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Agriculture in Poland plays an important social and environmental role. Accession to the EU resulted in structural and modernization changes, following adjustments to CAP obligations. In 2019, the European Green Deal and "From Farm to Fork" strategies called for circularity, zero emissions, and food and energy security. The purpose of this study was to assess the consumption and energy efficiency of Polish farms, identify challenges in energy management, and formulate recommendations. This study used data from Polish Statistics, FADN, and other public bodies collecting relevant data. The assessment of energy intensity was carried out based on the concept of technical efficiency by Farell and Debreu, defined as the ratio of effects to inputs. In addition, methods of comparative and descriptive statistics were used. The average annual dynamics of energy consumption and CO2 emissions were determined using the compound percentage formula. The results of this research indicate positive changes in the energy management in Polish agriculture, including a decrease in production energy intensity, CO2 emissions, and the amount of waste generated by the investments made. It is necessary to improve farm energy efficiency further and to increase the use of renewable energy to maintain cost competitiveness and meet environmental requirements. [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]

Objective: The objective of this study was to quantify the economic costs and impacts of off‐flavor on U.S. catfish farms. Methods: A survey was conducted to quantify the costs and economic methods using enterprise budget techniques to enumerate the costs of off‐flavor on catfish farms. Result: Diuron was the most popular‐choice algicide for off‐flavor management. Direct annual costs associated with off‐flavor management on catfish farms amounted to US$40 million/year. Total industry economic losses due to off‐flavor was estimated at $73.9 million in 2022. Conclusion: The study confirms the continued significance of off‐flavor in U.S. catfish farming and quantifies the associated economic effects. Impact statementEvaluating the economic cost associated with off‐flavor management practices provides insights into the economic significance of this persistent problem on U.S. catfish farms. This study found that the annual cost of off‐flavor amounts to $2325/ha and $0.272/kg, accounting for 10% of the total cost of production. The direct economic loss to the industry amounted to $40 million annually, with a total negative economic impact of $74 million in 2022. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Butterflies are declining globally, mainly due to expansion and abandonment of agricultural land. Quantifying the relative importance of agricultural land-use types for butterflies is essential to conservation planning in agricultural landscapes, where land-use changes frequently occur. Here, we surveyed species richness, abundance, and composition in natural lands (wetland and forest), agricultural land, and abandoned agricultural land in two topographic settings (hillslope and lowland) in Hokkaido, northern Japan. The species richness and abundance of open-land butterflies tended to be the highest in agricultural lands in both topographic settings. Although those of communities were lowest in natural lands, such areas had unique species compositions. Topography can be an important factor explaining the variation in species richness and abundance among abandoned agricultural lands. In hillslope areas, abundance of open-land butterflies was lower in abandoned agricultural lands than in active ones. In lowland areas, however, species richness and abundance of abandoned agricultural lands were comparable to those of active ones in both communities and functional groups. Our results suggest that both topography and land-use type have significant effects on butterfly community composition in agricultural landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite silvopastoral systems' environmental and production benefits, their adoption in forest ecosystems has been moderated. Identifying a silvopastoral farm typology combining farm size and management practices can help explore the constraints to their adoption and guide technical support initiatives. We investigated farms adopting silvopastoral systems in the Upper Atlantic Forest of Argentina and whether their management practices are related to the farms structural characteristics. We analysed 60 surveys that covered 3428 ha under silvopastoral management. First, we group the farms according to size and land use using the factor analysis mixed data and group with hierarchical clustering. Second, we performed two correspondence analyses with variables related to management practices in the silvopastoral area to explore the relationship between the practice management adopted and the cluster farm. Our results summarised the variability of farms and management practices in three groups: Specialist silvopastoral farms, Agricultural farms with silvopastoral management and forest plantation, and Livestock farms with silvopastoral management sectors. Specialist silvopastoral farms adopted most of the technical recommendations for this land use. Despite this work contributions, some information gaps still need to be addressed to have an integrated vision of how silvopastoral systems in the Upper Atlantic Forest of Argentina can be adopted in an extended manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rumen flukes cause heavy economic losses in the ruminant industry worldwide, especially in tropical and subtropical countries. This study estimated the prevalence of rumen flukes in buffaloes, identified the species diversity, and determined risk factors associated with rumen fluke prevalence in Perak, Peninsular Malaysia. A cross-sectional study was