing risks of coastal submersion in the future. As it appears that flood protection policy must consider local and long-term impacts of seawater flooding on agricultural lands, this study can provide useful information for further research on the foresight scenarios and adaptive strategies required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The qualitative analysis of farmers' use of Indigenous knowledge on climate change adaptation across farming systems and agroecological zones of Sierra Leone was conducted using a combination of interpretive phenomenological analysis, Focus Group Discussions, and participant observation, which was analyzed with a qualitative interpretative approach. Farmers respond to climate change through the use of wind and cloud patterns, animal and bird behavior, moon shape, and position of the sun to predict changes in temperature, intensity, drying up of rivers, and frequency of rainfall, as well as the incidence of pests and diseases. Other Indigenous knowledge used by farmers were rotational grazing, migration, crop-livestock integration, and the use of manure for composting with herbal and biological treatment for disease management. The study recommended that in the current context of climate change, the promotion of adaptation strategies should explore the interdependency of different knowledge systems and knowledge hybridity in agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In an environment where the adoption of improved varieties resulting from plant breeding programs is limited, it is essential to identify end‐user preferences beforehand. A participatory survey was conducted in eight localities in Korhogo and Bouaké regions (central and northern Cote d'Ivoire respectively) to identify producers' preferences and increase the adoption of improved varieties. The study involved 160 producers and consumers through focus group discussions and individual interviews. Results: Sweetpotato is mostly grown on small plots (<1 ha) of land (89.2%), with women (66%) as the main producers. In the Bouaké region, sweetpotatoes are grown on mounds (100%), whereas in Korhogo they are grown on ridges (86.2%). The main food products or forms of preparation from roots are fries (34.7%), boiled (34.3%), mashed (12.4%), and sweetpotato stew (9.1%). Major constraints, including low price of roots (26.3%), low productivity (16.2%), and post‐harvest storage issues (14.5%), were identified as affecting sweetpotato production. Conclusions: The selection of new varieties should be oriented towards high‐yielding varieties with high dry matter content, deployed stems, and roots of round, oblong, or elliptical shape with good culinary characteristics (dry matter, sweet taste, dry texture, absence of fiber). Plants must be drought resistant, be tolerant to poor soil, diseases, and pests, and have a good yield. The color of skin and flesh of the sweetpotato, although constituting criteria of choice, are not essential for the acceptance or the rejection of a variety by users. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transitioning to low‐input agricultural systems such as organic farming has been acknowledged as a way to mitigate negative effects of agriculture on biodiversity. However, the speed, magnitude and context dependence of biodiversity recovery after converting to organic farming remain uncertain. In this study, we explored the response of plant communities to time since transition to organic farming in a variety of production contexts.Using a spatially replicated space‐for‐time substitution design, we surveyed plant communities in small‐grain cereal and ley fields in conventional and organic farms, distributed along independent gradients of time since transition to organic farming and proportion of seminatural grasslands in the landscapes. We selected a set of response traits to explore the mechanism of potential time lag in that response to conversion. These traits were selected to characterize the sensitivity of plant species to agricultural inputs and their ability to respond swiftly to environmental changes.We found an increase in plant species richness and evenness in cereal fields with increasing time since transition to organic farming, and a similar but less pronounced pattern in leys. After 30 years of continuous organic farming, organic cereal fields harboured more than twice the number of plant species than newly converted fields. Importantly, we found that the dependence on insect pollination, sensitivity to herbicides and dispersal capacity of plants modulated the effects of time since transition on plant communities in cereal fields. This suggests that both management and biotic interactions shape plant community structure in response to organic practices over time.Policy implications. Our study highlights that benefits of organic farming for plant diversity are likely to take decades to become substantial after conversion. We found this slow recovery of plant communities to be driven by both the gradual improvement of habitat quality after conversion and species' dispersal limitation. Assessments of biodiversity benefits of organic farming should therefore consider this time delay to avoid underestimating its environmental performance. Farmers should also be supported during this ecological transitional phase during which yield‐enhancing ecosystem services reliant on plant diversity might build up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil bacteria-fungi interactions are essential in the biogeochemical cycles of several nutrients, making these microbes major players in agroecosystems. While the impact of the farming system on microbial community composition has been extensively reported in the literature, whether sustainable farming approaches can promote associations between bacteria and fungi is still unclear. To study this, we employed 16S, ITS, and 18S DNA sequencing to uncover how microbial interactions were affected by conventional and organic farming systems on maize crops. The Bray–Curtis index revealed that bacterial, fungal, and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi communities were significantly different between the two farming systems. Several taxa known to thrive in healthy soils, such as Nitrosophaerales, Orbiliales, and Glomus were more abundant in the organic farming system. Constrained ordination revealed that the organic farming system microbial community was significantly correlated with the β-glucosidase activity, whereas the conventional farming system microbial community significantly correlated with soil pH. Both conventional and organic co-occurrence interkingdom networks exhibited a parallel node count, however, the former had a higher number of edges, thus being denser than the latter. Despite the similar amount of fungal nodes in the co-occurrence networks, the organic farming system co-occurrence network exhibited more than 3-fold the proportion of fungal taxa as keystone nodes than the conventional co-occurrence network. The genera Bionectria, Cercophora, Geastrum, Penicillium, Preussia, Metarhizium, Myceliophthora, and Rhizophlyctis were among the fungal keystone nodes of the organic farming system network. Altogether, our results uncover that beyond differences in microbial community composition between the two farming systems, fungal keystone nodes are far more relevant in the organic farming system, thus suggesting that bacteria-fungi interactions are more frequent in organic farming systems, promoting a more functional microbial community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The increased number of cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) as a zoonosis has raised concerns in terms of poultry and human health. Farmers' preventive practices are an effective way of reducing zoonosis. However, this practice may have been affected by many factors, including production behaviors, awareness, and farmers' perceptions of farmers toward zoonosis. Aim: This study was conducted on 166 poultry farms in Tra Vinh Province with 14,894 poultry heads to determine the socioeconomic profiles and production characteristics of poultry farms and analyze the effect of these factors on HPAI vaccination practices. Methods: Respondents were selected from lists provided by government officers. Descriptive statistics were used to describe all variables, and factors affecting HPAI vaccination practices were analyzed using binary regression analysis. Results: The results showed that most farmers raised poultry with other livestock using the free-range method, which is a semi-intensive system. The primary objectives of poultry farming are meat sales and augmenting household consumption, with farmers primarily raising chicks produced on their farms. The implementation of the vaccine was less than 50% on the surveyed farms, with a small number of farmers administering an HPAI booster dose. However, only 6% of the farmers confirmed that their livestock had been exposed to HPAI. In addition, HPAI vaccination and booster dose practices significantly increased when farmers had 4-6 family members and received HPAI prevention training. Moreover, increased poultry numbers have led to increased vaccination rates and the implementation of booster doses for poultry. The study also reported that the vaccination rate decreased when poultry was used for household consumption. Conclusion: Sociodemographic characteristics and production behaviors can affect the implementation of HPAI vaccination on small poultry farms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite numerous published literature on the impacts of agriculture on water quality, knowledge gaps persist regarding which farming systems are of most concern for their impact on water quality, which would allow water resource planners to better target water management efforts. Seeking to understand how these relationships vary across different farming systems, we used data on water quality status in watersheds of an agricultural region in southern Portugal and overlaid it with a map of farming systems for the same region provided by a previous study. By intersecting both data layers, we characterized the areal shares of the farming systems in each watershed and inspected how these shares relate to water quality status using logistic regression. The results show that the impact of agriculture on water quality is primarily related to specific farming systems. We believe this type of information can be of significant interest to agricultural planners and policymakers interested in meeting water quality standards, and we conclude this study by suggesting innovative policy options based on payments to farmers operating selected farming systems as a cost-effective way to reconcile agricultural and environmental policy objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An experiment of integrated farming system (IFS) model comprising of 1.0 ha area was conducted during 2010-11 to 2018-19 at the Centre for Research on Integrated Farming Systems, Sardarkrushinagar, Dantiwada Agricultural University, Sardarkrushinagar of Gujarat for validation of an IFS model. There were four cropping system and allotted area was 0.70 ha, viz. castor (Ricinus communis L.) + greengram (Vigna radiate (L.) R. Wilczek] (0.32 ha); groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.)- wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)-multicut fodder pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.] (0.08 ha); greengram - Indian mustard [Brassica juncea (L.) Czemj.]-pearlmillet (0.24 ha); and hybrid napier [Pennisetum purpureum (Schumach)] + fodder cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.] - Lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) + fodder chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) (0.06 ha) based on small and marginal farm family requirement. N addition to that fruits and vegetable in 2 tiers were sown on 0.25 ha, making microbes-enriched vermin-compost from the waste and dung of the 2 buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) reared on 0.04 ha. Farm wastes were recycled within the system which obliterated the need to purchase off-farm inputs. The internal bunds of cropping systems were used for growing fodder, while farm boundary with quick-growing timber tree. The model had a provision of farm pond (0.01 ha) for water harvesting and well recharging on low-lying depression of the farm. Groundnut - wheat - multicut F. Rajka Bajra + Horticultural and Vegetables crops +Live stock+ vermi compost + boundary plantation + farm pond registered significantly higher GEY (8696 kg/ha), which was statistically at par with IFS Model (Castor + Greengram (032 ha) + Groundnut - Wheat -Multicut F. Rijka Bajra (0.08 ha)+ Green gram -Mustard-Pearl millet (0.24 ha)+ Hy. Napier + Cowpea (F) - Lucerne + F. Chicory (0.06 ha)+Horticultural and Vegetables crops (0.25 ha) +Live stock(0.025 ha) + vermi compost (0.010 ha)+ boundary plantation + farm pond (0.015 ha) (7977 kg/ha) registered significantly higher employment generation (476 mandays/year). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effectiveness of organic farming on biodiversity has been widely documented especially for plants, arthropods and birds; however, the effects of the transition period required to become an organic farm on wildlife remain poorly understood.We assessed the effects of organic farming on insectivorous bats in citrus orchards in the Republic of Cyprus employing two matched designs (conventional vs. 3‐year organic‐transitional and conventional vs. organic‐certified) and a third unmatched design (3‐year organic‐transitional vs. organic‐certified). We specifically investigated whether the transition period prior to full organic certification influenced bat activity with a special focus on any moderation effects from surrounding semi‐natural areas.The activity of three (Pipistrellus kuhlii, Hypsugo savii and Miniopterus schreibersii) of four bat species was significantly lower in farms undergoing the transitional period than in conventional farms, and P. kuhlii and H. savii were significantly less active in organic transitional farming systems that in organic‐certified ones. Furthermore, the activity of the most dominant species (P. kuhlii) was significantly higher on organic than transitional and conventional citrus orchards, thus suggesting a time‐lag effect. Landscape complexity measured as the amount of semi‐natural areas did not moderate the effects of farming system for any study species.Synthesis and application. The transition to organic farming had persistent detrimental effects on bats and potentially on the pest suppression services they provide. Future agri‐environmental policy should consider the transition period and implement measures to mitigate any negative effects on biodiversity, alongside promoting asynchronous transition of nearby farms. Our findings further highlight the crucial need to consider the time since transition to organic farming when assessing potential benefits of organic management on biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In spite of decades of research, the complexity of new technology uptake by smallholder farmers in the context of development interventions is still little understood. In order to unravel the motives for, and barriers to, technology adoption, we propose a multidisciplinary qualitative framework that expands the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework with the agronomic Agrarian system approach and the Development anthropology-based ECRIS (Rapid Collective Inquiry for the Identification of Conflicts and Strategic Groups) approach. Such a framework allows to analyze smallholder farmers' livelihoods, agricultural activities from an ecological cum technical cum economic point of view, and social learning processes involving power relationships. Its use is exemplified by studying the adoption of stone bunds in an agroecological development program in Burkina Faso. Many farmers cannot adopt this technology fully because of agricultural production system or livelihood shaped barriers, and because of power relationships bearing on the technology uptake process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Barley (Hordeum vulgare) grain stands out among other cereals due to its high nutritional value. It results mainly from the high content of fiber and antioxidants, such as phenolic compounds. Barley grains can also be an important source of unsaturated fatty acids and carotenoids that are beneficial to health. This study assessed the effect of the foliar application of an amino-acid biostimulant on the content of phenolic compounds, carotenoids, and the composition of fatty acids in the grain of alternative, black-grain barley genotypes, and the commonly used 'Soldo' cultivar, grown in conventional and organic farming systems. The dark-pigmented grains contained significantly more phenolic acids and flavonoids than the yellow seed of the traditional cultivar and were characterized by a significantly higher proportion of unsaturated fatty acids. The application of the biostimulant significantly increased the concentration of phenolic compounds in grains, especially of alternative genotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil organic matter (SOM) is a key factor in sustaining soil fertility, sequestering greenhouse gases and reducing soil erosion, in this regard, an accurate estimation and monitoring of the SOM content is crucial for sustainable land management and climate change mitigation strategies. In recent years, there has been a growing consciousness of the need to better understand the dynamics of SOM across different farm management in time and space. In this context, the main objective of the study is to improve understanding regarding the relationship between SOM and the main farming systems adopted in Italy by taking spatial correlation into account. For this purpose, a large dataset consisting of topsoil SOM values (0–20 cm) and environmental and farming information was collected in 597 locations (145 fields and 62 farms) representative of the whole agricultural area of Po Valley in Italy. This sizable dataset was analyzed by a novel geospatial analysis using a de-clustering approach in combination with polygon kriging for detecting and understanding the SOM variability over the different fields characterized by irregular shapes and different farming systems. The results provided clear evidences of the spatial correlation between SOM, farming systems and soil types. Higher SOM contents were detected in Cambisols (3.11 %) and in field managed according conservation agriculture practices (3.22 %) as compared to other farming systems. Moreover the inclusion of fodder crops in the rotation