Farm’s Sequence of Adoption of Information-intensive Precision Agricultural Technology

2017 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 521-527 ◽  
Author(s):  
Terry W. Griffin ◽  
Noah J. Miller ◽  
Jason Bergtold ◽  
Aleksan Shanoyan ◽  
Ajay Sharda ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Precision Agriculture ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Transition Probability ◽  
Soil Sampling ◽  
Agricultural Technology ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Variable Rate ◽  
Yield Monitor ◽  
Financial Variables ◽  
Time Period

Abstract. Precision agriculture (PA) has been commercially available for decades, however only specific technologies have been readily adopted. The overall goal of this study was to provide information of the historical changes (from 2000 to 2016), current status of PA utilization, and sales expectations in the next time period. Within this overarching objective, specific goals included 1) determining the specific technologies that farmers adopt and 2) estimating the probability of transitioning from one bundle of PA technologies to another. The three information-intensive technologies included: 1) yield monitor (YM) with or without GNSS 2) variable rate (VR) application of inputs, and 3) precision soil sampling (PSS). Combinations of these three technologies in addition to a possible “no technology adopted” response resulted in eight categories of PA technology bundles. Each year, farms were classified as having one of these eight possible bundles of PA technology. Adoption of PA technologies has increased over time, with the use of only YMs and the bundle of all three PA technologies (YM, PSS, and VR) as the two primary bundles being adopted. When only VR was adopted, there was a 47% probability that the farm would add a YM by next year. When a farm used YM, VR, and PSS, there was a 99% probability that a farm would continue using the bundle in the following year. The results are useful for farmers, extension professionals, and policymakers to understand prior adoption paths for bundles of PA technology. Future steps can connect this database on adoption of PA technology with farm meta-descriptors such as acreage, type of crop, rotation, other relevant management practices, and financial variables so to better understand how farmers are integrating technologies into their farming operations. Keywords: Adoption, Information-intensive, Markov chain, Precision agriculture, Sequential, Site specific, Soil sampling, Transition probability, Variable rate, Yield monitor.

scholarly journals Precision Agriculture for Resource Use Efficiency in Smallholder Farming Systems in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 1158
Author(s):  
Cecilia M. Onyango ◽  
Justine M. Nyaga ◽  
Johanna Wetterlind ◽  
Mats Söderström ◽  
Kristin Piikki
Keyword(s):  
Resource Use ◽  
Precision Agriculture ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
English Language ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Smallholder Farming ◽  
Sub Saharan

Opportunities exist for adoption of precision agriculture technologies in all parts of the world. The form of precision agriculture may vary from region to region depending on technologies available, knowledge levels and mindsets. The current review examined research articles in the English language on precision agriculture practices for increased productivity among smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa. A total of 7715 articles were retrieved and after screening 128 were reviewed. The results indicate that a number of precision agriculture technologies have been tested under SSA conditions and show promising results. The most promising precision agriculture technologies identified were the use of soil and plant sensors for nutrient and water management, as well as use of satellite imagery, GIS and crop-soil simulation models for site-specific management. These technologies have been shown to be crucial in attainment of appropriate management strategies in terms of efficiency and effectiveness of resource use in SSA. These technologies are important in supporting sustainable agricultural development. Most of these technologies are, however, at the experimental stage, with only South Africa having applied them mainly in large-scale commercial farms. It is concluded that increased precision in input and management practices among SSA smallholder farmers can significantly improve productivity even without extra use of inputs.

