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Information on field management practices impacting root health in sugarcane is available but fragmented across diverse literature. This makes a synthesis of information on the management of sugarcane fields, with emphasis on root health, difficult. The purpose of this paper is to collate information on field management practices that will benefit the growth of healthy sugarcane roots in support of optimal crop production. This paper reviews background information on the growth dynamics and characteristics of sugarcane roots. This is followed by an in-depth discussion of discipline-related problems and their recommended ameliorative field management practices, with a focus on root health. Information on sugarcane roots is not equally available for all disciplines. In such cases, information was also considered from other crops to provide likely answers to the amelioration of root management problems in sugarcane. Across all these management practices a list of practical procedures to reduce root health problems is compiled. This review also highlights gaps in our knowledge regarding sugarcane root health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The agricultural production plays an important role in food provision and income generation for the rural population. To mitigate the climate change and ensure food security, the agricultural sector has faced multiple initiatives, including the European Green Deal. Developing effective frameworks for measures under such initiatives requires identifying reasonable benchmarks. Accordingly, it is important to assess the patterns of input use and productivity in the agricultural sector. This paper focuses on the agricultural energy productivity in the European Union (EU) Member States during 2005–2019. Indeed, the EU allocates substantial support to improve resource efficiency and reduce climate pressures in the agriculture. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first paper to apply the club convergence approach for the energy productivity the EU agriculture. This particular approach allows identifying the homogenous groups of the EU countries and, subsequently, assess the dynamics of the agricultural energy productivity within these groups. The results indicate that the agricultural energy productivity still requires attention in the EU countries, as only partial convergence was observed during 2015–2019. The EU countries were grouped into five clusters with different levels of the agricultural energy productivity. The results imply that the differences among resulting clusters remained rather stable over time. Therefore, relevant policies addressing energy efficiency issues can be developed for these relatively homogeneous groups to ensure further cohesion. The results suggest that countries with high energy productivity may show high levels of greenhouse gas intensity (and low levels of, e.g., labour productivity). Therefore, energy conservation and introduction of clean energy is a complex task that can be guided by the proposed framework and adjustment in the Common Agricultural Policy measures. [Display omitted] • An advanced approach of the club convergence is applied for energy productivity. • The case of the European Union agriculture is considered. • The results indicate that the countries have converged yet several clusters persist. • The GHG emission intensity is analysed for each cluster. • The policy implications include mutual learning within and among the clusters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Reclaimed water has been identified as a viable and cost-effective solution to water shortages impacting agricultural production. However, lack of consumer acceptance for foods irrigated with reclaimed and treated water remains one of the greatest hurdles for widespread farm-level adoption. Using survey data from 760 participants in the mid-Atlantic region of the U.S., this paper examines consumer preferences for six sources of reclaimed irrigation water and identifies statistically significant relationships between consumers' demographic characteristics and their preferences for each type of reclaimed water. Key findings suggest that adult consumers prefer rain water to all other sources of reclaimed water. Women are less likely than men to prefer reclaimed irrigation water sources and are particularly concerned about the use of black and brackish water. Consumers who had heard about reclaimed water before are more likely to accept its use. Drawing on evidence from survey and experimental research, this paper also identifies disgust, neophobia and safety concerns as the key issues that lead consumers to accept or reject foods produced with reclaimed water. Finally, we identify avenues for future research into public acceptance of reclaimed water based on our analysis and evidence from prior research. Highlights • Consumer preferences for six sources of reclaimed irrigation water are tested using survey data. • Consumers prefer rain water to all other sources of reclaimed water tested, including black, brackish, industrial, and grey water. • Women are less likely than men to prefer reclaimed irrigation water sources. • Disgust, neophobia and safety concerns are the key issues for acceptance and rejection of foods produced with reclaimed water. • Avenues for future research into public acceptance of reclaimed water are identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Tropical countries lie at the nexus of three pressing issues for global sustainability: agricultural production, climate change mitigation and biodiversity conservation. The forces that drive forest protection do not necessarily oppose those that drive forest clearance for development. This decoupling, enhanced by the stronger economic forces compared to conservation, is detrimental for the social-ecological sustainability of forested tropical landscapes. This paper presents an integrated, and spatially-explicit, Agent-Based Model that examines the future impacts of land-use change scenarios on the sustainability of the Wet Tropics region of tropical Queensland, Australia. In particular, the model integrates Bayesian Belief Networks, Geographical Information Systems, empirical data and expert knowledge, under a land-sharing/land-sparing analysis, to study the impact of different landscape configurations on trade-offs and synergies among biodiversity and two ecosystem services (sugarcane production and carbon sequestration). Contrary to most tropical regions, model simulations show that Business As Usual is helping to reconcile these contrasting goals in the forested landscape of the Wet Tropics. The paper analyses which combination of governance and socio-economic factors is causing these positive results. This is an outstanding achievement for a tropical region, considering that most tropical areas are characterized for having stronger economic-land clearing forces compared to conservation forces, which reduce important ecosystem services for human wellbeing and the health of ecosystems. Highlights • Integrated Agent-Based Model simulates a social-ecological system of the Wet Tropics. • BAU reconciles sugarcane production, carbon sequestration and biodiversity. • Results driven by different socio-economic, governance and environmental factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The harmonious coexistence of man and nature is a universally recognized standard to test the rational utilization of multifunctional territorial space, and the planning of territorial space adapted to nature is a scientific guide to balance ecological protection and human development. This study focuses on the inevitable relationship between the scale, function and pattern of territorial space utilization (TSU), and puts forward a process research framework of "background evaluation-advantage comparison-optimization conduction". Based on the evaluation of resource and environment suitability, this paper determines the scale of multifunctional territorial space through the potential conflict identification model of TSU. The location entropy method is used to identify the advantageous functions of the county level, and the matching characteristics of the research results and the current situation are obtained by comparing them with the current plan. Finally, from the county functional zoning to the regional TSU pattern, the corresponding optimization conduction path is designed to form a new development and protection pattern. The empirical results of research area show that: (1) The study area is suitable for urban construction and agricultural production as a whole. The ecological protection is mainly at the general important level, and there is a moderate potential conflict between the development and protection of territorial space. The space scale of urban construction, agricultural production and ecological protection are accounted for 8.77%, 78.71% and 12.52%, respectively. (2) The advantageous function of TSU in county-level administrative units is dominated by single advantageous function, and the number of composite advantageous functions is generally small. The advantageous functional types determined by this research have a high matching with the current plan. (3) Based on the analysis of the scale structure and functional use of territorial space, this paper defines the ecological space that should be strictly protected and the agricultural and urban space that should be moderately developed for production and construction, and sets up elastic development areas. Finally, a strategic pattern of "one corridor, two screens, three circles and four zones" is conducive to the realization of the beautiful vision of the unification of protection and development. • Ecological protection is a prerequisite for territorial space utilization (TSU). • There is relation among scale, function and pattern of