Farming System最新文献

{"title":"Climate change perception and adaptation strategies of rice seed growers in Chitwan district, Nepal","authors":"Rabin Thapa,&nbsp;Shiva Chandra Dhakal","doi":"10.1016/j.farsys.2024.100095","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.farsys.2024.100095","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The rice seed sub-sector plays a vital role in the self-sufficiency of rice grain and food security in the context of changing climate. Thus, it is imperative to understand the perception of rice seed growers towards climate change and identify the major adaptation strategies against climate change along with their significant determinants. In this light, our study used data from 223 rice seed growers in the Chitwan district of Nepal using purposive sampling followed by simple random sampling from Bharatpur Metropolitan City and Madi Municipality. Descriptive statistics were used to illustrate perception and adaptation strategies. The growers were categorized as adopters or non-adopters of strategies using the adoption index. Probit regression was used to determine the significant determinants of the adoption of strategies. The findings revealed that 71% of growers perceived climate change: increased temperature and decreased frequency of rainfall. Varietal selection, green manuring, planting time, improved water management and nutrient management were the major adaptation strategies adopted in the study area. From the regression analysis, years of formal education, experience, contact with extension agents and training were found to be significant determinants of the adoption of strategies. The farmers of Madi were found to be more likely to adopt the adaptation strategies. It is therefore recommended that the local and provincial-level governments explore the institutional service provision system and socio-economic characteristics while considering the location for better farm-level adoption of strategies. The study is useful for policymakers to deliberately target formal education, extension services and training for increased adoption of adaptation strategies in the face of climate change. The identified adaptation strategies and their significant determinants are applicable for the rice seed farming system in similar agro-ecological regions globally.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":100522,"journal":{"name":"Farming System","volume":"2 3","pages":"Article 100095"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S294991192400025X/pdfft?md5=a44e7bfc899b037f80094f49d0c6ed61&pid=1-s2.0-S294991192400025X-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140348030","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Productivity, profitability and energy use efficiency of wheat-maize cropping under different tillage systems","authors":"Jaffar Iqbal ,&nbsp;Tasneem Khaliq ,&nbsp;Ashfaq Ahmad ,&nbsp;Khuram Shehzad Khan ,&nbsp;Md Ali Haider ,&nbsp;Muhammad Moaaz Ali ,&nbsp;Naeem Ahmad ,&nbsp;Muhammad Ishaq Asif Rehmani","doi":"10.1016/j.farsys.2024.100085","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.farsys.2024.100085","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The energy consumption of intensive tillage practices is higher, decreasing soil and environment sustainability. Conservation agriculture practices i.e. reduced or no-tillage could be suitable options to conserve energy and environment and increase profitability. However, previous studies evaluated the energy consumption, productivity and profitability in two or three tillage systems, a comprehensive assessment of multiple tillage systems is needed. Therefore, six tillage i) conventional (CT), ii) conventional with bed (CTB), iii) reduced (RT), iv) reduced with bed (RTB), v) zero (ZT), and vi) zero with bed (ZTB) were practiced to evaluate the energy consumption, productivity of wheat-maize and their economic returns. The results showed that CT, RTB, RT, ZTB, and ZT reduced 21% and 13%, 81% and 93%, 36% and 56%, 169% and 263%, and 81% and 152% energy consumption than CTB in wheat and maize, respectively. Considering mean productivity, CT and CTB increased by almost wheat (953.43 ​kg ​ha⁻¹) and maize (466.66 ​kg ​ha⁻¹) yields. However, ZT, and RT had higher EP (energy productivity, 32%) and EUE (energy use efficiency, 30%) in wheat, 14% EP and 10% EUE as compared to CTB in maize. The lower EP and EUE in maize were mainly due to higher inputs/energy consumption in comparison to wheat. The input cost of CT, and CTB was higher in wheat than in other tillage practices, but the wheat yield was statistically similar in CT, CTB, RT, and RTB in both years. The RT had a higher benefit-cost ratio (BCR) in wheat (1.52) and maize (0.74) than intensive CT practice (1.44 (wheat), 0.61 (maize)). In wheat, EUE and EP were significantly higher under RT and ZT treatments, however, both were significantly reduced under bed plantation, contrarily no specific trends were observed in maize. In conclusion, RT could be used for wheat cultivation that consumed lower energy inputs and produced higher EUE, EP, and statistically equal grain yield as compared to CT. However, this practice might not be useful for maize cultivation and needs further evaluation.