conducted, and 321 faecal samples were collected from six buffalo farms. A structured questionnaire was developed, and farmers were interviewed to obtain information regarding risk factors associated with rumen fluke infection. The faecal samples were examined using sedimentation and Flukefinder® techniques. Genomic DNA was extracted from the fluke eggs recovered using the Flukefinder® method, and the internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) fragment was amplified and sequenced to facilitate species identification. The results showed that the overall prevalence of rumen fluke across the sampled farms was 40.2% (129/321). Three rumen fluke species were identified, namely, Fischoederius elongatus, F. cobboldi, and Orthocoelium streptocoelium. Several management factors had a significant association (P < 0.05) with rumen fluke prevalence, including production type, cleaning of the stable, drinking water system, flooding around the farm, grazing system, pasture sharing with other livestock, and deworming program. This work constitutes the first attempt to understand the epidemiology of rumen fluke infection in the region and suggests that good farm management, pasture management, choosing appropriate drugs, and proper husbandry practices may improve buffalo health and production in areas where rumen flukes are prevalent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document discusses the importance of soil and water management practices in mitigating nutrient losses in agricultural watersheds. Nutrient losses from farmland can lead to a decrease in soil fertility, crop yield reduction, eutrophication, and damage to water ecosystems. The document highlights various practices that can be used to reduce nutrient loss, such as conservation tillage, cover crops, precision agriculture, and diversified cropping systems. The document also provides a summary of five research papers that explore topics related to nutrient transport, assessment methods, damages caused by nutrient loss, and specific practices for mitigating nutrient losses. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses the benefits of an integrated farm advisory program on sheep farms, focusing on improving their economic performance. The program involves a team of experts providing advice on animal nutrition and farm management, and conducting a thorough techno-economic analysis before and after recommendations. The economic impact is assessed using a partial budget tool. Results show increased yields, decreased production costs, and increased gross value added. The program requires a cohesive group of experts, trusting relationships between farmers and consultants, and funding. Implementing this program on a large scale can upgrade the relevant value chain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The digitalization of farming is considered the fourth revolution in agriculture. The necessity of providing decision support tools and electronic platforms to help Greek farmers in their work is becoming increasingly evident. For this reason, this article presents the electronic platform called "FarmEconomicMonitoring" to monitor the operations of farms to control production costs and improve efficiency. With the use of the electronic platform by the farmer–entrepreneurs, their easy adaptation to the new technologies concerning decision-making and farm management systems becomes achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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"Management" is routinely understood by agricultural historians as an exercise in rational expertise, targeted at driving ever more efficient, "businesslike" practices on the farm. However, insights from critical management studies suggest that farm management, as a body of theory and as a form of practice, may be grounded in something less savory than epistemological superiority or the ability to improve farming practice. This article explores how the meaning of farm management changed substantially over the course of the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, from a pragmatic approach for empowering individual farmers to a more abstract set of theories offering a chimera of control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This study aimed to explore how veterinarians (vets) rationalized their prescribing decisions for antimicrobial (AM) uses, the barriers they perceived to implement proper farm management in Lebanon, and the consecutive threats that might arise concerning the emergent spread of antimicrobial resistance in animals and the population. Methods: Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, phone call interviews were conducted with 34 veterinarians working in different demographic regions across the country. Data were analyzed qualitatively using an inductive thematic analysis. Results and discussion: The majority of veterinarians called for responsible antibiotic use. The prescribing decision of veterinarians was based mainly on suspected disease from field examination, farmer's reports via phone calls, and the ability of the farmer to cover antibiotic costs. Very few veterinarians referred to laboratory diagnosis before prescribing a specific AM due to many obstacles. This study uncovered the absence of a trust relationship between veterinarians and farmers in Lebanon. Veterinarians provided different insights into farming practices, reflecting that farmers, in general, lack proper knowledge and implementation of farm management and that they mainly treat the herd on their own, especially in light of the current unprecedented economic crisis that Lebanon has been facing in the last three years. Above all, veterinarians revealed that AM resistance in Lebanon is markedly spreading, which calls for a serious and instantaneous set of governmental policies and regulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The