High spatial resolution seasonal crop yield forecasting for heterogeneous maize environments in Oromia, Ethiopia

Kindie Tesfaye Vakhtang Shelia Pierre C. Sibiry Traore Dawit Solomon Gerrit Hoogenboom (2023, [Artículo])

Seasonal climate variability determines crop productivity in Ethiopia, where rainfed smallholder farming systems dominate in the agriculture production. Under such conditions, a functional and granular spatial yield forecasting system could provide risk management options for farmers and agricultural and policy experts, leading to greater economic and social benefits under highly variable environmental conditions. Yet, there are currently only a few forecasting systems to support early decision making for smallholder agriculture in developing countries such as Ethiopia. To address this challenge, a study was conducted to evaluate a seasonal crop yield forecast methodology implemented in the CCAFS Regional Agricultural Forecasting Toolbox (CRAFT). CRAFT is a software platform that can run pre-installed crop models and use the Climate Predictability Tool (CPT) to produce probabilistic crop yield forecasts with various lead times. Here we present data inputs, model calibration, evaluation, and yield forecast results, as well as limitations and assumptions made during forecasting maize yield. Simulations were conducted on a 0.083° or ∼ 10 km resolution grid using spatially variable soil, weather, maize hybrids, and crop management data as inputs for the Cropping System Model (CSM) of the Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer (DSSAT). CRAFT combines gridded crop simulations and a multivariate statistical model to integrate the seasonal climate forecast for the crop yield forecasting. A statistical model was trained using 29 years (1991–2019) data on the Nino-3.4 Sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTA) as gridded predictors field and simulated maize yields as the predictand. After model calibration the regional aggregated hindcast simulation from 2015 to 2019 performed well (RMSE = 164 kg/ha). The yield forecasts in both the absolute and relative to the normal yield values were conducted for the 2020 season using different predictor fields and lead times from a grid cell to the national level. Yield forecast uncertainties were presented in terms of cumulative probability distributions. With reliable data and rigorous calibration, the study successfully demonstrated CRAFT's ability and applicability in forecasting maize yield for smallholder farming systems. Future studies should re-evaluate and address the importance of the size of agricultural areas while comparing aggregated simulated yields with yield data collected from a fraction of the target area.

CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA CROP MODELLING DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEMS FORECASTING MAIZE

Wheat rust early warning systems in Ethiopia: using new technologies to combat crop disease

Gerald Blasch (2020, [Objeto de congreso])

CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA RUSTS MONITORING DISEASE SURVEILLANCE EARLY WARNING SYSTEMS

Realidad virtual en fenómenos del espacio interestelar

Antonio Luciano Hernández Padilla (2024, [Tesis de maestría])

153 páginas. Maestría en Diseño y Visualización de la Información.

El proyecto es un prototipo que se distribuye en varias etapas y sigue un enfoque de diseño de videojuegos para crear una experiencia de realidad virtual (también conocida como VR Virtual Reality) organizada y coherente. Requiere una fusión de conceptos multidisciplinarios, incluyendo ingeniería, diseño tridimensional y programación, lo que demanda a los profesionales involucrados tener sólidos conocimientos y habilidades creativas. El diseño de videojuegos se valora como un proceso que exige dedicación y pasión, aunque también se destaca la importancia de establecer reglas y géneros para orientar el desarrollo del juego. En este proyecto, el juego se clasifica como una aventura en primera persona centrada en la exploración del espacio interestelar, donde el jugador debe seguir reglas preestablecidas para alcanzar objetivos. La ludología, como estudio académico de los juegos, resalta la constante esencia de jugar, aprender y socializar en los juegos. La construcción del mundo del juego se basa en un Game Design Document que describe la visión, género y objetivos del juego. "Space Travel" se centra en la exploración espacial y cuenta con una nave espacial minimalista y un exoplaneta rocoso y gélido. Las mecánicas del juego se centran en la recolección de objetos y su activación, con reglas que guían la interacción del jugador con el entorno. Este proyecto busca ofrecer una experiencia de VR inmersiva y atractiva, centrada en el usuario. El enfoque en los principios de diseño de videojuegos y la planificación a través del Game Design Document demuestran un compromiso con la creación de una experiencia gratificante y significativa. La atención a la inmersión y las mecánicas de juego respaldan la afirmación de que es un desarrollo centrado en la experiencia del usuario.

