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Societal Impact Statement: Agricultural techniques are inherently connected to social organization. Under colonialism, broadly understood as foreign powers suppressing (parts of) a local population, escape agriculture offers a way to avoid despotism by producing food and other produce in independent and sustainable ways. Crop diversity plays an important role in escape agriculture, demonstrated here by the variation of rice varieties on Maroon farms in Suriname. Histories of Maroon agricultural practices, and similarly marginalized groups in (formerly) colonized regions, are informative for current interventions in agriculture. Agronomic support to marginalized groups will only be successful when addressing historically grown social disengagement. Summary: Rationale: Food is essential for successful marronage and produced by means of escape agriculture. Today, communities in the interior of Suriname continue to farm by following practices of escape agriculture. Our study traces the historical development of these farming practices, in particular the extensive cultivation of rice. Our aim is to show that the diversity of rice varieties used in their fields reveals the sophisticated farming techniques and social significance of escape agriculture.Methods: We visited about 60 farm plots upstream the main rivers of Suriname where we interviewed the person in charge about the rice varieties grown in their fields. We asked about origin, names, and characteristics of each rice variety. We also screened historical sources, primary and secondary, as well as anthropological accounts of these communities for historical evidence of rice cultivation and varietal diversity.Results: Plots were farmed primarily by women and contained a broad range of different rice varieties. Naming and origin stories show a clear reference to the escape from plantations and the leading role of women in farming and food security. In some fields, a small patch was reserved for a rice type with very dark grains, used mostly for ritual purposes. Results also show adoption of more recently introduced rice varieties.Conclusion: Rice plays a key role in escape agriculture as practiced by Maroon communities in Suriname. Rice varieties are used as agricultural markers of difference. Agricultural techniques are inherently connected to social organization. Under colonialism, broadly understood as foreign powers suppressing (parts of) a local population, escape agriculture offers a way to avoid despotism by producing food and other produce in independent and sustainable ways. Crop diversity plays an important role in escape agriculture, demonstrated here by the variation of rice varieties on Maroon farms in Suriname. Histories of Maroon agricultural practices, and similarly marginalized groups in (formerly) colonized regions, are informative for current interventions in agriculture. Agronomic support to marginalized groups will only be successful when addressing historically grown social disengagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change and anthropogenic activities (changes in rainfall and temperature pattern) activities have significantly affected agricultural activity and crop production. So, studying cropland greenness and crop yield trends is essential to understand their impacts and to ensure food security. The present study attempted to depict the cropland greenness and wheat yield trends in Uttar Pradesh (UP) state, India, during 2001–2019. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) based Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) dataset was used to decipher the cropland greenness trends through the Mann-Kendall (MK) test. Furthermore, the wheat yield dataset from Baghel and Sharma (2022) was used to depict the wheat yield trends using the Thiel-Sen slope test from 2001 to 2019. The study's results showed that ~ 37.3% (82,041 km2) area of the total agricultural land was with positive cropland greenness (NDVI) trend, and 1.67% (3673 km2) area was under a negative cropland greenness trend. On the other hand, ~ 8463 km2 (at 99% significance level) and 160,557 km2 (90% significance level) area corresponding to the ~ 4% and 73%, respectively, of the total agricultural land has shown positive (increasing) wheat yield trends during 2001–2019. In conclusion, the findings of this study emphasize the need for ongoing monitoring and a comprehensive understanding of cropland greenness and wheat yield trends over different agroclimatic zones. By gaining insights into these trends, policymakers and stakeholders can develop and implement effective mitigation and adaptation strategies to minimize the adverse effects of climate change and anthropogenic activities on agricultural systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The acceleration of the climate crisis and increased demand for water have caused water stress in many agricultural lands worldwide. This issue is of utmost importance as water stress represents one of the most crucial challenges for the agricultural sector and food security, affecting the growth and yield of crops. Developing agricultural strategies to mitigate the adverse effects of water stress and improve crop stress tolerance and crop yield is therefore crucial. This review aimed to analyze the effect of agricultural practices such as elicitation and biostimulation on mitigating the effects of water stress in vegetables. This manuscript provides relevant and recent information about the studied effects on various vegetable species and their responses under water deficit and agricultural and non-agricultural strategies to mitigate water stress, highlighting the use of elicitors and biostimulants. Inclusion criteria were scientific reports and book chapters published from 2000 to 2024, including keywords as follows: water stress + vegetables, water deficit + effects, drought stress management, agricultural strategies for water stress management, eustressors + water stress, elicitors and biostimulants + water stress mitigation. According to the reported literature, it was found that the physiological, biochemical, and molecular responses of vegetables to water stress depended on factors such as the severity and duration of the water deficit, the plant species, and the phenological state of the plants. Traditional agronomic strategies such as tillage, mulching, and intercropping for crop drought management were evaluated. Recently, alternative strategies for mitigating the effects of water stress have gained significant interest, such as the exogenous application of phytohormones and osmoprotectants, nutrient management, and the use of UV-B light, radiation, and acoustic waves, among others, whose eustressive effects (as biostimulants and elicitors) have been demonstrated. Among these eustressors, those of physical origin show great potential for mitigating water stress. To improve the individual potential of eustressors for water stress mitigation, we proposed the combination of practices such as tillage, mulching, application of hormones and osmoprotectants, and physical elicitors and biostimulants such as gamma rays, He-Ne laser, and UV-B. Further exploration is required to establish doses, application conditions, and effects on water stress mitigation and vegetable yield, underscoring the importance and ongoing nature of this research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper assesses the environmental ambition of 2023-2027 Common Agricultural Policy in France. Since conditionality and agri-environment-climate measures are only marginally improved