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Predicting breed-specific environmental suitability has been problematic in livestock production. Native breeds have low productivity but are thought to be more robust to perform under local conditions than exotic breeds. Attempts to introduce genetically improved exotic breeds are generally unsuccessful, mainly due to the antagonistic environmental conditions. Knowledge of the environmental conditions that are shaping the breed would be needed to determine its suitability to different locations. Here, we present a methodology to predict the suitability of breeds for different agro-ecological zones using Geographic Information Systems tools and predictive habitat distribution models. This methodology was tested on the current distribution of two introduced chicken breeds in Ethiopia: the Koekoek, originally from South Africa, and the Fayoumi, originally from Egypt. Cross-validation results show this methodology to be effective in predicting breed suitability for specific environmental conditions. Furthermore, the model predicts suitable areas of the country where the breeds could be introduced. The specific climatic parameters that explained the potential distribution of each of the breeds were similar to the environment from which the breeds originated. This novel methodology finds application in livestock programs, allowing for a more informed decision when designing breeding programs and introduction programs, and increases our understanding of the role of the environment in livestock productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The concept of food regimes has become a prominent theory in political economy. We here provide socio-ecological underpinning of the food regimes theory and thereby connect it closer to an ecological economics perspective. We quantify physical trade with main agricultural commodities between world regions from the mid-19th century to 2016 and ask how trade patterns relate to issues of resource use, in particular, to land use, soil fertility and the energetic basis of agriculture. Agricultural exports rose from a few million t/yr around 1870 to 1.4 billion t/yr in 2016. Growth in trade and production did not follow a continuous trend, periods of accelerated growth alternating with phases of relative stability can be distinguished. Rather than directed modernization we observe shifts in unequal relations of power, physical exchange and environmental pressure between changing centers and peripheries. The periods of growth in trade match with the periodization of food regimes. We find that regime shifts are closely related to changes in societies energy metabolism, in the resource base of agricultural production and also to agro-ecological crisis. Our analysis emphasizes that food regimes not only reflect changes in power relations in the world system, but also changes in societies natural relations. Highlights • During the last 150 years agricultural trade has grown from 0.002 to 1.4 Gt/yr. • Periods of growth in global export flows match with food regime periodization. • Food regime (FR) shifts correspond to major changes in societies metabolism. • FR shifts are related to ecological crisis and changes in the resource base of agriculture. • The third, neoliberal FR is characterized by conflicting socio-ecological trends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cacao plantation largely contributes to the Indonesian agricultural economy, and the systems with less environment impact have become fundamental for the local farmers. The current research made a general agro-ecological evaluation of six cacao farms in Sulawesi-Indonesia cultivated under conventional systems and organic management, here referred to as environmental friendly systems (EFS). Ten agro-ecological parameters, the number of fruits per area, the rate of infection (RI), number of seeds per fruit, and seed weight per fruit were evaluated. Furthermore, plant mineral nutrition was also analyzed, including the estimation of diagnosis recommendation integrated systems. The overall data indicated that RI in the conventional systems was lower than that in the EFS. The density of dead plant materials showed negative correlations with the area of weeds and density of weeds. The density of dead plant materials, concentrations of Mg and Fe showed a positive correlation with productivity. In addition, Fe showed negative correlations with weed area and density. The nutrient balance index also showed that in Parigi and Palolo areas, the plants were well stabled in terms of mineral nutrition. These results suggest that some agro-ecological parameters can function as cacao production indicators, especially the biomass and dead leaves together with plant mineral nutrition (Mg and Fe). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Invertebrates make up over 95% of animal biodiversity on Earth and contribute to multiple ecosystem services (ES) in natural and human-dominated systems. One such service, biological control (BC) of herbivorous pests, is a core component of sustainable intensification of agriculture, yet its importance is routinely overlooked. Here we report a macro-scale, cross-cultural assessment of the public visibility (or 'salience') of BC invertebrates, using high-throughput analysis of large bodies of digitized text (i.e., 'culturomics'). Using binomial scientific name frequency as proxy for visibility, we compared the extent to which a given species featured in webpages within either scientific media or the entire worldwide web, and in total search volume at varying spatial scale. For a set of 339 BC invertebrate species, scientific and internet coverage averaged 1020 and 1735 webpages, respectively. Substantial variability was recorded among BC taxa with Coleoptera, Hemiptera and Nematoda having comparatively high visibility. Online visibility exhibited large geographical variability ranging from France covering BC invertebrates on average in 1050 webpages versus Thailand or Indonesia on just 31–38. This work represents the first extensive use of culturomics to assess public visibility of insect-mediated ES. As BC uptake is dictated by stakeholders' access to (agro-ecological) information, our work identifies geographically-delineated areas that are differentially attuned to the concept of invertebrate BC, pinpoints opportunities for focusing education campaigns and awareness-raising, enables real-time tracking of BC public appeal, and informs public policy. Graphical abstract Global and country-specific disparities in the relationship between scientific salience and internet salience for >300 biological control invertebrates. Unlabelled Image Highlights • Invertebrates provide several key ecosystem services, yet are routinely disregarded • Culturomics approaches reveal global visibility for 339 biological control organisms • Major geographical and inter-taxa differences are recorded in public visibility • Metrics