scholarly journals Farmers’ Perceptions of Tree Shelterbelts on Agricultural Land in Rural Kyrgyzstan

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 1093 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Ruppert ◽  
Martin Welp ◽  
Michael Spies ◽  
Niels Thevs
Keyword(s):  
Crop Production ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Agroforestry Systems ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Sustainable Land Use ◽  
Main Concern ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Trade Offs

The reestablishment of agroforestry systems in Central Asia, combining crop production with protective tree shelterbelts, provides significant potential to improve farming systems. This includes increasing crop yields, additional income from timber, as well as reducing soil degradation and wind erosion. Thus, adopting shelterbelts as a form of pro-environmental behavior provides a number of socio-economic benefits, although some trade-offs need to be considered as well. This paper investigates factors that shape the perception of—and attitude towards—the establishment of tree shelterbelts by farmers in two case study regions in Kyrgyzstan. Applying a conceptual framework distinguishing between extrinsic and intrinsic factors, research methods included semi-structured interviews with farmers and local policy makers. The results show spatial differences in the perception of shelterbelts, both on the regional and on the village scale. In general, shelterbelts were negatively perceived by more than half of the farmers. The main concern raised by farmers was the shading of crops by shelterbelts, resulting in a decrease of yield. In addition, small field sizes and potential conflicts with neighbors were key concerns. Furthermore, rules set by local self-government bodies were inconsistent with the legislative framework, posing significant restrictions to the adoption of sustainable land use practices.

Feasibility and sustainability of agroforestry in temperate industrialized agriculture: preliminary insights from California

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (5) ◽  
pp. 513-521
Author(s):  
Sonja B. Brodt ◽  
Nina M. Fontana ◽  
Leigh F. Archer
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Systems Design ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Agroforestry Systems ◽  
Economic Feasibility ◽  
Production Costs ◽  
Ecological Intensification ◽  
Trade Offs

AbstractIntensive use of external inputs in specialized industrial farming systems has created significant socio-ecological externalities, including water and air pollution from nutrients and pesticides, soil erosion and depletion of carbon stocks, biodiversity loss and rising production costs. Ecological intensification is a strategy for reducing reliance on inputs by intentionally designing agroecosystems to harness biological processes and ecological relationships for the sustainable functioning of the system. Incorporating perennials and diversifying systems are two avenues for achieving ecological intensification, and both are characteristics of agroforestry. This preliminary report uses examples of agroforestry in the US state of California as a proof of concept to explore the agronomic and economic feasibility and sustainability benefits of agroforestry in intensive irrigated and temperate farming systems. An exploratory study of farmers experimenting with agroforestry systems and other agricultural professionals identified eight different variants of agroforestry systems being practiced on prime agricultural land in California, ranging from simple use of winter cover crops in orchards to multi-storied cropping systems with integrated grazing. Respondents noted benefits of reduced inputs and production costs, and better nutrient cycling, soil health and pest control. Trade-offs and challenges included increases in labor requirements and management complexity. Knowledge gaps included lack of guidance in biophysical systems design, lack of clarity about economic tradeoffs, and lack of information about ecosystem services benefits. In light of interviewees’ responses, we discuss the constraints and factors needed to foster the successful expansion of agroforestry systems in California and other regions characterized by industrialized farming.

scholarly journals Economics of Stony Land Reclamation for Crop Production in South-Western Quebec

1986 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 108-116
Author(s):  
Randolph Seecharan ◽  
Kisan Gunjal ◽  
Gerard Millette
Keyword(s):  
Crop Production ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Land Reclamation ◽  
Programming Model ◽  
Parametric Programming ◽  
Economic Feasibility ◽  
Market Prices ◽  
Market Values ◽  
Representative Farms

Linear programming model is used to investigate the economic feasibility of utilizing stony lands for crop production in South-Western Quebec where stoniness is the major constraint. Results for the representative farms indicate that income variations are due to economies of size, differences in crop yields (experimental or farm level) and type of reclamation method used. The market values for stony lands (determined by regression technique) are higher compared with the productive values. Analysis also indicates that crop production is feasible within the parameters defined and that it is more economical to develop unutilized stony land rather than purchase prime agricultural land at current market prices. Parametric programming procedures indicate that the solutions are more sensitive to crop yields and prices than reclamation costs.