relative to the previous period, attention is focused on the new environmental instrument of the eco-scheme that in France targets the whole farm. Results suggest low environmental progress since almost all French farms would reach the standard level of the eco-scheme by one of the three access paths with unchanged farming practices, and 85% of them would reach the superior level. The percentage of farms at the superior level would be lower for farms specialized in annual crops than for cattle farms. We then show that the payment difference of €20 per hectare between the standard and superior level is probably insufficient for farms specialized in cereals, oilseeds and protein crops to offset the additional cost of the change in farm practices required to move from the standard to the superior level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growth of the world population is leading to an increased demand for food production. Consequently, there is a need to update agricultural processes to enhance production. Smart farming has evolved as a farm management concept that leverages real-time, dependable, and site-specific agricultural information to ensure consistent and sustainable yields. This study focuses on soil nutrient analysis, specifically nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) for enhancing crop production. Maintaining an appropriate balance of NPK is crucial for the well-rounded nutrition of crops. Various environmental factors such as temperature, rainfall, humidity, and soil pH affect the NPK composition of agricultural land. The optimal usage of NPK levels can help to improve plant growth, increase crop yields, and enhance overall farm productivity. Hence, we have proposed a stack regressor learning algorithm comprising of two layers for accurate, reliable, and context-sensitive predictions of NPK levels. The proposed approach considers the combined impact of these environmental factors and predicts the optimal NPK requirements tailored to specific crops and agricultural land. The analysis of graphs demonstrates that the predictive accuracy of the proposed stacked regressor model far surpasses that of preexisting built-in machine learning models. This study helps farmers make informed decisions, leading to productivity and sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Agronomy Journal / Agronomski Glasnik (0002-1954) is the property of Croatian Society of Agronomists and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Purpose: The purpose of the research is to examine the existing literature on the economic foundations of agricultural crop production in Ukraine, focusing on the evolving management strategies in light of climate change challenges during the war. Design/methodology/approach: The systemic method applied to research involves an integrated approach focusing on interconnected elements within agricultural systems. The analysis was based on the official data of crops growing in Ukraine in 1991-2022, constituting a list of scientific publications. The systemic method applied to research involves an integrated approach focusing on interconnected elements within agricultural systems. Combining multiple methods provided a more comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the complex interactions between crops growing and analyzing the structure of the information about new plant cultures. Findings: The study embraced an adaptive approach, recognizing that the agricultural system is dynamic and subject to constant change. It aimed to adapt strategies based on evolving insights and feedback from stakeholders involved in the system. Research limitations/implications: The implications of this study underscore the importance of stakeholder engagement and adaptive management for effective integration. Practical implications suggest the need for policy coordination, capacity building, and innovative incentive mechanisms to foster harmonious coexistence between economic development and agricultural crops production. Originality/value: Before the war, 45 agricultural enterprises controlled a total of about 4.1 million hectares of agricultural land. Their total income exceeded 10.8 billion US dollars. The average farm in Ukraine occupies an area of 1000 hectares, while in the EU - only 16 hectares, and in Poland – 11 hectares. It is not difficult to calculate that one Ukrainian tycoon owns the area of approximately 46,000 Polish farmers. This might be a new direction in correction of modern agricultural policy. These results could be especially interesting for researchers whose studies are interdisciplinary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to observe and evaluate the economic viability of Serbian farms engaged in different types of farming on the basis of data obtained from the Serbian Farm Accountancy Data Network of 2021. Farm economic viability was assessed using the opportunity costs of the main factors of production in agriculture (namely labour, land, and capital). The share of unpaid labour was found highest in the livestock farms specialising in milk production and grazing livestock. The farms specialising in permanent crops and horticulture had the largest share of their own utilized agricultural land, representing a very intensive type of farming usually organized on small acreages. The highest share of economically viable farms was recorded in the field crop farming system, followed by horticulture and permanent crops. In the viable group, the field crop farms were dominant with the largest coefficients of short- and long-term viability, which increased with the economic size of the farm. In general, the farms engaged in plant production exhibited much higher economic viability levels than the livestock farms (excluding the granivore farms). The most endangered were the farms specialising in grazing livestock, with the largest proportion of non-viable farms and the lowest coefficients of economic viability. A notable number of these farms lack economic justification for agriculture. However, ceasing agricultural production may not be the best solution for them, particularly as farms in remote rural areas are managed by elderly and low-skilled farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The choice of crops to produce at a location depends to a large degree on the climate. As the climate changes and food demand evolves, farmers may need to produce a different mix of crops. This study assesses how much cropland may be subject to such upheavals at the global scale, and then focuses on China as a case study to examine how spatial heterogeneity informs different contexts for adaptation within a country. Design/methodology/approach: A global agricultural economic model is linked to a cropland allocation algorithm to generate maps of cropland distribution under historical and future conditions. The mix of crops at each location is examined to determine whether it is likely to experience a major shift. Findings: Two-thirds of rainfed cropland and half of irrigated cropland are likely to experience substantial upheaval of some kind. Originality/value: This analysis helps establish a global context for the local changes that producers might face under future climate and socioeconomic changes. The scale of the challenge means that the agricultural sector needs to prepare for these widespread and diverse upheavals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cropland monitoring is important for ensuring food security in the context of global climate change and population growth. Freely available satellite data allow for the monitoring of large areas, while