The ongoing project is a prototype in various stages, following a game design approach to create an organized and coherent virtual reality experience. It requires a fusion of multidisciplinary concepts, including engineering, three-dimensional design, and programming, demanding that involved professionals possess strong knowledge and creative skills. Game design is valued as a process that demands dedication and passion, while also emphasizing the importance of establishing rules and genres to guide game development. In this project, the game is classified as a first-person adventure focused on interstellar space exploration, where the player must adhere to preset rules to achieve objectives. Ludology, as an academic study of games, highlights the constant essence of playing, learning, and socializing within games. The construction of the game world is based on a Game Design Document describing the vision, genre, and objectives of the game. "Space Travel" focuses on space exploration, featuring a minimalist spaceship and an icy, rocky exoplanet. Game mechanics revolve around object collection and activation, with rules guiding the player's interaction with the environment. This project aims to deliver an immersive and engaging virtual reality experience centered on the user. The focus on game design principles and planning through the Game Design Document demonstrates a commitment to creating a rewarding and meaningful experience. Attention to immersion and game mechanics supports the assertion that it's a user experience focused development.

Espacio, realidad, virtual, interactividad, diseño, experiencia, usuario. Space, Virtual, Reality, interactivity, design, user, experience. Video games--Design. Outer space--Exploration. Video games--Programming. VRML (Computer program language) Three-dimensional display systems. Videojuegos -- Diseño. Espacio exterior -- Exploración. Diseño de sistemas centrado en el usuario. QA76.76.C672 INGENIERÍA Y TECNOLOGÍA CIENCIAS TECNOLÓGICAS TECNOLOGÍA DE LOS ORDENADORES DISEÑO CON AYUDA DE ORDENADOR

Chapter 7. The climate–security nexus Securing resilient livelihoods through early warning systems and adaptive safety nets

Peter Läderach Paresh Shirsath Steven Prager (2023, [Capítulo de libro])

CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA CLIMATE CHANGE CONFLICTS VULNERABILITY EARLY WARNING SYSTEMS

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

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

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

Indicadores de estrés y desempeño biológico de juveniles de lobina rayada (Morone saxatilis) en agua marina: efecto de la densidad de cultivo y color del tanque

Stress indicators and biological performance of striped bass (Morone saxatilis) juvenile in seawater: effect stock density and tank color

DENISE ENCARNACION MAYORAL NORIEGA (2023, [Tesis de maestría])

Existen factores ambientales de naturaleza física, química o biológica que afectan directamente la alimentación de los peces. Por ejemplo, las altas densidades de cultivo pueden generar estrés en los organismos, resultando en la merma del consumo de alimento y por ende su crecimiento. Sin embargo, algunas especies toleran altas densidades formando un grupo o cardumen que les confiere un mejor desempeño. Otro factor que afecta el comportamiento de algunas especies es la coloración de los tanques de cultivo; demostrando la necesidad de utilizar tanques con un entorno físico adecuado para la especie a cultivar. Actualmente, M. saxatilis se produce en tanques en laboratorio y se engorda en jaulas marinas en Baja California; así que existe un gran interés por mejorar su crecimiento y eficiencia alimenticia. Por ello, el objetivo de esta investigación fue evaluar tres densidades de cultivo (alta: 6.2 kg·m-3, media: 3.1 kg·m-3 y baja: 1.5 kg·m-3) y dos colores de tanque (azul celeste y negro) en el crecimiento, supervivencia, utilización del alimento, índices corporales y concentración de cortisol y glucosa de juveniles de lobina rayada en agua marina para su mantenimiento en laboratorio durante nueve semanas. Los resultados demostraron que los organismos obtuvieron el mayor crecimiento en peso en la densidad media, indistintamente del color del tanque. Asimismo, la densidad afectó significativamente los índices hepatosomático y liposomático, ya que disminuyeron conforme aumentó la densidad. El color del tanque influyó de manera importante en el consumo de alimento (azules: 37.4 ± 1.9 g·pez-1; negros: 35.9 ± 2.0 g·pez-1). La interacción de los factores afectó la TCE, TCA y TEP. Las concentraciones de cortisol (81.8 ± 22.5 ng·ml-1) y glucosa (83.2 ± 11.4 mg·100 ml-1) fueron similares en todos los tratamientos y relativamente bajas para la especie. En conclusión, se logró elucidar bajo qué condiciones de cultivo en laboratorio los organismos lograron superar los factores de estrés sin comprometer su crecimiento y supervivencia, reflejándose en un mejor desempeño biológico. Se recomienda utilizar tanques azules o negros con densidades iniciales de 4.2 kg·m-3 o 233 peces·m-3 para el cultivo de juveniles de M. saxatilis en agua salada bajo condiciones de laboratorio.