and the use of no-tillage are two of the most effective practices for increasing and preserving SOM according to our findings. Spatial information, such those provided in this study, could facilitate the delineation of tailored solutions for each European Member State for targeting future actions related to carbon farming, and offering crucial insights to support advancements in agriculture for enhancing soil fertility and health and for fostering sustainable agricultural practices. [Display omitted] • SOM estimation and monitoring is crucial for sustainable land management • Spatial information facilitates tailored solutions for enhancing soil health • A geospatial approach allowed to compare SOM content for the main farming systems • SOM content, farming systems and soil types are significant spatially correlated • Significant higher SOM content in field managed according conservation agriculture [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maintaining some productivity of the Creole yam (Dioscorea alata L.), affected by anthracnose (Colletotrichum gloeosporioides), from agrochemicals, generates changes in soil fertility, water quality and in the agricultural ecosystem of peasant agri-food production, but the proportion in which the management of an endemic fungus impacts and therefore persistent over time is unknown. This situation leads to investigate the environmental, economic, and social impact caused by the management of anthracnose in the cultivation of yam in the municipality of Colosó, department of Sucre, Colombia. A descriptive quantitative methodology was followed; A sample of 135 producers participated from techniques such as direct observation, interviews, surveys, focus groups and for the trade-off analysis of environmental, economic and social impacts the Leopold matrix. The results show a peasant production composed mainly of men (96%), of mestizo origin (91.6%), aged 41 to 60 years (55%); level of education in primary (56.5%) and baccalaureate (20.6%); They plant areas of 1.0 to 1.75 hectares (60.1%) and little technical assistance. Soil (47.3%) was impacted by accumulation of agrochemicals and water when contaminated (71.7%). Leopold's matrix considered the transformation of the territory around tutoring, soil loss, contamination of water bodies and burning of crop residues. In conclusion, maintaining the productivity of the Creole yam cultivar involves establishing the trade-off of the relationship between the planned solutions and the impacts on ecosystems in terms of environmental costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding how multiple factors interact in complex systems is an important issue. In particular, agricultural production systems are based on biological and ecological processes that are influenced by environmental and human factors, all of which interact. When evaluating such systems statistically, these multiple dependences and interactions make it more difficult to model system performances as a function of management practices and weather. Our objective was to assess interactions among management practices, weather and system performances. We aimed in particular to identify subsets of farms whose correlations for given pairs of variables as a function of another variable deviated greatly from the traditional correlation between the variables (i.e., atypical farms). We investigated a measure of dependence that assesses whether (and if so, how) the correlation between two variables varies as a function of a third one: conditional Kendall's tau. We applied this measure to a set of variables that described management practices (e.g., concentrated feed fed), weather (e.g., precipitation) and performances (e.g., milk production, enteric methane emissions) for dairy-cattle systems in France in 2013 and 2014 (2523 and 804 farms, respectively). In 2013, the amount of digestible organic matter in the ration ingested per cow influenced the correlation between milk production per cow and enteric methane emissions per livestock unit. In particular, the correlation was negative for a set of atypical farms whose ingested digestible organic matter was ≈ 2050- 2900 kg. cow − 1. In addition, total annual precipitation in 2013 influenced the correlation between the amount of concentrated feed fed per cow and milk production per cow for farms surveyed in either year. In 2013 and 2014, the correlation began decreasing strongly beyond a certain threshold of precipitation (ca. 1400 and 1100 mm, respectively), which highlighted the need to adapt each farm's practices to its agricultural and weather context. Application of conditional Kendall's tau identified interactions that caused the effectiveness of management practices to vary and how they did so. [Display omitted] • Interactions on dairy farms influence the effectiveness of management practices that aim to improve farm performances. • Conditional Kendall's tau assesses deviations in the correlation between two variables as a function of a third one. • Digestible organic matter ingestion influenced the correlation between milk production and enteric methane emissions. • Total annual precipitation influenced the correlation between concentrated feed fed and milk production. • Additional variables are needed to interpret the deviations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to assess the laying performance, egg quality, fertility rate, and egg classification of Itik PINAS (IP)-Kayumanggi under the intensive and semi-intensive farming system. A total of 240 heads of IP-Kayumanggi were divided into two treatments with 15 replications per treatment. Each pen consists of one drake and seven ducks. Laying performance was compared between treatments from 29 to 42 weeks of age using t-test. Results demonstrated that IP-Kayumanggi ducks under semi-intensive farming systems have significantly higher livability rate (99.57%), average egg weight (70.76 g), average albumen weight (41.69 g) and darker yolk color. The fertility rate at 10th and 15th days of candling were significantly higher in semi-intensive (87.74% and 82.38%) than intensive farming (77.64% and 67.37%). Extra small and small sizes of eggs are mainly produced under intensive systems while more medium and large sizes eggs are under semi-intensive systems. Therefore, this study suggests the production advantages of IP-Kayumanggi under semi-intensive farming system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agri‐environment schemes (AES) serve to counteract the ongoing decline of farmland bird populations, but their success remains controversial. We conducted a meta‐analysis to compare standardized effect size estimates among European AES options—classified into 15 categories that capture relevant management practices—for farmland bird abundance and species richness. Effect strengths varied substantially between AES categories. Long‐term fallows, nonproductive crops such as wild bird seed mixtures, artificial food supply, and winter cover yielded the strongest positive associations with farmland bird abundance. Average effect sizes were larger but also more variable in cropland compared to grassland‐dominated farming systems. This observation highlights the need to develop more effective conservation schemes for grassland inhabitants, which face similarly severe population declines as cropland inhabitants. Schemes that provided large ecological contrasts between treatment and control sites yielded particularly strong relative benefits, but AES‐specific effect sizes further varied with foraging and nesting site guilds of the target species. Our study confirms that the AES that is currently implemented can benefit farmland birds. However, clear improvements require AES to focus on options with maximal improvements in habitat quality and to locally implement sufficiently diverse AES options to serve the often‐incongruent needs of several bird guilds and species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potential for enhancing the spring wheat protein content by different cultivation strategies was explored. The influence of ultrasound on the surface and rheological properties of wheat-gluten was also studied. Spring wheat was cultivated over the period of 2018–2020 using two farming systems (conventional and organic) and five forecrops (sugar beet, spring barley, red clover, winter wheat, or oat). The obtained gluten was sonicated using the ultrasonic scrubber. For all organically grown wheat, the protein content was higher than for the conventional one. There was no correlation between the rheological properties of gluten and the protein content in the grain. Gluten derived from organically grown wheat was more elastic than those derived from the conventional one. Sonication enhanced the elasticity of gluten. The sonication effect was influenced by the forecrops. The most elastic gluten after sonication was found for organic barley and sugar beet. The lowest values of tan (delta) were noted for conventional wheat and conventional oat. Cultivation in the monoculture gave gluten with a smaller susceptibility to increase elasticity after sonic treatment. Sonication promoted the cross-linking of protein molecules and induced a more hydrophobic character, which was confirmed by an increment in contact angles (CAs). Most of the organically grown wheat samples showed a lower CA than the conventional ones, which