reflect constituencies that are differentially attuned to biological control • Our study guides awareness-raising, agricultural extension and policy dialogue [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evolvement of IPM has experienced several significant stages. IPM is an ecosystem as a governance unit. It allows the presence of low numbers of pests because a direct or indirect relationship between biological species and their associated environmental living conditions could keep a long-term ecological balance. IPM also emphasizes overall benefits; it is necessary to integrate all kinds of safe, effective, economic, and simple managements as far as possible. When synthesizing and coordinating various managements, effective control object, effective time limit, effective scope, and effective degree of the individual method should be analysed first. The ultimate goal of IPM is for the sustainable development of agriculture. In the future IPM system engineering, crop resistance, the role of natural enemies, agricultural control, and the application of biological control technologies will be greatly strengthened, and the role of chemical pesticides will be significantly reduced. Safe, effective, and long-lasting control of pest populations will be below the level of harm caused, which could protect the ecological environment and the health of people and livestock, and promote the development of production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Small forest fragments are often the most abundant type of semi-natural habitat in intensive agricultural landscapes. Wild pollinators can use these forest patches as nesting or foraging habitat. However, the importance of small forest fragments as pollinator habitat has been neglected so far. Objectives: We evaluated the role of these forest patches as pollinator habitat, focusing on the effect of nesting and foraging resources, both at a local and at a landscape scale. Methods: Pollinators were sampled with pan traps in 78 forest patches, spread over five study regions in Northwestern Europe. We evaluated effect of forest and landscape characteristics on bee and hoverfly species richness, diversity and activity-abundance. Results: We showed that the bee community is influenced by both microsite conditions and landscape characteristics. Species richness and activity-abundance were higher when suitable nesting resources, such as sloped terrain and bare soil were available. This suggests that forest edges are important in providing nesting sites, but that most species forage in different habitats. Hoverfly species richness was higher in old forest fragments. This relation was mainly caused by the presence of forest specialist hoverflies in old forest fragments. Conclusions: Small forest fragments in agricultural landscapes can harbour a diverse pollinator community. Increasing the amount of nesting habitat, such as bare soil and sloped terrains is expected to have beneficial effects on the bee community, whereas older forest fragments should be conserved to sustain a rich hoverfly community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • We tested the attractiveness of volatiles from aphid × plant combinations to H. axyridis adults. • H. axyridis preferred aphid-infested plants over un-infested plants or aphids alone. • Five kinds of volatiles preferred by H. axyridis were identified. Abstract Volatiles play important roles in the recruitment of arthropod natural enemies, and are widely used in foraging by the multicolored Asian lady beetle Harmonia axyridis Pallas (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). In its native range in Asia and throughout its invaded range, H. axyridis preys upon multiple species of aphids in both natural and agricultural settings, yet little is known about the volatile cues it employs to locate prey items. In this study, we test the attractiveness of volatiles emanating from four different aphid × plant combinations to H. axyridis adults in a Y-tube olfactometer. More specifically, we exposed host plants from various plant families as such: Artemisia lavandulaefolia (Asteraceae) with Macrosiphoniella artemisiae ; Gossypium hirsutum (Malvaceae) with Aphis gossypii ; Triticum aestivum (Poaceae) with Sitobion avenae and Schizaphis graminum ; and Vicia faba (Fabaceae) with Megoura viciae. Next, using coupled gas chromatography – electroantennogram detection (GC-EAD) and gas chromatography – mass spectrometry (GC-MS), we identified the volatile compounds from aphid × plant combinations that elicit electrophysiological activity in H. axyridis adults. Lastly, a total of five volatiles were assessed in open-field tests with barrel traps. In olfactometer assays, H. axyridis adults preferred aphid-infested plants over un-infested plants or aphids alone. In GC-EAD trials, seven electrophysiologically-active compounds were found; and in ensuing behavioral assays, ladybeetles preferred five kinds of volatiles (i.e., p-diethylbenzene, 3-ethylacetophenone, 1,2-diethylbenzene, α-pinene and butyl acrylate). In open-field tests, H. axyridis were significantly attracted to all five info-chemicals at a concentration 100 mg/ml. Our work not only sheds light upon H. axyridis chemical ecology, but equally provides important information that can facilitate the future development of integrated pest management (IPM) tactics for aphid control or volatile-based trapping and monitoring technologies for H. axyridis in its invaded range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The traditional landraces of rice plant had a major role in building socio-economic status of rural poor. The present study deals with the diversity and ethnobotanic significance of indigenous landraces of rice in Lakhimpur district of Assam, India. Altogether, twenty-one indigenous landraces of rice were collected during the present study. Each class having important role to play, the major classes of rice include glutinous, common rice and aromatic rice. Other than being a staple food, rice and its products are still frequently used by rural folk in various festivals, religious and social ceremonies in the form of sweets, cakes, snacks and beverages. Bora-dhan was reported with the highest use value. Based on grain's qualitative and quantitative traits, the obtained dendrogram contains four different clusters; while, the OTUs (Operational taxonomic unit) present in a cluster display morphological similarity. The dendrogram also illustrated diversified distribution of grains in this region. The study also reveals the profound relationship of people with the traditional landraces of rice. The ethnic farmers should be made aware to promote on-farm conservation of crop diversity, before it is lost under the debris of modernization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines how farm interns, as a new group of non-waged agricultural workers, have come to support marginally or non-profitable agro-ecological farms in Ontario, Canada. Are farm interns potential agents of social change alongside farmers or are they being recruited onto farms because of the precarious economic situation of their agro-ecological farm hosts? I engage with this question through drawing on debates in agrarian studies arguing that farm interns should be understood as a contemporary manifestation and negotiation of the agrarian question that re-works a number of historical agrarian trends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