cloud-processing platforms enable a wide user community to apply remote sensing techniques. Remote sensing-based estimates of cropped area and crop types can thus assist sustainable land management in developing countries such as Ethiopia. In this study, we developed a method for cropland and crop type classification based on Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 time-series data using Google Earth Engine. Field data on 18 different crop types from three study areas in Ethiopia were available as reference for the years 2021 and 2022. First, a land use/land cover classification was performed to identify cropland areas. We then evaluated different input parameters derived from Sentinel-2 and Sentinel-1, and combinations thereof, for crop type classification. We assessed the accuracy and robustness of 33 supervised random forest models for classifying crop types for three study areas and two years. Our results showed that classification accuracies were highest when Sentinel-2 spectral bands were included. The addition of Sentinel-1 parameters only slightly improved the accuracy compared to Sentinel-2 parameters alone. The variant including S2 bands, EVI2, and NDRe2 from Sentinel-2 and VV, VH, and Diff from Sentinel-1 was finally applied for crop type classification. Investigation results of class-specific accuracies reinforced the importance of sufficient reference sample availability. The developed methods and classification results can assist regional experts in Ethiopia to support agricultural monitoring and land management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The agricultural field is a major source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Therefore, we aimed to estimate agricultural GHG emissions to aid the reduction of GHG emissions from agricultural systems. We used the emission factor method, CLUMondo model to quantitatively calculate agricultural GHG emissions at the interprovincial and regional scales in China. Additionally, we qualitatively analysed the spatial distribution, carbon source structure, and gas types of agricultural GHG emissions at various stages. The results revealed that the spatial pattern of agricultural land in 2035 will generally be consistent with that in 2020 under the natural development scenario. Overall, agricultural GHG emissions will continue to increase. The simulation results showed that in east, south, southwest, and central China, the agricultural GHG emissions remained high, and gradually, the region in the southwest and northeast China emerged as an agglomeration of provinces with high agricultural GHG emissions. Notably, crop farming and animal husbandry acted as the primary source of agricultural GHG emissions in China. Overall, methane emissions increased marginally, nitrous oxide emissions increased substantially, and their proportion gradually approached 50%. Thus, to reduce the agricultural GHG emissions in China, the GHG emissions from crop farming and animal husbandry should be reduced. The target spatial pattern construction should be that of agricultural land with low GHG emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to assess the level of financial security of farms and identify its determinants based on factor analysis. The data used in this research were obtained from the European FADN (Farm Accountancy Data Network). Factor analysis (FA) was employed to reduce the number of variables that potentially determine the financial security of farms. The results indicate that the surveyed entities maintained financial security between 2014 and 2021. This study suggests that it is necessary to examine these factors separately for farms engaged in crop farming and animal production. The results obtained for all farms were less satisfactory than those that took into account the specifics of agricultural production. This study addresses a gap in the literature by including highly correlated variables in the analysis of the determinants of financial security. Factor analysis is used to reduce the number of variables without losing important information. Firstly, seventeen variables related to the financial security of all farms were assigned to six factors. These were income and self-financing of operations; area and subsidies; long-term investments and financial decisions consequences; economic size, taxes, and non-breeding livestocks; investment activity; and inputs, stock, short-term loans, and labor. Then, the determinants of the financial security of farms were examined, taking into account the specialization of activities. For crop-producing farms, six factors were identified, including three that were identical to those for all farms: income and self-financing of operations; long-term investment and financial decisions consequences; and investment activity. In addition, the following items were specified: area, subsidies, non-breeding livestocks, and taxes; economic size, inputs, and labor; and stock and short-term loans. The correlated variables in the case of livestock production combined into factors in a different way. In this case, four factors were distinguished: economic size, non-breeding livestocks, income, and self-financing of operations; operational activities of animal production; long-term investment and financial decisions consequences; and investment activity. Financial security is a complex matter that can be affected by a range of factors related to agricultural activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alien plant species regularly and simultaneously invade agricultural landscapes and ecosystems; however, the effects of co-invasion on crop production and native biodiversity have rarely been studied. Secondary metabolites produced by alien plants may be allelopathic; if they enter the soil, they may be transported by agricultural activities, negatively affecting crop yield and biodiversity. It is unknown whether substances from different alien species in combination have a greater impact on crops and wild plants than if they are from only one of the alien species. In this study, we used a set of common garden experiments to test the hypothesis that mixed extracts from two common invasive species have synergistic effects on crops and weeds (defined as all non-crop plants) in European agricultural fields compared to single-species extracts. We found that both the combined and individual extracts had detrimental effects on the seed germination, seedling growth, biomass, and photosynthetic performance of both crops and weeds. We found that the negative effect of mixed extracts was not additive and that crop plants were more strongly affected by invasive species extracts than the weeds. Our results are important for managing invasive species in unique ecosystems on agricultural land and preventing economic losses in yield production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This study addresses the issue of assessing the functioning of farms in areas with diverse natural farming conditions by evaluating them using the latest version of the Agricultural Production Area Valorization (APAV) index. Analyses were performed on three types of farms: fully organic farms, organic farms with co-existing conventional production, and conventional-production farms. To achieve the research objective, 259 communes were selected depending on the level of their APAV. Assessments were made of their production potential, production organization, production and economic results in communes with average APAVs below, equal to, and higher than the national average (66.6 points) based on data from farms continuously keeping