provision of precise and dependable information regarding the extent and distribution of cropland is imperative for the evaluation of food security, agricultural planning, and resource management. Cropland is an important component of land cover type and is offered in multiple existing global/regional land cover products. However, global-scale accuracy evaluation may not be representative of class-specific or local-area accuracy, such as in Northeast China, which is an important grain-producing region of China and has various types of cultivated land (e.g., wheat, rice) and diverse terrains. It poses a great challenge in generating precise cropland classification by automated mapping. Thus, it is indispensable to evaluate the accuracy and reliability of these various land cover datasets before using them. In this study, we collected thirteen sets of global or national-scale land cover datasets. Through the visual interpretation of high-resolution images, ground "truth" samples were collected to evaluate the data accuracy across Northeast China. The overall accuracy (OA) evaluation results in Phase-2020 show that CLCD has the highest value with 0.914, followed by GlobeLand30 (0.906), GLC_FCS30 (0.902), and Esri (0.896) for cropland classification in Northeast China. CGLS-LC100 has the lowest OA (0.710). For the commission and omission errors of six datasets in Phase-2020, CGLS-LC100 has an obvious overestimation (larger commission error), while the two national-scale datasets (CLCD and CLUDs) perform relatively better. In terms of spatial consistency, high spatial agreement among the nine Phase-2015 datasets or in the six Phase-2020 datasets could be discovered in traditional agricultural regions like the Sanjiang–Songnen–Liaohe Plain, and low agreement is found in the transition areas of mountains (hills) and plains with the mixed landscape of forest (grassland) and farmland. In the aspect of comparison pairwise data, CLCD is in good agreement with GLC_FCS30, GlobeLand30, and Esri, while CGLS-LC100 is in the poorest agreement with any other dataset. The comparison and evaluation results are expected to provide a reference on which aspects and to what extent these land cover products may be consistent and guide the cropland data product selection for Northeast China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There have been numerous assessment systems and publications for the competitiveness of farming enterprises around the globe due to the high academic, business and policy importance of this problem. Common shortcomings of most evaluating frameworks are that they are based on unlike competitiveness understanding, principles and criteria, traditional indicators of technical and accountancy efficiency, factors productivity, the profitability of activity, firms market share etc. Other deficiencies of dominating approaches are that they are focused on a certain (size, juridic, sectoral, territorial) dimension of farming structures, and the ignorance of a critical governance aspect of a farm's competitiveness. This paper suggests a holistic multi-pillar framework for assessing the competitiveness of farming structures and evaluating the absolute and comparative competitiveness of Bulgarian farms of major juridical types, economic sizes, product specialization, and ecological and geographical locations. A hierarchical system consisting of four pillars of farm competitiveness (Economic efficiency, Financial endowment, Adaptability and Sustainability), and appropriate four Criteria, seventeen particular and five integral indicators are used to measure the competitiveness levels. The study has found that the competitiveness of farms in the country is at a good level, but there is significant differentiation in the levels and factors of farms with different juridical types, sizes, specializations and ecological and geographical locations. Besides the juridical type, other dimensions of farming structures like economic size, product specialization, location, market or selfsufficiency orientation, are (sometimes more) important for determining their absolute and comparative competitiveness. Critical for maintaining the competitive positions of Bulgarian farms are their low productivity, income, financial security, and adaptability to changes in the natural environment. For the improvement of the later weaknesses are to be directed farm management strategies and public policy support measures. A large portion of farms of different types has low competitiveness, and if adequate measures are not taken in due time to improve management and restructuring farms, the efficiency of state support, etc., a significant part of Bulgarian farms will cease to exist in the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper surveys recent literature on decision support for beef and dairy farming, covering 110 articles published between 2016 and 2022. We classify these articles based on the type of farm, country of application, objectives and decisions, model scope, and methodology. The paper provides guidance for future research efforts by discussing the choice between whole farm and intrafarm modeling, the choice between optimization and simulation, and how to leverage existing modeling frameworks. Additionally, we identify opportunities for future research and discuss possibilities for increasing the adoption of decision‐support tools in practice by farmers and industry advisors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Farm to School is a program that teaches children about healthy practices around agriculture, food, nutrition, and the environment. Organizations such as the National Farm to School Network serve as information resource centers for those looking to champion Farm to School in their area. In Georgia, Georgia Organics is listed as the lead organization for Farm to School and its related programs. However, no account