This study was carried out to determine the variation of vine growth-development and fruit quality characteristics of 'Hayward' and 'Matua' kiwifruit cultivars at different altitude in Ardeşen district of Rize (Turkey) province during two growing seasons in 2013-14. Significant differences in phenological dates of kiwifruit cultivars, cultivated at different altitudes were observed in both years. Generally, the kiwifruit cultivars, grown at 20 m altitude sprouted 7 days early and dropped their leaves 9-10 days later when compared to the cultivars, grown at 610 m altitude. Besides, the vegetative growth of vines was normal at all altitudes and the annual shoot diameter and length decreased with increase in altitude. With increase in altitude, the leaf area, number of leaf, bud, flower, and fruit on shoot decreased in both kiwifruit cultivars. The lowest values for leaf area, number of leaf, bud, flower, and fruit on shoot were detected in vines grown at 610 m altitude and the highest means were reached in vines grown at 20 and 210 m altitudes. The width, length index, weight, firmness, TSS, pH of fruit and yield values of 'Hayward' cultivar decreased with increase in altitude. The highest values were recorded from orchard at 20 and 210 m altitude. Acidity and firmness of fruit increased with increase in altitude and the highest acidity and firmness was taken from 610 m altitude. Effect of altitude was found non-significant for vitamin C content in both years. The results suggested that the cultivars at various altitudes were performed better but the new commercial cultivations of 'Hayward' and 'Matua' kiwifruit cultivars must be made in areas with up to 210 m altitude. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural landscapes offer unique habitats for many species. Because agriculture is a major land use worldwide, changes in farming practices can have major repercussions for biodiversity. Particularly in Western Europe, ongoing intensification and scale enlargement but also land abandonment and poor agricultural practices leading to land degradation form a major threat to agrobiodiversity. Agro-ecological farming practices are suggested as an alternative way of farming in order to conserve and enhance biodiversity. Yet knowledge about what factors explain farmers' adoption of agro-ecological farming practices is fragmented and incomplete. In this paper, we offer a holistic framework that specifies these factors and how they are interconnected. The framework is illustrated and refined by means of a case study analysis of almond farming in Andalusia. The chosen case represents a specific localized farming practice that currently negatively impacts biodiversity but for which agro-ecology forms an attractive alternative regarding biodiversity. The case study demonstrates that our framework offers a useful tool to systematically identify the different factors that affect agro-ecological farming adoption, interlinkages between factors and particularly the more structural barriers to agro-ecology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Farmland fragmentation and farmland consolidation are two sides of the same coin paradoxically viewed as farmland management tools. While there is a vast body of literature addressing the connections between farmland fragmentation and farmland consolidation on the one hand and agriculture production and crops diversification on the other hand, their relationship with variations in food security is still under-explored. This challenges policy makers about whether and how to devise policies in favor of fragmentation conservation or defragmentation. Therefore, drawing on the multiple secondary data and the deductive logical reasoning through an integrative concept-centric qualitative approach following the rationalist theory, this study critically reviews and analyses the existing body of literature to identify how farmland fragmentation versus defragmentation approaches relate to food security. The goal is to develop and derive an explicit model indicating when, where, how and why farmland fragmentation can be conserved or prevented and controlled for food security motives as a novel alternative comprehensive scientific knowledge generation, which could guide and inform the design of future research and policies about farmland fragmentation management. The findings show that both fragmentation and consolidation variously (positively and negatively) impact on food security at different (macro, meso and micro) levels. While farmland fragmentation is highly linked with food diversification (food quality), acceptability, accessibility, and sovereignty at the local (household and individual) levels, farmland consolidation is often associated with the quantity and availability of food production at the community, regional and national levels. Theoretically, the best management of farmland fragmentation for food security purposes can be achieved by minimizing the problems associated with physical and tenure aspects of farmland fragmentation along with the optimization of its potential benefits. In this regard, farmland consolidation, voluntary parcel exchange and on-field harvest sales, farmland realignment, and farmland use (crop) consolidation can be suitable for the control of physical fragmentation problems under various local conditions. Similarly, farmland banking and off-farm employment, restrictions about the minimum parcel sizes subdivision and absentee owners, joint ownership, cooperative farming, farmland use (crop) consolidation, agricultural land protection policies, and family planning measures can be suitable to prevent and minimize farmland tenure fragmentation problems. On the other hand, various agriculture intensification programs, agroecogical approaches, and land saving technologies can be the most suitable strategies to maximize the income from agriculture on fragmented plots under the circumstances of beneficial fragmentation. Moreover, in areas where both rational and defective fragmentation scenarios coexist, different specific strategies like localized and multicropping based land consolidation approaches in combination with or without agriculture intensification programs, can provide better and more balanced optimal solutions. These could simultaneously minimize the defective effects of fragmentation thereby optimizing or without jeopardizing its potential benefits with regard to food security under specific local conditions.