indicated a less hydrophobic character. The gluten surface became rougher with the sonication, regardless of the farming system and applied forecrops. Sonication treatment of gluten proteins rearranged the intermolecular linkages, especially disulfide and hydrophobic bonds, leading to changes in their surface morphology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrated farming systems (IFS) entail a holistic approach to farming aimed at meeting the multiple demands (impart farm resilience, farmer livelihoods, food security, ecosystem services, and making farms adaptive and resilient, etc.). IFS are characterized by temporal and spatial mixing of crops, livestock, fishery, and allied activities in a single farm. It is hypothesized that these complex farms are more productive at a system level, are less vulnerable to volatility, and produce less negative externalities than simplified farms. Thereby, they cater the needs of small and marginal farmers, who are the backbone of agriculture in India. Our review of literature shows that IFS have the potential to improve farm profitability (265%) and employment (143%) compared to single enterprise farms. The literature showed that IFS enhance nutrient recycling through composting, mulching, and residue incorporation and, as a consequence, have the capacity to reduce the external purchase of inputs. The nutrient recycling in turn helps to increase the soil quality indicators such as soil nutrient availability and also improves soil microbial activity. The IFS play a major role in biodiversity conservation through adoption of diversified cropping system and through integration of indigenous livestock breeds. IFS also played important role in improving soil organic carbon from 0.75 to 0.82%. Due to increased carbon sequestration, biomass production by trees, reduced consumption of fertilizers, and pesticides the greenhouse gas emission could be reduced significantly. This results in a linked system making it sustainable and climate‐resilient. The main challenge associated with adoption of IFS is it requires skill, knowledge, resources, labor, and capital which are not always available with small and marginal farmers. There is a need for integrating productivity, profitability, and environmental sustainability variables in a single evaluation framework to effectively generate information toward enhancing adaptability of IFS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Folate is essential for the synthesis and integrity of DNA, normal cell formation, and body growth. Folate deficiency among women of reproductive age (WRA) increases the risk of poor birth outcomes including neural tube defect (NTD)-affected pregnancies. Folate status is largely dependent on dietary intakes. Objectives We aimed to explore the spatial distribution of biomarkers of folate status and their association with farming systems among nonpregnant WRA in Ethiopia. Methods Serum and RBC folate concentration data were derived from the Ethiopia National Micronutrient Survey of 2015. The spatial dependencies of folate concentration of WRA were investigated and its relation with the dominant local farming system was explored. Results The median serum folate and RBC folate concentrations were 12.3 nmol/L and 567.3 nmol/L, respectively. The national prevalence of folate deficiency using homocysteine concentration as a metabolic indicator based on serum and RBC folate concentration was 11.6% and 5.7%, respectively. The majority of women (77.9%) had low RBC folate concentrations consistent with increased risk of NTD-affected pregnancies. Folate nutrition was spatially dependent at distances of ≤ 300 km. A marked variability in folate concentration was observed between farming systems: greater RBC folate concentration (median: 1036 nmol/L) was found among women from the Lake Tana fish-based system, whereas the lowest RBC folate concentration (median: 386.7 nmol/L) was observed in the highland sorghum chat mixed system. Conclusions The majority (78%) of WRA in Ethiopia had low folate status potentially increasing the risk of NTD-affected pregnancies. These findings may help national and subnational nutrition intervention strategies to target the most affected areas in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sweetpotato is increasingly important in sub-Saharan Africa due to its yield potential under sub-optimal growing conditions. But lack of planting material (seed) at the onset of the rains is a major constraint. This study examined smallholder strategies for sweetpotato seed conservation and multiplication, their agroclimatic determinants, and farmers' perceived drought risk at four sites (Dilla, Chuko, Hawassa, Sodo) in Ethiopia using informant interviews, a survey of 278 households, and agroclimatic statistics. Conservation practices were dictated by farming system and agroecological conditions. The long-term mean length of dry period when multipliers must conserve seeds ranged between 103 and 131 days across sites. Seed multipliers faced high uncertainty of rainfall onset that varied from the end of February to mid-May. Estimated probabilities of moderate and severe droughts affecting seed conservation ranged from 36–75%, and 15–58%, respectively. In drier sites, age of multiplier, land-holding size, sweetpotato production experience and access to extension were positively associated with being a vine multiplier. Knowledge of indigenous conservations strategies should inform seed system intervention design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Researchers worldwide are expected to design and develop agroecological systems to address major challenges such as increasing biotic pressure and climate change. But to design effective innovations, researchers should integrate new cropping techniques into wider agricultural systems such as cropping systems, innovative farms, alternative food systems, or multifunctional landscapes. This integration requires a long process of exploration in which the object under design can transform and shift to a different organisational scale. In this article, we wish to introduce a new analytical framework highlighting the systemic mechanisms involved in the scale transformations of design objects along agroecological design processes. We conceptualise an agroecological design process as a non-linear unpredictable process in which four components—a science consortium, non-scientific actors in the field, a problem situation and a design object—interact, and co-evolve through time. The scale transformations of the design objects and their drivers are the results of interactions and knowledge flows between these four components. This analytical framework was tested and further elaborated through ex-post analysis of design processes in three contrasting case studies in the context of tropical horticulture. Data were collected through literature review, interviews, and focus group discussions with the researchers involved in the three design processes. Future design methods should take full account of the lengthy, non-linear, and transformational nature of agroecological design processes and the coexistence of different types of knowledge—holistic vs. reductionist, ecosystem focused vs. human-system focused—which can interconnect and nourish each other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews the progress in climate change adaptation and mitigation actions in sub-Saharan Africa farming systems. Farmers, organizations and Governments in the region have developed policies and innovations to adapt to and mitigate the impacts of climate change. It appears that the developed and implemented innovative adaptive farming systems and technologies have culminated into resultant overall productivity improvement in farming systems, necessitating scaling up in order to widely strengthen the resilience and adaptive capacity of vulnerable communities to the impacts of climate change. Additionally, climate governance instruments that are aligned to the ratified international treaties have been developed and related programs have been rolled out in different countries. This offers hope for well-coordinated efforts and interventions for the mitigation and adaptation to the adverse impacts of climate change on the environment and livelihoods. Observably, there is a pressing need to scale up climate smart innovations sustainably through creation of an enabling policy environment, capacity building, and conducting climate change related research and outreach, and effective dissemination of climate technologies and information, especially in remote areas in the region. Since climate change is a global issue, local initiatives and actions for mitigating and adapting to the adverse impacts ought to be well integrated into the broader international context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The productivist model implemented after the second world war has succeeded in improving production to meet growing demands for food, but it has also deeply affected soil physicochemical properties, as well as of aboveground and belowground biodiversity. Alternative farming systems such as organic farming, biodynamic farming and soil conservation farming are actually developing to enhance the sustainability of farming systems. Although the impact of agricultural practices on soil ecological quality is well known, there is little knowledge on the impact of the different farming systems as a whole. Here, we analysed the impact of the main farming systems on soil biodiversity and functioning, reported in about 100 scientific publications. We found that conventional, organic, and biodynamic systems are the most widely studied, whereas soil conservation farming is poorly documented. Soil biological indicators are improved by ca. 70% in organic farming and biodynamic farming relative to conventional farming. 