Environmental factors of a physical, chemical or biological nature such as high stocking densities can directly affect fish feeding and generate stress in organisms, resulting in a decrease in food intake and therefore growth. However, some species tolerate high densities, forming a group or shoal resulting in better overall performance. Another factor that influences the behavior of some species is the color of the culture tank; warranting the need to use tanks with a physical environment suitable for the species to be cultivated. Currently, striped bass are produced in tank-based hatcheries to be socked in sea cages for growout in Baja California. Thus, there is interest in improving their growth rate and feed efficiency under laboratory conditions. Therefore, the objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of three stocking densities (high: 6.2 kg m-3, medium: 3.1 kg m-3 and low: 1.5 kg m-3) and two tank colors (light blue and black) on the biological performance (growth, survival, food utilization), somatic indices and fish stress using the concentration of cortisol and glucose in blood serum as response variables of juvenile striped bass cultured in seawater for nine weeks. The results showed that the organisms had greater growth in terms of final weight when they were cultured at the medium stocking density, regardless of tank color. Likewise, density had a significant effect on hepatosomatic and liposomatic indices, with a tendency to decrease as density increased. The color of the tank significantly influenced the food consumption (blues: 37.4 ± 1.9 g·fish-1; blacks: 35.9 ± 2.0 g·fish-1). The interaction of the factors influenced TCE, TCA and TEP. The concentrations of cortisol (81.8 ± 22.5 ng·ml-1) and glucose (83.2 ± 11.4 mg·100 ml-1) were similar in all treatments indicating low fish stress. In conclusion, it was possible to elucidate under which laboratory culture conditions the organisms were able to overcome the stress factors without compromising their growth and survival; reflected in better biological performance. A stocking density of 4.2 kg m-3 o 233 fish·m-3 for M. saxatilis juvenile reared in saltwater under laboratory culture conditions is recommended.

lobina rayada, densidad cultivo, color tanque, estrés, crecimiento striped bass, stocking density, tank color, stress, growth CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA CIENCIAS AGRARIAS PECES Y FAUNA SILVESTRE PISCICULTURA PISCICULTURA

Influence of poverty concerns on demand for healthier processed foods: A field experiment in Mexico City

Marrit Van den Berg Jason Donovan (2023, [Artículo])

Living in poverty can present cognitive biases that exacerbate constraints to achieving healthier diets. Better diets could imply food choice upgrades within certain food categories, such as electing processed foods with an improved nutritional profile. This study evaluated the influence of monetary and health concerns on the willingness to pay (WTP) for healthier processed foods in a low-income section of Mexico City. We employed priming techniques from the scarcity literature, which are applied for the first time to healthier food purchasing behaviours in low-income settings. Our predictions are based on a dual system framework, with choices resulting from the interaction of deliberative and affective aspects. The WTP was elicited through a BDM mechanism with 423 participants. Results showed that induced poverty concerns reduced the valuations of one of the study's healthier food varieties by 0.17 standard deviations. The latter effect did not differ by income level. The WTP for a healthier bread product but one with relatively high sugar and fat content was reduced by induced poverty concerns only among certain consumers without bread purchasing restrictions (78% of the sample). Potential mechanisms were assessed through regression analysis and structural equation modelling. The relationship between poverty concerns and WTP was mediated by increased levels of stress. While we could not rule out impact on cognitive load, it was not deemed a mediator in this study. Our findings signal that improvements in economic and psychological well-being among low-income consumers may aid to increase their demand for healthier processed foods.

Healthier Diets Poverty Psychology Dual System Model CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA DIET POVERTY PSYCHOLOGY STRESS WILLINGNESS TO PAY