Do provisioning ecosystem services change along gradients of increasing agricultural production?

Ronju Ahammad Stephanie Tomscha Sarah Gergel Frédéric Baudron Jean-Yves Duriaux Chavarría Samson Foli Dominic Rowland Josh Van Vianen Terence Sunderland (2024, [Artículo])

Context: Increasing agricultural production shapes the flow of ecosystem services (ES), including provisioning services that support the livelihoods and nutrition of people in tropical developing countries. Although our broad understanding of the social-ecological consequences of agricultural intensification is growing, how it impacts provisioning ES is still unknown. Objectives: We examined the household use of provisioning ES across a gradient of increasing agricultural production in seven tropical countries (Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Nicaragua and Zambia). We answered two overarching questions: (1) does the use of provisioning ES differ along gradients of agriculture production ranging from zones of subsistence to moderate and to high agriculture production? and (2) are there synergies and/or trade-offs within and among groups of ES within these zones? Methods: Using structured surveys, we asked 1900 households about their assets, livestock, crops, and collection of forest products. These questions allowed us to assess the number of provisioning ES households used, and whether the ES used are functionally substitutable (i.e., used similarly for nutrition, material, and energy). Finally, we explored synergies and trade-offs among household use of provisioning ES. Results: As agricultural production increased, provisioning ES declined both in total number and in different functional groups used. We found more severe decreases in ES for relatively poorer households. Within the functional groups of ES, synergistic relationships were more often found than trade-offs in all zones, including significant synergies among livestock products (dairy, eggs, meat) and fruits. Conclusions: Considering landscape context provides opportunities to enhance synergies among provisioning services for households, supporting resilient food systems and human well-being.

Agricultural Production Zones Agricultural Intensifcation Synergies and Trade-Offs Landscape Multifunctionality Social-Ecological Systems CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA AGRICULTURE INTENSIFICATION ECOSYSTEM SERVICES LANDSCAPE SOCIAL-ECOLOGICAL RESILIENCE ECOSYSTEM SERVICES

Unanswered questions and unquestioned answers: the challenges of crop residue retention and weed control in Conservation Agriculture systems of southern Africa

Christian Thierfelder Blessing Mhlanga Hambulo Ngoma Paswel Marenya Md Abdul Matin Adane Tufa (2024, [Artículo])

Production and utilization of crop residues as mulch and effective weed management are two central elements in the successful implementation of Conservation Agriculture (CA) systems in southern Africa. Yet, the challenges of crop residue availability for mulch or the difficulties in managing weed proliferation in CA systems are bigger than a micro-level focus on weeds and crop residues themselves. The bottlenecks are symptoms of broader systemic complications that cannot be resolved without appreciating the interactions between the current scientific understanding of CA and its application in smallholder systems, private incentives, social norms, institutions, and government policy. In this paper, we elucidate a series of areas that represent some unquestioned answers about chemical weed control and unanswered questions about how to maintain groundcover demanding more research along the natural and social sciences continuum. In some communities, traditional rules that allow free-range grazing of livestock after harvesting present a barrier in surface crop residue management. On the other hand, many of the communities either burn, remove, or incorporate the residues into the soil thus hindering the near-permanent soil cover required in CA systems. The lack of soil cover also means that weed management through soil mulch is unachievable. Herbicides are often a successful stopgap solution to weed control, but they are costly, and most farmers do not use them as recommended, which reduces efficacy. Besides, the use of herbicides can cause environmental hazards and may affect human health. Here, we suggest further assessment of the manipulation of crop competition, the use of vigorously growing cover crops, exploration of allelopathy, and use of microorganisms in managing weeds and reducing seed production to deplete the soil weed seed bank. We also suggest in situ production of plant biomass, use of unpalatable species for mulch generation and change of grazing by-laws towards a holistic management of pastures to reduce the competition for crop residues. However, these depend on the socio-economic status dynamics at farmer and community level.

CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA INTEGRATED CROP-LIVESTOCK SYSTEMS CROP RESIDUES ZERO TILLAGE SOCIAL NORMS SUSTAINABLE INTENSIFICATION WEED CONTROL

How diverse are farming systems on the Eastern Gangetic Plains of South Asia? A multi-metric and multi-country assessment

Brendan Brown Pragya Timsina Emma Karki (2023, [Artículo])

While crop diversification has many benefits and is a stated government objective across the Eastern Gangetic Plains (EGP) of South Asia, the complexity of assessment has led to a rather limited understanding on the progress towards, and status of, smallholder crop diversification. Most studies focus on specific commodities or report as part of a singular index, use outdated secondary data, or implement highly localized studies, leading to broad generalisations and a lack of regional comparison. We collected representative primary data with more than 5000 households in 55 communities in Eastern Nepal, West Bengal (India) and Northwest Bangladesh to explore seasonally based diversification experiences and applied novel metrics to understand the nuanced status of farm diversification. While 66 crops were commercially grown across the region, only five crops and three crop families were widely grown (Poaceae, Malvaceae, and Brassicaceae). Non-cereal diversification across the region was limited (1.5 crops per household), though regional differentiation were evident particularly relating to livestock and off-farm activities, highlighting the importance of cross border studies. In terms of farmer's largest commercial plots, 20% of systems contained only rice, and 57% contained only rice/wheat/maize, with substantial regional diversity present. This raises concerns regarding the extent of commercially oriented high value and non-cereal diversification, alongside opportunities for diversification in the under-diversified pre-monsoon and monsoon seasons. Future promotional efforts may need to focus particularly on legumes to ensure the future sustainability and viability of farming systems.

Agricultural Production Systems Farming Systems Change CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION CROPPING SYSTEMS DIVERSIFICATION FARMING SYSTEMS SUSTAINABLE INTENSIFICATION

The input reduction principle of agroecology is wrong when it comes to mineral fertilizer use in sub-Saharan Africa

Gatien Falconnier Marc Corbeels Frédéric Baudron Antoine Couëdel leonard rusinamhodzi bernard vanlauwe Ken Giller (2023, [Artículo])

Can farmers in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) boost crop yields and improve food availability without using more mineral fertilizer? This question has been at the center of lively debates among the civil society, policy-makers, and in academic editorials. Proponents of the “yes” answer have put forward the “input reduction” principle of agroecology, i.e. by relying on agrobiodiversity, recycling and better efficiency, agroecological practices such as the use of legumes and manure can increase crop productivity without the need for more mineral fertilizer. We reviewed decades of scientific literature on nutrient balances in SSA, biological nitrogen fixation of tropical legumes, manure production and use in smallholder farming systems, and the environmental impact of mineral fertilizer. Our analyses show that more mineral fertilizer is needed in SSA for five reasons: (i) the starting point in SSA is that agricultural production is “agroecological” by default, that is, very low mineral fertilizer use, widespread mixed crop-livestock systems and large crop diversity including legumes, but leading to poor soil fertility as a result of widespread soil nutrient mining, (ii) the nitrogen needs of crops cannot be adequately met solely through biological nitrogen fixation by legumes and recycling of animal manure, (iii) other nutrients like phosphorus and potassium need to be replaced continuously, (iv) mineral fertilizers, if used appropriately, cause little harm to the environment, and (v) reducing the use of mineral fertilizers would hamper productivity gains and contribute indirectly to agricultural expansion and to deforestation. Yet, the agroecological principles directly related to soil fertility—recycling, efficiency, diversity—remain key in improving soil health and nutrient-use efficiency, and are critical to sustaining crop productivity in the long run. We argue for a nuanced position that acknowledges the critical need for more mineral fertilizers in SSA, in combination with the use of agroecological practices and adequate policy support.

Manure Crop Yields Smallholder Farming Systems Environmental Hazards CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA BIOLOGICAL NITROGEN FIXATION LEGUMES NUTRIENT BALANCE SOIL FERTILITY AGROECOLOGY YIELD INCREASES LITERATURE REVIEWS

Closing the yield gap of soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merril) in Southern Africa: a case of Malawi, Zambia, and Mozambique

Siyabusa Mkuhlani Isaiah Nyagumbo (2023, [Artículo])

Introduction: Smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are increasingly producing soybean for food, feed, cash, and soil fertility improvement. Yet, the difference between the smallholder farmers’ yield and either the attainable in research fields or the potential from crop models is wide. Reasons for the yield gap include low to nonapplication of appropriate fertilizers and inoculants, late planting, low plant populations, recycling seeds, etc. Methods: Here, we reviewed the literature on the yield gap and the technologies for narrowing it and modelled yields through the right sowing dates and suitable high-yielding varieties in APSIM. Results and Discussion: Results highlighted that between 2010 and 2020 in SSA, soybean production increased; however, it was through an expansion in the cropped area rather than a yield increase per hectare. Also, the actual smallholder farmers’ yield was 3.8, 2.2, and 2.3 times lower than the attainable yield in Malawi, Zambia, and Mozambique, respectively. Through inoculants, soybean yield increased by 23.8%. Coupling this with either 40 kg ha−1 of P or 60 kg ha−1 of K boosted the yields by 89.1% and 26.0%, respectively. Overall, application of 21–30 kg ha-1 of P to soybean in SSA could increase yields by about 48.2%. Furthermore, sowing at the right time increased soybean yield by 300%. Although these technologies enhance soybean yields, they are not fully embraced by smallholder farmers. Hence, refining and bundling them in a digital advisory tool will enhance the availability of the correct information to smallholder farmers at the right time and improve soybean yields per unit area.