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":100522,"journal":{"name":"Farming System","volume":"2 3","pages":"Article 100085"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2949911924000157/pdfft?md5=0702031d78a6f2bc94cd49d23baf08d3&pid=1-s2.0-S2949911924000157-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140339838","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Understanding farm typology for targeting agricultural development in mixed crop-livestock farming systems of Ethiopia","authors":"Meron Awoke Eshetae ,&nbsp;Wuletawu Abera ,&nbsp;Lulseged Tamene ,&nbsp;Kalkidan Mulatu ,&nbsp;Abonesh Tesfaye","doi":"10.1016/j.farsys.2024.100088","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.farsys.2024.100088","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Capturing the heterogeneity of farming systems through farm typology is essential for targeting agricultural interventions in any mixed crop-livestock farming system. Therefore, this study aims to construct a farm typology for the Doyogena and Basona districts of Southern and Northern Ethiopia, respectively. A combination of principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical clustering (HC) was used to develop a generalized and domain-specific farm typology in the study areas using farm household survey data collected from 503 respondents. A generalized farm typology was constructed considering all the dataset variables whereas the domain-specific farm typology was developed once all the data variables had been categorized into three groups: variables that describe i) the resource endowment, ii) technologies used, and iii) food and nutrition characteristics of the farm. The farm types identified from the domain-specific farm typologies were merged to develop comprehensive, representative, and meaningful farm types. In both districts, the results of the generalized farm typology are more generic, and are not able to fully capture the diversity of farmers’ resource endowment and food and nutrition security status. Compared to the generalized farm typology, the domain-specific farm typology is more useful for targeting tailored agricultural development interventions. The merged typology results show that a combination of medium resource endowment with medium income, medium technology, and low food and nutrition security farm type (34%) is the dominant farm type in the study areas followed by a farm type combining low resource endowment with low income, high technology and marginal food and nutrition secure (21%). The findings of this study provide several insights into targeting and scaling domain-specific agricultural development interventions that can be applicable for sustainable intensification of mixed farming systems. For example, growing multiple crops in crop rotations and as intercrops; implementing conservation tillage, and introducing improved seed varieties, and livestock breeds offer possible pathways for sustainable agricultural intensification for medium resource endowment, medium technology, and low food and nutrition security farm types.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":100522,"journal":{"name":"Farming System","volume":"2 3","pages":"Article 100088"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2949911924000182/pdfft?md5=bc6a8ca5eb6def8e8179a2c282f9a911&pid=1-s2.0-S2949911924000182-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140096313","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Determinants of soil and water conservation practices adoption by smallholder farmers in the central highlands of Kenya","authors":"Brian Rotich ,&nbsp;Isaiah Maket ,&nbsp;Harison Kipkulei ,&nbsp;Caleb Melenya Ocansey ,&nbsp;Phenson Nsima Justine ,&nbsp;Mohammed Ahmed MohammedZein ,&nbsp;Ádám Csorba ,&nbsp;Erika Michéli","doi":"10.1016/j.farsys.2024.100081","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.farsys.2024.100081","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The central highlands of Kenya play a vital role in supporting agricultural activities and sustaining the livelihoods of smallholder farmers. Despite its crucial role, the region faces substantial environmental challenges like soil erosion and land degradation, necessitating the adoption of sustainable land management practices. The aim of this study was to investigate the determinants of the adoption of Soil and Water Conservation Practices (SWCPs) among smallholder farmers in central Kenya. Primary data was collected from three administrative wards of Tharaka Nithi County (TNC) using 150 semi-structured household (HH) questionnaires, Key Informant Interviews (KII), and field observations. STATA and Microsoft Office Excel software were used to analyse the HH survey data, using descriptive statistics, inferential statistics, and the binary logistic regression model. Qualitative data from the KII was analysed through synthesized text summaries. The results show that 65.33 % of the respondents adopted SWCPs on their farms, while 34.67 % did not at the time of our study. The study findings further revealed that farm size (β ​= ​0.641; <em>p</em> ​&lt; ​0.05), and Agro-ecological zone (AEZ) (β ​= ​1.341; <em>p</em> ​&lt; ​0.05) positively influenced the adoption of SWCPs. On the other hand, distance from homestead to farm (β ​= ​−0.003; <em>p</em> ​&lt; ​0.05), and age (β ​= ​−0.039; <em>p</em> ​≤ ​0.05) negatively influenced the adoption of SWCPs by the farmers. Challenges in SWCPs implementation included inadequate capital (76.53 %), high labor costs (62.24 %), lack of technical knowledge (34.69 %), lack of infrastructure (17.35 %), and insecure land tenure (1.02 %). These study findings hold the potential to guide the TNC government in formulating tailored strategies that can foster the adoption and sustainable implementation of SWCPs among smallholder farmers. If properly implemented, the strategies will bolster agricultural productivity, mitigate soil erosion, and enhance the region's overall environmental and economic well-being.