This article presents some reflections about the socio-technical changes in agriculture understood as counter-movements to development strategies based on modernization. By examining the emblematic case of Ipê-Antônio Prado in the far south of Brazil, this study confirms that through the collaboration of various actors new productive practices, discourses, performances and multiple social processes emerge that reposition local forms of organization. The study identifies the emergence of an endogenous expression of ‘ecological agriculture’ that was initiated within the broader framework of alternative agriculture. However this shift has triggered heterogeneous courses of action in the region that have configured new processes of change for agricultural production.

Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) is an annual plant native to the Americas. Is a grain-producing species with a high oil content, which can be used as a source of biodiesel as well as fodder. The cassava is a liquid derived from the cassava flour production. This organic waste can be used in agriculture due to its high content of nutrients such as, K, N, P, Ca, Mg and S and also avoiding harm the environment. The objective of this study was to evaluate the productivity of sunflower using organic fertilization with cassava. The experiment was conducted under field conditions at Lagoa Seca, PB State, and were analyzed the total production (PS), dry mass of the inflorescence (FCA), dry mass of seeds and inflorescence (FSC) and total dry biomass (FT). The highest yield (934.52 kg ha-1) was obtained with no applied cassava. The dosage of 250 mL of cassava yielded maximum values for dry mass of the inflorescence (2,380 kg ha-1) and dry matter of the seeds and inflorescence (3,432 kg ha-1), promoting a increase of 32.03% and 132.55% respectively when compared to the control treatment. The higher value of total biomass was 28,017 kg ha-1 when applied 375 mL of manipueria. The cassava as a source of organic fertilizer favors the dry matter accumulation of sunflower without raising the grain yield.

Weed management is an important issue since weeds directly compete with crop plants for space, nutrients; serve as habitat for insect pests and diseases, and can create a significant annual reduction in crop productivity. This study focused on evaluating the contribution of the secondary metabolites of the fruit pulp of Couroupita guianensis Aubl. for its potential growth inhibitory effect. Crude extracts of C. guianensis fruit pulp were collected with different solvents and applied to test plants in petri dishes. The crude extracts of methanol and 1% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) showed potential growth inhibitions with the 50% effective concentration (EC50) of 223 and 229 µg/mL in the bioassay experiment. In the greenhouse pot experiment, soil incorporated with oven-dried fruit pulp of C. guianensis was evaluated on cultivated plant species including Lactuca sativa L., Trifolium repens L., Medicago sativa L., Lolium multiflorum Lam., and Phleum pratense L. The incorporation of dried fruit pulp of C. guianensis into soil reduced shoot and root lengths and the germination percentage of test plants. It was observed that the monocot plants were more affected than the dicot plants. The fruit pulp of C. guianensis was subjected to reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis to identify the active compounds. Indigo, identified as one of the candidate compounds of the C. guianensis, had high specific activity (i.e., strong inhibitory activity) in a phytotoxicity bioassay and could explain through the total activity concept the growth inhibitory effect of the C. guianensis on test plants. The results suggested that indigo has plant growth inhibitory effect, indicating the allelopathic potential of C. guianensis, which could be exploited in sustainable weed management.

Our aim in this study was to investigate whether the behaviors of dairy cows on pasture, predicted with accelerometer data and combined with GPS data, can be used to better understand the relationship between behaviors and pasture characteristics. During spring 2018, 26 Holstein cows were equipped with a 3D-accelerometer and a GPS sensor fixed on a neck-collar for five days. The cows grazed alternatively in permanent and in temporary grasslands. The structural elements, soil moisture, slope and botanical characteristics were identified. Behaviors were predicted every 10 s from the accelerometer data and combined with the GPS data. The time-budgets expressed in each characterized zone of 8 m × 8 m were calculated. The relation between the time-budgets and pasture characteristics was explored with a linear mixed model. In the permanent grassland, dairy cows spent more time under a tree to ruminate (p < 0.001) and to rest (p < 0.001) and more time to graze in areas with Holcus lanatus (p < 0.001). In the temporary grassland, behavior was influenced by the external environment (presence of other animals on the farm; p < 0.05). Thus, this methodology seems relevant to better understand the relationship between the behaviors of dairy cows and grazing conditions to develop precision grazing.