exists detailing Farm to School's start in Georgia, which is complicated by different participants applying Farm to School in diverse ways. This article is the first in a series and aims to identify the early champions of the program. The study used a qualitative narrative inquiry approach. A semi-structured appreciative inquiry-framed interview protocol guided data collection. Researchers used respondent-driven sampling to recruit participants. Results are presented as a reader's theater dialogue in podcast form. In total, six participants held a director role, three a CEO role, two a specialist role, and one an educator role. Future research should seek to build upon this study: This study represents a sampling of some key players in Farm to School in Georgia, some of whom indicated they were directly involved in the early days of Farm to School and others who were only aware of the early days tangentially. Future research should explore other ways to identify key players in Farm to School and how they are related to the individuals in this article. Educators can use this information to identify whom they should include in their programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture models predicated upon producing monocultures for export have proven unsustainable. In response, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has called for nations to produce food agroecologically in alignment with natural ecosystems. The FAO identified women as critical yet underrepresented leaders in agroecology projects worldwide. Prior research about agroecology and women farmers has primarily been situated in low-income nations. This study examines women farming in the United States as a high-income nation to analyze if their practices align with agroecology using the FAO's 10 Elements of Agroecology and the FAO's Tool for Agroecology Performance Evaluation (TAPE). A mixed-methods case study design was used to collect web-based survey and interview data from 87 participants. We found that the participating women farmers tended to lead agroecological farming projects that provide direct nutritional, environmental, educational, and social services to their communities in alignment with elements of agroecology. Ninety percent of participants operated farms at 100 acres (405 hectares) or less that mostly used direct sales models (farmers markets, community supported agriculture operations [CSAs], farm stands, and online sales), and half of participants offered opportunities for intergenerational engagement. These practices align with the FAO's elements of Diversity, Co-creation and Sharing of Knowledge, Resilience, Human and Social Values, Culture and Food Traditions, and a Circular and Solidarity Economy. Environmentally, participants emphasized using practices for crop diversity, building soil health, and integrating animals in alignment with the FAO elements of Diversity, Synergies, Recycling, and Resilience. Farm size and region were significant in the prevalence of agroecological practices. Farms of 50-100 acres (202-405 hectares) were most likely to integrate animals, and farms in the Southeast were most likely to identify with conventional agricultural practices. Our data show that women-led farms in the U.S. align with sustainable agricultural practices as articulated by the FAO and, as in low-income nations, women play a valuable role in advancing a national agroecological transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Farm dams are essential infrastructure for many farming operations, including livestock watering and crop irrigation. With demand for food increasing, many farmers are looking to capture, store and use more runoff to achieve higher yields under worsening climate extremes. The aim of this article is to advance understanding of farm dams in catchments and the current tools for accounting for them, providing an opportunity to consider a new runoff storage accounting framework to support integrated policy. The Australian dam management setting is provided for context. A longitudinal cohort survey of 254 South Australian farmers provides a snapshot of farmer perceptions of dams and dam management behaviours. Farmers express increasing concern about the future availability of water, how much is allocated to the environment and how this is accounted for. Whilst the field of IWRM and others have integrated disciplines for improved water decision-making, so far there has been limited attention to how to incentivise improved farm dam management through links to farm accounting and business. This study proposes a preliminary framework for assisting dam decision-making across scales to support the health and safety of environments and communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The population of women farm operators continues to increase in the U.S. That growth, however, is mediated by research showing that women in agriculture experience persistent barriers to equality with men. The Feminist Agriculture Food Theory (FAST) developed by Sach et al. (The Rise of Women Farmers and Sustainable Agriculture, University of Iowa Press, Iowa City, (Sachs et al., The rise of women farmers and sustainable agriculture, University of Iowa Press, 2016) posits that in the face of these barriers, women farmers in the Northeast are engaging in six strategies to increase their success. These include (1) increasing gender equality on their farms, (2) asserting an identity as a farmer, (3) gaining greater access to resources, (4) shaping new food and farming systems, (5) negotiating roles in agricultural organizations, and (6) forming women-centered farming organizations. While researchers have applied FAST to Michigan, it has not been examined at a national level. In this paper, then, we use the 2017 Census of Agriculture Data to measure how women in agriculture in the U.S. are faring on each aspect of FAST we can