43% of soil bioindicators are improved in biodynamic farming relatively to organic farming. Soil conservation farming scores better than conventional farming for 57% of the indicators. Therefore, biodynamic farming displays the highest soil ecological quality, followed by organic farming, soil conservation farming and, last, conventional farming. Organic fertilisation and longer crop rotations are the most favourable practices, whereas pesticides and soil tillage are the most deleterious ones. The review also evidences a lack of studies on soil conservation farming and on bioindicators of the soil fauna. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The agricultural sector in developing countries plays a vital role in food security as well as providing employment opportunities to the rural population. This study examines how decent quality of rural employment can be associated with technical efficiency of agricultural production of smallholder farmers in Tanzania. While labour is considered an input in the production process, various forms of labour are rarely measured in the context of employment quality. Using a latent-class stochastic frontier model, two types of farming systems are identified: a specialised crop system and a diversified farming system. The study found child labour to be significantly contributing to the inefficiency of agricultural production only in the diversified farming system, while precarious employment contributed to the inefficiency in both farming systems. Based on these findings policymaking that targets decent employment in developing countries needs to account for differences in farming systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Objective] This paper studied the seasonal variation characteristics of the vertical distribution of soil organic carbon in the 0-30 cm soil layer of the paddy field under different farming systems. [Method] Four rice fields (one cropping system, two cropping system, three cropping system, and abandoned land) under four different farming systems in Ding'an County, Hainan Province were selected as the research objects, and the differences in soil organic carbon and easily oxidizable organic carbon were compared and analyzed. Seasonal differences in vertical distribution in the 0-30 cm soil layer. [Results] The content of organic carbon and easily oxidizable organic carbon in the two-cropping and three-cropping paddy fields in different seasons were higher than that of the first cropping and abandoned land in different seasons. The single-cropping rice field is affected by the physical and chemical properties of the soil, and the soil organic carbon and easily oxidizable organic carbon vary significantly in the vertical direction in each season. The dry season is conducive to the accumulation of easily oxidizable organic carbon on the surface, and the high decomposition rate of organic carbon in the rainy season is not conducive to organic carbon sequestration. [Conclusion] There are differences in the vertical distribution of soil organic carbon in paddy fields in different seasons within a year, which is related to the physical and chemical properties of the soil and the choice of farming systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, local cattle breeds are facing numerous challenges, and their disappearance could have social, economic, and environmental consequences. This study was conducted in the northeast of Algeria to understand the characteristics, constraints of production systems and examine the specific strategies implemented in farms to ensure their viability. A total of 175 smallholder farmers who practice Algerian local cattle breeding were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Typology construction was carried out through factor analysis of mixed data, followed by sequential agglomerative hierarchical and K-means clustering, to define distinct farmer types with common characteristics. Results highlight three farm types. The first group, representing 54.9% (96/175Farms) of the farms studied, is characterized by low-resource breeders who raise small herds of local breeds in association with small ruminants. Type 2 (25.7%) (45/175) consists of crossbred, diversified, supported breeding with better technical performance. The intensification strategies adopted by breeders of this type have relegated local cattle to the background. The third type (19.4%) (34/175) includes cattle pastoral farms, with the predominance of the local cattle breed characterized by limited productivity. This study highlights farm diversity, the necessity of government support, and specific policies to ensure the sustainability of local cattle breeding, with particular emphasis on pastoral breeding, which has the largest number of local cattle breeds. [Display omitted] • Three types of local cattle farms in the northeast of Algeria were typologised using a FAMD followed by HCPC analysis. • Farm management types identified: semi-sedentary agro-pastoral, sedentary agro-pastoral, and pastoral livestock. • Pastoral farming system represents only 19.4% of the total sample. • Farmers have adopted various adaptation practices from a comprehensive set of 36 available strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to experts, agroecology gathers agricultural practices that improve resource efficiency, that strengthen resilience and that secure social equity and responsibility. The diffusion of this set of principles may innovate in most developed countries where conventional agriculture is widespread but may be questionable by agrarian society of sub-Saharan African country like Madagascar. The Itasy Region has developed there vegetable crops for marketing purpose. Part of the Itasy agricultural practices may be assimilated to conventional ones, justifying research and development action dedicated to the promotion of agroecology. However, a question arises: Are farmers who benefit from conventional agriculture interested in reducing chemical input to meet major principles of agroecology? A research project called SECuRE has deliberately chosen the peri-urban area of Itasy to perform a survey to 171 households that are representative of smallholder farms inside two Communes of Arivonimamo, a District of Itasy. This paper aims to assess how far agroecological practices may be integrated or intensified in their farming systems despite a long-term effect of conventional agriculture. As major results, among smallholder farms' strategy, use of fertilizer is determining agricultural income. Organic fertilizer application is mandatory for almost all the diversified crops whereas mineral fertilizer secures global agricultural margins by smallholder farms. Organic fertilizer sources are managed at farming system scale by associating livestock and by using crop residue to limit as possible export of nutrients on soil by crops. This strategy includes the territorial management of fertility from extended grassland that remains for common use. Finally, whatever the training they may have attended or inherited from parents, farmers grow-up in experience and improve agricultural practice in long term. This study concludes that market-gardening in Itasy mobilizes reduced chemical input at farm scale. Agroecology is quite widespread there according to most of the principles advanced by experts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The eruption of Mount Merapi in 2010 caused the decline of land quality and changed the land use pattern in the southern regions. This study evaluated and determined the land use planning in disaster-prone areas affected by the Mount Merapi eruption. This research was conducted from August 2018 to March 2019 in Kepuharjo village, Cangkringan, Sleman, Special Region of Yogyakarta. This study was performed by using observational methods through data collection, such as physiographic areas, volcanic materials depth, rock distribution, and soil characteristics. Prone zoning and area planning was determined using a descriptive-spatial method to produce an appropriate model for the new land use. The results revealed the difference in land suitability in the distance interval of 8 km from the mountain peak. A region located less than 8 km from the peak was predicted to be suitable for the community forest and fodder grass cultivation and could function as a conservation area. In contrast, the region located within ≥ 8 km was found to be suitable for dry land farming of food crops using alley cropping systems. Additionally, an integrated sustainable farming system should be promoted and implemented for increasing the sustainability of soil and crop productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) label of the European Union safeguards and guarantees top-quality traditional agri-food products that must be manufactured in a specific region according to traditional production methods. Production