scholarly journals Diversity and Resilience to Socio-Ecological Changes of Smallholder Lagune Cattle Farming Systems of Benin

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (18) ◽  
pp. 7616
Author(s):  
Maurice Cossi Ahozonlin ◽  
Luc Hippolyte Dossa
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Ecological Zones ◽  
Ecological Changes ◽  
Farm Types

The indigenous smallholder Lagune breed and the production systems in which it is embedded in Southern Benin have received very little research or policy attention. Consequently, very little information exists on the diversity of these production systems or on their capacity to adapt to ongoing socio-economic and environmental changes. This study aimed to explore and characterize the diversity of Lagune cattle production systems along with farmers’ local knowledge and resilience strategies. A questionnaire was administered to 417 Lagune cattle farmers across two agro-ecological zones: Ouémé Valley (OVZ) and Pobe (PZ). It included, inter alia, questions related to households’ socio-economic conditions, their cattle herd characteristics, and management practices. Categorical principal component analysis and the two-step clustering method were used to classify the production systems which were then compared using the chi-square and ANOVA procedures. Four distinct farm types were identified. This study revealed the important role of agroecology in the diversity of farmers’ breeding practices. Controlled mating was more common in tethering systems whereas uncontrolled mating, widespread in free-roaming systems, has favored Lagune breed admixture with zebus. Opportunities for conserving the genetic diversity within the Lagune breed might be greater in PZ where breed admixture was almost inexistent.

scholarly journals Perbandingkan Karakteristik Berbagai Zona Agroekologi Sistem Peternakan Babi; Studi Kasus Sistem Peternakan Babi di Pulau, Pesisir dan Dataran Rendah di Papua dan Papua Barat

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 88 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deny A Iyai
Keyword(s):  
Farming Systems ◽  
Herd Size ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Ecological Zones ◽  
Pig Farming ◽  
Key Words Pig ◽  
Household Members ◽  
Breed Selection ◽  
Papua Barat ◽  
Agro Ecological Zones

<p>The objective of this study was to compare the characteristics of pig farming<br />performances of the three different agro-ecological zones, i.e. at island, coastal and lowland ecological zones. Sites represented island pig farmers were Biak and Yapen. Samples subsequently were taken from Samofa District and South Yapen District comprised of Famboaman, Anotaurei, Mariadei and Mantembu villages. Sites in Manokwari were taken from six districts and 15 villages. Characteristic of farmers and pig keeping systems such as household information, pig population and reproduction, and social technical aspects, were studied. Participatory research using interview and observation was separately done towards 155 pig farmers. Statistical analysis used Duncan multiple comparisons and Chi-square (χ2) were used to analyse the data. Coastal pig farmers are younger than island and lowland pig farmers. They have middle number of experiences compared to island pig farmers. The majority of farmers is men-pig farmers and has adequate household members. It was found that many are not educated and are elementary graduation. Altough their objectives are directed to commercial production system. Coastal pig farmers have higher number of animal population added to this is herd size per household compared to the two other agro-ecological zones. Feeding systems are practised in proper combination, such as feeding ration of physiological ages every day and feeding processing. Natural mating is practised by the majority of pig farmers. Several of pig farmers know the sign of oestrus, gestating and practising procedures of breed selection. Distance to market and distance to town are experienced by lowland pig farmers compared to coastal and island pig farmers. Perception of pig farmers is satisfy and they have lack of extensionist visiting, lack in middlemen visiting and positive social acceptances.</p><p>Key words: pig farming systems, agro-ecological zones, pig production, West Papua</p>

scholarly journals Socio-ecological factors determine crop performance in agricultural systems

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Libère Nkurunziza ◽  
Christine A. Watson ◽  
Ingrid Öborn ◽  
Henrik G. Smith ◽  
Göran Bergkvist ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Crop Production ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Spring Barley ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Ecological Factors ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Agricultural System ◽  
Ecological Zones ◽  
Crop Performance ◽  
Latent Structures

AbstractAgricultural production systems are affected by complex interactions between social and ecological factors, which are often hard to integrate in a common analytical framework. We evaluated differences in crop production among farms by integrating components of several related research disciplines in a single socio-ecological analysis. Specifically, we evaluated spring barley (Hordeum vulgare, L.) performance on 34 farms (organic and conventional) in two agro-ecological zones to unravel the importance of ecological, crop and management factors in the performance of a standard crop. We used Projections to Latent Structures (PLS), a simple but robust analytical tool widely utilized in research disciplines dealing with complex systems (e.g. social sciences and chemometrics), but infrequently in agricultural sciences. We show that barley performance on organic farms was affected by previous management, landscape structure, and soil quality, in contrast to conventional farms where external inputs were the main factors affecting biomass and grain yield. This indicates that more complex management strategies are required in organic than in conventional farming systems. We conclude that the PLS method combining socio-ecological and biophysical factors provides improved understanding of the various interacting factors determining crop performance and can help identify where improvements in the agricultural system are most likely to be effective.