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":100522,"journal":{"name":"Farming System","volume":"2 2","pages":"Article 100081"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S294991192400011X/pdfft?md5=209d7f2c5db64831d5eccf41a90b423d&pid=1-s2.0-S294991192400011X-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140052283","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Soil moisture dynamics, rooting traits, crop and water productivity of wheat under different tillage, irrigation and nutrition conditions","authors":"Rajanna Gandhamanagenahalli A ,&nbsp;Anchal Dass ,&nbsp;Paramesh Venkatesh ,&nbsp;Anil K. Choudhary ,&nbsp;Pravin K. Upadhyay ,&nbsp;Ajay B. Chandrashekar ,&nbsp;Rosa Francaviglia ,&nbsp;Manjanagouda S. Sannagoudar ,&nbsp;Umesh M. Rangappa ,&nbsp;Vinod K. Singh ,&nbsp;Mukanara N. Harish ,&nbsp;Chunchanahalli S. Shyam","doi":"10.1016/j.farsys.2024.100087","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.farsys.2024.100087","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Water scarcity coupled with reduced nutrient-use efficiency (NUE) is challenging the sustainability of wheat production in the North-Western Plains of India. Suitable soil tillage practices, water, and nutrient management are thus essential to harvest high wheat yields on a long-term basis. Thus, a fixed-plot experiment was set and continued for three years to assess the main and interaction effects of tillage, irrigation, and fertilizers on water-use efficiency (WUE) and wheat yield. Zero-till flat bed (ZT_FB) and conventional till-raised bed (CT_RB) condensed the irrigation water requirement by 1163–1218 m³ ha⁻¹ and 698–762 m³ ha⁻¹, respectively, compared to conventional till-flat bed (CT_FB) without affecting wheat yields during 2016–2019. Apart from the saving in irrigation water, CT_RB enhanced grain turn over by 8.12–31.5%, biomass by 3.47–34.1%, WUE by 27.0–30.9% and irrigation water productivity (IWP) by 55.2–57.5% over CT_FB. Likewise, CT_RB recorded a 4.4–10.1% greater photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) interception over CT_FB and ZT_FB during the study years. ZT_FB had the highest moisture level (11.2%–22.5%) for 0–0.3 m soil layer. Applying irrigation at 25% depletion of available soil moisture (DASM) and 100% recommended rates of nutrients (RRN) resulted in significantly greater grain and biomass yields and WUE over the lower levels of irrigation and nutrients during 2016–2019. Further, the treatment combination of CT_RB or ZT_FB + 25% DASM +100% RRN was more productive, registering significant enhancements in grain and biomass yields, and WUE compared to CT_FB with all other fertilizer and irrigation levels. The study concludes that 25% DASM with 100% RRN application under CT_RB and ZT_FB in wheat are synergic to attain higher crop and water productivity against individual application of these agronomic variables.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":100522,"journal":{"name":"Farming System","volume":"2 2","pages":"Article 100087"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2949911924000170/pdfft?md5=831b5886aa46472ab7d68ccb2d14969e&pid=1-s2.0-S2949911924000170-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140000327","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Aggregation as soil quality indicator in areas under different uses and managements","authors":"Renato Sinquini de Souza ,&nbsp;Igor Sousa de Morais ,&nbsp;Jean Sérgio Rosset ,&nbsp;Thadeu de Melo Rodrigues ,&nbsp;Arcângelo Loss ,&nbsp;Marcos Gervasio Pereira","doi":"10.1016/j.farsys.2024.100082","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.farsys.2024.100082","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study aimed to evaluate the influence of different land uses, with contrasting vegetation covers and planting systems, on the formation pathways of aggregates (biogenic and physicogenic) and on their chemical and physical attributes. The study was conducted in the municipality of Guaíra in the western region of the state of Paraná, Brazil. Five treatments were selected for the study: an area with a conventional tillage system (SPC), no-till system with 6 years (SP6) and 18 years (SP18) of implementation, permanent pasture (PP) with 45 years of planting, and reference area with native forest (NF). In each area, four soil blocks (undisturbed samples) were collected from the 0.00–0.05 and 0.05–0.10 ​m layers. Aggregates were classified according to their formation pathways as biogenic or physicogenic, and the chemical attributes, aggregate stability, particle size, density fractionation of soil organic matter (SOM), and natural abundance of carbon (¹³C) were characterized. In the CTS area, lower pH values were observed for both aggregate formation pathways, and biogenic aggregates had the lowest calcium (Ca²⁺) content. In the NTS18 area, there was an increase in SOM content for both formation pathways, and the quantified values were similar to those observed in the NF area, with increase in total organic carbon (TOC) content and in the labile and recalcitrant fractions of SOM when compared with those of CTS. Significant differences were observed between aggregates formed in the forest area and those formed in other systems, indicating that different pathways can be used as indicators of soil quality. The chemical and physical parameters evaluated in the biogenic and physicogenic aggregates allowed the separation of the study areas through principal component analysis, with an emphasis on NTS₁₈, which was separated from the other areas, demonstrating that long-term conservation management increased the mineral organic matter and TOC levels.