Search

Sustainability of the rice production and farmers’ income in Nigeria raises a serious concern due to the rising costs of production inputs and other factors beyond farmers’ control. As a result, the study compared the cost and returns of rice production in North central, Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique was used to select 387 rice farmers in the study area. Descriptive statistics, gross margin analysis and seeming unrelated regression were used to analyze the dataset collected. The findings revealed that most of the rice farmers were male, averagely young and have at least 9 family members in their respectively households. Results from Kwara State showed that total cost is higher among the upland rice farmers compared to their lowland counterparts, but reverse was the case in term of net profit, as this favoured the lowland rice farmers. For Niger State and pooled data, the lowland rice farmers had higher net profit than the upland rice farmers. Seemingly unrelated regression estimates indicated that costs associated with fertilizer, herbicide, seed, pesticide and labour used were significant and influencing factors affecting the revenue of rice farmers in the study area. While inaccessibility to cheap farm inputs was the major constraint affecting the rice farmers, other challenges include lack of storage, inadequate rainfall and inadequate credit facilities. The study recommended seamless access to improved rice varieties by the farmers as this can scale up adoption of improved technologies, boost production and ultimately the net revenue of rice farmers. Farmers are also advised to join and/or form a registered occupational groups through which credit facilities can easily be accessed, to expand the farming operations because of the positive and complementary role of social group and access to credit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluated economic efficiency of rice production among smallscale women farmers in Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select 100 smallscale women rice farmers. Primary data were collected with the aid of well-designed and well-structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, farm budgeting technique, financial analysis, Stochastic production frontier efficiency model, and Tobit dichotomous regression model. The results show that 88% of women rice farmers were less than 50 years of age. The mean age was 44 years. Averagely, they are smallscale farmers with 1.31 hectares of farm land. The labour input in mandays constitutes the highest percentage of about 50.8% of total costs of activities involved in rice production. The net farm income and gross margin ratio was estimated at 416,800 Naira and 0.63 respectively. This shows that rice production by women farmers was profitable and worthwhile. The mean allocative, economic, technical efficiency scores were 50.3%, 50.8%, and 51.20% leaving the efficiency gaps of 49.7%, 49.2%, and 48.8% for improvement respectively. The significant factors influencing economic efficiency of rice production among women farmers include: - farm size (P < 0,01), labour input (P < 0.05), household size (P < 0.05), seed input (P < 0.01), fertilizer input (P < 0.05), chemical input (P < 0.05), farm experience (P < 0.05), and access to credit (P < 0.05). The major constraints encountered by women rice farmers include: - inadequate credit facilities (1st), high cost of labour (2nd), high cost of fertilizers (3rd) and high cost of herbicides (4th). The study recommended that farm inputs such as improved seeds, fertilizer input, chemical input and herbcides should be made available to women farmers at affordable prices. Credit facilities devoid of rigorous administrative procedures at low interest rate should be made available to women farmers [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The main purpose of this study is to examine the impact of agricultural internet information (AII) acquisition on climate-resilient variety adoption among rice farmers in the Jianghan Plain region of China. Additionally, it explores the influencing channels involved in this process. Design/methodology/approach: Based on survey data for 877 rice farmers from 10 counties in the Jianghan Plain, China, this paper used an econometric approach to estimate the impact of AII acquisition on farmers' adoption of climate-resilient varieties. A recursive bivariate Probit model was used to address endogeneity issues and obtain accurate estimates. Furthermore, three main influencing mechanisms were proposed and tested, which are broadening information channels, enhancing social interactions and improving agricultural skills. Findings: The results show that acquiring AII can overall enhance the likelihood of farmers adopting climate-resilient varieties by 36.8%. The three influencing channels are empirically confirmed. Besides, educational attainment, income and peer effects can facilitate farmers' acquisition of AII, while climate conditions and age significantly influence the adoption of climate-resilient varieties. Practical implications: Practical recommendations are put forward to help farmers build climate resilience, including investing in rural internet infrastructures, enhancing farmers' digital literacy and promoting the dissemination of climate-resilient information through diverse internet platforms. Originality/value: Strengthening climate resilience is essential for sustaining the livelihoods of farmers and ensuring national food security; however, the role of internet information has received limited attention. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this study is the first to examine the casual relationship between internet information and climate resilience, which fills the research gap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the nitrogen utilization efficiency and a series of environmental problems caused by excessive application of nitrogen fertilizer, actual agricultural production often reduced the usage ratio of nitrogen fertilizer. However, the reduction in nitrogen fertilizer not only affects the soil microenvironment but also leads to adverse effects on rice yield. Due to its unique properties, biochar can regulate soil nutrient distribution and significantly affect soil microbial community structure/functions. To further understand the effects of different levels of biochar on soil nutrient indicators, soil microorganisms and crop growth under the nitrogen-reduction condition, our experiment with four groups was set up as followed: 0%, 2.5% and 5% biochar application rates with 99 kg/hm2 nitrogen fertilizer and one control group (the actual fertilizer standard used in the field:110 kg/hm2) without no exogenous biochar supplement. The rice yield and soil nutrient indexes were observed, and the differences between groups were analyzed based on multiple comparisons. 