Aflatoxins are carcinogenic chemical metabolites produced by Aspergillus spp. of the section Flavi. In Kenya, Aspergillus flavus is the most prevalent and has been associated with several acute and chronic aflatoxin outbreaks in the past. In this study, we evaluated the occurrence of A. flavus in soils from two agro-ecological regions with contrasting climatic conditions, aflatoxin contamination histories and cropping systems. Aspergillus spp. were first isolated from soils before the identification and determination of their aflatoxigenicity. Further, we determined the occurrence of Pseudomonas and Bacillus spp. in soils from the two regions. These bacterial species have long been associated with biological control of several plant pathogens including Aspergillus spp. Our results show that A. flavus occurred widely and produced comparatively higher total aflatoxin levels in all (100%) study sites from the eastern to the western regions of Kenya. For the western region, A. flavus was detected in 4 locations (66.7%) that were previously under maize cultivation with the isolates showing low aflatoxigenicity. A. flavus was not isolated from soils under sugarcane cultivation. Distribution of the two bacterial species varied across the regions but we detected a weak relationship between occurrence of bacterial species and A. flavus. We discuss these findings in the context of the influence of climate, microbial profiles, cropping systems and applicability in the deployment of biological control remedies against aflatoxin contamination.

Dynamics of mango mealybug (Drosicha mangiferae Green) in the mango (Mangiferae indica L.) growing agro-ecology of Lucknow region of Uttar Pradesh, India was studied during three seasons (2013-2015). Wider variations in the occurrence of mango mealybug were inferred from the study across 22 locations and three seasons. Weekly average mealybug incidence was tabulated against standard meteorological weeks (SMW), a range of 0.09 to 2.05, 0.13 to 1.57 and 0.11 to 2.56 mealybug per panicle during 2013, 2014 and 2015 was observed respectively. Peak incidence of 2.05, 1.57 and 2.10 mealybug per panicle was observed at mango orchards of Ulrapur (Fixed II), Navipana (Fixed I) and Ulrapur (Fixed I) respectively. The peak incidence of mango mealybug was found at 7th, 3rd, 10th SMW during the mango seasons of 2013 2014 and 2015 respectively. The mango mealybug incidence had significantly positive relation with maximum relative humidity and rainfall across the seasons. The linear regression models had explained upto 61% of variation in the mealybug population with the weather variables. Thus the concluded wide spread dynamics of mango mealybug incidence across mango orchards of 22 locations. The seasonal changes were also depicted.

We are nearly 7,3 billion people in the world and we will probably be more than 9,5 billion in 2050. The increase in purchasing power in some emerging countries results in a growing consumption of animal products. As we need to produce from three to ten plant calories to get one animal calorie, it will be necessary to double the vegetable production in the next 35 years in order to meet this growing demand in foods, while taking care not to damage the fertility of the agroecosystems on the long term. Some agricultural systems based on agro-ecology are already available in order to increase significantly the yields per hectare without excessive use of fossil fuels and pesticides. But only family farming systems rooted in their local environment will be able to make the best use of natural productive potentials.

Reviewed the preconditions and results of the use of geographic information systems technology to ensure the optimization of agro-ecological condition of the land and increasing the productivity of agricultural landscapes that emerged in the steppe zone of Northern Kazakhstan.