Soil, water and crop management practices in the dryland farming regions of Turkey

1997 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 130-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Sefik Yesilsoy ◽  
Sabit Ersahin
Keyword(s):  
Crop Production ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Unit Area ◽  
Plant Protection ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Total Production ◽  
Production Methods ◽  
Main Production ◽  
High Yielding Varieties

AbstractTurkey is experiencing pressure to increase crop production per unit area to achieve self-reliance in food supply. The main production concern before 1970 was to increase crop yields to meet the national consumption of an ever-increasing population. During this time the country's capability to produce wheat was insufficient to meet the national demand. After the initiation of the National Wheat Research and Extension Project in 1969 the objectives of wheat production methods were changed to achieve not only higher but more economical yields per unit area. As a result the total area sown to wheat increased by only 9% between 1969 and 1990, whereas yields and total production increased 75 and 90%, respectively. This was due to developing or importing high-yielding varieties adapted to dry areas, increasing use of fertilizers and plant protection chemicals, and timely use of proper tillage made possible with modem equipment. Transferring research results to farmers and exchanging information with international scientists led Turkish scientists to establish the new goal of developing ecologically sound farming systems that could achieve higher, more economical yields per unit area. The key to this approach is to maintain or increase soil organic matter.

Contribution of livestock farming systems to the nitrogen cascade and consequences for farming regions

2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (s1) ◽  
pp. 8-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Cellier ◽  
P. Rochette ◽  
P. Durand ◽  
P. Faverdin ◽  
P. J. Kuikman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Crop Production ◽  
Western Europe ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Livestock Farming ◽  
Livestock Farming Systems ◽  
Animal Density ◽  
Animal Excreta ◽  
Nitrogen Flows

This article describes the nitrogen flows in the environment and points to the specificities of the livestock production. Till the beginning of the 20th century, the symbiotic fixation and the recycling of animal excreta supplied the nitrogen necessary for the fertility of soil. In 1913, the Haber-Bosch process allowed the industrial synthesis of ammonia and made possible the fertilisation without association of crop production with the livestock farming. The efficiency of the nitrogen in livestock farming is low with nearly half or more of the inputs losses to the environment. These losses have diverse impacts that intervene at various spatial scales owing to the nitrogen cascade. Quantitative assessment of nitrogen flows at the scale of regions started in the early 1980s in Western Europe and North America. These studies provided estimates of the spatial variability of nitrogen discharge within a region. They confirmed the differences between areas with a high animal density such as Brittany (western region, France) and other regions. It was also found that the same nitrogenous losses could lead to different levels of environmental impacts according to the sensibility of a given environment and its capacity to cope with nitrogen excess. Climate, soils characteristics, animal density, and proportions of agricultural land under annual and perennial crops are drivers of this sensibility.

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.

scholarly journals Trade-offs between crop-related (physical and virtual) water flows and the associated economic benefits and values: a case study of the Yellow River Basin

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pute Wu ◽  
La Zhuo ◽  
Guoping Zhang ◽  
Mesfin M. Mekonnen ◽  
Arjen Y. Hoekstra ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Crop Production ◽  
Yellow River ◽  
Virtual Water ◽  
Yellow River Basin ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Economic Returns ◽  
Water Flows ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Net Benefits ◽  
The Yellow River Basin

Abstract. Water issues in many river basins associated with droughts, water over-exploitation and pollution are increasingly being driven by remote pressures through intensified virtual water (VW) flows. However, little attention has been paid to the internal trade-offs between the (physical and virtual) water flows and the associated economic benefits and incomes that the water generated. Here we estimate the concomitant reversed flows of economic benefits and values to the physical and VW flows in crop production and consumption at a basin level, by taking the Yellow River Basin (YRB) in both current three typical years (2003, 2004, and 2006, which were dry, average, and wet, respectively) and possible four scenarios for 2050 under climate-socio-economic changes as the study case. An algorithm for estimation of the economic net benefits of green and blue water use for crop production based on the water footprint (WF) accounting is developed. Results show that the net benefit of blue water (irrigation) was 13–42 % lower than that of green water used in irrigated croplands in the basin. Cropping pattern has defined the spatial heterogeneity in the levels of net benefits of water used for crops within the YRB. Provinces located in the relatively drier upper and middle reaches had high irrigation withdrawal rates while a low economic return to farmers because of growing relatively cheap crops. The YRB got increasingly net income due to exports of wheat, cotton and apples even though as a crop-related net VW importer associated to the intra-national trades. Considered scenarios for 2050 suggested that the economic returns of crop-related physical and VW flows were more sensitive than the quantity levels of corresponding water flows. This study implies the importance of managing the internal trade-offs or mutual effects between the water resources consumption and economic returns, in order to get a win-win situation in maximizing both the water use efficiency and economic productivities per drop of water flows.

scholarly journals Assessment of agricultural business activities and its contribution to the formation of food security of the country