TSU. • Resource and environment carrying capacity decides the scale of TSU. • Multilevel coordination is an important way to balance protection and development. • A functional and strategic pattern is helpful for efficient TSU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the increasing population worldwide, in recent years, an exponential increase in agricultural practices has occurred in order to attend to the growing demand for food. Unfortunately, this increase is not associated with the supply of foodstuffs free of environmental pollutants. In Brazil, agriculture is one of the most important economic pillars, making the country one of the largest consumers of pesticides around the world. The intense use of pesticides, mainly glyphosate, 2,4-D, and atrazine, constitutes an essential factor in the viability of this great agricultural productivity. Sugarcane, corn, soybean, and citrus crops consume around 66% of the total pesticides worldwide, representing 76% of the planted area. Pesticide residues have been frequently detected in food and the environment, becoming a significant concern for human health. Monitoring programs for pesticide use are essential to reduce the potential negative impacts on the environment and improve the overall efficiency and sustainability of their use. However, in Brazil, the approval status of pesticide-active ingredients is very discrepant compared to other agricultural countries. Moreover, the duality of benefits and risks of pesticide application creates an economic and toxicological conflict. In this paper, we have critically reviewed the duality of risks-benefits of the use of pesticides in agriculture and the current Brazilian legislation issues. We have also compared this flawed legislation with other countries with high economic potential. Due to the negative environmental impacts on soil and water by the high levels of pesticides, remediation techniques, sustainable agriculture, and the development of new technologies can be considered some viable alternatives to reduce the levels in these compartments. Besides, this paper includes some recommendations that can be included in the coming years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface water supplies are becoming increasingly strained, pushing policy makers to find solutions to facilitate reductions in water use though there is limited evidence on how farmers respond to policy induced variation in surface water supplies. This paper uses a difference-in-differences framework to compare the response of farmers to a bundle of policies reducing deliveries from the Colorado River by 35%. I find that on average, farmers reduce the amount of land planted but plant more water intensive crops leading to a minimal reduction in total estimated water use compared to the counterfactual. Additionally, there is strong suggestive evidence that farmers are using groundwater to offset a significant amount of the surface water loss. These findings have important consequences for understanding the relative trade-offs policy makers face when implementing policies that protect surface water sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contaminated farmland leads to serious problems for human health through biomagnification in the soil-crop-human chain. In this paper, we have established a new soil remediation strategy using periphyton for the production of safer rice. Four representative polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), including phenanthrene (Phe), pyrene (Pyr), benzo[b]fluoranthene (BbF), and benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), were chosen to generate artificially contaminated soil. Pot experiments demonstrated that in comparison with rice cultivation in polluted soil with ΣPAHs (50 mg kg−1) but without periphyton, adding periphyton decreased ΣPAHs contents in both rice roots and shoots by 98.98% and 99.76%, respectively, and soil ΣPAHs removal reached 94.19%. Subsequently, risk assessment of ΣPAHs based on toxic equivalent concentration (TEQ), pollution load index (PLI), hazard index (HI), toxic unit for PAHs mixture (TU m), and incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) indicated that periphyton lowered the ecological and carcinogenicity risks of PAHs. Besides, the role of periphyton in enhancing the rice productivity was revealed. The results indicated that periphyton alleviated the oxidative stress of PAHs on rice by reducing malondialdehyde (MDA) content and increasing total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC). Periphyton reduced the toxic stress of PAHs on the soil by promoting soil carbon cycling and metabolic activities as well. Periphyton also improved the soil's physicochemical properties, such as the percentage of soil aggregate, the contents of humic substances (HSs) and nutrients, which increased rice biomass. These findings confirmed that periphyton could improve rice productivity by enhancing soil quality and health. This study provides a new eco-friendly strategy for soil remediation and simultaneously enables the production of safe crops on contaminated land. [Display omitted] • A novel strategy with periphyton was proposed for PAHs-polluted soil remediation. • In pot experiment the content of PAHs in different parts of rice was reduced. • Periphyton efficiently removed high molecular weight PAHs and reduced health risks. • Periphyton improved rice productivity by enhancing soil quality and health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Curbing the continuous abandonment of large areas of farmland is important for meeting the global food demand and promoting agricultural and rural development. Accurate identification is the key to the effective management and utilization of abandoned farmland. The identification of abandoned land based on a long time series of remote sensing data has become rapid and effective. Therefore, a set of training and test datasets generated from invariant samples and reference sample sets is established in this paper. On this basis, the Google Earth Engine (GEE) is used to classify Landsat and Sentinel high-precision long-term remote sensing images from 2000 to 2022. In addition, a change detector based on the sliding window algorithm is proposed to extract abandoned farmland in the Huangshui Basin from 2002 to 2020, and the intensity, trend, frequency, reclamation rate and utilization efficiency are analyzed. The results revealed that the OA of land use classification in the Huangshui Basin from 2000 to 2022 was between 0.852 and 0.91, and the kappa coefficient was between 0.822 and 0.89, indicating a good classification effect. From 2002 to 2020, the accumulated abandoned farmland area in the Huangshui Basin continued to increase, showing a fluctuating upward trend, and the phenomenon of farmland abandonment and reclamation occurs repeatedly in some areas. From the overall distribution, the abandoned area gradually increased from the central region to the southeast. With the passage of time, the amount of abandoned farmland in the valley increased gradually, and the abandoned area was transferred from the high mountains to the valley area. The average annual abandonment rate of supplementary farmland was 50.45%, which was much greater than that of basic farmland. Most of the supplementary farmland could not be effectively and judiciously used, and the utilization efficiency was low. The research results provide data support for the reuse of abandoned farmland in ecologically fragile plateau areas, the formulation of targeted strategies, the implementation of timely adjustments, and the establishment of new ideas and methods for the accurate identification of abandoned farmland. • Developed a set of training and test data sets generated by invariant and reference samples. • Proposed a sliding window algorithm based on the change detector to plot long time series abandoned farmland. • Spatiotemporal distribution, trend, and recultivation of abandoned were analyzed. • Abandonment rate of supplementary farmland is higher than original farmland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Legislation and regulation is increasingly limiting the use of pesticides or chemical fumigants to counteract soil-borne pathogens. Therefore the use of disease resistant grafted plants is increasing. However, the grafting of herbaceous crops is a labour-intensive technique, with consequent costs. These aspects have encouraged the development of automated machines able to increase productivity and rooting success rate while reducing costs. This paper presents an innovative solution for automatic grafting of vegetable crops, suitable for small to medium sized farms. The concept is to use a group of cooperative robots, adaptable in number, to meet workload specifications. The machine consists of one or more grafting units, able to cut and join scions and rootstocks, and a supplying and sorting system based on an ensemble of single-axis, identical and independent robotic modules, displacing on a unique rail, which coordinates the movement and the selection of scions, rootstocks and grafted plants. Overall productivity is given by the number of grafting units, the number of robotic modules implemented in the supply system, and the efficiency of the control and task allocation strategy. Together with the description of the innovative aspects of the machine mechanics, designed to face intrinsic variability in vegetable objects, the objective of this paper was to present the ensemble synthesis of the control policies, based on heuristic scheduling priorities, to allocate and coordinate the team of robots to a set of spatially distributed tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Legume-based mixtures have considerable interest for modern agriculture, because they can increase or stabilize crop production and simultaneously provide important agro-ecosystem functions. Accordingly, there