Decision Support Tools Digital Tools Site-Specific Recommendations CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEMS LEGUMES YIELDS SOYBEANS

Solar Irrigation Pump (SIP) sizing tool: user manual (Beta version)

Santosh Mali Paresh Shirsath (2022, [Libro])

CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA SOLAR POWERED IRRIGATION SYSTEMS PUMPS IRRIGATION WATER MANUALS

El estudio de la cartografía histórica como eslabón fundamental para los análisis urbanísticos: la ciudad de México 1520-1628

Rodrigo O. Tirado (2023, [Capítulo de libro])

Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (México). Unidad Azcapotzalco. División de Ciencias y Artes para el Diseño. Departamento de Evaluación del Diseño en el Tiempo. Área de Estudios Urbanos.

El presente trabajo hace un recuento y analiza la cartografía de la Ciudad de México desde principios del siglo XVI hasta el siglo XVII. Estas cartografías y su análisis fueron extremadamente útiles para consolidar el análisis urbanístico de la Ciudad de México como una metodología complementaria de los estudios históricos. Los análisis cartográficos presentados aquí pusieron en evidencia un vacío histórico comprendido dentro del periodo Paleohispánico (Tirado, 2019: 280), el cual va de 1521, año en que se dio la conquista de la ciudad de México-Tenochtitlan a manos de los conquistadores castellanos, y 1535, año en el cual llega el primer virrey, Antonio de Mendoza.

Cartography--Mexico--History. Mexico City (Mexico)--Maps--Early works to 1800. Mexico City (Mexico)--Historical geography. City planning--Mexico--History. City planning--Mexico--Mexico City--History--16th century. Cartografía -- Historia. Urbanismo -- Ciudad de México. GA481 HUMANIDADES Y CIENCIAS DE LA CONDUCTA CIENCIAS DE LAS ARTES Y LAS LETRAS ARQUITECTURA URBANISMO

Seasonal climate forecasts (SCFs) based risk management strategies: A case study of rainfed rice cultivation in India

Nand Lal Kushwaha Paresh Shirsath Dipaka Ranjan Sena (2022, [Artículo])

FResampler1 Seasonal Climate Forecasts Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA CLIMATE CHANGE DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEMS YIELDS RICE RISK MANAGEMENT

How a holobiome perspective could promote intensification, biosecurity and eco-efficiency in the shrimp aquaculture industry

Eric Daniel Gutiérrez Pérez RICARDO VAZQUEZ JUAREZ FRANCISCO JAVIER MAGALLON BARAJAS MIGUEL ANGEL MARTINEZ MERCADO GRISEL ALEJANDRA ESCOBAR ZEPEDA Paola Magallón Servín (2022, [Artículo])

"The aquaculture industry faces many challenges regarding the intensification of shrimp rearing systems. One of these challenges is the release of excessive amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus into coastal areas, causing disruption in nutrient cycling and microbial equilibrium, which are important for coastal productivity. Biosecurity within the shrimp rearing systems can also be compromised by disruption to the nutrient fluxes, and as consequence the microbiome of the system. In certain conditions, these changes could lead to the blooming of potentially pathogenic bacteria. These changes in the external microbiome of the system and the constant fluctuations of nutrients can affect the intestinal microbiome of shrimp, which is involved in the growth and development of the host, affecting nutrient absorption, regulating metabolic processes, synthesising vitamins, modulating the immune response and preventing growth of pathogenic bacteria. It has been suggested that specific changes in the intestinal microbiome of Litopenaeus vannamei may be an avenue through which to overcome some of the problems that this industry faces, in terms of health, growth and waste. Recent research, however, has focussed mainly on changes in the intestinal microbiome. Researchers have overlooked the relevance of other aspects of the system, such as the microbiome from the benthic biofilms; zooplankton, plankton and bacterioplankton; and other sources of microorganisms that can directly affect the microbial status of the intestinal and epiphytic communities, especially in rearing systems that are based on intensification and microbial maturation processes, such as a biofloc system. It is therefore necessary to place holobiome studies into context, including the ‘holobiome of the aquaculture system’ (microbiomes that make up the culture system and their interactions) and not only the intestinal microbiome. Thus, we describe factors that affect the shrimp microbiome, the methodology of study, from sampling to bioinformatic workflows, and introduce the concept of the ‘holobiome of the aquaculture system’ and how this enables us to promote the intensification, biosafety and eco-efficiency of shrimp farming. The holobiome perspective implies a greater investment of resources and time for research, but it will accelerate the development of technology that will benefit the development and sustainability of the aquaculture industry."