16S ribosomal RNA and ITS sequencing were used to analyze the community structure of soil bacteria and fungi. Redundancy analysis was performed to obtain the correlation relationships between microbial community marker species, soil nutrient indexes, and rice yield. Path analysis was used to determine the mechanism by which soil nutrient indexes affect rice yield. The results showed that a higher application rate of biochar led to a significant increased trend in the soil pH, organic matter and total nitrogen content. In addition, a high concentration of biochar under nitrogen-reduction condition decreased the soil bacterial diversity but elevated the fungal diversity. Different concentrations of biochar resulted in these changes in the relative abundance of soil bacteria/fungi but did not alter the dominant species taxa. Taken together, appropriate usage for biochar under the nitrogen-reduction background could induce alteration in soil nutrient indicators, microbial communities and crop yields. These results provide a theoretical basis for exploring scientific, green and efficient fertilization strategies in the rice cultivation industry. Notably, the interaction relationship between rhizosphere microorganisms in rice and soil microbial taxa are not yet clear, so further research on its detailed effects on rice production is needed. In addition, the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis for the physiological functions of the soil microbes could only predict the potential metabolic pathways. Therefore, the next-generation metagenome techonology might be performed to explore detailed metabolic differences and accurate taxa alteration at the "species" level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change and increasing climatic variability have exacerbated the climate-related effects on various aspects of human socioeconomic activity. The effects of droughts on crop production, household expenditure, rural poverty and internal migration in Vietnam were investigated using a unique panel dataset while controlling for potential issues that could lead to biased estimations. We find comprehensive evidence that droughts not only caused a significant decline in rice productivity and rural household consumption, but also pushed them into poverty. Furthermore, droughts are strongly linked to rural people's decisions to migrate to other areas, pushing migration decisions through the productivity, consumption and poverty channels. Understanding the complex relationship between climate change, particularly drought, and its consequences is critical for developing policy interventions to help rural populations cope with climate change risks and uncertainties. These findings emphasize the importance of increasing rural populations' resilience to climate-related extreme events to mitigate their interconnected effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rice is the most important staple food for feeding nearly half of the world's population, and almost the entirety of the population of Asia. An increase in food demand leads to an increase in agricultural residues, resulting in impacts on human health and environmental consequences. The current study aimed to estimate the emission of primary and secondary fine particulate matter attributable to fertilizer from the open burning or rice straw in Cambodia in terms of country-specific characterization factors (CFs), and to estimate the human health and ecosystem impact of particulate matter formation and terrestrial acidification. Additionally, the study aimed to propose an alternative scenario to reduce the negative impact on human health and the ecosystem. Three scenarios were set to conduct the study's assessment, including a baseline scenario representing current farmer practices, including typical fertilizer application rates and open burning of rice straw after harvest (S0); a scenario reducing fertilizer use to 60% while still allowing open rice straw burning (S1); and a scenario with no open rice straw burning and a 60% reduction in fertilizer use (S2). Human health damage was calculated in units of Disability Adjusted Life Year (DALY), and ecosystem impact was expressed in the units of Potentially Disappeared Fraction of species (PDF/m²/yr) presented under the scenarios. The total human health impact of S0 was 5.35E+01 DALY, S1 was 5.27E+01 DALY, and S2 was 3.75E-01 DALY, while the total ecosystem impact of S0 was 4.38E-02 (PDF/m²/yr), S1 was 3.60E-02 (PDF/m²/yr), and S2 was 4.85E-03 (PDF/m²/yr). The results of this study indicated that minimizing the use of chemical fertilizer and zero open burning of agricultural waste can reduce the number of pollutants that affects human health and ecosystem soil acidification. It showed that reducing burning straw waste can reduce the toxins that affect human health by 99% and reduce the increase of soil acidity by 94%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For China, the growth rate in case of rice production has been found to be higher in comparison with India. The data of rice production, area harvested and yield for last six decades have been procured from FAO, Government of India. In the triennium period 1960-61 and the current period 2019-20, India showed an average increase in area, production and yield of rice crop by 29.70 per cent, 233.31 per cent and 156.97 per cent, respectively whereas in China, the increase was 12.19 per cent, 279.97 per cent and 238.68 per cent, respectively. The rice production in India and China has been increased by 67.28 per cent and 85.25 per cent, respectively due to yield effect and the change due to interaction between yield and area were 19.98 per cent and 10.39 per cent, respectively. In addition, the results by linear regression model and compound growth rate model were the area and production of rice in India showed highly significant growth rate of 1.00 per cent and 1.02 per cent giving an increase of 15.50 lakh hectare area every year and 22.25 lakh tons per year as compared to china but the yield was found to be good fitted for both the countries i.e., 1.019 and 1.018 per cent giving an annual increase of 4.91 and 0.82 quintal per hectare. The estimates indicated that the area, production and yield of rice in India will be 46.10 lakh hectares, 1975.25 lakh tons and 44.15 quintal per hectare, respectively whereas for China, it is estimated as 30.50 lakh hectares, 2402.87 lakh tons and 78.81quintal per hectare, respectively for the year 2029-30. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fertilization plays a crucial role in ensuring global food security and ecological balance. This study investigated the impact of substituting innovative biological manure for chemical fertilization on rice (Oryza sativa L) productivity and soil biochemical properties based on a three-year experiment. Our results suggested rice yield and straw weight were increased under manure addition treatment. Specifically, 70% of total nitrogen (N) fertilizer substituted by biological manure derived from straw, animal waste and microbiome, led to a substantial 13.6% increase in rice yield and a remarkable 34.2% boost in straw weight. In comparison to the conventional local farmer practice of applying 165 kg N ha−1, adopting 70% of total N plus biological manure demonstrated superior outcomes, particularly in enhancing yield components and spike morphology. Fertilization treatments led to elevated levels of soil microbial biomass carbon and N. However, a nuanced comparison with local practices indicated that applying biological manure alongside urea resulted in a slight reduction in N content in vegetative and economic organs, along with decreases of 10.4%, 11.2%, and 6.1% in N recovery efficiency (NRE), respectively. Prudent N management through the judicious application of partial biological manure fertilizer in rice systems could be imperative for sustaining productivity and soil fertility in southern China.