is increasing demand for legume cultivars adapted to this utilization. This paper reviews the available findings and discuss methodological, eco-physiological and diversity-related issues that can help define cost-efficient breeding strategies for cool- and warm-season annual legumes intercropped with cereals, and perennial legumes intercropped with forage grasses. On average, selection in pure stand (PS) exhibited about 40% lower predicted yield gains than selection in target mixed stand (MS) conditions, in a survey of case studies. Specific breeding for intercropping tends to be particularly important for species undergoing severe competition because of modest competitive ability or the targeted growing conditions, for which direct selection in MS or indirect selection for traits associated with greater competitive ability prove valuable. Breeding for compatibility with a wide range of plant companions is encouraged by the larger size of general-compatibility effects relative to specific-compatibility ones. There is fairly limited evidence for the advantage of greater intraspecific diversity in legume breeding for intercropping. On the whole, however, the available findings are insufficient for designing efficient breeding strategies for the majority of legume species. We present a range of informative and cost-efficient methodological approaches that could be exploited for future studies. There is an urgent need to assess the efficiency of novel and relatively low-cost breeding strategies, among which evolutionary breeding and genomic selection emerge as the most promising. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Labour is the most dominant cost factor in Dutch cut-rose production. To improve crop production systems and labour management, a generic process modelling approach was developed enabling the impact of different scenarios on labour productivity to be assessed. The crop production system with crop handling processes is defined as a stochastic discrete event system. This paper demonstrates the model flexibility and transferability by adapting an existing model developed for a mobile rose production system to a model for a static growing system for cut roses. The paper describes the adaptation process. The adapted model was validated for the harvest process at a 3.6 ha production site in the Netherlands. Work scenarios were simulated to examine effects of skill, equipment, and harvest management. The model reproduces the harvest process accurately. A seven workday validation for an average skilled harvester showed a relative root mean squared error (RRMSE) under 5% for both labour time and harvest rate. A validation over 96 days for various harvesters showed a higher RRMSE, 15.2% and 13.6% for labour time and harvest rate respectively, mainly caused by the absence of model parameters for individual harvesters. The model was successfully used in scenario studies and indicated that worker skill was an important cost factor, differences associated with harvest trolley type are small, and that an extra harvest cycle per day is only feasible when compensated by product price. Overall, the generic model concept performs well for a static growing system when extended with system specific properties and process elements. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Water is essential not only to maintain the livelihoods of human beings but also to sustain ecosystems. Over the last few decades several global assessments have reviewed current and future uses of water, and have offered potential solutions to a possible water crisis. However, these have tended to focus on water supply rather than on the range of demands for all water services (including those of ecosystems). In this paper, a holistic global view of water resources and the services they provide is presented, using Sankey diagrams as a visualisation tool. These diagrams provide a valuable addition to the spatial maps of other global assessments, as they track the sources, uses, services and sinks of water resources. They facilitate comparison of different water services, and highlight trade-offs amongst them. For example, they reveal how increasing the supply of water resources to one service (crop production) can generate a reduction in provision of other water services (e.g., to ecosystem maintenance). The potential impacts of efficiency improvements in the use of water are also highlighted; for example, reduction in soil evaporation from crop production through better farming practices, or the results of improved treatment and re-use of return flows leading to reduction of delivery to final sinks. This paper also outlines the measures needed to ensure sustainable water resource use and supply for multiple competing services in the future, and emphasises that integrated management of land and water resources is essential to achieve this goal. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this paper, we present a model of prehistoric southwestern Colorado maize productivity. The model is based on a tree-ring reconstruction of water-year precipitation for Mesa Verde for the period A.D. 480 to 2011. Correlation of historic Mesa Verde precipitation with historic precipitation at 11 other weather stations enabled the construction of an elevation-dependent precipitation function. Prehistoric water-year precipitation values for Mesa Verde together with the elevation-dependent precipitation function allowed construction of the elevation of southwest Colorado precipitation contours for each year since A.D. 480, including the 30-cm contour, which represents the minimum amount of precipitation necessary for the production of maize and the 50-cm contour, which represents the optimum amount of precipitation necessary for the production of maize. In this paper, calculations of prehistoric maize productivity and field life for any specific elevation are also demonstrated. These calculations were performed using organic nitrogen measurements made on seven southwestern Colorado soil groups together with values of reconstructed water-year precipitation and estimations of the organic nitrogen mineralization rate. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Existing research on public attitudes towards agricultural production systems is largely descriptive, abstracting from the processes through which members of the general public generate their evaluations of such systems. The present paper adopts a systems perspective on such evaluations, understanding them as embedded into a wider attitude system that consists of attitudes towards objects of different abstraction levels, ranging from personal value orientations over general socio-political attitudes to evaluations of specific characteristics of agricultural production systems. It is assumed that evaluative affect propagates through the system in such a way that the system becomes evaluatively consistent and operates as a schema for the generation of evaluative judgments. In the empirical part of the paper, the causal structure of an attitude system from which people derive their evaluations of pork production systems was modelled. The analysis was based on data from a cross-national survey involving 1931 participants from Belgium, Denmark, Germany and Poland. The survey questionnaire contained measures of personal value orientations and attitudes towards environment and nature, industrial food production, food and the environment, technological progress, animal welfare, local employment and local economy. In addition, the survey included a conjoint task by which participants’ evaluations of the importance of production system attributes were measured. The data were analysed by means of causal search algorithms and structural equation models. The results suggest that evaluative judgments of the importance of pork production system attributes are generated in a schematic manner, driven by personal value orientations. The effect of personal value orientations was strong and largely unmediated by attitudes of an intermediate level of generality, suggesting that the dependent variables in the particular attitude system that was modelled here can be understood as value judgments in a literal sense. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Livestock production is important for food security, nutrition, and landscape maintenance, but it is associated with several environmental impacts. To assess the risk and benefits arising from livestock production, transparent and robust indicators are required, such as those offered by life cycle assessment. A central question in such approaches is how environmental burden is allocated to livestock products and to manure that is re-used for agricultural production. To incentivize sustainable use of manure, it should be considered as a co-product as long as it is not disposed of, or wasted, or applied in excess of crop nutrient needs, in which case it should be treated as a waste. This paper proposes a theoretical approach to define nutrient requirements based on nutrient response curves to economic and physical optima and a pragmatic approach based on crop nutrient yield adjusted for nutrient losses to atmosphere and water. Allocation of environmental burden to manure and other livestock products is then based on the nutrient value from manure for crop production using the price of fertilizer nutrients. We illustrate and discuss the proposed method with two case studies. • New method to value manure for its beneficial effects on crop production is proposed. • Manure can be considered as a co-product in Life Cycle Assessments when applied according to crop nutrient requirements. • The method encourages farmers to use manure sustainably in livestock and crop production systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supplemental lighting in greenhouses can increase crop growth, improving rates of greenhouse production. The