Limitations to pasture and sheep enterprises and options for improvement in the Victorian Mallee

2004 ◽  
Vol 44 (9) ◽  
pp. 841 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. M. Robertson ◽  
R. K. Wimalasuriya
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Pasture Management ◽  
Farm Productivity ◽  
Farm Profit ◽  
Increase Productivity ◽  
Sheep Production ◽  
On Farm

A survey of 29 sheep producers was conducted to benchmark current sheep production practices and producer attitudes to sheep and pasture management in the Victorian Mallee. This report describes the farming systems, defines current sheep management practices and identifies management issues that are limiting production. It also highlights limitations of adoption, suggests potential adoption rates of specific practices by producers, and estimates increases in productivity achievable. Sheep producers could achieve small gains in farm productivity (an estimated average 0.3% annually) by adopting sheep management practices including using superior genetics, reducing ram numbers and introducing supplementary feeding. Possible reasons why recommended practices have not been adopted are discussed. The difficulty of integrating sheep into current short cropping systems was considered to be a key limitation to the adoption of management that could substantially increase productivity, such as higher stocking rates and winter–spring lambing. Important benefits to both productivity and environmental sustainability may be achieved through the replacement of fallowed land with improved pastures. However, a lack of data on the feed base and sheep production in relation to a changing feed base made it impossible to estimate the size of these benefits. It was concluded that further research is needed to collect data and benchmark pasture and livestock enterprises to allow quantification of the potential impact on farm profit of changes to pasture and sheep management in this region.

Emerging microbiome technologies for sustainable increase in farm productivity and environmental security

2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brajesh K Singh ◽  
Pankaj Trivedi ◽  
Saurabh Singh ◽  
Catriona A Macdonald ◽  
Jay Prakash Verma
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Human Microbiome ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Plant Diseases ◽  
Farm Productivity ◽  
Agriculture Industry ◽  
Increase Productivity ◽  
Global Biogeochemical Cycles ◽  
Global Population

Farming systems are under pressure to sustainably increase productivity to meet demand for food and fibre for a growing global population under shrinking arable lands and changing climatic conditions. Furthermore, conventional farming has led to declines in soil fertility and, in some cases, inappropriate and excessive use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides has caused soil degradation, negatively impacting human and environmental health. The soil and plant microbiomes are significant determinants of plant fitness and productivity. Microbes are also the main drivers of global biogeochemical cycles and thus key to sustainable agriculture. There is increasing evidence that with development of appropriate technologies, the plant microbiome can be harnessed to potentially decrease the frequency of plant diseases, increase resource use efficiencies and ultimately enhance agricultural productivity, while simultaneously decreasing the input of chemical fertilisers and pesticides, resulting in reduced greenhouse gas emissions and promoting environmental sustainability. However, to successfully translate potential to practical outcomes, both fundamental and applied research are needed to overcome current constraints. Research efforts need to be embedded in industrial requirements and policy and social frameworks to expedite the process of innovation, commercialisation and adoption. We propose that learning from the advancement in the human microbiome can significantly expedite the discovery and innovation of effective microbial products for sustainable and productive farming. This article summarises the emergence of microbiome technologies for the agriculture industry and how to facilitate the development and adoption of environmentally friendly microbiome technologies for sustainable increase in farm productivity.

scholarly journals Bioactive Properties of Fruits and Leafy Vegetables Managed with Integrated, Organic, and Organic No-Tillage Practices in the Mediterranean Area: A Two-Year Rotation Experiment

Agronomy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 841 ◽  
Author(s):  
Costanza Ceccanti ◽  
Marco Landi ◽  
Daniele Antichi ◽  
Lucia Guidi ◽  
Luigi Manfrini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bioactive Compounds ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Cropping System ◽  
Conservation Agriculture ◽  
Leafy Vegetables ◽  
No Tillage ◽  
Cash Crops ◽  
Starting Point