accounts for the Polish farm accountancy data network (FADN) in between 2019–2021. The Shannon-Wiener index (S-W index) was used to measure the degree of diversity of crop species in the farms' sown crops, and determine what proportion of those were structure-forming plants. This research demonstrates that in order for interest in organic production to develop under current conditions, there must be sufficient financial support for agricultural producers, especially in areas with more difficult farming conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last three decades, the Government of India (GOI) has used watershed management as a solution to solve issues concerning sustainable agricultural output in rainfed areas. Additionally, since 2003, the GOI has made watershed management a national policy. A lot of thought is given to all of the significant crops that have disappeared from farming systems in the watershed development programs (WDPs) of India's current development plans, which are primarily focused on increasing and sustaining productivity levels. In the Sarguja division of Chhattisgarh, the present study attempted to document the on-site and off-site effects of these watershed development programs, as it observed an increase in the ground water level, a rise in the surface water and stream flow levels, a reduction in runoff as well as in soil erosion, increased agricultural and dairy production, improved livelihood and employment generation, and changes in the land use and farming patterns. These findings showed that the percentage of cropland increased in both Kharif and Rabi, because they started planting crops in Zaid, particularly cucumber, melon, and vegetables, that had been kept fallow. The patterns of land usage in the WDP regions have improved over time; due to farmers utilizing more wasteland for productive reasons, there has been a rise in the net sown area of these locations. Additionally, it has been claimed that many crops that were previously abandoned due to water shortages and other requirements are now being cultivated. Responses from the region's population have been in favor of the introduction of innovative techniques like Agroforestry systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cluster farming is increasingly recognized as a viable means of improving smallholder economic integration and commercialization in many developing countries. However, little is known about its impact on smallholder welfare and livelihoods. We examine the relationship between cluster farming and smallholder commercialization using a large‐scale survey of 3969 farm households in Ethiopia cultivating high‐acreage crops such as teff, wheat, maize, barley, and sesame. Using switching regressions and instrumental variable estimators, we show that cluster farming is associated with commercialization measured as commercialization index, market surplus value, and market price. To further deal with endogeneity concerns, we also employ some pseudo‐panel models where we observe similar insights. Beyond this, we account for heterogeneities by disaggregating households based on farm scales and crops cultivated. Our findings show that cluster farming is positively associated with commercialization for all farms and crop types despite this disaggregation. However, the related gains are higher among medium and large farms and vary per crop type. These findings imply that cluster farming is crucial in improving smallholder commercialization and may be a critical entry and leveraging point for policy. We thus lend support to initiatives and plans that seek to upscale cluster farming as they can potentially improve smallholder commercialization with ensuing impacts on rural livelihoods and welfare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture is very different from other economic activities, due to the fact that, on the one hand, agricultural activity is conditioned by the biological evolution of plants and animals, and on the other hand, it provides food for the population. Through this paper, the authors provide a clearer picture of the evolution of vegetable agricultural production in Caraș-Severin county. With an area of 386,778 ha, Caraș-Severin County owns 3.6% of the country's surface, ranking third among the country's counties. Although Caraş-Severin county is the third largest in the country, in terms of agricultural area (386,778 ha), it only ranks 13th, due to the predominantly mountainous terrain. Of all the existing agricultural lands in the studied area, about 82% are located on sloping lands, due to the relief which is mostly mountainous, not being suitable for large agricultural crops. Thanks to the involvement of local authorities and the data obtained from the National Institute of Statistics and other bibliographic sources, we were able to observe and compare the evolution, over time, of the vegetable agricultural production in Caraș-Severin County. The centralization, processing and interpretation of the data also allowed the formulation of the main conclusions with reference to the vegetable agricultural potential of the studied area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inventories of agricultural diversity in peasant farms in three municipalities in Granma province, were performed. Species number and area per crop were counted and classified taxonomically. The number of species was determinated by farms, the importance of the species given by the frequency of occurrence in agroecosystems studied. Results indicated that agrobiodiversity of the evaluated properties is represented by 27 species belonging to 17 botanical families. The largest number of managed species was achieved on farms "Bella Luisa" of Guisa municipality and "El Bosque" from Jiguaní with 11 and 10 species respectively. The wealth of species by crop group was dominated by vegetables and fruits. It concluded that diversity of crops of economic importance in the farms are low. The crops in the farm are closely related with basic nutrition, where predominated crops rich in carbohydrates, wilts that the source of vegetal protein is represented only by bean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Diversitas Journal is the property of Diversitas Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

EuroCrops contains geo-referenced polygons of agricultural croplands from 16 countries of the European Union (EU) as well as information on the respective crop species grown there. These semantic annotations are derived from self-declarations by farmers receiving subsidies under the common agricultural policy (CAP) of the European Commission (EC). Over the last 1.5 years, the individual national crop datasets have been manually collected, the crop classes have been translated into the English language and transferred into the newly developed hierarchical crop and agriculture taxonomy (HCAT). EuroCrops is publicly available under continuous improvement through an active user community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of the College Of Basic Education is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Integrated fish farming focuses on a variety of agricultural possibilities mainly emphasizing fish farming in conjunction with crop and/or livestock farming. The present study was carried out to examine the influence of such an integrated farming system (IFS) on the livelihood of farmers in the state of Manipur, which is in the Northeastern region of India. Changes in the level of livelihood security and livelihood status were assessed for a sample of 300 farmers, who have adopted four major types