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":100522,"journal":{"name":"Farming System","volume":"2 2","pages":"Article 100082"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2949911924000121/pdfft?md5=dde0936d816c2f0244b25c9da915d6e1&pid=1-s2.0-S2949911924000121-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139942495","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Developments and prospects of multiple cropping in China","authors":"Xiaogang Yin ,&nbsp;Zhenwei Song ,&nbsp;Shanheng Shi ,&nbsp;Zhiyuan Bai ,&nbsp;Yulin Jiang ,&nbsp;Axiang Zheng ,&nbsp;Wenhai Huang ,&nbsp;Nana Chen ,&nbsp;Fu Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.farsys.2024.100083","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.farsys.2024.100083","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>China is the country with the most extensive development of multiple cropping worldwide with a long history. Multiple cropping plays an irreplaceable role in alleviating the contradiction between more people and less land, ensuring national food security, and increasing agricultural efficiency and farmer's income. However, China's traditional multiple cropping needs to adapt to the requirement of mechanization, high efficiency and standardization due to the rapid development of rural economy. This study systematically summarized the development of multiple cropping, clarified the impacts of climate change, scientific and technological progress on the boundary of multiple cropping, and reviewed the principle and ecological mechanism of efficient utilization of light, temperature, water, nitrogen and phosphorus and other nutrient resources in the multiple cropping. To further advance multiple cropping and better facilitate agricultural green transformation in China, there is a need for widespread adoption of advanced agricultural techniques, seamless integration of machinery, and the incorporation of cutting-edge technologies. These measures are essential to efficiently unlock the maximum potential of available resources and enhance crop yields. Additionally, enhancing biodiversity, carbon sequestration, and ecological services should be prioritized by expanding multiple cropping.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":100522,"journal":{"name":"Farming System","volume":"2 2","pages":"Article 100083"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2949911924000133/pdfft?md5=7cc24d3879b0ba3944bbee63e255eb94&pid=1-s2.0-S2949911924000133-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139936402","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Dry season rainfall variability is a major risk factor for cropping intensification in coastal Bangladesh","authors":"Md Maniruzzaman ,&nbsp;Mohammed Mainuddin ,&nbsp;Richard W. Bell ,&nbsp;Jatish C. Biswas ,&nbsp;Md Belal Hossain ,&nbsp;M. Shetara Yesmin ,&nbsp;Palash K. Kundu ,&nbsp;A.B.M. Mostafizur ,&nbsp;Priya Lal C. Paul ,&nbsp;Khokan K. Sarker ,&nbsp;Yingying Yu","doi":"10.1016/j.farsys.2024.100084","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.farsys.2024.100084","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Rainfall variability, waterlogging and frequent natural hazards are the major obstacles for cropping system intensification in heavy textured soils of the coastal areas of Bangladesh. While earlier monsoon rice harvesting by introducing short duration varieties created opportunities for cultivating low water demanding non-rice crops in the dry season, such crops failed in many instances because of heavy rainfall and waterlogging. To address such issue, we have analysed dry season (Nov–Apr) rainfall patterns of six meteorological stations of coastal Bangladesh for studying the feasibility of growing irrigated rice and non-rice crops that can be harvested by April. Very heavy rainfall (&gt;20 ​mm) occurred in 18–23% of the studied years and heavy rainfall (&gt;10 ​mm) in 42–43% of cases creating the risk of water stagnation and damage to non-rice crops. The return intervals between occurrences of heavy rainfall and very heavy rainfall in November to December were 1.3–1.4 years and 1.5–2.5 years, respectively. These rainfall events generally delay establishment of non-rice crops. Similarly, in March and April, the return periods for heavy and very heavy rainfall were 1.3–1.5 years and 1.6–2.1 years, respectively. These rainfall events had a detrimental impact on non-rice crops, especially during their ripening stages. Such rainfall events during field experiments at the study locations were found in three years out of four cropping seasons that reduced sunflower and maize yields by 50–64% and sweet gourd and watermelon yields by 55–84% compared to their absence. The probability of high yield of non-rice crops was &lt;25% and the yield variability was very high (40–75%) compared to general rice yield variability (5–6%). Risk factor analysis also revealed that dry season rice is less risky compared to other non-rice crops. To enhance risk management, intensification of cropping systems can be achieved by promoting cultivation of dry season irrigated rice where there is sufficient stored water for irrigation and encouraging farmers to grow pre-monsoon rice.