The sustainability of current farming systems has been questioned in the last decades, especially in terms of the environmental impact and mitigation of global warming. Also, the organic sector, which is supposed to impact less on the environment than other more intensive systems, is looking for innovative solutions to improve its environmental sustainability. Promisingly, the integration of organic management practices with conservation agriculture techniques may help to increase environmental sustainability of food production. However, little is known about the possible impact of conservation agriculture on the content of bioactive compounds in cash crops. For this reason, a two-year rotation experiment used 7 cash crops (4 leafy vegetables and 3 fruit crops) to compare integrated (INT), organic farming (ORG), and organic no-tillage (ORG+) systems to evaluate the possible influence of cropping systems on the nutritional/nutraceutical values of the obtained fruits and leafy vegetables. The results pointed out specific responses based on the species as well as the year of cultivation. However, cultivation with the ORG+ cropping system resulted in effective obtainment of fruits and vegetables with higher levels of bioactive compounds in several cases (11 out 16 observations). The ORG+ cropping system results are particularly promising for leafy vegetable cultivation, especially when ORG+ is carried out on a multi-year basis. Aware that the obtained data should be consolidated with longer-term experiments, we conclude that this dataset may represent a good starting point to support conservation agriculture systems as a possible sustainable strategy to obtain products with higher levels of bioactive compounds.

Crop stubbles are as important for sheep production as annual pastures in the Victorian Mallee

2006 ◽  
Vol 46 (8) ◽  
pp. 993 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. M. Robertson
Keyword(s):  
Plant Density ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Simulation Modelling ◽  
Annual Rainfall ◽  
Pasture Management ◽  
Pasture Production ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Sheep Production ◽  
The Impact

The impact of different management strategies on production and profit can be evaluated with knowledge of how sheep production responds to changes in the available feed base and sheep or pasture management. This study aimed to quantify on-farm pasture and sheep production in mixed sheep and cropping systems in the Victorian Mallee of south-eastern Australia (325 ± 50 mm annual rainfall) as a prelude to computer simulation modelling. During 2001 (average rainfall) and 2002 (extreme drought) pasture production, the feed base and sheep production were monitored in 15 paddocks on 5 properties located across the region. Crop stubbles were the major source of feed for 6 months of the year, enabling ewes to maintain liveweight. There was more variation in pasture parameters between paddocks at the 1 location than between locations. The botanical composition, plant density, soil fertility and management were key variables associated with between-paddock variation in pasture production. Variation in pasture production between years was larger than within-year differences. In contrast, stocking rates were not much lower in the drought year of 2002 than in 2001. This study suggests there is potential for management to improve pasture production, and demonstrates the importance of feed sources other than annual pasture for sheep production in environments where the annual pasture growing season is short.

Using active fractions of soil organic matter as indicators of the sustainability of Ferrosol farming systems

Soil Research ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 279 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. J. Bell ◽  
P. W. Moody ◽  
S. A. Yo ◽  
R. D. Connolly
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Organic Matter ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Cropping System ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Total Carbon ◽  
Critical Concentrations ◽  
Aggregate Breakdown ◽  
Eastern Australia

Chemical and physical degradation of Red Ferrosols in eastern Australia is a major issue necessitating the development of more sustainable cropping systems. This paper derives critical concentrations of the active (permanganate-oxidisable) fraction of soil organic matter (C1) which maximise soil water recharge and minimise the likelihood of surface runoff in these soils. Ferrosol soils were collected from commercial properties in both north and south Queensland, while additional data were made available from a similar collection of Tasmanian Ferrosols. Sites represented a range of management histories, from grazed and ungrazed grass pastures to continuously cropped soil under various tillage systems. The concentration of both total carbon (C) and C1 varied among regions and farming systems. C1 was the primary factor controlling aggregate breakdown, measured by the percentage of aggregates <0·125 mm (P125) in the surface crust after simulated rainfall. The rates of change in P125 per unit change in C1 were not significantly different (P < 0·05) for soils from the different localities. However, soils from the coastal Burnett (south-east Queensland) always produced lower P125 (i.e. less aggregate breakdown) than did soils from the inland Burnett and north Queensland locations given the same concentration of C1. This difference was not associated with a particular land use. The ‘critical’ concentrations of C1 for each region were taken as the C1 concentrations that would allow an infiltration rate greater than or equal to the intensity of a 1 in 1 or 1 in 10 year frequency rainfall event of 30 min duration. This analysis also provided an indication of the risk associated with the concentrations of C1 currently characterising each farming system in each rainfall environment. None of the conventionally tilled Queensland Ferrosols contained sufficient C1 to cope with rainfall events expected to occur with a 1 in 10 frequency, while in many situations the C1 concentration was sufficiently low that runoff events would be expected on an annual basis. Our data suggest that management practices designed both to maximise C inputs and to maintain a high proportion of active C should be seen as essential steps towards developing a more sustainable cropping system.