scholarly journals The Role of Beach Tourism in Sustainable Living of Rural Families: A Study in Mahmoud Abad Township, Iran

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 194
Author(s):  
Alireza Khajehshahkouhi ◽  
Bahman Sahneh ◽  
Seyedeh Khatereh Mousavei
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Rural Families ◽  
The State ◽  
Survey Method ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Sustainable Living ◽  
The People ◽  
Beach Tourism ◽  
Descriptive Survey

<span lang="EN-US">The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the role of beach tourism in sustainable living of rural families of the Mahmoud Abad Township that this study from the manner of goal is applicable-developmental and is based on the descriptive-survey method. The required data in this research regarding the type of method, is collected as a questionnaire that the people under study in this section are the total families inhabiting the beach villages in the area that the volume of the people under study has been selected using the Cochrane formula as 369 individuals and the field data were collected by the standard questionnaire. The results gathered were analyzed using the statistical examinations of Freedman, one-sided Chi-square, Wilcoxon, spearman, Kendal and Kramer. In the economic analysis section regarding all aspects we have come to this point that beach tourism has influenced the economic aspect of the lives of inhabitants and has improved their economic condition up to a point. Regarding the social and cultural state and with evaluation of related issues to this section, the state of being effected from non-native cultures and the culture of inhabitants being influenced has been evaluated and in relation with environmental circumstances regarding the observations and the state of the area and utilizing the statistical examinations of Wilcoxon results, it should be stated that environmental changes has occurred in a negative way in beaches after tourists’ arrival.</span>

scholarly journals Typology of dairy production systems from West Parana State based on production indices and feed used

2016 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 1565
Author(s):  
Marcelo Eduardo Neumann ◽  
Maximiliane Alavarse Zambom ◽  
Maichel Jhonattas Lange ◽  
Ferenc Istvan Bankuti ◽  
Deise Dalazen Castagnara ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Hierarchical Cluster ◽  
Dairy Production ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Explanatory Variables ◽  
Concentrate Supplementation ◽  
Feeding Management ◽  
Fermented Feed

The dairy industry is characterised by a wide diversity of production systems. In this diverse environment, some of the difficulties can be minimised through the grouping of production units through the study of typology. The objective was to characterise the systems of milk production from West Parana State by considering production rates, area, power, facilities, and marketing of milk. To this end, 735 semi-structured interviews with dairy farmers were performed by using a questionnaire for management practices and feed that is used on the farms. To obtain the explanatory variables used for principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), a homogeneous division of 735 farmers in five groups was used. Ten per cent of producers were randomly selected for the performance of field visits to the properties, where a new questionnaire was applied with specific points regarding feeding management on the property, and feed was collected to determine its composition. The collected data were tabulated and feed was ranked based on the classification proposed by the NRC (2001). Analyses of feed were carried out in the Laboratory of Animal Nutrition of Unioeste. The West Parana State has five groups of dairy production systems. There is great variability in the fresh forages that are used, but maize silage is the main forage utilised for fermented feed, and concentrate supplementation is adopted by more than 60% of farms during both seasons. Changes in the levels of feed components are high among systems.

Sex Assignment to Whole Human Responses in Rorschach

2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 108-128
Author(s):  
Christian Mormont ◽  
Patrick Fontan
Keyword(s):  
Principal Component Analysis ◽  
Hierarchical Clustering ◽  
Empirical Investigation ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Component Analysis ◽  
Second Step ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Sex Assignment ◽  
Formal Quality

Abstract. According to the theory of identification, men are more likely to qualify their Rorschach human content responses as males, and women as females. These assumptions were tested in an empirical investigation using a Belgian nonpatient sample of 800. All human responses and their location were listed. Analyses were carried out on the 10 Cards and on the formal quality (FQo vs. FQu/−) of all human responses according to the subject’s and the examiner’s sex. Variables were first submitted to principal component analysis, and resulting components were compared in a 2 × 2 design in order to assess examiners’ and participants’ sex potential effects on human responses sex assignments. Univariate and multivariate ANOVA revealed no or only negligible differences. In a second step, distributions of masculine, feminine, and neutral human responses across 16 card locations that commonly elicit human responses were submitted to hierarchical clustering in order to identify masculine, feminine, and neutral locations in Rorschach cards. Chi-square tests revealed no significant association between participants’ sex and human responses locations. Results do not corroborate predictions according to the theory of identification but they do, however, highlight the role of the distal features of blots.