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":100522,"journal":{"name":"Farming System","volume":"2 2","pages":"Article 100084"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2949911924000145/pdfft?md5=32cffe5af1213c25e8e888bad8801897&pid=1-s2.0-S2949911924000145-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139935636","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Small-scale tea farming sustainability: A case study of Darjeeling hill region, India","authors":"Bivek Subba,&nbsp;Sajal Mondal,&nbsp;Uttam Kumar Mandal,&nbsp;Lakpa Tamang","doi":"10.1016/j.farsys.2024.100080","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.farsys.2024.100080","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study assesses the farming sustainability of the Small Tea Growers (STGs) in the Darjeeling hill region of India renowned for its high-quality tea production in which they had an important role. It is a comprehensive assessment encompassing environmental, economic, and social dimensions of tea farming sustainability using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to illuminate the intricate challenges faced by STGs (n ​= ​927) and also examines the interrelationships between these dimensions through the Pearson correlation coefficient (r) techniques and test of significance <span><math><mfenced><mi>p</mi></mfenced><mspace></mspace><mi>a</mi><mi>t</mi><mspace></mspace><mn>0.05</mn></math></span> levels. The findings reveal that while environmental sustainability is moderate (0.48), economic sustainability (0.38) is a major challenge due to factors such as small land holdings (&lt;10 ​ha) and limited farming experience. Social sustainability (0.54) displays village-level disparities, largely shaped by education, healthcare access, and participation in community decision-making. Overall, the Composite STGs Sustainability Index (CSTGSI) indicates that 79.71 ​% of STGs fall within the moderate sustainability (0.4–0.5) category reflecting a much better position compared to other tea-growing regions. The study emphasizes the need for tailored interventions to address specific village-level challenges and promote sustainable tea farming practices in the Darjeeling region.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":100522,"journal":{"name":"Farming System","volume":"2 2","pages":"Article 100080"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2949911924000108/pdfft?md5=9c721c27b36a3445135551ae9d536ccf&pid=1-s2.0-S2949911924000108-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139710047","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Contribution of traditional goat farming systems to the sustainable intensification of smallholder agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa: The example of the western part of the Democratic Republic of Congo","authors":"Alain Ndona ,&nbsp;Bienvenu Kambashi ,&nbsp;Yves Beckers ,&nbsp;Charles-Henri Moulin ,&nbsp;Jérôme Bindelle","doi":"10.1016/j.farsys.2024.100079","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.farsys.2024.100079","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Integrated crop-livestock systems (ICLS) increase smallholder yields and environmental benefits by enabling positive interactions between livestock and crops. As goat farming is popular in Africa, in this study, we aimed to characterise goat-rearing systems and further understand the role of goat management and the relevant drivers in ecological intensification processes. We conducted an exploratory snowball sampling of 147 goat breeders in the western provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The smallholders used five agroecosystem components: animal husbandry (100%), croplands (100%), rangelands (73%), fishponds (22%) and beekeeping (2%). In 97% of the cases, the agroecosystem of a single farmer was fragmented, with an average of 3 ​± ​1 plots of land. In 31% of the cases, the plots of land were 2.5 ​km apart from the others, 40% were 2.5–5 ​km apart, and 29% were over 5 ​km apart. The short distance (&lt;2.5 ​km) between animal husbandry land and cropland was positively associated (p &lt; 0.05) with the use of manure as fertiliser and crop residues as animal feed, contributing to ecological intensification. Additional factors (training, breeding pigs and goats, vegetable gardening) were significantly associated (p &lt; 0.05) with the aforementioned agroecological practices. Consequently, three categories of goat breeders were distinguished. The first group, not committed to ecological intensification, had free-grazing goats. The second group also had free-grazing goats, whereas the third tethered or kept goats in confined areas, and both were committed to ecological intensification. Traditional goat farming contributes to ecological intensification when smallholder farmers follow best management practices.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":100522,"journal":{"name":"Farming System","volume":"2 2","pages":"Article 100079"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2949911924000091/pdfft?md5=d1fe4afed5a1f8cb61f7f5f5cf4d0956&pid=1-s2.0-S2949911924000091-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139548608","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}