2021 ◽  
Vol 937 (3) ◽  
pp. 032081
Author(s):  
Vladimir Fedorov ◽  
Oleg Bunchikov ◽  
Evgeniya Kapelist
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Production ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Import Substitution ◽  
Livestock Production ◽  
Positive Trend ◽  
New Varieties ◽  
Agricultural Business ◽  
Crop And Livestock Production

Abstract The article examines the issues of agricultural production by the agrarians of the Russian Federation in the context of import substitution and their contribution to the formation of food independence in the region. The dynamics of agricultural production in such sectors as crop and livestock production has been analyzed. In recent years, thanks to new innovative technologies in crop production, there has been a positive trend towards an increase in gross harvest, as well as an increase in crop yields. So, in particular, for more than thirty years of the analyzed period of time, gross agricultural production increased by 6110.4 billion rubles, and in the sectors crop and livestock production there was an increase in production by 3276.8 billion rubles. and by 2833.8 billion rubles. These indicators were influenced by such innovative developments in crop production as binary crops, new varieties of agricultural crops, as well as a significant increase in the use of fertilizers on agricultural land.

scholarly journals Soil Conservation or Commodity Programs: Trade Offs During the Transition to Dryland Crop Production

1991 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 203-211 ◽  
Author(s):  
John G. Lee ◽  
Ronald D. Lacewell ◽  
James W. Richardson
Keyword(s):  
Crop Production ◽  
Wind Erosion ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
High Plains ◽  
Program Participation ◽  
Erosion Rates ◽  
Net Returns ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Commodity Programs ◽  
Farm Program

AbstractPredicted crop yields and wind erosion rates from a multi-year/multi-crop growth simulation model provided input into a multi-period recursive QP model to evaluate erosion implications during the transition to dryland crop production on the Texas Southern High Plains. Three farm-program participation options were considered in this study. Participation in an extension of the current farm program resulted in an increase in net returns and wind erosion rates above nonparticipation. Imposition of a soil loss limit without consideration of a flexible base option can significantly reduce discounted present values. Increasing risk aversion across producers affects crop mix selection which can result in lower per acre wind erosion rates for this particular region.

scholarly journals Co-producing climate policy and negative emissions: trade-offs for sustainable land-use

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kate Dooley ◽  
Peter Christoff ◽  
Kimberly A. Nicholas
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Paris Agreement ◽  
Sustainable Land Use ◽  
Science And Policy ◽  
Environmental Consequences ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Net Zero ◽  
Negative Emissions ◽  
Natural Land

Non-technical summaryUnder the Paris Agreement, nations have committed to preventing dangerous global warming. Scenarios for achieving net-zero emissions in the second half of this century depend on land (forests and bioenergy) to remove carbon from the atmosphere. Modelled levels of land-based mitigation could reduce the availability of productive agricultural land, and encroach on natural land, with potentially significant social and environmental consequences. However, these issues are poorly recognized in the policy-uptake of modelled outputs. Understanding how science and policy interact to produce expectations about mitigation pathways allows us to consider the trade-offs inherent in relying on land for mitigation.

MIXED FARMING SYSTEMS IN TRANSITION: THE CASE OF FIVE VILLAGES ALONG A RAINFALL GRADIENT IN NORTH-WEST SYRIA

2003 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 109-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. RISCHKOWSKY ◽  
E. F. THOMSON ◽  
R. SHNAYIEN ◽  
J. M. KING
Keyword(s):  
Crop Production ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
National Policy ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Farm Income ◽  
Forage Crops ◽  
Rainfall Gradient ◽  
North West ◽  
Mixed Farming ◽  
The Many

The changes taking place in the mixed farming systems of northwest Syria were examined by re-visiting, in 1996 and 2000, five villages along a rainfall gradient. The villages had been surveyed first in 1977–79. In those villages with moderate rainfall, intensification of crop production, namely a trend towards cereal monoculture and the planting of tree crops, did not lead to specialization in cropping at the expense of sheep ownership. In contrast, households in the areas too dry for most rainfed crops except barley (Hordeum vulgare) were more likely to sell their sheep because they depended heavily on off-farm income. Increases in crop yields were found but these only benefited the families in villages in the higher rainfall zones. Conversely, with the exception of ewe fertility, there was little evidence of improvements in sheep productivity. The mixed farming systems in the five villages sampled are still passing through a period of transition, and the cropping component will undoubtedly continue to change. This is less likely to happen to the small ruminant component in the near future unless the sector is given higher priority in national policy. As a strategy to increase feed production and balance the crop rotations, the prospects for closer crop/livestock integration at the farm level are limited by the many difficulties associated with the introduction of leguminous pasture and forage crops.

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