Review: Redesigning Canadian prairie cropping systems for profitability, sustainability, and resilience

2015 ◽  
Vol 95 (6) ◽  
pp. 1049-1072 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanne R. Thiessen Martens ◽  
Martin H. Entz ◽  
Mark D. Wonneck
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Agroforestry Systems ◽  
Organic Production ◽  
Agricultural Systems ◽  
Canadian Prairie ◽  
Research Education

Thiessen Martens, J. R., Entz, M. H. and Wonneck, M. D. 2015. Review: Redesigning Canadian prairie cropping systems for profitability, sustainability, and resilience. Can. J. Plant Sci. 95: 1049–1072. Redesign of agricultural systems according to ecological principles has been proposed for the development of sustainable systems. We review a wide variety of ecologically based crop production practices, including crop varieties and genetic diversity, crop selection and rotation, cover crops, annual polyculture, perennial forages, perennial grains, agroforestry systems, reducing tillage, use of animal manures and green manures, soil biological fertility, organic production systems, integrated crop–livestock systems, and purposeful design of farm landscapes (farmscaping), and discuss their potential role in enhancing the profitability, environmental sustainability, and resilience of Canadian prairie cropping systems. Farming systems that most closely mimic natural systems through appropriate integration of diverse components, within a context of supportive social and economic structures, appear to offer the greatest potential benefits, while creating a framework in which to place all other farming practices. Our understanding of ecological relationships within agricultural systems is currently lacking, and a major shift in research, education, and policy will be required to purposefully and proactively redesign Canadian prairie agricultural systems for long-term sustainability.

DIVERSITY IN SMALLHOLDER CITRUS ORCHARDS AND CULTIVATION BOTTLENECKS: RESEARCH AVENUES FOR IMPROVED PRODUCTION IN BENIN, WEST AFRICA

2017 ◽  
Vol 54 (5) ◽  
pp. 641-654 ◽  
Author(s):  
FÉLICIEN AKOHOUE ◽  
ALCADE C. SEGNON ◽  
ENOCH G. ACHIGAN-DAKO
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Hierarchical Cluster ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Mixed Data ◽  
Strategic Decisions ◽  
Citrus Production ◽  
Citrus Orchards ◽  
Citrus Farming

SUMMARYDespite tremendous efforts made in agricultural sectors in sub-Saharan Africa in the last two decades, fruits production and consumption to reduce malnutrition and chronic diseases remain low and have received less attention. Moreover, our knowledge of the current production situation and options for improvement are still limited. In this study, we investigated citrus farming systems and production bottlenecks to identify leverage points for intensification of smallholder citrus farming systems in Benin. We provided a typology of citrus orchards based on 17 quantitative and qualitative variables using Factor Analysis of Mixed Data combined with Hierarchical Cluster Analysis. The typology revealed four categories of citrus farms based on biophysical resources, socioeconomic resources and system management practices. Categories 1 and 2 included farms characterised by less diversified cropping systems with non-recommended management practices. Orchard categories 3 and 4 included farms with high varietal diversity and improved management practices. However, farmers of category 4 neglected staking and digging practices. The inadequate farming practices explained some of the production bottlenecks, which were orchard-type dependent. We discussed the implications of our findings and suggested a number of policy and strategic decisions as well as research and development actions for improving citrus production in Benin.