of IFS, viz, fish-vegetable crop farming based IFS, fish-paddy crop farming based IFS, fish-vegetable-oilseed crop farming based IFS, and fish-crop-livestock based IFS. The adoption of IFS has increased farmers' economic stability and social standing, and the system is found to be economically feasible and sustainable. Farmers adopting fish-crop-livestock based IFS (primarily fish-piggery-poultry based IFS) have the highest food and nutrition security and overall livelihood security. Out of five livelihood assets (physical, social, financial, human, and natural), IFS has influenced farmers' financial assets holding the most. An overall improvement of 26.83% in the respondents' standard of living is realized by the farmers when they adopted the IFS. Considering the consequences of different types of IFS on farm livelihoods, the most beneficial models like fish and/or crop and/or livestock based IFS may be upscaled as these integrations result in the effective use of the waste products from crop and/or livestock system to produce diverse fish varieties. It has also improved farmers' livelihoods by generating consistent income and employment opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crop appropriation occurs when portions of a farmer's crops are taken by individuals to whom she has no contractual obligation. While it is a reality in rural areas across developing countries, its economics has barely received attention. This paper uses data from Nigerian women farmers whom local patriarchal norms have typically had as crop owners rather than landowners to explore the question of how crop appropriation might affect levels of engagement in agriculture. I find the phenomenon to induce less time farming, greater participation in off‐farm employment, and lower demand for farm inputs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The management of land resources requires the use of technologies that match the potential productivity of soils, as well as their conservation and improvement. This is key to ensuring food production of the required quality and quantity. At present, the management of agricultural scenarios is one of the most pressing issues of these times, due to the loss of properties that soils have suffered as a result of their inadequate use. In the current context of Cuba, with a policy oriented towards the production of idle land, to be granted as usufruct for agricultural management based on actions that are less aggressive to the environment and more resilient to climate change, it is important to have an inventory of the available land, as well as its classification according to its productive potential, in order to plan its exploitation according to scientific criteria. To this end, it is necessary to implement strategies with holistic approaches that take into account the suitability of land for the most promising uses, in order to ensure sustainable agricultural management based on the balance between environmental supply and demand, as well as the sustainable production of food in the required quantity and quality, leading to food self-sufficiency and the reduction of imports, as stipulated in the Food Security and Sovereignty Act and the territorial development policies of the 2030 Agenda. In this sense, the work is oriented towards carrying out an analysis of the current situation of soils dedicated to agricultural production in Cuba. It presents their spatial distribution, main characteristics and limiting factors for agricultural production, as well as the use and management to which they are subjected in relation to their characteristics and water availability as fundamental elements to guarantee sustainable food production. It also presents the integrated approach to land management used as a framework at the Agrarian University of Havana to contribute to the sustainable management of these resources and thus to the country's food security. Among the case studies presented is an analysis of the spatial distribution of the main agricultural soils in the province of "Mayabeque", based on the National Soil Map at a scale of 1:25,000. Using the tools provided by the geographical information system (GIS) platform and the available information on these soils, it was possible to determine their spatial distribution at the municipal level, their main limiting factors and their productive potential for crops of economic interest in the study region. It was found that the predominant soils are those of the ferrellitic red type, which represent 33.90% of the total, followed by the sialitic brown type with 20.40%. The least representative are the Ferrritic group, and the Purple Ferrritic, Ferrallitic Quartzite Yellow Leached and Greyish Brown types. On a more detailed scale, taking as a reference the "Guayabal" University Farm of the Agrarian University of Havana, with an area of 846.6 ha, it was found that the predominant soils on the farm are of the Ferrallitic Red Leached type, accounting for 58.97% of the total. The main agronomic limiting factors are low effective depth, poor drainage and compaction, among others. This was used as a basis for recommending an action plan aimed at training social actors to develop capacities and support the decision-making process related to the use and management of soils for sustainable agricultural exploitation. Similarly, in the municipality of El Salvador, province of Guantánamo, an assessment was made of the responsiveness of the territory to per capita food production, based on the application of quantitative and qualitative indicators of the territory's food vulnerability. This was based on the evaluation of the physical suitability of the land for 10 types of land use, including agriculture, forestry and livestock, and the analysis resulting from the evaluation of conflicts with current land use. This, together with other selected quantitative indicators, provides a sustainable solution to the analysis of agricultural land use and food vulnerability of its agro-ecosystems to strengthen the responsiveness of the territory. As a further case study, the effect of irrigation water management on some soil properties and the yield of crops of agricultural interest is evaluated, supported by simulation models (Cropwat, DSSAT). An excessive application of irrigation with very short intervals (5 days on average) was found, as well as an insufficient uniformity of the applied water sheet, with a weighted uniformity coefficient of 63.8% in the case of centre pivot machines. This situation affects both soil degradation and the physiological development of the crop, as well as the unnecessary use of water and energy, leading to significant economic losses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This investigation explores the impact of various management practices on nitrate leaching and crop yield in two specific areas in Slovenia. The issue of nitrate leaching from agricultural land is a worldwide threat to drinking water, and despite years of research efforts, universal solutions are still unknown. The two chosen study sites are significant because of their importance for agricultural production and because groundwater aquifers beneath are main sources of drinking water, which makes imposing mitigation measures challenging. One of the areas was reported to be of "bad" status according to the Water Framework Directive criteria, while the other is at risk of reaching this status if nitrate concentrations in groundwater continue to rise. This research used the SWAT model to simulate nitrate leaching and crop yield changes under different agricultural scenarios on different