As the largest rice production province in China, the ratoon rice in Hunan has rapidly developed in recent years in the aspects of planting area, total production, and cultivation technologies. The present review is undertaken to summarize the past and current status and the key practices of ratoon rice production in Hunan. The planting area of ratoon rice in Hunan was 267,000 ​ha in 2019, with the average yield of 7.50–10.50 ​t ​ha−1 and 2.30–6.00 ​t ​ha−1 in the main and ratoon seasons, respectively. The grain quality in ratoon season is similar to or even better than that of late-season rice, but the relatively poor grain quality in the main season limits the profits for farmers. In recent years, research on the cultivation technology of ratoon rice has been widely conducted in Hunan, which led to the development of a series of key practices for ratoon rice production with regard to variety selection, sowing dates, crop establishment, fertilizer and water management, straw cutting height and harvesting time, and the controls of pests, diseases, and abiotic stresses. However, the constraints in policy intervention, as well as the large yield gap, have greatly limited the further expansion of ratoon rice in Hunan. To further promote ratoon rice production in Hunan, the innovation and extension of fully mechanized ratoon rice cultivation technologies, breeding and chemical regulation approaches to enhance ratooning ability, and support from the local government regarding policy, infrastructure, demonstration, and training must be strengthened in the future.

This study explores the impact of exogenous salicylic acid (SA) alongside conventional treatment by farmers providing positive (Mancozeb 80 % WP) and negative (water) controls on rice plants (Oryza sativa L.), focusing on antioxidant enzyme activities, phytohormone levels, disease resistance, and yield components under greenhouse and field conditions. In greenhouse assays, SA application significantly enhanced the activities of peroxidase (POX), polyphenol oxidase (PPO), catalase (CAT), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) within 12–24 h post-inoculation (hpi) with Magnaporthe oryzae. Additionally, SA-treated plants showed higher levels of endogenous SA and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) within 24 hpi compared to the controls. In terms of disease resistance, SA-treated plants exhibited a reduced severity of rice blast under greenhouse conditions, with a significant decrease in disease symptoms compared to negative control treatment. The field study was extended over three consecutive crop seasons during 2021–2023, further examining the efficacy of SA in regular agricultural practice settings. The SA treatment consistently led to a reduction in rice blast disease severity across all three seasons. Yield-related parameters such as plant height, the number of tillers and panicles per hill, grains per panicle, and 1000-grain weight all showed improvements under SA treatment compared to both positive and negative control treatments. Specifically, SA-treated plants yielded higher grain outputs in all three crop seasons, underscoring the potential of SA as a growth enhancer and as a protective agent against rice blast disease under both controlled and field conditions. These findings state the broad-spectrum benefits of SA application in rice cultivation, highlighting its role not only in bolstering plant defense mechanisms and growth under greenhouse conditions but also in enhancing yield and disease resistance in field settings across multiple crop cycles. This research presents valuable insights into the practical applications of SA in improving rice plant resilience and productivity, offering a promising approach for sustainable agriculture practices.

Climate change has brought significant changes to the earth and agriculture is the main economic sector that has suffered. The current study aims to assess the impact of climatic factors—measured by precipitation, temperature, and CO2 emissions—on rice production using time series from 1961 to 2019 in Malaysia. This research follows the ARDL bounds test and dynamic ARDL simulations methods to estimate long- and short-term connections of the variables under consideration. Empirical evidence indicates that long-run cointegration exist between variables. The results suggest that the sensitivity of rice production to changes in harvested area and temperature is high, while it is low for other inputs. Due to high humidity, the effect of precipitation on rice production is not significant, while temperature can reduce rice yield in the long and short term. However, the impact of carbon emissions on rice production is insignificant. Among the other determinants of rice production, the impact of agricultural labor is negative, but more area cultivation increases rice production over the long and short term. Results also show that the magnitude of the impact of the 2% increase (decrease) in temperature on rice production is greater than the changes in rainfall and carbon emissions. The results for the frequency domain causality test show that a one-way causality exists between temperature and rice production and between carbon emissions and rice production in the short and long run. Hence, the findings of this study can help policy makers to formulate appropriate adaptation methods and mitigation policies to reduce the negative effects of climate change on Malaysian rice production.

Assessing the impact of climate change (CC) on agricultural production systems is mainly done using crop models associated with climate model outputs. This review is one of the few, with the main objective of providing a recent compendium of CC impact studies on irrigation needs and rice yields for a better understanding and use of climate and crop models. We discuss the strengths and weaknesses of climate impact studies on agricultural production systems, with a particular focus on uncertainty and sensitivity analyses of crop models. Although the new generation global climate models (GCMs) are more robust than previous ones, there is still a need to consider the effect of climate uncertainty on estimates when using them. Current GCMs cannot directly simulate the agro-climatic variables of interest for future irrigation assessment, hence the use of intelligent climate tools. Therefore, sensitivity and uncertainty analyses must be applied to crop models, especially for their calibration under different conditions. The impacts of CC on irrigation needs and rice yields vary across regions, seasons, varieties and crop models. Finally, integrated assessments, the use of remote sensing data, climate smart tools, CO2 enrichment experiments, consideration of changing crop management practices and multi-scale crop modeling, seem to be the approaches to be pursued for future climate impact assessments for agricultural systems.