specifications of PDO cheeses are often focused on the cheese-making process and lack information on the dairy farming system that is upstream of the chain. This case study aimed to analyze and cluster the dairy farms that supply milk to the chain of Asiago, an internationally known PDO cheese of northeastern Italy. A large survey involving all of the cheese factories of the Asiago PDO chain was made in 2017. Each cheese factory submitted a questionnaire to its supplying dairy farmers concerning (1) farm facilities and herd management and (2) feeding program of lactating cows. Results from 517 farms were processed; there were 67 ± 27% (mean ± standard deviation) respondents per cheese factory. Four clusters of dairy farms were identified by hierarchical clustering analysis. Cluster 1 (8% of the surveyed farms) and cluster 2 (22%) are small in size and low in yield, representing the traditional milk production system; farms are mainly located on mountains or hills and have autochthonous dual-purpose breeds mostly housed in tiestall barns. By rearing cattle of endangered breeds and feeding cows primarily with forages produced on-farm together with the use of pasture, these clusters, and especially cluster 1, have shown to provide essential ecosystem services for landscape and biodiversity preservation in the alpine areas. Clusters 3 and 4 (34 and 36% of the surveyed farms, respectively) gather medium-scale farms mainly located in the lowland that operate according to modern management and housing systems and rear high-producing dairy cows. These cows are mainly fed total mixed rations based on corn silage, but the dietary forage:concentrate ratio is kept relatively high, as farmers are more interested in producing high-quality milk for cheese-making than pushing for yield. Regardless of the cluster allocation, a considerable cow longevity, which is a recognized "iceberg indicator" of cattle well-being, was highlighted. This study showed that different farming systems may lay behind a single PDO cheese. The knowledge of their characteristics is important to reinforce the PDO production specifications as well as to distinguish and protect niche products that come from specific groups of farms that provide essential ecosystem services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small scale coconut farmers are facing unprecedented challenges when attempting to increase productivity because of the occurrence of extreme weather events and changing climatic conditions. This paper investigates the practices adopted by coconut farmers in response to climate variability and assesses the agricultural practice using an investment lens to evaluate its profitability and potential for scaling up. We use farmers' survey data complemented with focus group discussion and key informant interviews. Results show that investing in coconut banana intercropping and the use of improved coconut variety are among the potential options that the farmers can adopt. The comparison of these climate smart agricultural practices to conventional coconut farming shows positive incremental benefit and the financial analysis yields positive net present value and higher internal rate of return. These suggest that the adoption of climate smart agricultural practices generates higher farm productivity compared to the conventional farming system. This implies that there is a high potential for improving coconut productivity through scaling up of these feasible options that small-scale farmers can adopt. Considering the capacities of local farming communities, there is a broad scope for government and non-government organizations in enhancing the role of climate smart agricultural practices in coconut farming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soft‐shell crab, a newly moulted crab having non‐calcified and hydrated soft exoskeleton, farming has been increasing tremendously in recent years throughout the world due to its high market price and consumer preferences. However, high aggressiveness and cannibalistic behaviour of mud crab limit its culture to an individual chamber system which ultimately makes the soft‐shell mud crab farming space and labour‐intensive. Therefore, the aim of this study was to improve the efficiency of soft‐shell crab production by autotomy of the claw and/or walking legs to reduce the moulting duration and intensify the culture system through double stocking in the existing individual chamber culture system. To achieve our objectives, a series of experiment were conducted at both indoor and on‐farm levels by removing the claw and/or walking legs of Scylla olivacea for two consecutive moulting cycles. Results showed that both claw ablation significantly (p <.01) shortened the moulting duration and increased the carapace width, weight gain, specific growth rate, feeding efficiency and yield parameter compared to the non‐ablated crabs more prominently at 1st moulting than the 2nd moulting in both indoor and on‐farm trials. Ablation of all walking legs while keeping the claw intact did not significantly influence (p >.05) the moulting duration and carapace width, but significantly (p <.01) improved the specific growth rate, weight gain, feeding efficiency and yield parameters at 1st moulting compared to the non‐ablation and unilateral three walking leg ablation groups. However, ablation of all appendages (both claw and walking legs) showed significant (p <.01) improvements of carapace width, weight gain, specific growth rate, feeding efficiency and yield parameters, and shortened the moulting duration up to 23 days from 34 days during 1st moulting and up to 27 days from 40 days at 2nd moulting. The survivals of different autotomized mud crabs were statistically non‐significant (p >.05) to the non‐autotomized crabs in various indoor and on‐farm trials. Besides improving the production performances, ablation of bilateral claw and all appendages allowed to double the stocking density in the existing individual chamber‐based soft‐shell crab farming that enhanced the production about threefold higher than the existing individual chamber‐based culture system. Finally, our results suggest that autotomy could be a promising technology for the commercial farming of soft‐shell mud crab in near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: In Indonesia, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 outbreaks in poultry are still reported. The disease causes a decrease in egg production and an increase in mortality; this has an impact on the economic losses of farmers. Several studies have considered that ducks play a role in the HPAI endemicity in the country; however, little is known about whether or not the type of duck farming is associated with HPAI H5 virus infection, particularly within clade 2.3.2.1c, which has been predominantly found in poultry since 2014. A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the HPAI seroprevalence for H5 subtype clade 2.3.2.1c in laying ducks that are kept intensively and nomadically and to determine the associated risk factors. Materials and Methods: Forty-nine duck farmers were randomly selected from ten sub-districts in Purbalingga District, Central Java, Indonesia; a cross-sectional study was implemented to collect field data. Based on an expected HPAI prevalence level of 10%, estimated accuracy of ± 5%, and 95% confidence interval (CI), the total sample size was calculated at 36 individuals. Samples must be multiplied by 7 to reduce bias; thus, 252 ducks were taken as samples in this study. Considering that the maintenance and duck handling were uniform and farmers complained that the effect of activity to take duck samples would reduce egg production, this study only took samples from 245 ducks (oropharyngeal swabs and serum). Those samples were taken from five birds on each farm. Hemagglutination inhibition tests examined the serum samples for HPAI H5 Clade 2.3.2.1c, and pool swab samples (five swabs in one viral media transport) were examined by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) test for influenza Type A and H5 subtype virus. Information regarding farm management was obtained using a questionnaire; face-to-face interviews were conducted with the duck farmers using native Javanese language. Results: Serum and swabs from 245 ducks were collected in total. For individual birds, 54.69% (134/245) of serum samples were H5 seropositive. Seroprevalence among nomadic ducks was 59.28% (95% CI: 0.48-0.61), which was higher than among intensively farmed ducks (48.57%, 95% CI: 0.38-0.58). Farm-level seroprevalence was 50% (95% CI: 0.30-0.69) for nomadic ducks but only 28.57% (95% CI: 0.11-0.51) for intensively farmed ducks. The farm-level virus prevalence (proportion of flocks with at least one bird positive for influenza Type A) was 17.85% (95% CI: 0.07-0.35) for nomadic ducks and 4.76% (1/21) for intensively farmed ducks (95% CI: 0.008-0.23). All influenza Type A positive samples were negative for the H5 subtype, indicating that another HA subtype AI viruses might have been circulating in ducks in the study area. A relationship between duck farms that were H5 seropositive and their maintenance system was present; however, this relationship was not significant, the nomadic duck system detected 2 times higher H5-seropositive ducks than the intensive farming system (OR: 2.16, 95% CI: 0.33-14.31). Conclusion: This study