scholarly journals Household solid waste management practices and perceptions among residents in the East Coast of Malaysia

2022 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Widad Fadhullah ◽  
Nor Iffah Najwa Imran ◽  
Sharifah Norkhadijah Syed Ismail ◽  
Mohd Hafiidz Jaafar ◽  
Hasmah Abdullah
Keyword(s):  
Principal Component Analysis ◽  
Waste Management ◽  
Solid Waste ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Solid Waste Management ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Chi Square Test ◽  
Waste Segregation ◽  
Waste Management Practices

Abstract Background Poor waste disposal practices hamper the progress towards an integrated solid waste management in households. Knowledge of current practices and perception of household solid waste management is necessary for accurate decision making in the move towards a more sustainable approach. This study investigates the household waste practices and perceptions about waste management in Panji, one of the sub-districts in Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia. Methods A stratified random sampling technique using a cross-sectional survey questionnaire was used to collect data. A total of 338 households were interviewed in the survey and data were analyzed using SPSS. Chi-square goodness of fit test was used to determine the relationships between categorical variables, whereas Chi-square bivariate correlation test was performed to observe the correlation between the perceptions of waste segregation with socio-demographic background of the respondents. The correlation between perception of respondents with the locality, house type and waste type were also conducted. Principal component analysis was used to identify grouping of variables and to establish which factors were interrelated in any given construct. Results The results of the study revealed that 74.3 % of households disposed of food debris as waste and 18.3% disposed of plastic materials as waste. The study also showed that 50.3% of the households segregate their waste while 49.7% did not. About 95.9% of the respondents were aware that improper waste management leads to disease; such as diarrhea and malaria. There were associations between locality, age and house type with waste segregation practices among respondents (Chi-square test, p<0.05). Associations were also found between locality with the perception of improper waste management which lead to disease (Chi-square test, p<0.05). Principal Component Analysis showed that 17.94% of the variance has high positive loading (positive relationship) with age, marital status and, type of house. Conclusion This study highlights the importance to design waste separation programs that suit the needs of targeted population as a boost towards sustainable solid waste management practices.

Vegetable Landraces: The “Gene Banks” for Traditional Farmers and Future Breeding Programs

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Radu-Liviu Sumalan ◽  
Sorin-Ion Ciulca ◽  
Renata-Maria Sumalan ◽  
Sorina Popescu
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Diversity ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Agricultural Biodiversity ◽  
Local Conditions ◽  
Modern Agriculture ◽  
Place Of Origin ◽  
Historical Role ◽  
Traditional Vegetable

Crop diversity of vegetable species is threatened by the current homogenization of agricultural production systems due to specialization of plant breeders and increasing globalization in the seed sector. With the onset of modern agriculture, most traditional vegetable cultivars were replaced by highly productive and often genetically uniform commercial breeds and hybrids. This led to the loss of landraces, especially in countries with a super-intensive agriculture. The agricultural biodiversity erosion represents a huge risk for food safety and security. Vegetable landraces are associated with the cultural heritage of their place of origin being adapted to local agro-ecological areas and are more resilient to environmental stress than commercial cultivars. The chapter aim to highlight the importance of keeping and using vegetable landraces as valuable sources of genes for traditional farmers, but also for future breeding processes. We analyze the historical role of landraces, genetic diversity, high physiological adaptability to specific local conditions in association with traditional farming systems, as well as the breeding perspectives and evaluation of genetic diversity based on molecular markers.

scholarly journals Regenerative agriculture: merging farming and natural resource conservation profitably

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claire E LaCanne ◽  
Jonathan G Lundgren
Keyword(s):  
Natural Resource ◽  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
The United States ◽  
Production Model ◽  
Level Shift ◽  
Resource Base ◽  
Corn Production

