scholarly journals A Tropical Perspective on Environmental Sustainability in Horticultural Education

2010 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 503-508 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kent D. Kobayashi ◽  
Theodore J.K. Radovich ◽  
Brooke E. Moreno
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Organic Food ◽  
Cocurricular Activities ◽  
Organic Farm ◽  
Tropical Plant ◽  
Food Crop Production ◽  
University Of Hawai'i ◽  
The University

Curricula in the Department of Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa were created and modified in the last few years to educate students on topics related to environmental sustainability. New programs included an Organic Food Crop Production course and the Sustainable and Organic Farm Training program. The courses Tropical Production Systems, Vegetable Crop Production, and Weed Science were modified to incorporate concepts of environmental sustainability. The new curricula and modified courses were designed to actively engage students and to promote self-learning through in-depth coverage of sustainable horticultural theory, a hands-on practicum, farm visits, and cocurricular activities. Students were exposed to a broad range of topics, including agroecology, urban agriculture, organic food production, marketing, aquaponics, and landscape ecology from a unique tropical perspective.

scholarly journals Valuing Cattle Manure as an Agricultural Resource for Efficiency and Environmental Sustainability

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (16) ◽  
pp. 9375
Author(s):  
Erich von Stroheim ◽  
Dana Loyd Keske Hoag
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Manure Management ◽  
Physical Factors ◽  
Farming Practices ◽  
Farmer Perceptions ◽  
Perceived Need ◽  
Beef Feedlots

Within a context of beef feedlots and feed-crop production systems, we surveyed farmers to identify their perceived monetary value for the manure they used or could have used. Value is contextual with respect to a number of socio-economic, environmental, regulatory, and physical factors, which influence farmer’s inclinations about how they manage manure. The most desirable manure management strategies are likely practiced by those who perceive its value highest, and, conversely, the least desirable manure management strategies are likely practiced by those who assign the lowest value to it. This study considered factors that affect or relate to farmer perceptions of manure’s value. Using quantile regression, we observed variations in how farmers perceived the value of manure, considering farm and farmer characteristics, farming practices, select preferences, and whether or not they used manure on their own cropland. For example, we found that livestock producers who grow feed for their own cattle value manure differently compared to crop producers who do not manage cattle, most likely due to perceived need. Added years of experience in farming lowered the farmer’s perception of manure’s value. Additionally, extra tillage required when using manure was seen by farmers not as a burden but rather as a benefit.

scholarly journals Growth of the Chromolaena odorata fallow vegetation in semi-permanent food crop production systems in south-west Cote d'Ivoire

1996 ◽  
Vol 44 (3) ◽  
pp. 179-192 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.J.P. Slaats ◽  
W.M. Van Der Heiden ◽  
C.M. Stockmann ◽  
M. Wessel ◽  
B.H. Janssen
Keyword(s):  
Crop Production ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Woody Species ◽  
Population Pressure ◽  
Biomass Composition ◽  
Annual Growth Rate ◽  
Food Crop ◽  
Chromolaena Odorata ◽  
Fallow Vegetation ◽  
Food Crop Production

Growing population pressure pushes farmers to use the young Chromolaena odorata fallow vegetation for food crop production. As a first step in defining appropriate management for such a fallow, the growth of this vegetation was studied by following changes in biomass, composition and nutrient content over time. The fallow vegetation rapidly covered the soil after crop harvest. Right from the start C. odorata was the dominant species, with an average annual growth rate of 8.7 t/ha. Standing biomass of the fallow vegetation reached a peak of 22 t/ha in the third year, while in subsequent years growth stagnated as a result of dieback of C. odorata. In the fifth year other woody species tended to succeed C. odorata as the main component of the fallow vegetation. In 5 yr the vegetation accumulated 130 kg N, 9 kg P and 160 kg K/ha. The results suggest that a fallow period of 3 yr is most appropriate when using this type of fallow vegetation in semi-permanent food crop production systems.

The Agrarian Question in Contemporary Zimbabwe

2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Toendepi Shonhe
Keyword(s):  
Capital Accumulation ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Job Creation ◽  
Food Crop ◽  
Contract Farming ◽  
Agrarian Question ◽  
Food Crop Production ◽  
The Government ◽  
Agrarian Transition ◽  
Depth Interviews

The reinvestment of rural agrarian surplus is driving capital accumulation in Zimbabwe's countryside, providing a scope to foster national (re-) industrialisation and job creation. Contrary to Bernstein's view, the Agrarian Question on capital remains unresolved in Southern Africa. Even though export finance, accessed through contract farming, provides an impetus for export cash crop production, and the government-mediated command agriculture supports food crop production, the reinvestment of proceeds from the sale of agricultural commodities is now driving capital accumulation. Drawing from empirical data, gathered through surveys and in-depth interviews from Hwedza district and Mvurwi farming area in Mazowe district in Zimbabwe, the findings of this study revealed the pre-eminence of the Agrarian Question, linked to an ongoing agrarian transition in Zimbabwe. This agrarian capital elaborates rural-urban interconnections and economic development, following two decades of de-industrialisation in Zimbabwe. 