ABSTRACTClimate change and increasing climatic variability have exacerbated the climate-related effects on various aspects of human socioeconomic activity. The effects of droughts on crop production, household expenditure, rural poverty and internal migration in Vietnam were investigated using a unique panel dataset while controlling for potential issues that could lead to biased estimations. We find comprehensive evidence that droughts not only caused a significant decline in rice productivity and rural household consumption, but also pushed them into poverty. Furthermore, droughts are strongly linked to rural people's decisions to migrate to other areas, pushing migration decisions through the productivity, consumption and poverty channels. Understanding the complex relationship between climate change, particularly drought, and its consequences is critical for developing policy interventions to help rural populations cope with climate change risks and uncertainties. These findings emphasize the importance of increasing rural populations’ resilience to climate-related extreme events to mitigate their interconnected effects.

Environmentally sustainable small-scale rice production mechanisation is a feasible intervention to help enhance yields and reduce food insecurity. Using machinery for rice production can help small farmers economically and promote sustainability through agroecological principles. The study analyses machinery ownership models and suggests stakeholder interactions for sustainable rice production. The study uses primary data from a field survey of 320 farmers within Asutsuare, a rice production hub in Southern Ghana, and secondary data from various sources. Four different ownership models have been proposed and evaluated. The cooperative-owned machinery (COM) model, with a sharing of the initial investment capital outlay for the machinery acquisition, and the individual ownership model, where the farmer owns and offers hiring services to other farmers (the FOHM-2B and FOHM-2T models) were the most economically viable models. The study also identifies necessary stakeholder engagement and pathways for affordable, sustainable, mechanised small-scale rice production. The models and interactions can promote machinery ownership and strengthen social connections in the community. This local knowledge base can help expand the use of machinery within the community. These models and interactions can be replicated easily in Sub-Saharan African farming communities with similar dynamics. This will improve mechanised farming throughout the continent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnesium nutrition in plants has remained largely unexplored compared to other essential elements. Although the impact of magnesium deficiency on plants has been reported from numerous studies, the responses of plants to excess magnesium salt levels have received less attention. Using five different magnesium levels (0, 500, 1000, 1500, and 2000 ppm) and two magnesium sources (MgSO4 and MgCl2), this study evaluated the effect of excess magnesium salts on rice production and associated physiological processes on a hybrid rice cultivar 'XP 753'. Rice morphological and physiological parameters, including plant growth, biomass, root morphological features, tissue and grain mineral concentrations, membrane injury (MI), chlorophyll, malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations, proline concentrations, as well as gas exchange parameters, were evaluated. A dose-dependent reduction in above- and below-ground shoot and root morphological features was observed under the application of magnesium salts on the soil substrate. Analysis of physiological parameters demonstrated that an inhibition in plant growth, biomass, and yield was due to the decrease in total chlorophyll content, net photosynthesis rate, and membrane stability in rice. Furthermore, this study showed that the application of magnesium salts to soil interfered with the uptake and translocation of minerals and significantly increased reactive oxygen species (ROS), malondialdehyde (MDA), and proline levels, indicating the toxic effects of excess magnesium salts on rice plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rice and corn are essential crops for the Philippines, playing a critical role in the nation's economy and food security. However, the agricultural sector faces challenges, including climate variability, land constraints, and the need for imports to meet growing demand. Accurate forecasting of rice and corn production is crucial for informed decision-making and resource allocation. This research applied Seasonal Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (SARIMA) and Holt-Winters exponential smoothing models to forecast rice and corn production. The study used quarterly production data from 1987 to 2023 obtained from the Philippine Statistics Authority. The Holt-Winters model with additive seasonality outperformed the SARIMA model for both rice and corn production, achieving lower Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) and Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) values. The findings have significant implications for policymakers, agricultural stakeholders, and commodity traders, guiding them in making informed decisions regarding import requirements. The volatility of global food prices and exchange rates can significantly impact the cost of imports, putting a strain on the country's financial resources. Accurate forecasting models are essential for ensuring food sufficiency and making informed decisions on the amount of imports required. By adopting the Holt-Winters model and continuously improving forecasting methodologies, the Philippines can enhance food sufficiency and promote rural economic growth. The study highlighted the importance of accurate forecasting models in ensuring stable and sufficient rice and corn supplies to meet the nation's growing demands, contributing to sustainable agricultural development and food security. Continuous research in agricultural forecasting methodologies is necessary to address the challenges posed by evolving agricultural dynamics and further enhance predictive accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rice is not only central to Thailand's economy and dietary consumption but also plays a significant role in global food security. Northeast Thailand, in particular, is a principal region for rice cultivation. However, with the mounting concerns of climate change, it becomes paramount to understand the interplay between regional weather patterns and rice yields, aiming to develop effective adaptive agricultural strategies. The current study aimed to fill the research gap by investigating an optimal copula for the spatial dependence of rice production and related meteorological variables in this area. The objective of this study is to understand how rice production in different areas relates to each other in order to improve farming practices and address challenges such as suitable weather. To achieve this goal, we apply three families of copulas—elliptical, Archimedean, and extreme—to analyze crop and meteorological variables across the watershed in the northeastern region of Thailand. With a data foundation extending from 1981 to 2021 from the Regional Office of Agricultural Economics Sector 4, Thailand, this study offers a comprehensive analysis of the spatial dynamics driving rice production across twenty provinces in Northeast Thailand. Using a piecewise linear model, we dissected rice yield trends, revealing distinct slopes in production and yield across various periods. The analysis leaned on elliptical, Archimedean, and extreme copula families, using the maximum likelihood estimation to discern marginal distribution residuals. Through rigorous bootstrap goodness-of-fit tests and cross-validation, the most appropriate copula for each province was identified. Key findings demonstrate pronounced spatial interdependencies in rice yields, with the Frank copula prominently capturing the product relationship between provinces such as Maha Sarakham and Roi-Et. Conversely, the Clayton copula better characterized regions such as Srisaket and Ubon Ratchathani. Moreover, the results underscore the considerable influence of meteorological factors, notably rainfall and temperature, on rice production, especially in regions like Ubon Ratchathani. In distilling these multifaceted relationships, the study charts a pathway for crafting sustainable, localized