litopenaeus vannamei, microbiome, intensification, biofloc, holobiome of aquaculture systems CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA CIENCIAS AGRARIAS PRODUCCIÓN ANIMAL NUTRICIÓN NUTRICIÓN

Usando la descomposición de un grafo Halin para el diseño de algoritmos autoestabilizantes

Using Halin graph decomposition for the design of self-stabilizing algorithm

Daniel Uriel Orozco Lomelí (2023, [Tesis de maestría])

Sea G = (V, E) un grafo no dirigido. El problema de encontrar un conjunto independiente fuerte en G, es identificar un conjunto S ⊆ V , tal que dados dos vértices arbitrarios de S, éstos estén separados entre sí por el menos tres aristas. Encontrar un conjunto S de tamaño máximo pertenece a la clase NP-Difícil. Por otro lado, el problema de encontrar un conjunto dominante total en G es identificar un conjunto D ⊆ V , tal que cualquier vértice en V tenga al menos un vecino que pertenezca a D. Encontrar un conjunto D de tamaño mínimo también pertenece a la clase NP-Difícil. En este trabajo de tesis se diseñaron dos algoritmos, uno que resuelve el problema de encontrar un conjunto independiente fuerte maximal y otro que resuelve el problema de encontrar un conjunto dominante total minimal. Estos dos problemas son menos restrictivos que las versiones de optimización descritas al principio de este texto y se sabe que pertenecen a la clase P. Los algoritmos diseñados corren en un sistema distribuido, son autoestabilizantes, son tolerantes a fallas transitorias y funcionan para grafos Halin. Los grafos Halin pertenecen a la clase de grafos 2-outerplanares y tienen la propiedad de que se pueden partir en dos subgrafos muy conocidos, un árbol y un ciclo. Los algoritmos propuestos aprovechan la propiedad anterior para disminuir la complejidad de los mismos. Hasta donde tenemos conocimiento, los algoritmos propuestos, que corren en tiempo lineal en el número de vértices, son los algoritmos más rápidos existentes para los problemas del conjunto independiente fuerte maximal y el conjunto dominante total minimal.

Let G = (V, E) be an undirected graph. The problem of finding a strong stable set in G, is to identify a set S ⊆ V , such that given two arbitrary vertices of S, they are separated from each other by at least three edges. Finding a set S of maximum size belongs to the class NP-Hard. On the other hand, the problem of finding a total dominanting set in G is to identify a set D ⊆ V , such that any vertex in V has at least one neighbor belonging to D. Finding a set D of minimum size also belongs to the class NP-Hard. In this thesis work, two algorithms were designed, one that solves the problem of finding a maximal strong stable set and one that solves the problem of finding a minimal total dominanting set. These two problems are less restrictive than the optimization versions described at the beginning of this text and are known to belong to the P class. The designed algorithms run on a distributed system, are self-stabilizing, are transient fault tolerant, and work for Halin graphs. Halin graphs belong to the 2-outerplanar class of graphs and have the property that they can be split into two well-known subgraphs, a tree and a cycle. The proposed algorithms take advantage of the above property to decrease the complexity of the algorithms. To the best of our knowledge, the proposed algorithms, which run in linear time in the number of vertices, are the fastest existing algorithms for the maximal strong stable set and minimal total dominating set problems.

Grafo Halin, Sistemas Distribuidos, Autoestabilización, Conjunto Independiente Fuerte, Conjunto Dominante Total Halin Graph, Distributed Systems, Self-stabilizing, Strong Stable Set, Total Dominating Set INGENIERÍA Y TECNOLOGÍA CIENCIAS TECNOLÓGICAS TECNOLOGÍA DE LOS ORDENADORES LENGUAJES ALGORÍTMICOS LENGUAJES ALGORÍTMICOS