Risk assessment of waterborne protozoa: current status and future trends

Parasitology ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 117 (7) ◽  
pp. 205-212 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. J. GIBSON ◽  
C. N. HAAS ◽  
J. B. ROSE
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Assessment Methods ◽  
Detection Methods ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Microbial Risk Assessment ◽  
Microbial Risk ◽  
Chemical Risk Assessment ◽  
Low Levels

Throughout the past decade much research has been directed towards identifying the occurrence, epidemiology, and risks associated with waterborne protozoa. While outbreaks are continually documented, sporadic cases of disease associated with exposure to low levels of waterborne protozoa are of increasing concern. Current methodologies may not be sensitive enough to define these low levels of disease. However, risk assessment methods may be utilised to address these low level contamination events. The purpose of this article is to provide an introduction to microbial risk assessment for waterborne protozoa. Risk assessment is a useful tool for evaluating relative risks and can be used for development of policies to decrease risks. Numerous studies have been published on risk assessment methods for pathogenic protozoa including Cryptosporidium and Giardia. One common notion prevails: microbial risk assessment presents interesting complications to the traditional chemical risk assessment paradigm. Single microbial exposures (non-threshold) are capable of causing symptomatic illness unlike traditional chemical exposures, which require a threshold to be reached. Due to the lack of efficient recovery and detection methods for protozoa, we may be underestimating the occurrence, concentration and distribution of these pathogenic micro-organisms. To better utilize the tool of microbial risk assessment for risk management practices, future research should focus in the area of exposure assessment.

scholarly journals A Path Model of the Intention to Adopt Variable Rate Irrigation in Northeast Italy

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 1879
Author(s):  
Maurizio Canavari ◽  
Marco Medici ◽  
Rungsaran Wongprawmas ◽  
Vilma Xhakollari ◽  
Silvia Russo
Keyword(s):  
Technology Acceptance ◽  
Precision Agriculture ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Perceived Usefulness ◽  
Path Model ◽  
Irrigated Agriculture ◽  
Variable Rate ◽  
Intention To Adopt ◽  
Factors Influencing ◽  
Variable Rate Irrigation

Irrigated agriculture determines large blue water withdrawals, and it is considered a key intervention area to reach sustainable development objectives. Precision agriculture technologies have the potential to mitigate water resource depletion that often characterises conventional agricultural approaches. This study investigates the factors influencing farmers’ intentions to adopt variable rate irrigation (VRI) technology. The Technology Acceptance Model 3 (TAM-3) was employed as a theoretical framework to design a survey to identify the factors influencing farmers’ decision-making process when adopting VRI. Data were gathered through quantitative face-to-face interviews with a sample of 138 fruit and grapevine producers from the Northeast of Italy (Veneto, Emilia-Romagna, Trentino-Alto Adige, Friuli-Venezia Giulia). Data were analysed using partial least squares path modelling (PLS-PM). The results highlight that personal attitudes, such as perceived usefulness and subjective norm, positively influence the intention to adopt VRI. Additionally, the perceived ease of use positively affects intention, but it is moderated by subject experience.

scholarly journals Applying Nitrogen Site-Specifically Using Soil Electrical Conductivity Maps and Precision Agriculture Technology

2001 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 767-776 ◽  
Author(s):  
E.D. Lund ◽  
M.C. Wolcott ◽  
G.P. Hanson
Keyword(s):  
Electrical Conductivity ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Crop Yield ◽  
Soil Texture ◽  
Precision Agriculture ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
N Availability ◽  
Soil Electrical Conductivity ◽  
Variable Yield ◽  
Wide Range

Soil texture varies significantly within many agricultural fields. The physical properties of soil, such as soil texture, have a direct effect on water holding capacity, cation exchange capacity, crop yield, production capability, and nitrogen (N) loss variations within a field. In short, mobile nutrients are used, lost, and stored differently as soil textures vary. A uniform application of N to varying soils results in a wide range of N availability to the crop. N applied in excess of crop usage results in a waste of the grower’s input expense, a potential negative effect on the environment, and in some crops a reduction of crop quality, yield, and harvestability. Inadequate N levels represent a lost opportunity for crop yield and profit. The global positioning system (GPS)-referenced mapping of bulk soil electrical conductivity (EC) has been shown to serve as an effective proxy for soil texture and other soil properties. Soils with a high clay content conduct more electricity than coarser textured soils, which results in higher EC values. This paper will describe the EC mapping process and provide case studies of site-specific N applications based on EC maps. Results of these case studies suggest that N can be managed site-specifically using a variety of management practices, including soil sampling, variable yield goals, and cropping history.