measure (strategies 1–5). We compare women to men farmers across these FAST strategies and across three different farm types: Non-Organic Non-Value-Added Farms, Organic Farms, and Value-Added Farms. Our findings suggest for FAST strategies 1 and 2 there is an increase in equity and ability to identify as a farmer for women on organic and value-added farms. However, our findings also suggest that for FAST strategies that require more institutional and structural resources (I.e. strategies 3–5), inequities persist across farm types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technical efficiency is considered a useful advisory tool for managers whose main goal is to maximize profit and minimize costs. Data envelopment analysis is a widely accepted methodology for technical efficiency estimation in the sector of agriculture. For that reason and with the view to extract useful conclusions regarding farmers' effective management of inputs, this study aims to present the DEA method through its implementation in a set of farms located in the regional unit of Pieria. To conduct this analysis, relevant data were collected through a survey in which 40 farms participated. The output variable was chosen to be each farm's total amount of sales, while the inputs were selected in a way to represent the main factors of production, such as (1) land in acres, (2) labor in hours, and (3) variable costs in EUR. The results showed that the examined farms need to reduce the inputs used by 34.6% to operate more efficiently from the point of view of the CRS model. Therefore, farmers should be motivated to reduce the inputs used, something that can be done through the provision of specialized advisory services. This will, of course, be helped by both the local authorities and the policies of the country in which the rational use of inputs seems to be necessary. This study may contribute to the relevant literature, agriculture, and the area since management suggestions are formulated for the farmers of Pieria's regional unit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to review research on farm structure issues using agricultural census data. From the 1970s to the 1980s, these studies presented different perspectives on the trend of small-scale farmers quitting farming and the trend of large-scale farmers expanding their scale. The factor analysis of farm structure has decreased since 2000 due to changes in survey methodology and the impact of policy changes. The future research perspective should include : first, the development of analysis of changes in farm structure through microdata analysis, second, analyzing the factors of changes in farm management by long-term panel data analysis, and third, analyzing regional farm structure by linkage with other statistics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the concept of high nature value (HNV) farming, which recognizes the importance of specific farming systems for biodiversity conservation in Europe. It describes the development of HNV farming over the past 30 years, including the initial investigation of Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) payments and the identification and quantification of HNV farmland in individual member states.

Purpose: The average U.S. farm size has risen dramatically over the last three decades. Motives for this trend are the subject of a large body of literature. This study incorporates farm size risk and return analysis into this research stream. In this paper, cross-sectional and temporal relations between farm size and returns are examined and characterized. Design/methodology/approach: Relying on farm level panel data from Kansas Farm Management Association (KFMA) for 140 farms from 1996 to 2018, this article examines the relationship between farm size and returns and investigates whether farm size is related to risk. Two measures of farm returns are used: excess return on equity and risk-adjusted return on equity. Value of farm production and total farm acres are used as measures of farm size. Findings: Findings suggest a significant and positive relationship between farm size and excess return on equity as well as farm size and risk-adjusted return on equity. However, this return premium associated with farm size is not associated with additional risk. Stated differently, farm size can be viewed as a farm characteristic that is associated with higher return without additional risk. Practical implications: These findings provide further support for ongoing farm consolidation. Originality/value: The results suggest the trend towards consolidation in production agriculture is likely to continue. Larger farms bear less risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peri-urban vegetable cropping areas, such as horticultural farms, provide several ecosystem services, such as the provision of fresh food. However, food supply must be estimated on the basis of the current and potential demand of future populations, taking into account the landscape carrying capacity towards sustainable agricultural planning. From this perspective, the study aimed at estimating the resilience of the "Agri-food Region of Central Córdoba" (ARCC) and its role in supporting the provisioning of ecosystem services, such as proximal services, provided by the diversified agricultural landscape in the peri-urban area of Córdoba (Argentina). A direct field survey has been carried out to collect data on the main species and types of crops, the annual productivity, and the area covered by each species and type of horticultural crops. The data have been statistically elaborated to test the spatial and temporal variability of productivity as well as the spatial autocorrelation. In relation to crop diversification, a total of 30 vegetable species have been recorded in the diversified farms under study, with 15 species identified as the most frequent crops as on