advent of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) for photosynthetic lighting presents new opportunities for optimising greenhouse supplemental lighting control. Because LED light intensity can be controlled rapidly and precisely in real time, these lights can be controlled such that supplemental light is provided when it will be most efficiently used to drive photosynthesis. This approach to supplemental lighting control has the potential to reduce the electricity cost associated with greenhouse lighting while retaining the beneficial effects on crop growth, thereby decreasing the financial cost and improving the sustainability of greenhouse crop production. In this paper, an optimisation problem is formulated to minimise the total amount of electricity used by supplemental LED lights, subject to achieving a specified daily amount of photochemistry. An algorithm to solve the problem explicitly based on sufficient conditions for a global minimiser is developed. This method represents a computationally simple and broadly applicable means for minimising the amount of electricity required for supplemental lighting in greenhouses. • Electricity use of greenhouse lights can be reduced using dimmable LEDs. • An optimization problem is formulated to minimize electricity use for lighting. • The problem is solved using a quick and computationally-simple algorithm. • Lettuce lighting requirements are simulated using typical meteorological year data. • Annual electricity costs can be reduced by an estimated 9.55% using this method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a variety of crops that may be considered as potential biomass production crops. In order to select the best suitable for cultivation crop for a given area, a number of several factors should be taken into account. During the crop selection process, a common framework should be followed focussing on financial or energy performance. Combining multiple crops and multiple fields for the extraction of the best allocation requires a model to evaluate various and complex factors given a specific objective. This paper studies the maximisation of total energy gained from the biomass production by energy crops, reduced by the energy costs of the production process. The tool calculates the energy balance using multiple crops allocated to multiple fields. Both binary programming and linear programming methods are employed to solve the allocation problem. Each crop is assigned to a field (or a combination of crops are allocated to each field) with the aim of maximising the energy balance provided by the production system. For the demonstration of the tool, a hypothetical case study of three different crops cultivated for a decade (Miscanthus x giganteus , Arundo donax , and Panicum virgatum) and allocated to 40 dispersed fields around a biogas plant in Italy is presented. The objective of the best allocation is the maximisation of energy balance showing that the linear solution is slightly better than the binary one in the basic scenario while focussing on suggesting alternative scenarios that would have an optimal energy balance. • Energy balance estimation in multiple crops and multiple fields. • Multiple crops to fields spatial allocation. • Binary and linear programming solutions. • Optimization according to the optimal energy balance. • Alternative allocation scenarios and comparison with the basic scenario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Governments such as New Zealand's seek to raise the value of agricultural exports while concurrently protecting the natural environment. Therefore, farmers are encouraged to increase production while reducing environmental impacts. In this paper, we analyse the relationship between age and farmer values, farming objectives, past management decisions, and future intentions, all of which may impact the environment. Using multivariate regression that controls for gender, education, industry, and region, we find that older farmers are more risk averse, less willing to experiment, less likely to be influenced by social expectations, and more focused on financial performance. Older farmers are less likely to adopt new technologies and to have concrete plans to convert land and to intensify existing land uses. Using an agro-environmental land use model to project changes in farmer demographics, we find that if farm succession and adoption rates follow our estimates, then the natural shift in farmer age and resulting preferences for implementing plans to manage nutrients and soils over time could lead to a reduction in New Zealand's annual total nitrogen, phosphorus, and soil loss by 7%, 9%, and 19%, respectively, between 2015 and 2075. We conclude by noting that encouraging younger individuals to become more active in the farming community is a positive step towards accelerating the adoption of management practices with environmental benefits, but caution that this strategy alone will not meet the full objectives of the country's recent freshwater reforms. Highlights • Older farmers are less likely to adopt new technologies or to change or intensify land uses. • Young farmers are less risk averse, more influenced by social norms, and less focused on finances. • Changing demographics will likely lead to significant uptake of plans to manage nutrients and soil. • Shift in age and adoption rates are modelled to reduce environmental outputs to waterways by 7–19%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Systemic changes in environmental conditions, such as climate, can have a significant impact on both natural and human systems. This paper provides an improved understanding of the spatio-temporal variations in underlying climate processes, and the potential effects climate change may have on Vietnam's agricultural sector. Statistical methods were combined with geostatistical techniques to test the statistical significance of long-term trends in the climatic variables, graphically representing the distribution of climate patterns, identifying variations and trends of changes over time and their likely effects on agricultural production. By using records of monthly precipitation and temperature for a relatively long-term period (1975–2014) over a high density of 112 meteorological stations across the country, robust statistical and visual evidence of climatic change throughout Vietnam are provided. The Mann-Kendall trend test confirms the statistically significant long-term trends of rainfall and temperature in many regions across the country. The visual analysis shows remarkable changes in the spatio-temporal distribution patterns of those variables and most of the 'hotspot' areas identified by geostatistical mapping are in areas with confirmed long-term trends. The long-term significant trends are also concentrated in areas with very high proportion of agricultural land, particularly land used for rice production in the Red River and Mekong River deltas. The findings deliver a better understanding of underlying climate processes and impacts across regions of Vietnam and provide a basis to develop effective climate-related policies for agricultural production in response to changing climatic conditions. Highlights • We use data from weather stations at high spatial density recorded over a long period. • Robust visual and statistical evidence of climate change across Vietnam is provided. • We identify key rice-growing areas that are affected with pronounced climatic change. • We evaluate the likely effects of the ongoing climatic change on rice production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of grain production technologies and improvement of rural living standard, the production and utilization of straw have significantly been changed in China. More than 1 billion tones of straw are produced per year, and vast amount of them are discarded without effective utilization, leading various environmental and social impacts. Straw return is an effective approach of the straw utilization that has been greatly recommended by government and scientists in China. This paper discussed the current status of the straw return in China. Specifically, the production and models of straw return were explored and their environmental impacts were extensively evaluated. It was concluded that straw could be positively effective on the improvement of the soil quality and the grain production. However, it appeared that the straw return also had several neglect negative effects, implying that further research and assessment on the returned straw are required before its large-scale promotion in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Dalmatian coast has been occupied by Neolithic seafaring communities since the beginning of the 6th millennium BC. On the basis of pottery styles, a transition between the Impressed Ware and Danilo culture is defined, around 5300 cal BC. Nevertheless, bioarchaeological and archaeological data indicate general continuity between the two periods. In the current paper, we present an integrated technological and use-wear study of a large selection of lithics from several sites of both inland and insular Dalmatia. The results provide strong evidence for a change in harvesting techniques between the Impressed Ware and Danilo cultural phases. This change can be related to the pursuit of better performing inserts that could be used for longer periods and would be quicker to resharpen. Such a switch may have been associated with an initial increase in agricultural production during the Middle Neolithic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous agro-environmental indicators have been developed by agronomists and ecologists during the last 20 years to assess the environmental impact of farmers’ practices, and to monitor effects of agro-environmental policies. The objectives of this paper were (i) to measure the accuracy of a wide range of agro-environmental indicators from experimental data and (ii) to discuss the value of different information typically used by these indicators, i.e. information on farmers’ practices, and on plant and soil characteristics. Four series of indicators were considered in this paper: indicators of habitat quality for grassland bird species, indicators of risk of disease in oilseed rape crops, indicators of risk of pollution by nitrogen fertilizer, and indicators of weed infestation. Several datasets were used to measure their accuracy in cultivated plots and in grasslands. The sensitivity, specificity, and probability of correctly ranking plots were estimated for each indicator. Our results showed that the indicators had widely varying levels of accuracy. Some show very poor performance and had no discriminatory ability. Other indicators were informative and performed better than random decisions. Among the tested indicators, the best ones were those using information on plant characteristics such as grass height, fraction of diseased flowers, or crop yield. The statistical method applied in this paper could support researchers, farm advisers, and decision makers in comparing various indicators. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper critically examines various methods for estimating productivity incorporating environmental effects for the Australian agricultural sector. The agricultural sector has been selected because of its strategic position in the economy of Australia. The findings of this study indicate that the application of environmentally adjusted productivity methods is a credible approach to measure productivity, in the context of sustainable development. Although the empirical findings of this research are case study specific, the results provide evidence supporting the adoption of these techniques to other sectors of the economy when measuring productivity and needing to be cognisant of sustainable development. The findings suggest that adjusting for the environmental impacts of soil erosion can result in higher or lower agricultural productivity depending on the assumptions we make regarding damage costs of erosion. It is argued in this paper that, for soil erosion in Australia, assumptions yielding higher productivity (i.e., upwardly adjusted) are justified. Finally, the findings of this study and the use of the methods presented point to important gaps in data availability. This gap needs to be addressed by policy makers if sustainable development objectives are to be credibly assessed using these techniques. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Correct energy management offers the best possibility for reducing the costs in agricultural production. In present day farming energy and agronomic efficiencies are both important factors. As the working-width of implements has increased, air-seeding is the best solution for the sowing of cereal crops. One of the problematic areas is the design of the air-delivery system, particularly if the pneumatic conveying system is wrongly dimensioned. The flow of seeding material during conveying must be high and regular enough for a high-speed seeding. There are three parameters that ensure the conveying of seeding material in a pipe: air velocity, flow concentration and pipe diameter. It is demonstrated that the outlets of the divider heads are the most critical part of the conveying system. Outlet pipes relatively small diameters and must allow for the highest seeding rates without clogging. It was hypothesised that the air velocity in outlet pipe may be used as an input data for designed a completed conveying system. This paper determines I) a minimal air velocity and flow concentration per type of seeds relative to pipe diameter; II) establishes a method to measure the air velocity of the loaded flow, which could be used to optimise existing seeders from an energy point of view; III) describes a global design methodology for air-seeder conveying systems; IV) reports an comparative study of energy of the most commonly used outlet pipe diameters within the air-seeders; V) describes a method for calculating the energy consumption evaluation; VI) prescribes the optimum outlet pipe diameter deduced from our experimental results, necessary for the design of the following divider heads. Tests were carried out using for wheat and barley seeds, starter fertilisers and a wheat–fertiliser mixture, for three currently used pipe diameters (20, 25 and 30 mm). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study measured the impacts of drought tolerant maize varieties (DTMVs) on productivity, welfare, and risk exposure using household and plot-level data from rural Nigeria. The study employed an endogenous switching regression approach to control for both observed and unobserved sources of heterogeneity between adopters and non-adopters. Our results showed that adoption of DTMVs increased maize yields by 13.3% and reduced the level of variance by 53% and downside risk exposure by 81% among adopters. This suggests that adoption had a “win-win” outcome by increasing maize yields and reducing exposure to drought risk. The gains in productivity and risk reduction due to adoption led to a reduction of 12.9% in the incidence of poverty and of 83.8% in the probability of food scarcity among adopters. The paper concluded that adoption of DTMVs was not just a simple coping strategy against drought but also a productivity enhancing and welfare improving strategy. The results point to the need for policies and programs aimed at enhancing adoption as an adaptation strategy to drought stress in Nigeria and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Significant land use changes from natural/agricultural to urban land uses have been proposed within the Mpushini/Mkhondeni sub-catchments of the uMngeni Catchment in South Africa. A better understanding of the influences which such land use changes are likely to have on hydrological flows, is required, in order to make informed land use decisions for a sustainable future. As a point of departure, an overview of linkages between urbanisation and hydrological flow responses within this sub-humid study area is given. The urban characteristics of increased impervious areas and the potential return flows from transfers of potable water from outside the catchment were identified as being important in regard to hydrological flow responses. A methodology was developed to model urban response scenarios with urban characteristics as variables, using the daily time-step process based ACRU model. This is a hydrological multi-process model and not an urban hydraulic model and it addresses the landscape as well as the channel components of a catchment, and in addition to runoff components includes evaporation and transpiration losses as outputs. For the study area strong links between proposed urbanisation and hydrological resource flow responses were found, with increases in stormflows, together with increased and more regulated baseflows, and with impacts varying markedly between dry or wet years and by season. The impacts will depend on the fractions of impervious areas, whether or not these are connected to permeable areas, the amount of imported water and water system leaks. Furthermore, the urban hydrological impacts were found to be relatively greater in more arid than humid areas because of changes in the rainfall to runoff conversion. Flow changes due to urbanisation are considered to have important environmental impacts, requiring mitigation. The methodology used in this paper could be used for other urbanising areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural producer participation and spatial coordination of land use decisions are key components for enhancing the effective delivery of ecosystem services from private land. However, inducing participation in Payment for Ecosystem Services schemes for coordinating land management choices is challenging from a policy design perspective owing to transaction costs associated with participation. This paper employs a laboratory experiment to investigate the impact of such costs on participation and land use in the context of an Agglomeration Bonus (AB) scheme. The AB creates a coordination game with multiple Nash equilibria related to alternative spatially-coordinated land use patterns. The experiment varies transaction costs between two levels (high and low), which affects the risks and payoffs of coordinating on the different equilibria. Additionally, an option to communicate is implemented between neighbors arranged on a local network to facilitate spatial coordination. Results indicate a significant difference in participation and performance under high and low transaction costs, with lower uptake and performance when transaction costs are high. These effects are, however, impacted by transaction costs faced in the past. Communication improves both AB participation rates and performance with the effect being greater for participants facing high transaction costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the social costs of second-best agricultural greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation policies. Adjustments along the land use and input intensity margins are represented within a regionalized optimization model of California crop production calibrated to economic and agronomic information. Second-best policies relying on spatially aggregated GHG emission factors lead to small abatement efficiency losses, while policies targeting a single GHG lead to moderate losses. In contrast, policies targeting a single input entail large abatement efficiency losses, which nonetheless can be reduced by combining instruments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is widespread recognition of the global environmental impact of agricultural production on greenhouse gas emissions, but evidence is sparse regarding