scholarly journals Developments in the production of economics PhDs at four research-intensive universities in South Africa

2017 ◽  
Vol Volume 113 (Number 3/4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Phillip de Jager ◽  
Liezel Frick ◽  
Pieter van der Spuy ◽  
◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Doctoral Education ◽  
Academic Departments ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Pedagogical Practice ◽  
Data Set ◽  
International Trends ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Notable Increase

Abstract There is a national drive to increase PhD production, yet we know little about how this imperative takes shape within different disciplines. We therefore set out to explore recent developments and the current status of the PhD in economics at four South African research-intensive universities. A data set of all economics PhDs produced in these commerce faculties during the period 2008–2014 was analysed to determine whether the departments of economics responded to the call for increased doctoral production, and the role the PhD by publication might have played in the process. How an increase in quantity might influence doctoral education in the respective academic departments was also considered by supplementing the quantitative data with perspectives from heads of department at the four institutions. The notable increase in doctoral production over the time period studied shows that national and international trends have influenced doctoral education in economics departments within South African research-intensive universities. Increased usage of the PhD by publication has implications for policy and pedagogical practice within these departments, especially as there seems to be limited available supervisory capacity. Other changes in departmental practices, such as the entrenchment of a research culture and the promotion of collaborative research amongst students and staff, also contributed to maintain quality in doctoral education.

Temporal changes in an alligator snapping turtle (Macrochelys temminckii) population

2013 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 77 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mitchell B. East ◽  
J. Daren Riedle ◽  
Day B. Ligon
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Unknown Origin ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Macrochelys Temminckii ◽  
The Status ◽  
Management Recommendations ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Term Monitoring ◽  
Term Data

Context Monitoring populations of long-lived species requires continuous long-term efforts. This is especially applicable for species that have experienced declines range-wide. Aims Our study assessed the current status of a population of wild Macrochelys temminckii and compared the present results to those from a survey conducted nearly a decade ago. Methods Trapping in 2010–2011 was conducted on two creeks within the refuge, during the months of May–July. Capture data were compared with data collected by similar methods in 1997–2001. Key results The population structure of M. temminckii was dominated by juveniles, with few large adults or small juveniles detected and a missing size class was evident. Retrospective analysis of 1997–2001 data revealed that the population was likely to be in decline even then, despite high capture rates. Conclusions The M. temminckii population showed significant declines that indicated that the population had experienced stressors of unknown origin. The status of M. temminckii at the refuge is concerning, given the protection afforded this remnant population. Implications Short-term data from 1997–2001 indicated a healthy M. temminckii population, whereas longer-term data showed that the population has declined, resulting in significant demographic changes. Continued monitoring will be necessary to develop management recommendations and track the impact of implemented management practices. Longer-term monitoring of long-lived vertebrates is required to identify population trends.

scholarly journals Review of existing energy management standards and possibilities for its introduction in Serbia

2010 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 613-623 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dubravka Jelic ◽  
Dusan Gordic ◽  
Milun Babic ◽  
Davor Koncalovic ◽  
Vanja Sustersic
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Energy Management ◽  
Energy Efficient ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Management Standards ◽  
Current State

Until recent times, energy management practices primarily consisted in replacing inefficient equipment and then using any number of methods to estimate obtained savings. Experience shows that positive effects of energy efficient improvements were decreased over time. There have been significant efforts over the last decade to define appropriate standards and best practices and implement the consistent energy management system to increase and maintain the energy savings. The knowledge gained from thousands of energy efficient projects is driving a transition from traditional tactical practice (one-time "build and forget" projects) to energy management strategies proposed and endorsed by a number of international organizations. The current status of internationally developed energy management standards, including an analysis of their shared features and differences is presented in this paper. The purpose of the analysis is to describe the current state of ?best practices? for this emerging area of energy efficiency policymaking in order to study the possibility of implementation of energy management standards in Serbia and to estimate the effects and the potential for energy saving that would be made by its implementation.

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