soil types. It aimed to accomplish two objectives: first, to identify parts of the case study areas where the existing combination of soil conditions and agricultural practices enables a high potential for nitrate leaching; second, to identify agricultural practices that decrease nitrate leaching from various soil types while maintaining crop yields in each area. By identifying the most vulnerable locations and the most promising practices, we generated a chart of best management practices for specific soil types as a guide that extension services can use to advise farmers on potential management improvements. The main findings demonstrate that reducing fertilizer application, both organic and inorganic, in areas where the rates exceed crop requirements may not have a significant impact on crop production. However, these reductions often resulted in a noticeable decrease in nitrate exports. The results also showed that soil type is crucially important and should always be considered when evaluating the effects of agricultural management on crop yields and nitrate leaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Al-Adab / Al-ādāb is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The optimized system of forest strips in Ukraine had been developed on the landscape and ecological bases in order to ensure the formation of a sustainable agroforestry landscape; stabilize the ecological state, preserve the natural resource potential of a studied area, and create optimal conditions for the growth, development, and productivity of agricultural crops. Over nearly a hundred years, there have been developed the principles of combining tree and shrubby species, optimal designs of forest strips, their width parameters, species composition and placement of planting groupings, and their location in the fields. Also, agrotechnical and forestry measures for their care were designed in different soil and climatic conditions of Ukraine. All accounted factors would provide the maximum ecological and economic effects with a minimum planting. The paper presents the results of phytodiversity study and initiated studies of the syntaxonomy of field-protective forest strips in the regions of Ukraine. The issues of the global practice of field-protective afforestation, which is part of the newest direction -- agroforestry, were highlighted. They combine the simultaneous cultivation of tree and shrubby species and agricultural crops in the same areas for environmental, economic, and social benefits. The authors analyzed the current situation related to forest strips in Ukraine and described the negative changes that have occurred over the past thirty years. Mitigation of natural and anthropogenic threats in agricultural lands is a chalange due to the lack of comprehensive land-reclamation measures in agricultural landscapes and the strengthening of degradation processes caused by the global climate change. We conducted analysis and assessment of the state of forest strips and changes they have underwent because of military operations, concluding that optimizing the windbreak system in Ukraine as a particularly effective environment-forming factor is now especially relevant and requires research, updated using modern methods. For this purpose, one should take into account their intended purpose, spatial orientation, placement, optimal composition, considering typological characteristics, design parameters, and other forest-reclamation characteristics, identification of their syntaxonomic diversity, and identifying regularities in formation and differentiation and development of scientific bases of optimization. It would ensure the maximum efficiency of developing conditions for ecological rehabilitation of forest strips and increase their ecological capacity, and, in general, would promote balanced development of agroecosystems. Therefore, the objective of this paper was to analyze the current state of forest strips in Ukraine and substantiate the need to conduct priority measures to restore their functioning as forest-reclamation objects in connection with the latest circumstances in the conditions of military operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A methodology is presented for calculating optimal values of the natural, ecological and economic elements of Ukraine's food system, these being the basis for agrarian enterprises. Criteria for the efficiency of the use of agricultural land according to the interaction of these elements are formulated, and the regional structure of the national food supply determined. Regions are clustered according to their level of food self-sufficiency, and agricultural enterprises are grouped according to the areas of land under agricultural crops in their farming system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Earth System Models (ESMs) are increasingly representing agriculture due to its impact on biogeochemical cycles, local and regional climate, and fundamental importance for human society. Realistic large scale simulations may require spatially varying crop parameters that capture crop growth at various scales and among different cultivars, as well as common crop management practices, but their importance is uncertain, and they are often not represented in ESMs. In this study, we examine the impact of using constant versus spatially varying crop parameters using a novel, realistic crop rotation scenario in the Energy Exascale Earth System Model (E3SM) Land Model version 2 (ELMv2). We implemented crop rotation by using ELMv2's dynamic land unit capability, and then calibrated and validated the model against observations collected at three AmeriFlux sites in the US Midwest with corn soybean rotation. The calibrated model closely captured the magnitude and observed seasonality of carbon and energy fluxes across crops and sites. We performed regional simulations for the US Midwest using the calibrated model and found that spatially varying only a few crop parameters across the region, as opposed to using constant parameters, had a large impact, with the carbon fluxes and energy fluxes both varying by up to 40%. These results imply that large scale ESM simulations using spatially invariant crop parameters may result in biased energy and carbon fluxes estimation from agricultural land, and underline the importance of improving human‐earth systems interactions in ESMs. Plain Language Summary: Crops are increasingly being characterized in global land models because of their impact on local and regional climate. However, there is limited understanding of the impact of crop rotation and of different crop cultivars on carbon and energy fluxes from the land surface. Our study implements crop rotation and spatially varying crop parameters in the Energy Exascale Earth System Model Land Model and finds that doing so improves carbon and energy flux estimation from cropland area. These findings emphasize the importance of capturing agricultural management practices and variability in growth characteristics across different crop cultivars in global land models. Key Points: This study implements corn soybean rotation and spatially varying crop parameters in the Energy Exascale Earth System Land ModelThe model is calibrated and validated against observations collected at three AmeriFlux sites in the US MidwestWe find that spatially varying crop parameters resulted in improved flux estimation from cropland areas [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural production is the basic pillar of food security, but the type of agricultural crops and the quantity of their production are greatly and clearly