found that the seroprevalence of HPAI in the duck population level in Purbalingga was 54.69% and demonstrated that the nomadic duck farming system was more likely to acquire HPAI H5 infection than the intensive farming duck system. Other risk factors should be further investigated as the diversity of the farming system is partially related to HPAI H5 infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture cultivation systems and farmer's income are the crucial issues in many agriculture-based developing countries. Our previous study proved that the polyculture system positively affects land productivity and land-use efficiency. This research investigated the relationship between intercropping farming systems and farmer's income. We hypothesized that the intercropping farming system increases farmer's income compared to monoculture. The farming income analysis was carried out using Microsoft Excel and STATA software. The results showed that the farmer's income derived from the intercropping farming system differs from monoculture. Based on the T-test, the intercropping farming system provided a higher income. Intercropping farming systems that have higher plant diversity, contributed to higher farmer income from different plant yields. Farmers that applied the intercropping system would harvest of 2-3 different plants from one cultivated land at the same time with regular planting distance. These indicated that the intercropping farming system reduces the risk of loss due to price fluctuations of products and the higher input costs during the production process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conversion to organic farming can require deep technical changes that can be implemented through various pathways. This study aimed to better understand and characterize the various pathways that can be followed during conversion to organic farming. Our results highlight four types of trajectories of technical changes that depend on the number and type of technical changes implemented. These trajectories have been associated with four strategies on equipment, labor and vineyard area. Finally, we claim that the study developed herein can support the further understanding of the strategies to be applied for successful agroecological transitions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Farming systems promoting crop production are important to match food security concerns. This research explores food security levels of different farming systems using the indicators of food availability, food access and food utilization. In Yamethin District, various households cultivated a combination of different crop of farming systems. Structured interviews were conducted with 282 farm households: monoculture farming system, multiple farming systems, and mixed farming system. The data were analyzed using weighted sum models. The assessment identified that the monoculture farming system had low food availability, high food access and moderate food utilization, while the multiple and mixed farming systems had moderate food availability, high food access and low food utilization. The study suggested that monoculture farm households should grow vegetables and build up crop exchanges to fulfill staple rice and increase food availability. Moreover, multiple and mixed farm households should allocate farm plots based on average farm land to hold high food security. Under adequate irrigation, 70% farm land for staple rice, 20% farm land for field crops and the rest (10%) for vegetables should be carried out from season to season. In rain-fed area, similar farm allocation should be performed during monsoon and short-season crops during post monsoon season. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L) is an important grain legume cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions of the world for its high nutritive value and nitrogen-fixing potential. Since cowpea utilization patterns, seed preferences, and cropping system vary from one region to another, constraints to its optimal production by subsistence farmers such as cropping practices and insect pest infestation continue to pose challenges at various spatial and temporal scales. To maximize crop yield quality and quantity, various communities use or practice farming systems that are adapted to their climate, agro-ecology, socio-cultural and economic needs. These practices are being adopted as part of an integrated strategy, aimed at minimizing adverse effects of excessive pesticide usage while encouraging sustainable ecological pest control and higher crop yield. Field experiments were undertaken in the Mhlontlo Municipality, Transkei region of Eastern Cape Province, South Africa during the 2014-2015 cropping season to determine the effects of cowpea farming system on arthropod communities. Five cowpea varieties (TVU-244-9, TVU-170-6, TVU-659-6, TVU-455-7 and Ife- Brown) were planted using a split-plot experimental design in four replications and two farming systems (conservation and conventional) as main plots, and cowpea varietal treatments as subplots. A total of 8 orders, 17 families and 20 species of arthropods were recorded. Overall, higher species richness trends were observed at conservation sub-plots. Significant differences (P<0.05) were obtained for total arthropod population count amongst cowpea varieties and farming system, whereas the interaction between cowpea varieties and farming system for beneficial arthropods was not significant (P>0.05). Also, Significant (P<0.05) differences were observed for pest species populations across trial plots. All cowpea varieties were susceptible to insect pest infestation irrespective of farming system. Cowpea variety TVU-244-9 had the highest insect pest population count at conventional and conservation plots. Conservation plots provided more optimal habitat requirements for a broad spectrum of arthropod assemblages including natural enemies (predators and parasitism), pollinators and decomposers. The study, therefore, recommends conservation agriculture as a complementary method for cultivating cowpea especially in subsistence farming communities of the Transkei region of South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We determined fatty acid profile and protein carbon and nitrogen isotopic composition in muscle of wild and farmed eels, in order to discriminate the geographical origin of fish and their dietary habits. The samples were divided into groups according to the farm origin (Italy, Denmark and Netherland), the market size (capitoni and buratelli) and the farming system (pond, RAS, lagoon and wild). Biometric measurements, proximate composition analysis (moisture, ash, lipid and protein content), fatty acids profile and carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes measurements were performed. Statistical analysis was fulfilled to investigate the homogeneity of variance and the means distribution, including Principal Component Analysis and Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis. The results suggested that the different farming conditions represented the main factor affecting fish muscle composition. In this scenario, fatty acid profile and δ13C and δ15N values of the defatted muscle represented useful tools to distinguish between eels reared under different feeding regimes (wild vs captive-bred). No differences were found between eels reared in different farms. • Dietary regime of eels is the most influent factor in their meat composition. • Wild and breeded eels meat present significant differences. • Fatty acids composition of eels muscle varies depending on feeding sources. • Stable isotope analysis has the potential to discriminate between different samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the agricultural census of 2010, this article explores a methodology to identify a statistical field of farms in agro-ecological transition in the French metropolitan context. The work leads to a proposition of a typology of farming systems where the mode of production (organic or not), product marketing, and turnover percentage from direct sales channels are combined. After a socio-economic characterization of the different types of farms, the analysis proposes a fine-scale mapping of geographic combinations of agriculture in transition in Metropolitan France, thereby starting a discussion on the socio-territorial factors in favor of the emergence of one type of transition over another. In the end, the geography deduced by this overall typology of agriculture in transition certainly borrows from explanatory elements of the geo-agronomic context of farms. But it also seems to indicate that the nature of the socio-territorial context in which farms operate influences the forms of agricultural transition. Rural areas that are least dynamic and most marked by the legacy of the productivist model remain in their majority the most resistant to the emergence of forms of transition discussed in this article. Geographical proximity to more affluent social spaces would be a favorable factor for the development of farms in agro-ecological transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thirty-nine ewe-lamb pairs were used to evaluate the effects of the diet of lactating ewes, the type of forage (pasture vs hay) and the inclusion of 10% quebracho in the concentrate on the fatty acid (FA) profile of their milk and