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 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 Effect of ewe milk production on profitability of dryland lamb production systems

1999 ◽  
pp. 101-105
Author(s):  
P.D. Muir ◽  
G.J. Wallace ◽  
D.G. Mccall ◽  
C.J. Dodd
Keyword(s):  
Milk Production ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Financial Returns ◽  
Market Prices ◽  
High Fecundity ◽  
Early Season ◽  
Financial Benefits ◽  
Lamb Growth

A farmlet study was carried out over 2 years to examine the role of milk production in dryland lamb production systems. Poll Dorset ewes (high milk producers) were mated with Romney rams and Romney ewes (average milk producers) were mated with Poll Dorset rams to produce lambs of a similar genotype. As well as two levels of milk production, two fecundity treatments were used and farmlets were replicated. Farmlets were 2.9 ha and stocked at a rate of 15 ewes/ha. Farmlets were managed to ensure similar pasture covers at the start of winter and at lambing. Poll Dorset ewes produced more milk and in both years their twin lambs had a small but significant advantage in lamb growth rate. This resulted in earlier drafting of lambs and the ability to obtain early season premiums. In the low fecundity farmlets, net financial returns for Romney and Poll Dorset ewes were $605/ha and $676/ha (+ 12%) in Year 1 and $709/ ha and $762/ha (+ 7%) in Year 2. For the high fecundity farmlets, financial returns for Romney and Poll Dorset ewes were $637/ha and $818/ha (+ 28%) in Year 1 and $866/ha and $921/ha (+ 6%) in Year 2. The greatest financial benefits to increased milk production were achieved in high fecundity ewes in Year 1 when feeding during lactation was less than optimal and this resulted in a significant effect on the rate at which twin lambs were drafted to achieve early season premiums. Lambs failing to reach minimum drafting weights were also penalised because of the prevailing drought conditions and low market prices for lighter lambs. Keywords: breed, dryland, ewes, farming systems, fecundity, milk production, pre-weaning growth, profitability, sheep

Emerging Industrial Revolution: Symbiosis of Industry 4.0 and Circular Economy: The Role of Universities

2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 505-525 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seeram Ramakrishna ◽  
Alfred Ngowi ◽  
Henk De Jager ◽  
Bankole O. Awuzie
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Industry 4.0 ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Fourth Industrial Revolution ◽  
New Jobs

Growing consumerism and population worldwide raises concerns about society’s sustainability aspirations. This has led to calls for concerted efforts to shift from the linear economy to a circular economy (CE), which are gaining momentum globally. CE approaches lead to a zero-waste scenario of economic growth and sustainable development. These approaches are based on semi-scientific and empirical concepts with technologies enabling 3Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle) and 6Rs (reuse, recycle, redesign, remanufacture, reduce, recover). Studies estimate that the transition to a CE would save the world in excess of a trillion dollars annually while creating new jobs, business opportunities and economic growth. The emerging industrial revolution will enhance the symbiotic pursuit of new technologies and CE to transform extant production systems and business models for sustainability. This article examines the trends, availability and readiness of fourth industrial revolution (4IR or industry 4.0) technologies (for example, Internet of Things [IoT], artificial intelligence [AI] and nanotechnology) to support and promote CE transitions within the higher education institutional context. Furthermore, it elucidates the role of universities as living laboratories for experimenting the utility of industry 4.0 technologies in driving the shift towards CE futures. The article concludes that universities should play a pivotal role in engendering CE transitions.

scholarly journals The Role of Selected Ecosystem Services in Different Farming Systems in Poland Regarding the Differentiation of Agricultural Land Structure

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 6673
Author(s):  
Lidia Luty ◽  
Kamila Musiał ◽  
Monika Zioło
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Soil Formation ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Agricultural System ◽  
Organic System ◽  
Supporting Soil ◽  
Management Method ◽  
The Impact

The functioning of various agroecosystems is nowadays shaped by different farming systems, which may impair their functions, as well as being beneficial to them. The benefits include ecosystem services, defined as economic and noneconomic values gained by humans from ecosystems, through supporting soil formation and nutrient circulation, and the impact of agriculture on climate and biodiversity. Their mutual flow and various disturbances depend on the agroecosystem’s management method, which is associated with the type of management of agricultural land (AL) in individual farms. This paper raises a problem of transformation in the structure of three main farming systems in Poland, in 2004–2018, in relation to the implementation of 16 selected ecosystem services and their scale. Special attention was given to organic farming, as the most environmentally friendly and sustainable. The analysis demonstrates the increase in ALs in that type of production during the analyzed period of time. Disparities of transformation associated with the type of agricultural system were noticeable at the regional level, which were presented in 16 Polish voivodeships. The results of the analysis confirm that the organic system, which is an important carrier of various ecosystem services, gained a stable position. Moreover, areas with integrated farming still do not exceed 0.5% of total agricultural lands in such voivodeships. The analysis of factors influencing the deterioration or disappearance of selected environmental services characterizing agricultural systems indicates the need to depart from an intensive conventional management system.

scholarly journals The Historical Role of Leviticus 25 in Naturalizing Anti-Black Racism

Religions ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 570
Author(s):  
James W. Watts
Keyword(s):  
Seventeenth Century ◽  
Early Modern ◽  
High Probability ◽  
Middle Eastern ◽  
American Colonies ◽  
History Of ◽  
Historical Role ◽  
Permanent Property