affected by natural factors of all kinds, and man has evolved in his adaptation to natural conditions in order to serve his various activities, including agricultural activity, but his control in these conditions is limited and still The natural conditions (geological structure, topography, climate, soil, and water resources) are specific to the type and location of the various agricultural activities. The uses of agricultural land are subject to natural controls, since the farmer is in direct contact with it as long as he practices agricultural activity in the open. The current research examined the study of the most important natural factors affecting the production of agricultural crops in Qayyarah district represented by the geological structure and surface appearance represented by (slope) and (elevations) in addition to the soil and its productive capacity and linking it with the production of agricultural crops for the aforementioned region for the year 2021 using geographic information systems techniques. And then building a model for spatial fit and agricultural crop production for the purpose of knowing and identifying the best spatial fit places using spatial analysis tools for the data in Arc GIS V10.8.2 to be of sure benefit as it carries new information extracted or extracted from the spatial analysis. And then the process of matching between the agricultural crop maps with the spatial fit map that was produced. The study showed a close relationship between the natural factors in the study area and the amount of crops planted for the previously mentioned year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper aimed to present the practice of mixed farming systems which is based on circularity and proposes stronger links between crops and livestock. It aims to emulate the nutrient circuits resulted from food production based on those in natural systems, shifting from linearity towards cyclicity to reduce anthropic impact. The paper analysed the selected articles in order to identify strategies implemented in mixed farming systems which improve circularity and have positive effects on the environment and presented the results and discussions section in the form of guidelines and based our logic structure on the principles of circularity in agricultural systems. It is recommendable that farmers and stakeholders try to preserve and, where possible, increase the biotic diversity of agricultural landscapes, both in terms of crops and livestock (for example, by using cover crops and intercropping), but also in terms of habitats that can provide beneficial ecosystem services (such as: shelter for natural enemies, nitrogen fixing plants, etc.). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal's (SDGs) aims is to enhance access to clean energy. In addition, other SDGs are directly related to the restoration of degraded soils to improve on-farm productivity and land management. Integrating Short Rotation Woody Crops (SRWC) for bioenergy into conventional agriculture provides opportunities for sustainable domestic energy production, rural economic development/diversification, and restoration of soil health and biodiversity. Extensive research efforts have been carried out on the development of SRWC for bioenergy, biofuels, and bioproducts. Recently, broader objectives that include multiple ecosystem services, such as carbon sequestration, and land mine reclamation are being explored. Yet, limited research is available on the benefits of establishing SRWC on degraded agricultural lands in the southeastern U.S. thereby contributing to environmental goals. This paper presents a literature review to (1) synthesize the patterns and trends in SWRC bioenergy production; (2) highlight the benefits of integrating short rotation woody crops into row crop agriculture; and (3) identify emerging technologies for efficiently managing the integrated system, while identifying research gaps. Our findings show that integrating SRWC into agricultural systems can potentially improve the climate of agricultural landscapes and enhance regional and national carbon stocks in terrestrial systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study carries out a technical-economic analysis of the agricultural activity that takes place in conditions of meadow lands compared to the agricultural activity that takes place in conditions of hilly lands, aspects that largely characterize the agriculture of Galaţi County. The paper highlights the technical and economic aspects that can characterize the two distinct zonal situations of agricultural production. The obtained data specify which are the most appropriate crop conditions and agricultural crops and measure these aspects in monetary units. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indian economy depends a lot on agriculture. Around 38% of the land in India is suitable for agriculture. The crop in the agricultural land is threatened by the diseases. These diseases may have been caused by microorganisms, viruses, fungi, and bacteria. The traditional method of identifying the crop disease by the naked eye needs enormous labor, expertise with crop diseases, and needs a lot of time. In most cases, by the time the results are out, the damage is already done. To avoid such problems, an automated system can be adapted for the detection of plant diseases. The aim is to build a model that is fast, accurate, and reliable that can be used for the identification of leaf diseases. In this article, we compared three deep learning neural networks we evaluated the performance of three deep neural networks and analyzed the strengths of each neural network interms of accuracy. We also determined the working of each model and its applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Canada can radically reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by aggressively deploying agrivoltaics and reach its goal of cutting emissions by increasing the non-emitting share of electricity generation to 90 % by 2030. To help reach this goal, this study evaluated the potential energy production for vertical bi-facial solar photovoltaic arrays as well as the solar irradiation reaching the ground with three different spacings (5 m, 15 m and 45 m) and three different Canadian farming locations (London, Calgary and Winnipeg) using irradiance modeling with Ladybug tools plug-ins for Grasshopper and Honeybee. The crops currently grown in each region were identified and their sunlight requirements were analyzed. Based on the amount of solar radiation reaching the ground surface and the solar requirements of the crops, inter-row spacings that were suitable for agrivoltaic applications for the three locations were identified. Next the land acreage of a select few crops, which were proven to be satisfactory for agrivoltaic systems, were identified for each province and their electrical energy potential was ascertained using the open-source System Advisor Model. The results indicate that more than 84 % of the total national electricity requirements can be met by employing agrivoltaics on agricultural land where these crops are cultivated in the three provinces. • Agrivoltiac energy production for vertical bi-facial PV and solar irradiation reaching the ground. • Spacings (5 m, 15 m and 45 m) and Canadian farming locations (London, Calgary and Winnipeg). • Irradiance modeling with Ladybug tools plug-ins for Grasshopper and Honeybee. • Crops currently grown in each region identified and their sunlight requirements were analyzed. • Suitable agrivoltaics + land acreage of select crops quantified = 84 % Canada's electricity needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To balance trade-offs between livestock's negative environmental impacts and their positive contributions (e.g. maintaining semi-natural grasslands, varied agricultural landscapes and crop rotations), a better understanding is needed of how the supply of ecosystem services differs across farms. We analysed a suite of indicators for non-provisioning ecosystem services on a large subset of Swedish farms (71% of farms, covering 82% of agricultural land) and related these to farm type, farm size and livestock density. The analysed indicators exhibited clear geographical patterns with hotspots especially in less productive regions. Controlling for this spatial variation we still found that small-scale and ruminant farms were associated with more varied landscapes, small-scale habitats, semi-natural grasslands and better crop sequences compared to nearby farms specialised in crop production, while farms specialising in monogastric livestock were associated with less varied landscapes and inferior crop sequences. Results for cultural ecosystem services indicated that farms with more semi-natural grassland were associated with more visitors and more likely located within designated recreation or nature conservation areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the impact that climate change is projected to have on agriculture, it is essential to understand the mechanisms and conditions that drive agricultural land suitability. However, existing literature does not provide sufficient guidance on the best modeling methodology to study crop suitability, and there is even less research on how to evaluate the accuracy of such models. Further, studies have yet to demonstrate the use of the Maximum Entropy (Maxent) model in predicting presence and yield of large-scale field crops in the United States. In this study, we investigate the application of the Maxent model to predict crop suitability and present novel methods of evaluating its predictive ability. Maxent is a correlative machine learning model often used to predict cropland suitability. In this study, we used Maxent to model land suitability for corn production in the contiguous United States under current bioclimatic conditions. We developed methods for evaluating Maxent's predictive ability through three comparisons: (i) classification of suitable land units and comparison of results with another similar species distribution model (Random Forest Classification), (ii) comparison of output response curves with existing literature on corn suitability thresholds, and (iii) with correlation of predicted suitability with observed extent and yield. We determined that Maxent was superior to Random Forest, especially in its modeling of areas in which land was likely suitable for corn but was not currently associated with observed corn presence. We also determined that Maxent's predictions correlated strongly with observed yield statistics and were consistent with existing literature regarding the range of bioclimatic variable values associated with suitable production conditions for corn. We concluded that Maxent was an effective method for modeling current cropland suitability and could be applied to broader issues of agriculture–climate relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since its inception, agriculture has been adapting for soil and climatic conditions. Various farming systems and agricultural technologies are used in Russia. For a long time in areas of insufficient moisture, systematic work was carried out to develop and introduce adaptive methods of cultivation of agricultural crops. This study aims to argue the influence of the adaptation factor in the formation of agricultural technologies and farming systems on crop productivity and the ecological balance of the agro-landscape of the arid farming zone of the Lower Volga region. The studies were carried out from 2013 to 2021 on stationary sites of agricultural landscapes formed under the influence of agricultural technologies of varying degrees of adaptability (moldboard, combined and direct sowing). The research methodology was based on the works of scientists V. I. Kiryushin, A. L. Ivanov, N. P. Masyutenko, and A. V. Gostev, the methods of the GNU VNIIZiZPE, FGBNU "Rosinformagrotech" were used. Studies have shown that crop selection, methods of moisture accumulation, which provide additional moisture reserves up to 30-40 mm in a meter soil layer and growth productivity of crops up to 0.6 to 0.8 t/ha in grain units, the forest reclamation complex, which performs an ecological function of restoring degraded territories and soils, these are important links in adaptive agricultural technologies in the conditions of the Lower Volga region. It was found that farming systems and crop cultivation technologies should contain the main elements of adaptability, such as the arrangement of the territory, a balanced proportion of the main categories of agricultural land, typification of arable land by slopes and humus content in the soil, adaptive crop rotation, the recommended amount of total forest cover, taking into account the zonal aspect, justified type and design of field shelterbelts, which ultimately ensures the formation of an ecologically balanced agricultural landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Chapingo Serie Ciencias Forestales is the property of Universidad Autonoma Chapingo and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Nationwide and consistent information on agricultural land use forms an important basis for sustainable land management maintaining food security, (agro)biodiversity, and soil fertility, especially as German agriculture has shown high vulnerability to climate change. Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 satellite data of the Copernicus program offer time series with temporal, spatial, radiometric, and spectral characteristics that have great potential for mapping and monitoring agricultural crops. This paper presents an approach which synergistically uses these multispectral and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) time series for the classification of 17 crop classes at 10 m spatial resolution for Germany in the year 2018. Input data for the Random Forest (RF) classification are monthly statistics of Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 time series. This approach reduces the amount of input data and pre-processing steps while retaining phenological information, which is crucial for crop type discrimination. For training and validation, Land Parcel Identification System (LPIS) data were available covering 15 of the 16 German Federal States. An overall map accuracy of 75.5% was achieved, with class-specific F1-scores above 80% for winter wheat, maize, sugar beet, and rapeseed. By combining optical and SAR data, overall accuracies could be increased by 6% and 9%, respectively, compared to single sensor approaches. While no increase in overall accuracy could be achieved by stratifying the classification in natural landscape regions, the class-wise accuracies for all but the cereal classes could be improved, on average, by 7%. In comparison to census data, the crop areas could be approximated well with, on average, only 1% of deviation in class-specific acreages. Using this streamlined approach, similar accuracies for the most widespread crop types as well as for smaller permanent crop classes were reached as in other Germany-wide crop type studies, indicating its potential for repeated nationwide crop type mapping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]