agricultural strategies. As the world grapples with climate change's ramifications, the insights from this research stand crucial, offering direction for fostering resilience, adaptation, and optimizing rice productivity across Thailand's diverse agrarian landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A survey was carried out in the Mayo-Danay Division, Far-North Cameroon to assess rice farmer indigenous knowledge of the impact of climate change on rice production, their adaptation strategies. A sample of 140 of rice farmers was chosen at random in four rice growing municipality and was interviewed using a structured questionnaire with open and closed questions. The results showed that farmers clearly perceive climatic variations and their impact on rice production through the delay (89.00%) and decrease (87.00%) of rains, flooding (88.60%) and drought (85.00%). The impact of these climate changes on rice production was directly observed on the variation in yield according to the rice growing seasons and confirmed the perception of farmers. To cope with these climate variations, two types of adaptation strategies have been developed by farmers in area. This concerns varietal adaptation such as the use of improved varieties, and that of cultural practices such as direct seeding, transplanting, construction of protective or anti-erosion bunds and use of the fodder. It was a question of analyzing the farmer perception of the impact of climate change on rice production in Mayo-Danay Division. It appears that the farmers of Mayo-Danay perceived climatic disturbances in irrigated and rainfed rice cultivation. These preliminary results could contribute to sustainable management of rice cultivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using historical data from 1986 to 2016, this study quantifies the impacts of climate change and measures the effectiveness of the Indonesian government's climate change adaptation policies on rice production in 14 Indonesian provinces. Generally, the Feasible Generalised Least Squares (FGLS) estimation result showed that rises in temperature and precipitation negatively affected rice production, but relative humidity was beneficial for rice production. At the provincial level, the result of the Seemingly Unrelated Regression (SUR) estimation revealed that West Java was worst affected by climate change. Climate change adaptation policies, including a planting calendar map and farmer insurance, showed positive influence in increasing rice production. Further application of the planting calendar map and reinforced agricultural extension advice are advisable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change has brought significant changes to the earth and agriculture is the main economic sector that has suffered. The current study aims to assess the impact of climatic factors—measured by precipitation, temperature, and CO2 emissions—on rice production using time series from 1961 to 2019 in Malaysia. This research follows the ARDL bounds test and dynamic ARDL simulations methods to estimate long- and short-term connections of the variables under consideration. Empirical evidence indicates that long-run cointegration exist between variables. The results suggest that the sensitivity of rice production to changes in harvested area and temperature is high, while it is low for other inputs. Due to high humidity, the effect of precipitation on rice production is not significant, while temperature can reduce rice yield in the long and short term. However, the impact of carbon emissions on rice production is insignificant. Among the other determinants of rice production, the impact of agricultural labor is negative, but more area cultivation increases rice production over the long and short term. Results also show that the magnitude of the impact of the 2% increase (decrease) in temperature on rice production is greater than the changes in rainfall and carbon emissions. The results for the frequency domain causality test show that a one-way causality exists between temperature and rice production and between carbon emissions and rice production in the short and long run. Hence, the findings of this study can help policy makers to formulate appropriate adaptation methods and mitigation policies to reduce the negative effects of climate change on Malaysian rice production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The past decade has seen a resurgence in methods such as the partial and quantile moments model for measuring downside risk exposure and downside risk aversion. However, mixed conclusions are drawn regarding the identification and determinants of downside risk exposure attributable to the methodological differences in the approaches to risk estimation. In this paper, we replicate Kim et al. (2014) who perform a quantile moments‐based analysis of risk exposure. Extending the original study, we address the methodological differences in approaches to measuring downside risk with further robustness checks, including alternative estimation approaches and a comparison to the partial moments model (Antle, 2010). Our results confirm the original finding of Kim et al. (2014) that around 90% of the cost of risk is attributable to downside risk exposure. However, this estimate is highly sensitive to the specification of the estimated mean production as well as the choice of the statistical estimator. Finally, our results suggest that both the quantile moments model and the partial moments model provide similar insights on the determinants of downside risk exposure as well as the cost of risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using national representative cross‐sectional data from 8846 rice growing plots in Bangladesh, we analyze the impact of social safety net programs (SSNPs) on rice farmers' productivity and efficiency. This study applied the propensity score matching (PSM) approach to correct the possible self‐selection biases arising from observed and unobserved factors affecting a household's SSNP participation decisions. The stochastic frontier production function is estimated separately for participants and non‐participants to compare yield and technical efficiency. Our results show that the output elasticities of all inputs except land and fertilizer are significantly higher for non‐participants than participants. The SSNP participants are estimated to have 1.95% higher technical efficiency than the non‐participants, while their frontier yield is 11.75% higher. The average treatment effect on treated (ATET) also confirms the yield and efficiency‐enhancing role of SSNPs, particularly in climate‐stressed areas. The study argues for widening the SSNP coverage to increase the marginal farmers' efficiency in climate‐vulnerable areas. Other policy interventions include policies to increase farmers' access to land through the proper functioning land market, education, providing literacy training, and different production inputs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to examine the impact of land tenure arrangements on production costs in a sample of rice farmers in Ñuble Region, Chile. A stochastic frontier model was estimated using the primal approach on a panel of 107 farmers in 2014-2015. Production cost was broken down into frontier costs and inefficiency. According to findings, economic inefficiency raises rice production costs by 82%. Technical inefficiency accounts for a 61% increase, while allocative inefficiency accounts for 21%. Across tenure types, land is the input with the highest misallocation, accounting for 93% of allocative inefficiency costs. Sharecropping is the arrangement allocating inputs most efficiently, producing significant differences in production costs relative to leasing and ownership. This finding suggests that before designing a policy to induce a tenure system, it is necessary to evaluate specific cases as there is no system superior to another, strictly speaking. Highlights: • Economic inefficiency raises rice production costs by 82%. Technical inefficiency accounts for a 61% increase, while allocative inefficiency accounts for 21%. • The sharecropping system stood out as the most efficient, with production costs 13.5% lower than the rental system and 3.4% lower than those of the ownership system. • Sharecroppers have a higher incentive to exert more effort and complete all responsibilities more efficiently, which can cut down on or do away with the costs associated with supervision that are typical in wage labor systems.