The sustainability of agriculture can be improved by integrating management of ecosystem services, such as insect pollination, into farming practices. However, large‐scale adoption of ecosystem services‐based practices in agriculture is lacking, possibly because growers undervalue the benefits of ecosystem services compared to those of conventional management practices. Here we show that, under representative real‐world conditions, pollination and plant quality made similar contributions to marketable seed yield of hybrid leek (Allium porrum). Relative to the median, a 25% improvement of plant quality and pollination increased crop value by an estimated $18 007 and $17 174 ha−1 respectively. Across five crop lines, bumblebees delivered most pollination services, while other wild pollinator groups made less frequent but nevertheless substantial contributions. Honeybees actively managed for pollination services did not make significant contributions. Our results show that wild pollinators are an undervalued agricultural input and managing for enhancing pollinators makes sense economically in high‐revenue insect‐pollinated cropping systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most of the C and N models published over past decades are based on parameters not always linked to the environment and underestimate the role of microorganisms. They are often over-parameterized, which can give multiple solutions for flow calculations between state variables. This work proposes a modelling method centred on the functioning of living organisms in order to calculate flow parameters using data on N stocks in decomposers, plant organs, symbiotic microorganisms, and the soil compartments. The model was settled via a complex N fixing and intercropping system of durum wheat/faba bean compared to the cropping of pure durum wheat and pure faba bean, all in the context of organic farming invaded by weeds and weeded by hand just before flowering. To avoid perturbation of natural exchanges of C and N, no fertilizer was added from 1997 to 2011. The equation system defined for the association of any number of plants, as well as parameters previously published for C-flow calculations were used, and only a few parameters specific to N flows were added, and are discussed. The results showed the strong link between N and C in the environment. The calculations converge toward an unique set of solutions that is consistent with literature data when available. The labile organic N of microbial origin was modelled as the main potentially available stock. Living microorganisms stored about 1% of total N, which was close to the N stock in faba bean and four times more than stock in durum wheat. Inorganic N was immobilized before flowering in competition with N requirement of durum wheat roots. Net N mineralization, mainly from decomposition of faba bean roots, started too late to improve wheat production. During the cropping period, weeds accounted for losses of 20 kg N ha −1 , while the atmospheric N 2 fixation of 90 kg N ha −1 was close to the total microbial immobilization. The model associating microbial and plant flows of C and N in complex plant covers, appears as a robust tool to quantify the exchanges of the earth organisms with the soil and atmosphere. It enables to propose essential recommendations to improve as well agro-ecology as predictions of global changes of C and N stocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Ager: Journal of Depopulation & Rural Development Studies / Revista de Estudios sobre Despoblación y Desarrollo Rural is the property of Rolde de Estudios Aragoneses and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Cowpea ( Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.) is an important African food legume suitable for dry regions. It is the main legume in two contrasting agro-ecological regions of Kenya as an important component of crop rotations because of its relative tolerance to unpredictable drought events. This study was carried out in an effort to establish a collection of bacterial root nodule symbionts and determine their relationship to physicochemical soil parameters as well as any geographical distributional patterns. Bradyrhizobium spp. were found to be widespread in this study and several different types could be identified at each site. Unique but rare symbionts were recovered from the nodules of plants sampled in a drier in-land region, where there were also overall more different bradyrhizobia found. Plants raised in soil from uncultivated sites with a natural vegetation cover tended to also associate with more different bradyrizobia. The occurrence and abundance of different bradyrhizobia correlated with differences in soil texture and pH, but did neither with the agro-ecological origin, nor the origin from cultivated (n = 15) or uncultivated (n = 5) sites. The analytical method, protein profiling of isolated strains by Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS), provided higher resolution than 16S rRNA gene sequencing and was applied in this study for the first time to isolates recovered directly from field-collected cowpea root nodules. The method thus seems suitable for screening isolate collections on the presence of different groups, which, provided an appropriate reference database, can also be assigned to known species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores how Māori women in Aotearoa (New Zealand) are defining their own food system and the values of the women at the heart of their community food initiatives. Using a blend of participatory and kaupapa Māori (Māori principles) research methodologies, the study took place over the course of 3 years, involving four women or case studies who manage community food initiatives, with three located in the North Island and one in the South Island of New Zealand. The article discusses the benefits of community gardens and farms, noting how they are counteracting food poverty through promoting access to local food while bringing more attention to the essential role that Indigenous women play in addressing food security issues. The case studies exemplify how Māori women are leading the way within their own whānau (families) and communities, promoting local solutions to global food issues, solutions based on their own knowledge and Māori cultural values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phosphorus is a contaminant of major concern in agricultural systems, as increased concentrations in runoff have led to escalating incidents of eutrophication. A potential solution involves planting buffer strips of high biomass-producing tree species along riparian zones. Trees belonging to the family Salicaceae inhabit a diverse geographical range and display highly variable growth traits, allowing for their use in a wide range of environmental applications, including their use in agroforestry to prevent soil erosion, for reclamation of marginal lands, and acting as vegetative filters. Characterization of differences in nutrient allocation and storage in these tree species is needed to assess their effectiveness as buffer strips. For several willow and poplar varieties, phenotypic differences were quantified using ICP-AES and HPLC. Poplar varieties such as Tristis and Northwest demonstrated the highest capacity for luxury uptake, with an estimated 3.7–3.9 mgP g −1 when 2.2 mM soluble phosphate (100N:70P) was applied. However, the majority of phosphorus was stored in the leaves and was returned