the basis of the area dedicated to each vegetable species sampled in the farms (in %). The productivity of 30 species has been integrated into a single value of "vegetable crop productivity mean" (kg/m2), proposed and measured in this study, which has been 3.46 kg/m2. It can be a useful monitoring indicator in diversified production contexts. The estimated food supply (ton/year) of vegetable crops for the 170 farmlands has been 72,881 ton/year. An accurate measurement of the biomass harvested on a given surface area can be useful to assign productivity data to the pixel of each land use/cover class, providing accurate input data for remotely sensed-based models supporting decision-making on food provision in peri-urban systems. In this sense, the paper proposes a methodological framework that can be useful worldwide when up-to-date official productivity data are not available, but they are a necessary basis for planning, decision-making, and the implementation of public policies. Thus, diversity in farming systems can combine high ecological and socio-economic benefits, in terms of ecosystem service provision and sustainable food production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"The Fundamental Institution: Poverty, Social Welfare, and Agriculture in American Poor Farms" by Megan Birk explores the often misunderstood history of poor farms in the United States. Contrary to negative perceptions and haunted tours, Birk reveals that poor farms served as important communities, employers, public health facilities, and working farms. Drawing on archival sources, the book highlights the voices of inmates and employees, shedding light on the comfort and satisfaction experienced by many individuals in these institutions. Birk also examines the changing demographics and eventual decline of poor farms during the Great Depression, emphasizing the ongoing relevance of their services in addressing poverty and providing healthcare. [Extracted from the article]

The paper aims at better understanding the micro-foundations of current institutional changes in agricultural knowledge and innovation systems (AKIS). A survey of 98 farmers and interviews with 37 advice providers in south-western France were conducted to analyse the ways in which farmers combine different sources of advice (microAKIS). The farmers' practices were observed for general farm management and for 3 types of innovation (new crop diversification, digital decision support tools, and labour outsourcing). The results highlight poorly-known characteristics of microAKIS regarding the variety of sources of advice used by farmers, and the limited number of reliable resources on which farmers can draw at key stages of the innovation process. They provide evidence of bottom-up mechanisms of institutional changes such as the routinization of the use of certain service providers that are often overlooked in AKIS analyses (e.g. upstream industries). These results can contribute to reducing the misalignments of stakeholders' representations of AKIS and microAKIS, and therefore facilitate public debates and improve the efficiency of interventions in this area. Studies of institutional changes resulting from the evolution of microAKIS are expected to complement analyses of increased pluralism of advice providers. Linking the observation of microAKIS and the analysis of incremental institutional changes in AKIS allows the identification of transformations of the AKIS rationale that would otherwise remain partially invisible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural ecosystems are driven by the need to increase yield, due to increased food demands. Conventional, intensive practices are not sustainable as they disrupt the biodiversity in the soil which performs a range of ecosystem functions that sustain soil productivity and resilience. Conservation agriculture and crop-livestock integrated agriculture have been promoted as some of the most sustainable and biodiversity-conserving forms of agriculture. This study assesses how soil macro-and mesofauna in staple crops respond to different agricultural land uses, including conventional, integrated and conservation agriculture, and lastly, natural grassland ecosystems which were used as reference sites. We compared species richness, composition, and functional structure of soil fauna among the land uses and assessed environmental drivers of these patterns. Soil macro-and mesofauna species richness was generally lower in conventional management compared to other management practices, for overall arthropods and for the separate taxonomic groups, beetles, earthworms, spiders, and springtails. Different functional guilds varied in their responses to the farming systems. Vegetation cover and plant litter cover are the variables which benefited most fauna diversity. The practices of no-till plantings coupled with diversified crop rotations and cover crop mixtures under conservation and integrated agricultural management enhances the diversity of earthworms, collembola, beetles, and spiders. Low-disturbance soil management, crop diversification and within-crop habitat complexity preserves arthropod soil fauna diversity in staple crops. • Regenerative agriculture favours fauna responsible for key soil ecosystem services. • Different functional guilds differ in their responses to farming management. • No-tillage and within-crop habitat complexity preserves soil biodiversity. • Conservation and integrated agriculture closely resembles natural systems. • Findings support the advancements of sustainable agriculture and conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Halting biodiversity loss and achieving food security are both aims of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, but there is complex interplay between them. Agriculture drives biodiversity loss, but biodiversity provides benefits to agriculture. There is