Most cropland in the U.S. is characterized by large monocultures, whose productivity is maintained through a strong reliance on costly tillage, external fertilizers, and pesticides ( Schipanski et al., 2016 ) . Despite this, farmers have developed a regenerative model of farm production that promotes soil health and biodiversity, while producing nutrient-dense farm products profitably. Little work has focused on the relative costs and benefits of novel regenerative farming operations, which necessitates studying in situ, farmer-defined best management practices. Here, we evaluate the relative effects of regenerative and conventional corn production systems on pest management services, soil conservation, and farmer profitability and productivity throughout the Northern Plains of the United States. Regenerative farming systems provided greater ecosystem services and profitability for farmers than an input-intensive model of corn production. Pests were 10-fold more abundant in insecticide-treated corn fields than on insecticide-free regenerative farms, indicating that farmers who proactively design pest-resilient food systems outperform farmers that react to pests chemically. Regenerative fields had 29% lower grain production but 78% higher profits over traditional corn production systems. Profit was positively correlated with the particulate organic matter of the soil, not yield. These results provide the basis for dialogue on ecologically based farming systems that could be used to simultaneously produce food while conserving our natural resource base: two factors that are pitted against one another in simplified food production systems. To attain this requires a systems-level shift on the farm; simply applying individual regenerative practices within the current production model will not likely produce the documented results.

CARBON STOCKS, LITTERFALL AND PRUNING RESIDUES IN MONOCULTURE AND AGROFORESTRY CACAO PRODUCTION SYSTEMS

2018 ◽  
Vol 55 (3) ◽  
pp. 452-470 ◽  
Author(s):  
ULF SCHNEIDEWIND ◽  
WIEBKE NIETHER ◽  
LAURA ARMENGOT ◽  
MONIKA SCHNEIDER ◽  
DANIELA SAUER ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Stand Structure ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Plant Biomass ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
C Sequestration ◽  
Agroforestry Systems ◽  
Soil C ◽  
C Stocks ◽  
Pruning Residues

SUMMARYAgroforestry systems (AFS) can serve to decrease ecosystem carbon (C) losses caused by deforestation and inadequate soil management. Because of their shade tolerance, cacao plants are suitable to be grown in AFS, since they can be combined with other kinds of trees and shrubs. The potential for C sequestration in cacao farming systems depends on various factors, such as management practices, stand structure and plantation age. We compared conventionally and organically managed cacao monoculture systems (MCS) and AFS in Sara Ana (Bolivia) with respect to C stocks in plant biomass and to amounts of litterfall and pruning residues. The total aboveground C stocks of the AFS (26 Mg C ha−1) considerably exceeded those of the MCS (~7 Mg C ha−1), although the biomass of cacao trees was greater in the MCS compared to the AFS. Due to higher tree density, annual litterfall in the AFS (2.2 Mg C ha−1 year−1) substantially exceeded that in the MCS (1.2 Mg C ha−1 year−1). The amounts of C in pruning residues (2.6 Mg C ha−1 year−1 in MCS to 4.3 Mg C ha−1 year−1 in AFS) was more than twice those in the litterfall. Annual nitrogen (N) inputs to the soil through pruning residues of cacao and N-fixing trees were up to 10 times higher than the N inputs through external fertiliser application. We conclude that appropriate management of cacao AFS, involving the pruning of leguminous trees, will lead to increases in biomass, litter quantity and quality as well as soil C and N stocks. Thus, we recommend stimulating the expansion of well-managed AFS to improve soil fertility and enhance C sequestration in soils.

scholarly journals Facing Change through Diversity: Resilience and Diversification of Plant Management Strategies during the Mid to Late Holocene Transition at the Monte Castelo Shellmound, SW Amazonia

Quaternary ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 8
Author(s):  
Laura P. Furquim ◽  
Jennifer Watling ◽  
Lautaro M. Hilbert ◽  
Myrtle P. Shock ◽  
Gabriela Prestes-Carneiro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Production ◽  
Late Holocene ◽  
Amazon Basin ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Landscape Management ◽  
Plant Management ◽  
History Of

Recent advances in the archaeology of lowland South America are furthering our understanding of the Holocene development of plant cultivation and domestication, cultural niche construction, and relationships between environmental changes and cultural strategies of food production. This article offers new data on plant and landscape management and mobility in Southwestern Amazonia during a period of environmental change at the Middle to Late Holocene transition, based on archaeobotanical analysis of the Monte Castelo shellmound, occupied between 6000 and 650 yr BP and located in a modern, seasonally flooded savanna–forest mosaic. Through diachronic comparisons of carbonized plant remains, phytoliths, and starch grains, we construct an ecology of resource use and explore its implications for the long-term history of landscape formation, resource management practices, and mobility. We show how, despite important changes visible in the archaeological record of the shellmound during this period, there persisted an ancient, local, and resilient pattern of plant management which implies a degree of stability in both subsistence and settlement patterns over the last 6000 years. This pattern is characterized by management practices that relied on increasingly diversified, rather than intensive, food production systems. Our findings have important implications in debates regarding the history of settlement permanence, population growth, and carrying capacity in the Amazon basin.

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