to the environment as autumnal senescence progressed. Hybrid willows, such as AAFC-5, are excellent alternatives as the highest proportion of biomass was allocated to the stem, to be retained for long-term storage or coppiced and removed from the site. AAFC-5 accumulated approximately 2.1 mgP g −1 and had the lowest concentration of phosphorus in senescent leaves, resulting in higher resorption efficiencies than hybrid poplar. The observed variation in phenotypic plasticity among genotypes suggests a complex response to nutrient conditions that likely exists in many species beyond those presented in this study. Differences between closely related species can in turn, be used to investigate the genetic and biochemical controls of nutrient allocation and resorption. Should higher resorption rates be achievable in the phosphorus accumulating poplar hybrids, optimal recovery from phosphorus heavy soils could be attained through coppicing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Woody networks of hedgerows, tree lines and forest patches can harbour a high biodiversity and may serve as an important species refuge in agricultural landscapes. In order to protect the biodiversity and associated potential ecosystem services of woody networks, we need to understand their drivers. We surveyed the plant diversity and calculated the pollinator resource value and edibility value of 831 woody elements in 47 landscape windows of 1 km 2 in the countryside in northern Belgium. The woody network hosted approximately 45% of the plant diversity in the studied countryside, and forest species, grassland species, tall herbs as well as pioneer species coexisted successfully within the woody elements. The pollination resource value showed the highest correlation with the species richness and abundance of the forest species, whereas for edibility the species richness and abundance of the tall herbs were determinative. The number of forest species mainly depended on the presence of forests in the surrounding landscape and the link was even stronger in historical woody elements. For grassland species, tall herbs and pioneers, we found that structural variables of the woody element itself were the most important driver. We argue that by protecting existing woody elements and thoughtfully designing and locating new ones, intrinsic and functional diversity in the countryside can benefit well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Migrations in the Northern Region are a relatively old phenomenon. They date back to the early 1970s and were initiated and supervised by the State, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and spontaneous initiatives. Very often they have been analyzed as a source of conflict and destruction of the environment. The migrations of the populations of the Far North towards the south of Garoua responded to a need to relieve the mountain areas, which were then overpopulated and suffering extreme poverty, by the development of agriculture, notably cotton. Deforestation and conflicting views are not lacking in this context, but they can lead to a greater awareness of conservation of the environment and institutional social engineering of cohabitation where the interests of different members are balanced. This approach has obscured and compromised a resilience that has allowed for a certain socio-economic, environmental and ecological sustainability, as can be seen in Koza II. However, the hope to achieve sustainable development in the context of migration, as in Koza II, means taking up the challenge of guaranteeing local interests and articulating them with the national and even international ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cocoa farms continue to expand and to replace the country's last remaining forests. The decade of politico-military crisis has prolonged this process of expansion at the expense of protected areas, contributing to the fall in the world price of cocoa in 2017. At the same time, Ivory Coast is losing its forest rent' and cocoa production costs are increasing. Faced with the ecological, climatic, technical, social and political changes associated with these cocoa cycles, how does family farming innovate and transform landscapes, with or without cocoa cultivation? These questions are addressed empirically on the basis of samples of 40 to 200 farms at 10 sites in the cocoa-cultivation zone, taking stock of the technical changes that have taken place In the turbulent ecological and social context of the 2000 and 2010 decades. The results are structured into a 'hexalogy' of dynamics, arising from the interactions between the cocoa cycle, prices, migration networks, politico-military crisis and climate change, with each of these factors having a relative effect depending on particular regions. The diversification or conversion of cocoa cultivation to cashew nut cultivation, the development of livestock production and the adoption of the use of animal manure, which is helping double cocoa yields, demonstrates the ability of family farming to innovate more effectively than public and private entities. But like all technical progress, these innovations can also contribute to the fall in the world price of the commodity concerned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This contribution draws on original data relating to a land settlement case in Araponga, an administrative area in Minas Gerais, Brazil. The settlement of the land and subsequent building of robust, more self-dependent, land-based livelihoods have followed a joint experimentation trajectory in which the agro-ecologicalisation of agrarian production practices to regenerate and enrich the resource base has been coupled with effective institutional reform and the creation of a favourable institutional setting. Key to this grassroots transformation process has been the enrolment of various strategic actors in a collaborative support network by a mediating change agent. The paper argues that the Araponga case represents a particular expression of re-peasantisation. The Araponga project has evolved without the involvement of landless peoples' social movements such as theMovimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra(MST). This has been crucial to its character and impact. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: Grassland diversity can support sustainable intensification of grassland production through increased yields, reduced inputs and limited weed invasion. We report the effects of diversity on weed suppression from 3 years of a 31‐site continental‐scale field experiment. At each site, 15 grassland communities comprising four monocultures and 11 four‐species mixtures based on a wide range of species' proportions were sown at two densities and managed by cutting. Forage species were selected according to two crossed functional traits, “method of nitrogen acquisition” and “pattern of temporal development”. Across sites, years and sown densities, annual weed biomass in mixtures and monocultures was 0.5 and 2.0 t  DM ha−1 (7% and 33% of total biomass respectively). Over 95% of mixtures had weed biomass lower than the average of monocultures, and in two‐thirds of cases, lower than in the most suppressive monoculture (transgressive suppression). Suppression was significantly transgressive for 58% of site‐years. Transgressive suppression by mixtures was maintained across years, independent of site productivity. Based on models, average weed biomass in mixture over