Sustaining University-Community Partnerships in Indigenous Communities: Five Lessons from Papakōlea

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 35-63
Author(s):  
Robert Agres ◽  
Adrienne Dillard ◽  
Kamuela Joseph Nui Enos ◽  
Brent Kakesako ◽  
B. Puni Kekauoha ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Learning Community ◽  
Ways Of Knowing ◽  
Indigenous Communities ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Urban And Regional Planning ◽  
Culture Of Learning ◽  
Community Values ◽  
University Of Hawai'i ◽  
The University

This resource paper draws lessons from a twenty-year partnership between the Native Hawaiian community of Papakōlea, the Hawai‘i Alliance for Community-Based Economic Development, and the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Hawai‘i. Key players and co-authors describe five principles for sustained partnerships: (1) building partnerships based upon community values with potential for long-term commitments; (2) privileging indigenous ways of knowing; (3) creating a culture of learning together as a co-learning community; (4) fostering reciprocity and compassion in nurturing relationships; and (5) utilizing empowering methodologies and capacity-building strategies.

scholarly journals Semi-Transparent Organic Photovoltaics Applied as Greenhouse Shade for Spring and Summer Tomato Production in Arid Climate

Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 1152
Author(s):  
Rebekah Waller ◽  
Murat Kacira ◽  
Esther Magadley ◽  
Meir Teitel ◽  
Ibrahim Yehia
Keyword(s):  
Solar Radiation ◽  
Organic Photovoltaics ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
High Light ◽  
Growth And Yield ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Tomato Crop ◽  
Tomato Production ◽  
Control Section

Recognizing the growing interest in the application of organic photovoltaics (OPVs) with greenhouse crop production systems, in this study we used flexible, roll-to-roll printed, semi-transparent OPV arrays as a roof shade for a greenhouse hydroponic tomato production system during a spring and summer production season in the arid southwestern U.S. The wavelength-selective OPV arrays were installed in a contiguous area on a section of the greenhouse roof, decreasing the transmittance of all solar radiation wavelengths and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) wavelengths (400–700 nm) to the OPV-shaded area by approximately 40% and 37%, respectively. Microclimate conditions and tomato crop growth and yield parameters were measured in both the OPV-shaded (‘OPV’) and non-OPV-shaded (‘Control’) sections of the greenhouse. The OPV shade stabilized the canopy temperature during midday periods with the highest solar radiation intensities, performing the function of a conventional shading method. Although delayed fruit development and ripening in the OPV section resulted in lower total yields compared to the Control section (24.6 kg m−2 and 27.7 kg m−2, respectively), after the fourth (of 10 total) harvests, the average weekly yield, fruit number, and fruit mass were not significantly different between the treatment (OPV-shaded) and control group. Light use efficiency (LUE), defined as the ratio of total fruit yield to accumulated PAR received by the plant canopy, was nearly twice as high as the Control section, with 21.4 g of fruit per mole of PAR for plants in the OPV-covered section compared to 10.1 g in the Control section. Overall, this study demonstrated that the use of semi-transparent OPVs as a seasonal shade element for greenhouse production in a high-light region is feasible. However, a higher transmission of PAR and greater OPV device efficiency and durability could make OPV shades more economically viable, providing a desirable solution for co-located greenhouse crop production and renewable energy generation in hot and high-light intensity regions.

scholarly journals Precision agriculture and geospatial techniques for sustainable disease control

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel P. Roberts ◽  
Nicholas M. Short ◽  
James Sill ◽  
Dilip K. Lakshman ◽  
Xiaojia Hu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Big Data ◽  
Disease Control ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Plant Disease ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Data Driven ◽  
Agricultural Community ◽  
Plant Disease Control ◽  
Crop Germplasm