Purpose ― This study examines the externalities of CO2 emissions from solid fuel consumption on rice production in Pakistan using time series data from 1984 to 2021. Methods ― The independent variables include CO2 emissions from solid fuel consumption, cultivated area, agricultural equipment, tube wells, and improved seed, whereas the dependent variable is rice production. A robust analysis was done by altering the solid fuel CO2 emissions proxy. The empirical study used the vector error correction model and Johansen's cointegration test. Findings ― Solid fuel CO2 emissions negatively and significantly impact rice production, implying that solid fuel CO2 emissions decrease rice production. Tube wells have a negative and significant influence on rice production. Conversely, cropped land, agricultural machinery, and improved seeds boosted rice production. The results remained robust even when the proxy for solid fuel CO2 emissions was changed. Implications ― The study recommends developing regulations to limit solid fuel CO2 emissions to prevent environmental degradation and increase rice production. To boost rice production, more land should be farmed, agricultural machinery should be employed, and improved seeds should be used. Originality ― This study is the first to examine the impact of CO2 emissions from solid fuel consumption on rice production in Pakistan

Achieving global food security in the face of climate change is a critical challenge, particularly in vulnerable countries like Indonesia. To effectively address this challenge, a systems-based approach utilizing climate-hydrological-crop models has emerged as an integral approach. These models integrate climate, hydrological, and crop components to understand and predict the complex interactions within agricultural systems and their responses to climate variables. By employing this approach, policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders can gain comprehensive insights into the potential consequences of climate change on crop growth, water availability, soil fertility, and overall crop yield. However, challenges exist in the implementation of this approach, including data reliability; scarcity of complete long-term data; lack of experimental information about crop species, especially local varieties; inadequate research resources; lack of expertise concerning modeling approaches; lack of testing; inaccurate testing; calibration; and model uncertainties. Furthermore, to address limitations and challenges in implementing this approach, improving the availability and reliability of data, collection method, and data quality should be conducted to ensure the accuracy of simulation and prediction. Finally, climate-hydrological-crop models, alongside improved data collection and modelling techniques, serve as essential tools for guiding the development of effective adaptation measures to mitigate the impacts of climate change on rice production in Indonesia.

In-depth research on whether the development of agricultural outsourcing services (AOS) can improve agricultural eco-efficiency (AEE) and the mechanisms underlying the impact of AOS on AEE is still lacking. This study uses micro survey data from Jiangxi Province in China in 2021 to explore the impact of AOS on AEE in terms of farmland scale management and agricultural technology substitution. The results indicate that AOS in general can effectively improve AEE, but this effect varies across the different stages of production. Plough services, fertilizer application services, and pest control services can significantly improve AEE, but seeding services and harvesting services have no significant effect. Farmland scale management and agricultural technology substitution are two effective channels by which AOS improves AEE. The government should improve policies to support AOS, strengthen the positive effects of AOS on AEE, and implement differentiated support policies for AOS related to different production activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A total of 90 rice farmers who are used in adopting IK in rice pest management were considered using a convenient sampling method in selecting respondents. The data were subjected to descriptive statistics. The result showed that 40% of rice farmers are 51-60 years old, male (80%), married (95%), elementary graduate (44%), with a household size of 1 to 5 members (70%), and 37% were engaged in farming for 5 to 10 years. Furthermore, farmers are dominated by the land owner (57%), planted traditional or local varieties (61%), with farm size of less than 1 hectare (47%), and obtained an average yield of 50 caravans per hectare (35%). Rice farmers claimed that IK was handed down by their ancestors with less intervention from agricultural institutions, and rice farmers have practiced it for 20 to 30 years. Most (32%) farmers perceived they were more familiar with indigenous knowledge than new technology. The level of awareness of IK on pest management in rice production in the province of Masbate revealed that rice farmers were aware of the IK practices with a weighted mean of 2.87. Furthermore, data also revealed that the level of utilization of rice farmers who utilized IK on pest management in rice production is often with a general weighted mean of 2.85. Similarly, the result shows that the IK practices on pest management in rice production in the province of Masbate are cost-effective, with a general weighted mean of 2.85. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

System of Rice Intensification (SRI) practices are expected to be used in location-specific ways and thus will vary somewhat across countries and regions. This study undertook to identify a 'best-bet' version of SRI for conditions in northwestern Nigeria, considering what is feasible for farmer use. Two years of experimental data from 260 farmer-managed rice plots evaluating four of the SRI practices in Zamfara State were analyzed. The variables evaluated were seedling age at transplanting, plant density, irrigation schedule, and fertilizer application. Farm budget analysis showed that the best-bet SRI practices most productive given the natural environment and farming system were transplanting 11-day-old seedlings at 25 cm × 25 cm spacing, with alternate wetting-and-drying of fields, as well as providing full compost plus some inorganic fertilization. Net economic returns were found to be highest with best-bet SRI practices and ranged from USD 1450–2120 ha−1. While rice production was profitable under both SRI and more conventional management, the return on investment was at least 40% higher with SRI practices than with the other practices evaluated. Based on our data and analysis, we recommend that the Nigerian government and its development partners prioritize and expand the testing and promotion of SRI in the northwest and other regions of the country. This initiative can significantly enhance farmers' incomes and, ultimately, bolster food security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The contribution of rice production in drylands (upland rice) to national rice production is still low, due to several