Leviticus 25:39–46 describes a two-tier model of slavery that distinguishes Israelites from foreign slaves. It requires that Israelites be indentured only temporarily while foreigners can be enslaved as chattel (permanent property). This model resembles the distinction between White indentured slaves and Black chattel slaves in the American colonies. However, the biblical influence on these early modern practices has been obscured by the rarity of citations of Lev. 25:39–46 in sixteenth- and seventeenth-century sources about slavery. This article reviews the history of slavery from ancient Middle Eastern antiquity through the seventeenth century to show the unique degree to which early modern institutions resembled the biblical model. It then exposes widespread knowledge of Leviticus 25 in early modern political and economic debates. Demonstrating this awareness shows with high probability that colonial cultures presupposed the two-tier model of slavery in Leviticus 25:39–46 to naturalize and justify their different treatment of White indentured slaves and Black chattel slaves.

From converts to cooperation: Protestant internationalism, US missionaries and Indian Christians and ‘Professional’ social work between Boston and Bombay (c. 1920–1950)

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-20
Author(s):  
Michael Phillipp Brunner
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
North America ◽  
Social Gospel ◽  
Local Conditions ◽  
Historical Approach ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Concerns ◽  
High Phase

Abstract The 1920s and 30s were a high phase of liberal missionary internationalism driven especially by American-led visions of the Social Gospel. As the missionary consensus shifted from proselytization to social concerns, the indigenization of missions and the role of the ‘younger churches’ outside of Europe and North America was brought into focus. This article shows how Protestant internationalism pursued a ‘Christian Sociology’ in dialogue with the field’s academic and professional form. Through the case study of settlement sociology and social work schemes by the American Marathi Mission (AMM) in Bombay, the article highlights the intricacies of applying internationalist visions in the field and asks how they were contested and shaped by local conditions and processes. Challenging a simplistic ‘secularization’ narrative, the article then argues that it was the liberal, anti-imperialist drive of the missionary discourse that eventually facilitated an American ‘professional imperialism’ in the development of secular social work in India. Adding local dynamics to the analysis of an internationalist discourse benefits the understanding of both Protestant internationalism and the genesis of Indian social work and shows the value of an integrated global micro-historical approach.

First record of albino lowland tapirs (Tapirus terrestris Linnaeus 1758) in an important Brazilian Atlantic Forest hotspot

Mammalia ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 84 (6) ◽  
pp. 601-604
Author(s):  
Mariana Bueno Landis ◽  
Luciano Candisani ◽  
Leticia Prado Munhoes ◽  
João Carlos Zecchini Gebin ◽  
Frineia Rezende ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Diversity ◽  
Atlantic Forest ◽  
Scientific Research ◽  
First Record ◽  
Brazilian Atlantic Forest ◽  
Tapirus Terrestris

AbstractAlbinism is the absence of pigmentation or coloration and is rarely found in nature. In this study we examined photos and videos obtained by cameras traps in the Legado das Águas Reserve. In the images, we identified two albino lowland tapirs. The results highlight the necessity of understanding the genetic diversity of lowland tapir populations and the important role of the professional photography associated with scientific research.

scholarly journals Homegarden agroecosystems managed by Salar people on Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mingjing Zhu ◽  
Binsheng Luo ◽  
Ben La ◽  
Ruijie Chen ◽  
Fenggui Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Field Investigation ◽  
Tibet Plateau ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Services Research ◽  
Qinghai Tibet Plateau

Abstract Background Salar is a Turkic-speaking Islamic ethnic group in China living mainly in Xunhua Salar Autonomous County (Xunhua or Xunhua County), Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Salar people are skilled in horticulture and their homegarden (HG) management. They are regarded as the first people on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau to practice horticulture, especially manage their HGs, traditional farming systems, and supplementary food production systems. Traditional knowledge of Salar people associated with their HGs always contributes significantly to the local livelihood, food security, ornamental value, and biodiversity conservation. The cultivation of different plants in HGs for self-sufficiency has a long tradition in China’s rural areas, especially in some mountainous areas. However, Salar traditional HGs have not been described. The present paper aims to report the features of Salar HGs mostly based on agrobiodiversity and its ecosystem services. Methods The methods used in this work included semi-structured interviews and participatory observation. A total of 60 households in three townships, 9 villages were surveyed. There are 4–12 family members in each household, aged from 20 to 86 years old. The homestead size is between 200 and 1200 m2. Plant species cultivated in Salar HGs were identified according to Flora of China. Based on a comprehensive survey of Salar HGs and related to background data, we identified and characterized the most important services and functions provided by Salar HGs. Results According to primary production systems, there are 4 different types of Salar HGs, including ornamental focus, product focus, dual-purpose and multi-purpose. In total, 108 (excluding weeds and bonsai) plant species were recorded in Salar HGs, within 43 plant families. The most important and frequently used plants are Rosa chinensis, Armeniaca vulgar, Prunus salicina, and Ziziphus jujuba. About 4 to 32 plant species were recorded in each homegarden. We found that the Salar HGs, as a typical agroecosyste, prossess multiple servcices and functions that directly benefit households according to the field investigation. Conclusion This paper reveals the floristic diversity of Salar HGs. It presents useful information in the homegarden agroecosystem of Salar people, such as HG types and species diversity in Salar HGs. Ecosystem functions and services research suggested that the Salar HG agroecosystem provides agroecosystem services mainly related to supply and culture services. Salar HGs are important as food supplement resources, aesthetics symbol, and cultural spaces.

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