the whole experiment was 52% less (95% confidence interval: 30%–75%) than in the most suppressive monoculture. Transgressive suppression of weed biomass was significant at each year across all mixtures and for each mixture. Weed biomass was consistently low across all mixtures and years and was in some cases significantly but not largely different from that in the equiproportional mixture. The average variability (standard deviation) of annual weed biomass within a site was much lower for mixtures (0.42) than for monocultures (1.77). Synthesis and applications. Weed invasion can be diminished through a combination of forage species selected for complementarity and persistence traits in systems designed to reduce reliance on fertiliser nitrogen. In this study, effects of diversity on weed suppression were consistently strong across mixtures varying widely in species' proportions and over time. The level of weed biomass did not vary greatly across mixtures varying widely in proportions of sown species. These diversity benefits in intensively managed grasslands are relevant for the sustainable intensification of agriculture and, importantly, are achievable through practical farm‐scale actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the weakness of discourses around food sovereignty in Southwest Asia and North Africa, and examines some older currents resembling the food sovereignty discourse. The author first historically situates the emergence of food sovereignty. He discusses agro-ecology - the ‘technics’ (or social embeddedness of technology) of food sovereignty - and its national-popular content, before then developing elements of the delinking paradigm. He goes on to discuss Tunisian national-popular and Third Worldist agronomists’ and economists’ efforts to develop technics and frameworks for food sovereignty in the 1970s and 1980s. The article compares the food sovereignty paradigm with auto-centred, self-reliant development proposals, and the proposals of the Tunisian economists and agronomists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article critically examines and analyzes place-based as well as network-based strategies of alternative development organizations that claim to be building sustainable social and solidarity economies (SSE) in the political context of neoliberal globalization. While the Indian state and market forces are actively promoting the neoliberal agri-food system, alternative development organizations are working with farmers to build the SSE based on the principles of democracy, inclusiveness, reciprocity, cooperativism, and socioecological sustainability. Using a case study approach, this article analyzes how SSE initiatives are aiming to reclaim control over the local agri-food sector. Specifically, this article examines how community development organizations mobilize farmers based on the principles of agro-ecology and the politics of seed and food sovereignties. This article uses the Center for Sustainable Agriculture, an alternative community development organization in south India, as a case study. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Earth is experiencing multiple global changes that will, together, determine the fate of many species. Yet, how biological communities respond to concurrent stressors at local-to-regional scales remains largely unknown. In particular, understanding how local habitat conversion interacts with regional climate change to shape patterns in β-diversity-differences among sites in their species compositions-is critical to forecast communities in the Anthropocene. Here, we study patterns in bird β-diversity across land-use and precipitation gradients in Costa Rica. We mapped forest cover, modeled regional precipitation, and collected data on bird community composition, vegetation structure, and tree diversity across 120 sites on 20 farms to answer three questions. First, do bird communities respond more strongly to changes in land use or climate in northwest Costa Rica? Second, does habitat conversion eliminate β-diversity across climate gradients? Third, does regional climate control how communities respond to habitat conversion and, if so, how? After correcting for imperfect detection, we found that local land-use determined community shifts along the climate gradient. In forests, bird communities were distinct between sites that differed in vegetation structure or precipitation. In agriculture, however, vegetation structure was more uniform, contributing to 7%-11% less bird turnover than in forests. In addition, bird responses to agriculture and climate were linked: agricultural communities across the precipitation gradient shared more species with dry than wet forest communities. These findings suggest that habitat conversion and anticipated climate drying will act together to exacerbate biotic homogenization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess how agroecology allows the integration of socio-economic activities in the rural area, addressing therefore a sustainable design for development. Methodology: published and current discussions about rural concept are addressed. From there, the definition of rural tourism is also examined. Results: An important result is the analysis about the usefulness of agroecology to engender endogenous and local development in rural areas in Quintana Roo, in which tangible and intangible heritage are integrated in current development. Limitations: A limitation of this proposal is that this design is ascribed to a specific context, thus it is replicable when similar circumstances are corroborated. Conclusions: The main conclusion refers an alternative design proposal for development, based on rural tourism but not emphasising in natural resources exclusively but instead incorporating the rural areas complexity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

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

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

Agriculture faces huge challenges regarding sustainable use of soils and its sustainability performance in general. There are three different approaches to sustainable agricultural production commonly proposed, namely intensification, agro-ecological approaches and high-tech industrial approaches. Often, some propose that only agro-ecological approaches are truly sustainable options, with particular benefits for soil protection, while others argue that intensification or high-tech performs better through land sparing. In this viewpoint, we scrutinize the notion of “sustainable agricultural production” and the role these approaches may play for such, in particular addressing the controversy of “naturalness” versus “artificiality” in production systems. Consumers often perceive agriculture as “natural”, but agriculture today thrives always on strong human intervention. We posit that agriculture is linked to soils and natural processes, but that this provides little guidance on what sustainable agriculture should be. Being “natural” need not be an aspect of being sustainable. If it is, arguments for this need to be provided. Furthermore, revealed consumer preferences may much less frequently posit being “natural” as a central criterion for food consumed than usually assumed. By all this, we do not want to promote any of those three approaches uncritically. We rather argue for enlarging the option space for sustainable agriculture in an unprejudiced way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]