Multivariate classification of farming systems for use in integrated pest management studies

1999 ◽  
Vol 79 (4) ◽  
pp. 647-654 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Y. Leeson ◽  
J. W. Sheard ◽  
A. G. Thomas
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Minimum Variance ◽  
Farm Management ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Multivariate Techniques ◽  
Organic Systems ◽  
On Farm ◽  
The Impact

On-farm studies provide a realistic setting to examine the impact of interactions of management practices on weed communities within various farming systems. Clustering farm units into groups that use similar management practices enables the replication of farm management systems within on-farm studies. The goal of this study is to objectively classify farm units into management systems on the basis of quantitative variables describing aspects of cropping history and chemical input levels using multivariate techniques. Twenty-eight Saskatchewan farmers provided details of their management practices from 1990 to 1997 through a series of questionnaires. Twelve variables derived from the questionnaires were used to describe cropping history, pesticide, tillage and fertilizer use on each farm unit. These variables were used to cluster farm units using minimum variance classification and NMS ordination. Both techniques identified seven farm management systems. The greatest differences were observed between organic and non-organic systems. Farm management systems that used annual fallow and continuous annual cropping histories were most similar. The consistent results obtained by use of the two unrelated methodologies indicate the utility of this approach for the classification of farm management systems. Key words: Farm management system, classification, cropping history, chemical input level, on-farm

ON-FARM EXPERIMENTS ON INTEGRATED NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT IN RICE-WHEAT CROPPING SYSTEMS

2001 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 99-113 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. L. YADAV
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Nutrient Management ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Uttar Pradesh ◽  
Available Phosphorus ◽  
Organic C ◽  
High Productivity ◽  
Net Returns ◽  
Long Term Experiment ◽  
On Farm

On-farm experiments were conducted between 1990–91 and 1996–97 in the Indian districts of Jalandhar (Punjab) and Ghazipur (Uttar Pradesh), on rice-wheat cropping systems. The aim was to compare yields and net returns from three treatments: (i) farmers' nutrient management practices; (ii) integrated use of organic manures and fertilizer; and (iii) NPK fertilizer inputs alone. Productivity of the rice-wheat systems, in terms of grain yield per unit area, was greater in Jalandhar district than in Ghazipur district. In Jalandhar, a high productivity zone, greatest yields were achieved with integrated use of green manure and fertilizer NPK inputs, while in Ghazipur, a low productivity zone, yields were highest with inputs of fertilizer NPK alone. Increases in yield due to these improved practices, over farmers' practice, were 6.98% in Jalandhar and 46.6% in Ghazipur. At both locations, net returns were greater with the use of fertilizer NPK alone. However, benefits from NPK alone over farmers' practice were 6.96% in Jalandhar and 79.6% in Ghazipur. After 11 years of a long-term experiment, at Ludhiana (Punjab) and Faizabad (Uttar Pradesh) soil organic-C and available phosphorus contents have increased, and available potassium content decreased compared with the initial levels.

scholarly journals The Assessment of Housing Conditions, Management, Animal-Based Measure of Dairy Goats’ Welfare and Its Association with Productive and Reproductive Traits

Animals ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 893
Author(s):  
Francesco Tiezzi ◽  
Laura Tomassone ◽  
Gilberto Mancin ◽  
Paolo Cornale ◽  
Martina Tarantola
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Reproductive Traits ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Housing Conditions ◽  
Dairy Goats ◽  
Assessment Protocol ◽  
Intensive Farming ◽  
Animal Resources ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
On Farm

The aim of the study was to evaluate the welfare of dairy goats of 32 farms located in Northwestern Italy, applying an on-farm assessment protocol, centered on animal-, resources- and management-based measures. The farms were classified as ‘intensive’ or ‘semi-intensive’ according to access to pasture. During each on-farm visit, a checklist was compiled, based on specific scores for housing and management conditions, and animals’ nutritional status, health, and behavior. Finally, the possible association between welfare measures and productive and reproductive traits was assessed. Overall, we observed an adequate level of animal wellbeing both in intensive and semi-intensive farming systems. This is possible thanks to the increased knowledge on goat breeding characteristics, and to the fact that veterinarians and farmers understood the importance of welfare protection to achieve a better health. Higher milk production was associated to some management practices (presence of the owner on the farm, high frequency of bedding change), and to seasonal breeding (which was mainly performed in the intensive farming). Moreover, it was associated to a quantity of urea in the milk comprised between 33 and 44 mg/dL. In intensive farms, the prevalence of caseous lymphadenitis was significantly higher compared to non-intensive farms. The semi-intensive breeding system positively influences the animals’ behavior.

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