substantial potential to develop 'win-win' solutions for biodiversity and people within productive farmland, by boosting wildlife that can be supported, whilst maintaining yield and other services. To achieve this, farmers need to be able to assess the impacts of their management on biodiversity at farm scale. While suitable tools exist to drive improvement in biodiversity management, none incorporates evidence on the effectiveness of specific management practices. In this study we present the Cool Farm Biodiversity metric, which generates a farm-scale action-based biodiversity management assessment, scored using expert judgements and expert assessment of experimental evidence. The metric is designed to be biome-specific, so it responds to conservation aims, ecosystem processes and farming systems in particular biomes. To demonstrate that the metric is responsive to changes in farm management, we present an example of use on a large arable farm from the temperate forest biome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural space is one of the most important parts of the territorial space, particularly for agriculture production and rural living. Agricultural spatial planning is an overall arrangement about the protection, utilization, renovation, and restoration of agricultural space during a specific period. Specifically, the territorial spatial planning aims to optimize the agricultural spatial structure for the implementation of rural development strategy. It is also necessary to improve the national food security, agricultural efficiency, and competitiveness in the construction of ecological civilization. Three categories are often divided into the plans of agricultural space: 1) protection of cultivated land, 2) utilization of regional division, 3) rural territory consolidation, such as the readjustment of farmland, and rural construct land, as well as ecological restoration. These plans have greatly contributed to the management of land space at different stages of rural development. However, most plans focused only on one activity or one element of agricultural space, leading to low efficiency of space protection, and the disorder of space utilization, even the destruction of the ecological environment system. Six development trends can also be found in the utilization of agricultural space in the era of ecological civilization, multi functions of agriculture, high-quality of consumption demand, green development mode, digitization of development means, urban-rural integration, and industrial integration of development path. In this study, seven strategies were also proposed. 1) The structure of the agricultural spatial system was optimized using the concept of life community. 2) A trade-off was coordinated between the baselines of security and social-economic development, thereby promoting the harmonious coexistence between man and nature. 3) Three systems were also necessary to be built, in response to the demands for high-quality products, life, and ecological environment. First, the classified protection was composed of various agricultural land for different products, such as the permanent basic farmland for food security, grain, and key agro-product production protection areas for stable supply, as well as the predominant areas of characteristic agricultural products for competitive advantage. Second, the efficient utilization system consisted of regional distribution, the whole industrial chain, and agricultural parks layout. Third, the consolidation and restoration system also included quantity supplement, quality improvement of farmland, and rural ecological restoration. 4) Regional distribution of agriculture was optimized, according to main functions. 5) The industrial chains were relocated suitable for the green development. 6) Agriculture parks were necessary to integrate the urban-rural and industrial communities. 7) The efficiency of planning and management was also improved using digital technology. Therefore, this finding can provide a promising insightful idea for the territorial spatial planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are substantial changes in global green cover owing to anthropogenic activities and climate change. Here, we estimate the long-term changes in India's green cover, and its contribution from croplands and forests using satellite-based Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Leaf Area Index (LAI) for the period of 2000–2019. The change in Solar Induced Fluorescence (SiF) is also estimated to understand the variability in the photosynthetic activity and productivity. The increase in NDVI (10%), LAI (11%) and SiF (13%) suggests that India has been greening in the past two decades, which added 996640 km2 of new leaf area during the period. The net vegetated land in India is substantially greening (62.5% area) and marginally browning (14% area). Interestingly, the magnitude of greening in croplands is twice the forests, and is predominant in Zaid (70% area) agricultural season. Therefore, the croplands drive (86.5% contribution) greening of India in the past two decades. The enhanced greening of croplands can be attributed to improved irrigation facilities, as demonstrated by the larger Net Irrigated Area (NIA) and Irrigated Sown Area (ISA). In addition, the effective cropland management, farm mechanisation and use of nitrogen fertilisers are also key to this cropland-based greening in India. [Display omitted] • India is greening (62.5% area) reveals NDVI, LAI and SiF, with 996640 km2 new leaf area added. • The magnitude of greening in croplands is twice the forests. • Largest greening (70% area) is observed in the Zaid agriculture season. • Cropland greening drives (86.5%) greening of India in the last two decades. • Improved irrigation, cropland management and farm mechanisation drives cropland greening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]