limiting factors including limited water, low pH, and low soil fertility. This study aimed to obtain improved recommendations for amelioration and bioremediation in drylands with Al stress to enhance rice production. The upland rice variety of Inpago 12 was planted at Taman Bogo Experimental Farm, East Lampung in the first planting season of 2020. The experiment was arranged in a split-plot design with three replications. The main plot was the application of amelioration materials consisting of control (without amelioration), CaMg(CO3)2, CaCO3, and rock phosphate. The subplot was the application of bioremediation materials consisting of control (without bioremediation), biofertilizer, endophytic microbes, and citric acid. Results showed that amelioration and bioremediation on dry land with low and high Al stress did not significantly increase the growth of rice plants. However, bioremediation in the form of citric acid on land with low Al stress significantly increased grain production by 6.21% than without bioremediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growth and yield of rice in limited soil water are expected to increase through the application of mycorrhizae due to the increasing root ability to absorb water and nutrients from the soil. The study aimed to determine the role of mycorrhizae on the growth and yield of rice plants in different soil water content. The study was conducted in Mempawah District, West Kalimantan, in February-June 2022. The experiment was arranged in a split-plot randomized complete block design with main plots of mycorrhizae treatment on seedlings (without and with mycorrhizae application), and subplots of soil water content (100%, 80%, 60%). The results showed that mycorrhizae could colonize 60-80% of roots and increase phosphorus absorption at up to 60% of soil water content. Application of mycorrhizae improved plant growth up to 80% of soil water content for the maximum number of a tiller, and 60% of soil water content for the leaf area. Mycorrhizae performed better to increase yield at up to 80% soil water content on the number of productive tillers and grain index of 1,000 seeds, and it performed better at a soil water content of 100% for grain weight per hill. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving agricultural sustainability and increasing production are the most important goals for the near future especially for developing countries. Accordingly, in these countries, a land suitability evaluation (LSE) study based on the FAO framework is recommended, whereas the high cost caused a dramatic reduction in LSE studies particularly in irrigated paddy fields. Therefore, in this study two depth scenarios (scenario2: 0–50cm and scenario3: 0–25cm) were compared to the FAO framework depth scenario (scenario1: 0–100cm) to investigate the ability of the two new scenarios in qualitative and quantitative LSE classification for irrigated paddy fields. The study was conducted in Guilan province, Iran. Seventy-seven soil profiles were described, soil samples from genetic layers and 30 yield samples were collected. The results showed that, in both qualitative and quantitative LSE, the calculated values for both new scenarios were significantly correlated to the values in scenario1. Moreover, the coefficient of determination, the paired t-test, and the kappa coefficient showed very strong agreements between the two proposed scenarios and senario1. Overlaying three scenarios maps also didn't reveal notable differences. Although the use of scenario1 is preferred, scenario2 due to very close results to scenario1 and being time-and-cost-saving, will be recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The technology demonstration on rice production under organic and inorganic fertilizer application was conducted to determine which of the identified treatments would give better rice growth and yield and showcase the technology to the farmers. The study was composed of three treatments. Treatment A - Inorganic Fertilizer (120-60-60); Treatment B - ½ of 50% Inorganic + 50% Vermicast RR; Treatment C - 25 bags of vermicast as organic fertilizer. An area of 778.18 square meters was divided into three plots with a measurement of 19.30 meters in length and 12.44 meters in width (19.30m x 12.44m). Between plots was provided with a 1-meter distance for the passageway and drainage for excess water. The research made use of frequency and mean to determine the growth and yield performance of NSIC Rc 160 (Tubigan 14) as applied with organic and inorganic fertilizers. Treatment variation was analyzed using one-way ANOVA. The result of the study shows that the application of inorganic and organic fertilizers gave a comparable performance in terms of growth and yield performance. However, in terms of a cost analysis of using inorganic and organic fertilizers, it is more economical to use organic fertilizer than inorganic fertilizer. It further showed that the lower the cost of production, the higher the net income of the rice production under organic fertilizer application. The researcher further concluded that the application of vermicast alone as a fertilizer source or a combination of inorganic and organic fertilizers is more cost-efficient in rice production than purely inorganic fertilizer application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to examine the impact of land tenure arrangements on production costs in a sample of rice farmers in Ñuble Region, Chile. A stochastic frontier model was estimated using the primal approach on a panel of 107 farmers in 2014-2015. Production cost was broken down into frontier costs and inefficiency. According to findings, economic inefficiency raises rice production costs by 82%. Technical inefficiency accounts for a 61% increase, while allocative inefficiency accounts for 21%. Across tenure types, land is the input with the highest misallocation, accounting for 93% of allocative inefficiency costs. Sharecropping is the arrangement allocating inputs most efficiently, producing significant differences in production costs relative to leasing and ownership. This finding suggests that before designing a policy to induce a tenure system, it is necessary to evaluate specific cases as there is no system superior to another, strictly speaking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessing the impact of climate change (CC) on agricultural production systems is mainly done using crop models associated with climate model outputs. This review is one of the few, with the main objective of providing a recent compendium of CC impact studies on irrigation needs and rice yields for a better understanding and use of climate and crop models. We discuss the strengths and weaknesses of climate impact studies on agricultural production systems, with a particular focus on uncertainty and sensitivity analyses of crop models. Although the new generation global climate models (GCMs) are more robust than previous ones, there is still a need to consider the effect of climate uncertainty on estimates when using them. Current GCMs cannot directly simulate the agro-climatic variables of interest for future irrigation