the impact in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. In this study, we treat agricultural emissions as an undesirable output from agricultural production and apply the directional distance function to measure environmentally-adjusted technical efficiency, defined as environmental efficiency in agricultural production, in six countries in the MENA region (Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia) during the period 1980–2016. The results show that all six countries have clear scope to improve their environmental efficiency. Agricultural production is greener in Jordan and Israel, while environmental efficiency is currently lowest in Egypt and Morocco. Estimated relative shadow price of agricultural emissions is −1.002, implying that the 'cost' of removing agricultural emissions is almost equal to the value of producing one unit of good output. These findings suggest there is a trade-off between agriculture emissions and production, which should be considered in efforts to enhance the sustainability of agricultural production in the MENA region. • The first empirical analysis paper that applies the directional distance function by treating N 2 O and CH 4 as undesirable outputs of agricultural productionin the MENA region. • The highest environmental efficiencies are from Jordan and Israel, and the lowest environmental efficiency are from Egypt and Morocco in the MENA region. • According to the shadow price, the 'cost' of removing agricultural emissions is almost equal to the value of producing one unit of good output. • There is a trade-off relationship between agriculture emissions and desirable output of agricultural production, rather than a synergistic relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Manpower is an important input parameter for both strategic and tactical management levels in agricultural production systems, connected to management tasks such as capacity planning, task times planning, and scheduling. In large scale field operations manpower surplus can lead to an unnecessary increase in operational cost, while, on the other hand, manpower shortages in the absence of appropriate planning can lead to reduced productivity with a high risk for timeliness costs. In this paper, the simulation model reported by Busato [Busato, 2015, A simulation model for a rice-harvesting chain. Biosystems Engineering, 129, 149–159] was extended to incorporate the functionality of the minimisation of manpower in large scale field operations, such as crop harvesting and transportation. Specifically, the model implements the practice where the number of transport units' operators is lower than the number of transport units. The simulation model was validated based on measurements in two harvesting and transport operations. The deviation of the predicted operation parameters as compared to the measured ones was relatively low. Specifically, for the case of area capacity the error in the prediction was 2.2% and 2%, respectively, compared to the measured area capacity in the two operations. Regarding the practice of the reduced number of operators, it was shown that there are significant reductions in required manpower use when fewer operators than the number of transport units are implemented in the operation. For the specific transport units-operators configurations examined, the reduction of manpower use (h ha −1 ) was in the range of 12%–30%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While there is considerable interest in understanding the climate–migration relationship, particularly in the context of concerns about global climatic change, little is known about its underlying mechanisms. In the paper, we combine a rich panel data on annual bilateral international migration flows with an extensive data on climate variability across the countries to investigate in-depth the climate–migration link. We find a positive and statistically significant relationship between temperature and international outmigration only in the most agriculture-dependent countries, consistent with the widely documented adverse impact of temperature on agricultural productivity. Further, the temperature–migration relationship is nonlinear and resembles the nonlinear temperature–yield relationship. In addition, migration flows to current major destinations are especially temperature-sensitive. Policies to address issues related to climate-induced international migration would be more efficient if focused on the agriculture-dependent countries and especially people in those countries whose livelihoods depend on agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper attempts to fill a gap in a growing literature examining the global economic implications of weather shocks. Past research has found significant, robust impacts of hotter temperatures on reducing economic growth. While rainfall is important for agriculture, impacts on aggregate economic activity remain elusive. In this paper, I argue that rainfall is a poor indicator of water availability, particularly in urban contexts. Instead, I find that changes in water runoff significantly impact economic growth. Results show that years in which runoff is significantly lower than average, local economic activity growth is depressed. This impact is strongest in middle-income regions, where runoff 1 or 2 standard deviation below normal levels reduces GDP growth by 0.4–0.6% and 1.3–2.5%. I examine two mechanisms, agricultural production and hydropower dependence. Globally, agricultural production is depressed by below average runoff shocks, although the resulting impact on GDP is likely low. Regions which are more urban and rely more on hydropower production in their energy mix are significantly more sensitive to these runoff shocks. With climate change expected to increase the variability of water runoff, these shocks are expected to become more frequent in the future and in some regions may significantly hamper growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we argue that current definitions of drought, especially in the context of small-scale agricultural production, are incomplete. We introduce the concept of 'technological drought' to account for crop failures, reduced yields or water scarcity, which are the consequence of an inability to supplement water when there is a lack of irrigation technology and/or existing poor water management. We illustrate the diversity of causes of technological drought, which can include shortages of fuel or electricity to operate pumps, problematically high costs to access irrigation infrastructure, or constrained access to pumps that have to be shared among multiple farmers. We argue that vulnerability to technological drought can be strongly conditioned by socio-economic conditions and that its impact can be magnified when population growth and the demand for food mean that any decline in yield can have serious consequences for food security. We show that technological drought is a complex phenomenon, and can be differentiated from the more widely-recognised classes of drought (meteorological, agricultural, hydrological, and socio-economic) in multiple ways. In particular, technological drought exhibits an important dependence on the socio-economic context of agricultural production. It is perhaps most evident in developing economies, especially where agricultural output depends strongly on the capacity of individual farmers to manage crop water supply on small holdings. Technological drought can follow from even brief interruptions to monsoon rainfall during critical stages of crop growth, such that technological droughts can be distinguished from other forms of drought by their brevity. • Globally, food production is sustained by irrigation. • Technological drought arises from a failure of water technology and/or management. • Failure of irrigation infrastructure can intensify the technological drought. • Its impact and severity depend on the access to credit, irrigation and water sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The significance of the paper by Yu et al. (1979) is discussed in the context of the long history of ethylene as a plant growth regulator. By launching the era of molecular analysis and biotechnological exploitation, this research made a vital contribution to crop production and quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rise of agriculture production in the Brazilian savanna is seen as one of the greatest achievements of worldwide agricultural science in the 20th century. Yet, reaching this current situation was, and still is, not an easy task. Actually, until the 1960s, 23% of Brazil (2 million km²) was occupied by a savanna-like vegetation generally called "Cerrado," developed in highly weathered soils, with particularly low natural fertility, used for extensive beef cattle production on unimproved pastures. This review paper intends to summarize a pioneer survey study by Dr Alfredo Lopes on "Cerrado" soils in the mid-1970s aiming to: (1) revisit the main chemical and physical properties of 518 topsoil samples under "Cerrado" vegetation in Central Brazil; (2) compare these results with some of the critical levels suggested for soil fertility interpretation; and, (3) study some relations among soil physical, chemical, and mineralogical characteristics in selected 44 topsoil samples with data concerning available water, phosphorus fixation, charge attributes, as well as extractable and total zinc. Besides stressing on the importance of adequate management strategies to allow the incorporation of these low natural fertility soils into successful crop production, we also highlight the historical importance of international collaborations that contribute to the development of soil fertility evaluation and agronomic-economic research programs on tropical soils in the Brazilian Cerrados. Lastly, additional comments are provided concerning the need of