the meat of their suckling lambs. The estimated forage–concentrate ratio was 80 : 20. Milk from pasture ewes had a higher percentage of saturated FAs (SFAs; 62.3 vs 56.5), lower percentages of monounsaturated FAs (MUFAs; 30.4 vs 36.6) and n-6 polyunsaturated FAs, and a lower n-6 : n-3 ratio (1.9 vs 2.3) than did that of hay ewes (P < 0.001). Meat of pasture lambs had higher percentages of total polyunsaturated FAs (PUFAs; 23.0 vs 20.4; P < 0.05) and n-3 (7.0 vs 5.0; P < 0.001) and lower percentages of MUFAs (37.9 vs 41.8; P < 0.001) and n-6:n-3 (2.0 vs 2.8; P < 0.001) than did that of hay lambs. The inclusion of quebracho increased MUFAs in milk (P < 0.05) and decreased SFAs in meat (P < 0.05). Ewes were correctly classified to the different treatments by using the FA profile of milk (100% score outcome), and to a lesser extend by using the FA profile of lamb (82–100% score outcome); de novo synthesis of FAs in lamb muscle might have reduced the classification accuracy. In conclusion, forage type had a greater effect on the FA profiles of ewe milk and the meat of suckling lambs than did the inclusion of quebracho in the concentrate. To improve the classification of meat of suckling lamb, other biomarkers should be examined. These results are relevant for ewes farmed for the production of milk as well as lambs. Consumers demand animal products from grazing animals and that such products are guaranteed. The effects of the type of forage and the inclusion of quebracho, as a natural additive, in the concentrate during the lactation period on the FA profiles of milk and the meat of suckling lamb were evaluated. The FA profile of milk was mainly affected by the type of forage and can be used to trace ewe diet more accurately than can the FA profile of the meat of suckling lambs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Chemometric analysis of near infrared spectra of sea bass was performed. • Untargeted authentication of sea bass from different origins was feasible. • Variables responsible for discrimination were identified. • Discriminant models were internally and externally validated. Abstract Chemometric analysis of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) data was applied to investigate the possibility to rapidly authenticate European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax L.) according to production method (wild or farmed), rearing system (extensive, semi-intensive or intensive), and geographical origin (Western, Central or Eastern Mediterranean Sea). NIR spectra from 1100 to 2500 nm were subjected to an exploratory principal component analysis (PCA) followed by orthogonal partial last square-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) to develop classifiers able to distinguish samples according to the various conditions under study. Models provided a correct classification rate of 100% for both wild and farmed sea bass, and of 67%, 80%, 100% for extensively, semi-intensively, and intensively-reared subjects, respectively. As for geographical provenance, 100% of Eastern, 88% of Central and 85% of Western Mediterranean Sea samples were correctly discriminated. The successful results obtained confirmed suitability of chemometric analysis applied to NIRS data for fast authentication of European sea bass origin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Farming systems influence population genetics of C. zeina. • High microsatellite allele diversity in Cercospora zeina ; gray leaf spot pathogen of maize. • Higher genetic diversity of C. zeina in smallholder compared to commercial maize farms. • Partial population differentiation between smallholder and commercial farms. • Greater clonality and linkage disequilibrium, biased mating type ratios in commercial farms. Abstract Gray leaf spot (GLS) is an important foliar disease of maize. This disease, caused by Cercospora zeina, is prevalent in both smallholder and commercial maize farms in South Africa. Notably, smallholder practices are geared towards conservation agriculture, planting diverse maize genotypes within a field and avoiding chemical control. This study examined the population genetic structure of 129 C. zeina isolates from three smallholder farm sites in KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa using 13 microsatellite markers. These were analysed, together with 239 isolates previously analysed from four commercial farms in the same province, to determine whether farming systems influence the genetic diversity of C. zeina. In addition, we wanted to determine whether the smallholder farming system harboured a greater diversity of C. zeina haplotypes due to lack of chemical spraying of these crops. Overall, farming systems exhibited partial, but significant, population differentiation, contributing 10% of the genetic variation observed. A 16% genetic variation conferred between KwaNxamalala (smallholder) and Cedara (commercial) areas that are in close proximity, confirmed this. Private alleles accounted for 29% of the 52 alleles observed in smallholder farms. Smallholder farms harboured a higher gene and genotypic diversity, with a clonal fraction of only 13% compared to 32% in commercial farms. Mating type ratios indicative of sexual recombination and lower linkage disequilibrium in most smallholder populations were consistent with higher levels of diversity. This study suggests that commercial farming practices, such as fungicides and monoculture crop planting, may result in a narrower genetic diversity of the pathogen that is then propagated by asexual reproduction. In contrast, management of GLS disease in smallholder farms should consider the greater diversity of pathogen genotypes, especially if future research shows that this equates to a greater diversity of pathogenicity alleles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rice-wheat rotation is the main farming system in the Yangtze River regions, and plays a critical role in maintaining food safety in China. However, some serious issues are emerging during agricultural production. One is that long-term conservation tillage leads to shallow and stringent ploughing layers. The other is that large quantity of straws is difficult to effectively manage in the limited rotation gaps between both crops. Our group designed a novel soil tillage practice, ditch-buried straw return (DB-SR), to overcome such problems. In this chapter, we summarized our current advances from 10-year's research for DB-SR in the rice-wheat rotation systems. DB-SR showed excellent straw incorporation capability, improvements in soil ecological processes as well as positive effects on pest control, crop growth and final yield performance. Our results suggested that DB-DR is effective in sustaining crop production and has a great potential for extension in the rice-wheat rotation farming regions. However, we also need more agricultural engineering scientists to join us for developing an all-in-one machine which supports this novel soil tillage practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A field study was conducted in double cropped lowland rice fields during summer of 2016 to assess the crop performance and changes in weed species and weed population in different crop (amaranth, culinary melon, fodder cowpea) + fish (catla, rohu) farming systems vis-à-vis sole cropping. Productivity of culinary melon and amaranth was higher when integrated with fish compared to the sole crop. Culinary melon+fish system recorded the highest rice equivalent yield (REY). Among the weeds, grasses dominated followed by sedges and broad leaved weeds. Among grasses, population of Echinochloa colona was the highest followed by Isachne miliacea, Digitaria ciliaris and Eragrostis tenella. Among broad leaved weeds, Lindernia grandiflora ranked first followed by Phyllanthus niruri, Oldenlandia umbellata and Cleome rutidospermum. Among sedges, Fimbristylis miliacea outnumbered others. Lower weed dry matter production and higher weed control efficiency were observed when crops were integrated with fish. Culinary melon+fish system performed better in terms of weed control and productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Women play substantial roles in farming systems and are vigorously involved in farm and livestock management, but their contribution in farming systems is generally overlooked and undervalued which has reflected them as invisible workers. The farm women of are engaged in labour intensive, time consuming, arduous, monotonous, repetitive, manual operations resulting in fatigue and drudgery. Considering the issue as imperative, a survey was conducted in three districts of Western plain zone of Uttar Pradesh i.e Meerut and Saharanpur and Bulandshahar in the year 2015-2016. The total sample comprises a random sample of 180 households i.e. (3 District x 3 blocks/district x 2 villages/ block x 10 households) using a stratified sampling frame. A total of 180 households were selected for the study. Crop + Horticulture (vegetables) + Dairy (FS3) and Horticulture + Crop + Dairy (FS4) can be tagged as gender sensitive farming systems due to the higher amount of drudgery prone feminine farm operations. Carrying of dung through basket as headload depicted by their highest drudgery score (62.58) was a feminine farm operation performed by (88%) in FS3 followed by (83%) in FS4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]