assessment, hence the use of intelligent climate tools. Therefore, sensitivity and uncertainty analyses must be applied to crop models, especially for their calibration under different conditions. The impacts of CC on irrigation needs and rice yields vary across regions, seasons, varieties and crop models. Finally, integrated assessments, the use of remote sensing data, climate smart tools, CO 2 enrichment experiments, consideration of changing crop management practices and multi-scale crop modeling, seem to be the approaches to be pursued for future climate impact assessments for agricultural systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is of agronomic importance to apply nitrogen (N), but it has high environmental risks in reclaimed saline soils. Therefore, we should apply N fertilizer at an appropriate rate to increase crop yield but decrease N losses. In this soil column experiment, rice yield, N uptake, and ammonia (NH3) and nitrous oxide (N2O) losses were measured in four treatments with no N application (control) and with N applications of 160, 200, and 240 kg/ha (N160, N200, and N240, respectively). The results show that grain yield, spike number, and thousand-kernel weight increased with increases in N application rate, but there was no significant difference in grain yield between N200 and N240. However, the kernels per spike increased first and then decreased with the increase in N application, of which N200 was recorded to have the highest kernels per spike value, which was 16.8 and 9.8% higher than those of N160 and N240, respectively. Total NH3 volatilization of the rice season increased with increasing N input, especially during the first and second supplementary fertilization stages. The NH4+-N concentration of overlying water was relatively lower under the N200 treatment in these two stages, and the yield-scaled NH3 volatilization and the emission factor were the lowest in N200, which were 26.2–27.8% and 4.0–21.0% lower than those of N160 and N240, respectively. Among the three N-applied treatments, N2O losses and the emission factor as well as the yield-scaled N2O emissions were the lowest under the N200 treatment, which had 34.7% and 78.9% lower N2O emissions and 57.8% and 83.5% lower emission factors than those of the N160 and N240 treatments, respectively. Moreover, the gene copies of AOA and AOB amoA, nirS, and nirK in cultivated layer soils all reached the minimum under the N200 treatment. According to the comprehensive effects of N fertilizer on rice grain yield and NH3 and N2O losses, we recommend applying 200 kg/ha to reclaimed saline soil to ensure crop yield and reduce N losses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- This study examines the externalities of CO2 emissions from solid fuel consumption on rice production in Pakistan using time series data from 1984 to 2021. Methods -- The independent variables include CO2 emissions from solid fuel consumption, cultivated area, agricultural equipment, tube wells, and improved seed, whereas the dependent variable is rice production. A robust analysis was done by altering the solid fuel CO2 emissions proxy. The empirical study used the vector error correction model and Johansen's cointegration test. Findings -- Solid fuel CO2 emissions negatively and significantly impact rice production, implying that solid fuel CO2 emissions decrease rice production. Tube wells have a negative and significant influence on rice production. Conversely, cropped land, agricultural machinery, and improved seeds boosted rice production. The results remained robust even when the proxy for solid fuel CO2 emissions was changed. Implications -- The study recommends developing regulations to limit solid fuel CO2 emissions to prevent environmental degradation and increase rice production. To boost rice production, more land should be farmed, agricultural machinery should be employed, and improved seeds should be used. Originality -- This study is the first to examine the impact of CO2 emissions from solid fuel consumption on rice production in Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the face of the negative impacts of climate change and the accelerated growth of the global population, precision irrigation is important to conserve water resources, improve rice productivity and promote overall efficient rice cultivation, as rice is a rather water-intensive crop than other crops. For several decades, various water conserving technologies have been studied in order to significantly increase water use efficiency (WUE). The objective of this paper is to review the main technologies and approaches for assessing the water requirements of rice crop in order to contribute to water saving in irrigated rice production, after clarifying the performance indicators of the irrigated systems. Several scientific articles from previous studies were consulted and analyzed. These studies showed that irrigation water conservation includes a wide range of practices, staring from the crop irrigation water requirements assessment to the implementation of the water saving practices on the field. In addition, irrigation water conservation technologies could be categorized into three groups, namely water-conserving irrigation systems, water-saving irrigation methods, and water-conserving agronomic practices. The influence of the individual and combined irrigation water use efficiency tools was highlighted. This paper will enable researchers to acquire knowledge on water-saving methods for estimating the rice crop water requirements and thus allow them to effectively contribute to improve the performance of irrigated rice cultivation systems using various water conservation technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study assessed the determinants of young farmers’ utilization of improved rice production practices in South West Nigeria. A multistage sampling procedure was used in the selection of 317 respondents for the study. Data were collected through the use of an interview schedule. Frequency counts, percentages, mean, and Probit- censored double-hurdle regression model was used to analyze the data. Findings reveal that the major improved rice production practices utilized by the young farmers included: the selection of improved rice varieties (88.3%) and appropriate use of agrochemicals (99.3%), while the most intensively utilized practices were: farm planning and use of cropping calendar (WMS=1.38), timely planting of rice (WMS=2.24) and safekeeping and handling of agro-chemicals (WMS=2.48). Age (β = -0.073646, -0.0039496). 62 Years of education (β = -0.0565773, 0.003665), years of farming experiences (β = 0.0081413, 0.003140, availability of improved agricultural practices information (β = 0.0413969, 0.114309) and knowledge level of improved rice production practices (β = 0.0396945, 0.408986) had the likelihood of determining utilization and intensity of use of Improved rice production practices in the study area. Government and other relevant agricultural stakeholders should focus on the identified factors in view to enhance the utilization of improved rice production practices in the study area.