AbstractThe agricultural community is confronted with dual challenges; increasing production of nutritionally dense food and decreasing the impacts of these crop production systems on the land, water, and climate. Control of plant pathogens will figure prominently in meeting these challenges as plant diseases cause significant yield and economic losses to crops responsible for feeding a large portion of the world population. New approaches and technologies to enhance sustainability of crop production systems and, importantly, plant disease control need to be developed and adopted. By leveraging advanced geoinformatic techniques, advances in computing and sensing infrastructure (e.g., cloud-based, big data-driven applications) will aid in the monitoring and management of pesticides and biologicals, such as cover crops and beneficial microbes, to reduce the impact of plant disease control and cropping systems on the environment. This includes geospatial tools being developed to aid the farmer in managing cropping system and disease management strategies that are more sustainable but increasingly complex. Geoinformatics and cloud-based, big data-driven applications are also being enlisted to speed up crop germplasm improvement; crop germplasm that has enhanced tolerance to pathogens and abiotic stress and is in tune with different cropping systems and environmental conditions is needed. Finally, advanced geoinformatic techniques and advances in computing infrastructure allow a more collaborative framework amongst scientists, policymakers, and the agricultural community to speed the development, transfer, and adoption of these sustainable technologies.

Effects of cereal rye seeding rate on waterhemp (Amaranthus tuberculatus) emergence and soybean growth and yield

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-25
Author(s):  
Mandy Bish ◽  
Brian Dintelmann ◽  
Eric Oseland ◽  
Jacob Vaughn ◽  
Kevin Bradley
Keyword(s):  
Crop Production ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Soil Seed Bank ◽  
Linear Regression Analysis ◽  
Growth And Yield ◽  
Seeding Rate ◽  
Early Season ◽  
Cereal Rye ◽  
Herbicide Resistant ◽  
Growing Seasons

Abstract The evolution of herbicide-resistant weeds has resulted in the necessity to integrate non-chemical control methods with chemicals for effective management in crop production systems. In soybean, control of the pigweed species, particularly herbicide-resistant waterhemp and Palmer amaranth, have become predominant concerns. Cereal rye planted as a winter cover crop can effectively suppress early-season weed emergence in soybean, including waterhemp, when planted at a rate of 123 kg ha−1. The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of different cereal rye seeding rates (0, 34, 56, 79, 110, and 123 kg ha−1) on early-season waterhemp suppression and soybean growth and yield. Soybean was planted into fall-seeded cereal rye, which was terminated within four days of soybean planting. The experiment was conducted over the 2018, 2019, and 2020 growing seasons in Columbia, Missouri. Effects of cereal rye on early-season waterhemp suppression varied by year and were most consistent at 56 kg ha−1 or higher seeding rates. Linear regression analysis of cereal rye biomass, height, or stand at soybean planting showed inverse relationships with waterhemp emergence. No adverse effects to soybean growth or yield were observed at any of the cereal rye seeding rates relative to plots that lacked cereal rye cover. Result differences among the years suggest that the successfulness of cereal rye on suppression of early-season waterhemp emergence is likely influenced by the amount of waterhemp seed present in the soil seed bank.

scholarly journals Revisiting Sulphur—The Once Neglected Nutrient: It’s Roles in Plant Growth, Metabolism, Stress Tolerance and Crop Production

Agriculture ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 626
Author(s):  
Tinashe Zenda ◽  
Songtao Liu ◽  
Anyi Dong ◽  
Huijun Duan
Keyword(s):  
Plant Growth ◽  
Abiotic Stresses ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Plant Phenotyping ◽  
Special Importance ◽  
Nutrient Deficiencies ◽  
Sulphur Nutrition ◽  
Physiological Processes

Sulphur plays crucial roles in plant growth and development, with its functions ranging from being a structural constituent of macro-biomolecules to modulating several physiological processes and tolerance to abiotic stresses. In spite of these numerous sulphur roles being well acknowledged, agriculture has paid scant regard for sulphur nutrition, until only recently. Serious problems related to soil sulphur deficiencies have emerged and the intensification of food, fiber, and animal production is escalating to feed the ever-increasing human population. In the wake of huge demand for high quality cereal and vegetable diets, sulphur can play a key role in augmenting the production, productivity, and quality of crops. Additionally, in light of the emerging problems of soil fertility exhaustion and climate change-exacerbated environmental stresses, sulphur assumes special importance in crop production, particularly under intensively cropped areas. Here, citing several relevant examples, we highlight, in addition to its plant biological and metabolism functions, how sulphur can significantly enhance crop productivity and quality, as well as acclimation to abiotic stresses. By this appraisal, we also aim to stimulate readers interests in crop sulphur research by providing priorities for future pursuance, including bettering our understanding of the molecular processes and dynamics of sulphur availability and utilization in plants, dissecting the role of soil rhizospherical microbes in plant sulphur transformations, enhancing plant phenotyping and diagnosis for nutrient deficiencies, and matching site-specific crop sulphur demands with fertilizer amendments in order to reduce nutrient use inefficiencies in both crop and livestock production systems. This will facilitate the proper utilization of sulphur in crop production and eventually enhance sustainable and environmentally friend food production.

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