strategic actions and appropriate political decisions for the continuous sustainable development of this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we introduce a new source of data to economic history: palynological data or, in other words, information about pollen grains which are preserved in the bottom sediments of various water basins. We discuss how this data is collected and how it should be interpreted; develop new methods for aggregating this information into regional trends in agricultural output; construct an extensive dataset with a large number of pollen sites from Central Europe; and use our methods to study the economic history of Greater Poland, Lesser Poland, Bohemia, Brandenburg, and Lower Saxony since the first century AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to introduce an environmental generalised productivity indicator and its ratio-based counterpart. The innovative environmental generalised total factor productivity measures inherit the basic structure of both Hicks-Moorsteen productivity index and Luenberger-Hicks-Moorsteen productivity indicator. This methodological contribution shows that these new environmental generalised total factor productivity measures yield the earlier standard Hicks-Moorsteen index and Luenberger-Hicks-Moorsteen indicator, as well as environmental performance index, as special cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Achieving cost-effective mitigation and sustainable livelihoods through reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) depends heavily on the local context within which REDD+ projects are implemented. Studies have focused on how REDD+ can benefit or harm local people, with little attention paid to how people, their assets and institutions can promote or impede REDD+. This paper examines the key local assets necessary for REDD+ to protect forests and support local livelihoods based on evidence from a globally-linked REDD+ project in Kenya. Household interviews (n = 100), focus group discussions (n = 6) and in-depth interviews with government (n = 8) and project stakeholders (n = 14) were undertaken to rank and explain how local assets interact with the project's efforts to protect forests, and the role of State institutions in shaping project–asset interactions. Locally, pro-poor assets such as land tenure and water access had most influence on the project's ability to protect forests. Inclusion of communal forests as part of the REDD+ project entitled local poor peasant farmers to participate in and benefit from the project and so dissuaded them from using protected forests for charcoal production. Water access determined agricultural productivity and intensity of forest use for livelihoods and coping. Even though carbon revenues were distributed equally between social groups and support directed to pro-poor livelihood initiatives, efforts were impeded by State decisions on land that interfered with communal approaches to forest conservation, by strict carbon standards that limited trade-offs between livelihoods and forest protection and by fluctuating carbon prices and buyers that limited funds needed for project operations and local livelihoods. Equitable and pro-poor benefit sharing are necessary but not sufficient for effective REDD+ implementation unless national institutions are reformed and global carbon pricing harmonized with local livelihood needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper develops an integrated model of the fuel and agricultural sectors to analyze the welfare and greenhouse gas emission (GHG) effects of the existing Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), a Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) and a carbon price policy. The conceptual framework shows that these policies differ in the incentives they create for the consumption and mix of different types of biofuels and in their effects on food and fuel prices and GHG emissions. We also simulate the welfare and GHG effects of these three policies which are normalized to achieve the same level of US GHG emissions. By promoting greater production of food-crop based biofuels, the RFS is found to lead to a larger reduction in fossil fuel use but also a larger increase in food prices and a smaller reduction in global GHG emissions compared to the LCFS and carbon tax. All three policies increase US social welfare compared to a no-biofuel baseline scenario due to improved terms-of-trade, even when environmental benefits are excluded; global social welfare increases with a carbon tax but decreases with the RFS and LCFS due to the efficiency costs imposed by these policies, even after including the benefits of mitigating GHG emissions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Farmers face increasing demands in their everyday farm operations; from stakeholders along the food chain, governments and the society. These demands concern aspects of product quality, food safety and security, traceability as well as environmental, ethical and societal expectations. The intensification of food production due to the global population growth and scarce production input resources set a challenging frame for efficient and yet still economical farming. Solutions based on new technologies have not become common due to their high costs, unclear benefits, complicatedness to use and maintain, and lack of interoperability. The Cropinfra project investigated how Internet-based service infrastructure enables networked production systems which support farmers to operate efficiently and fulfil farming demands using present and future technologies. The work was based on system engineering approach. Results from other projects were utilised to create a modelled system representation of the whole farm production infrastructure. The system was gradually implemented and its functionalities were verified in practice on farm scale at MTT's research farm in Finland. The technical implementation structure of built Cropinfra platform and its assisting functions in farm operation management, especially in precision farming, are introduced and assessed in this paper. The Cropinfra platform is a multi-layered service framework. The framework consists of sub-services such as sensors in machines and equipments, data collection and machine control, data storing, and external services e.g. for weather and disease forecast. The service layer follows the Service Oriented Architecture paradigm and utilises open data transfer and data sharing interfaces, and Future Internet technologies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Harvest costs are generally the single greatest expense for specialty crop producers. Identifying and reducing inefficiencies during harvest are essential steps towards reducing costs and maintaining product quality. To streamline harvest operations, the number of workers and machines required to harvest, handle, and transport the product needs to be planned along with the execution of field operations. In this paper the fruit harvest and the bin collection process are modelled, adopting a modified machine repair model (machine interference problem) from the operations research area. An algorithm was developed in Matlab® to evaluate the performance of the system and improve confidence in sizing the fleet (workers and machines). Two different case studies are modelled using this algorithm: i) manual table grape harvest in Greece, and ii) manual sweet cherry harvest in Washington State, USA. First, the harvest procedures are described, and then the machine repair model is formulated to model each process. The bin loading process during grape harvest in Greece, and the sweet cherry picking process in USA are simulated. System performance under different number of bin carriers (or pickers) and loading stations is evaluated and results are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Encouraging the use of more efficient irrigation technology is often viewed as an effective, politically feasible method to reduce the consumptive use of water for agricultural production. Despite its pervasive recommendation, it is not clear that increasing irrigation efficiency will lead to water conservation in practice. In this paper, we evaluate the effect of a widespread conversion from traditional center pivot irrigation systems to higher efficiency dropped-nozzle center pivot systems that has occurred in western Kansas. State and national cost-share programs subsidized the conversion. On an average, the intended reduction in groundwater use did not occur; the shift to more efficient irrigation technology has increased groundwater extraction, in part due to shifting crop patterns. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A carbon tax on fuel would penalize carbon intensive fuels like gasoline and shift fuel consumption to less carbon intensive alternatives like biofuels. Since biofuel production competes for land with agricultural production, a carbon tax could increase land rents and raise food prices. This paper analyzes the welfare effect of a carbon tax on fuel consisting of gasoline and biofuel in the presence of a labor tax, with and without a biofuel subsidy. The market impacts of a carbon tax are also compared with that of a subsidy. Findings show that if a carbon tax increases biofuel demand, the tax interaction effect due to higher fuel prices is exacerbated by higher land rent and food prices and greater erosion of the carbon tax base. Thus, the second best optimal carbon tax for fuel is lower with biofuel in the fuel mix, especially if biofuel is subsidized. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Controlled traffic farming (CTF) maintains the same machinery wheel tracks in cropping fields year after year, thereby isolating the impacts of traffic compaction from the soil used for crop growth. The benefits of CTF include reduced energy use, improved soil health and crop yield, better timeliness of field operations and improved economics. The simplest adoption of CTF occurs in flat landscapes, and mildly sloping landscapes are an advantage in relation to surface drainage. The adoption of CTF in the Australian grain and cane industries has, to a large extent, been in flat to mildly sloping topographies. The Tasmanian vegetable industry faces a very different scenario, with topographies ranging from very flat, which present potential drainage issues, to steeply undulating, which present machine tracking and erosion challenges. Two significant challenges to the adoption of CTF in a vegetable and mixed cropping based industry were investigated – (1) working and track width compatibility of current equipment, and (2) farm layouts suited to steeply undulating topography. Farm layout can dictate success or failure in the adoption of CTF, with the risk of concentrated runoff and consequent erosion in wheel tracks. Mapping of representative farms in north-west Tasmania showed effective CTF layouts are possible, despite undulating topography and infrastructure challenges. The direction of run for many fields is already close to that required for CTF. Issues related to machinery aspects of this topic are covered in a companion paper (McPhee & Aird, 2013). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Controlled traffic farming (CTF) maintains the same machinery wheel tracks in cropping fields year after year, thereby isolating the impacts of traffic compaction from the soil used for crop growth. Benefits of CTF include improved energy efficiency, soil health, crop yield, timeliness and economics. The successful adoption of CTF in the Australian grain and cane industries has been largely based on a limited equipment suite and flat to mildly sloping topography. The Tasmanian vegetable industry faces a very different scenario, with a wide diversity of machinery, and topography ranging from gently to steeply undulating. Two key technical challenges to the adoption of CTF in vegetable and mixed cropping were investigated – 1) working and track width compatibility of current equipment, and 2) farm layouts suited to steeply undulating topography. Almost no machines are currently compatible with a common track or working width, although some are suitable for modification to enable CTF operation. Some harvest machinery (e.g. single row potato harvesters) provides few options for change. Seasonal CTF represents a possible starting place for adoption until more compatible machinery is available. Findings in relation to farm layouts are reported in a companion paper (McPhee, Neale, & Aird, 2013). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Recurrent droughts in arid and semi-arid regions are already rendering agricultural production, mainstay of subsistence livelihoods, uncertain. In order to mitigate the impact of drought, agricultural organizations must increase their capacity to adapt. Institutional adaptation refers to the creation of an effective, long-term government institution or set of institutions in charge of planning and policy, and its capacity to develop, revise, and execute drought policies. Using the Fars Agricultural Organization in Iran, as a case study, this paper explores the institutional capacities and capabilities, necessary to adapt to the drought conditions. The STAIR model was used as a conceptual tool, and the Bayesian network and Partial Least Squares (PLS) path modeling was applied to explain the mechanisms by which organizational capacities influence drought management. A survey of 309 randomly selected managers and specialists indicated serious weaknesses in the ability of the organization to apply adaptation strategies effectively. Analysis of the causal models illustrated that organizational culture and resources and infrastructure significantly influenced drought management performance. Moreover, managers and specialists perceived human resources and strategy, goals, and action plan, respectively, as the main drivers of institutional adaptation to drought conditions. Recommendations and implications for drought management policy are offered to increase organizational adaptation to drought and reduce the subsequent sufferings. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this paper we describe a methodology to model the impacts of policy measures within the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) on farm production, income and prices, and on farmland biodiversity. Two stylised scenarios are used to illustrate how the method works. The effects of CAP measures, such as subsidies and regulations, are calculated and translated into changes in land use and land-use intensity. These factors are then used to model biodiversity with a species-based indicator on a 1 km scale in the EU27. The Common Agricultural Policy Regionalised Impact Modelling System (CAPRI) is used to conduct the economic analysis and Dyna-CLUE (Conversion of Land Use and its Effects) is used to model land use changes. An indicator that expresses the relative species richness was used as the indicator for biodiversity in agricultural areas. The methodology is illustrated with a baseline scenario and two scenarios that include a specific policy. The strength of the methodology is that impacts of economic policy instruments can be linked to changes in agricultural production, prices and incomes, on the one hand, and to biodiversity effects, on the other – with land use and land-use intensity as the connecting drivers. The method provides an overall assessment, but for detailed impact assessment at landscape, farm or field level, additional analysis would be required. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Quantitative risk assessments of pollution and data related to the effectiveness of mitigating best management practices (BMPs) are important aspects of nonpoint source pollution control efforts, particularly those driven by specific water quality objectives and by measurable improvement goals, such as the total maximum daily load (TMDL) requirements. Targeting critical source areas (CSAs) that generate disproportionately high pollutant loads within a watershed is a crucial step in successfully controlling nonpoint source pollution. The importance of watershed simulation models in assisting with the quantitative assessments of CSAs of pollution (relative to their magnitudes and extents) and of the effectiveness of associated BMPs has been well recognized. However, due to the distinct disconnect between the hydrological scale in which these models conduct their evaluation and the farm scale at which feasible BMPs are actually selected and implemented, and due to the difficulty and uncertainty involved in transferring watershed model data to farm fields, there are limited practical applications of these tools in the current nonpoint source pollution control efforts by conservation specialists for delineating CSAs and planning targeting measures. There are also limited approaches developed that can assess impacts of CSA-targeted BMPs on farm productivity and profitability together with the assessment of water quality improvements expected from applying these measures. This study developed a modeling framework that integrates farm economics and environmental aspects (such as identification and mitigation of CSAs) through joint use of watershed- and farm-scale models in a closed feedback loop. The integration of models in a closed feedback loop provides a way for environmental changes to be evaluated with regard to the impact on the practical aspects of farm management and economics, adjusted or reformulated as necessary, and revaluated with respect to effectiveness of environmental mitigation at the farm- and watershed-levels. This paper also outlines steps needed to extract important CSA-related information from a watershed model to help inform targeting decisions at the farm scale. The modeling framework is demonstrated with two unique case studies in the northeastern United States (New York and Vermont), with supporting data from numerous published, location-specific studies at both the watershed and farm scales. Using the integrated modeling framework, it can be possible to compare the costs (in terms of changes required in farm system components or financial compensations for retiring crop lands) and benefits (in terms of measurable water quality improvement goals) of implementing targeted BMPs. This multi-scale modeling approach can be used in the multi-objective task of mitigating CSAs of pollution to meet water quality goals while maintaining farm-level economic viability. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Despite its economic and symbolic importance in the arid regions of the Middle East little is still known about the early cultivation of the date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.). Besides its numerous uses, this fruit tree constitutes the main species and structural element of the date palm gardens that characterize the hot deserts of the Old World. These agrosystems, perfectly adapted to the specific constraints of the environment, concentrate agricultural production in an artificial and intensively cultivated space depending on irrigation. While the first evidence of the cultivation of date palms in southern Mesopotamia dates to the 5th millennium B.C., oasis agriculture seems to have developed mainly during the early Bronze Age (from around 3000 B.C.) when this type of agrosystem can be reconstructed in different parts of the Middle East: Mesopotamia, southeastern Iran and eastern Arabia. The present paper draws together evidence from different kinds of sources (archaeobotany, texts, iconography) bearing on the early history of oasis agriculture. Questions of particular interest are the organization of past date palm gardens and their irrigation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]