Preparing for, coping with and bouncing back after shocks. A nuanced resilience assessment for smallholder farms and farmers in Northern Ghana

Mirja Michalscheck Fred Kizito Carl Timler Jeroen Groot (2023, [Artículo])

Whole-Farm Model Health Shock CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA SUSTAINABLE INTENSIFICATION VULNERABILITY SMALLHOLDERS LANDSCAPE TECHNOLOGY

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 Most studies focus on specific commodities or report as part of a singular index, use outdated secondary data, or implement highly localized studies, leading to broad generalisations and a lack of regional comparison.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

Risk aversion, impatience, and adoption of conservation agriculture practices among smallholders in Zambia

Hambulo Ngoma João Vasco Silva Frédéric Baudron Isaiah Nyagumbo Christian Thierfelder (2024, [Artículo])

Sustainable agricultural practices such as conservation agriculture have been promoted in southern Africa for nearly three decades, but their adoption remains low. It is of policy interest to unpack behavioural drivers of adoption to understand why adoption remains lower than anticipated. This paper assesses the effects of risk aversion and impatience on the extent and intensity of the adoption of conservation agriculture using panel data collected from 646 households in 2021 and 2022 in Zambia. We find that 12% and 18% of the smallholders were impatient and risk averse, respectively. There are two main empirical findings based on panel data Probit and Tobit models. First, on the extensive margin, being impatient is correlated with a decreased likelihood of adopting combined minimum-tillage (MT) and rotation by 2.9 percentage points and being risk averse is associated with a decreased propensity of adopting combined minimum tillage (MT) and mulching by 3.2 percentage points. Being risk averse is correlated with a decreased chance of adopting basins by 2.8 percentage points. Second, on the intensive margin, impatience and risk aversion are significantly correlated with reduced adoption intensity of basins, ripping, minimum tillage (MT), and combined MT and rotation by 0.02–0.22 ha. These findings imply a need to embed risk management (e.g., through crop yield insurance) in the scaling of sustainable agricultural practices to incentivise adoption. This can help to nudge initial adoption and to protect farmers from yield penalties that are common in experimentation stages.

Risk and Time Preferences CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION RISK SUSTAINABLE INTENSIFICATION SMALLHOLDERS

Efecto de los sólidos suspendidos volátiles del licor mezclado en el ensuciamiento de las membranas durante la operación de un bioreactor con membranas a corto y largo plazo

Effect of mixed liquor volatile suspended solids on membrane fouling during short and long-ter operation of membrane bioreactor

EDSON BALTAZAR ESTRADA ARRIAGA Petia Mijaylova Nacheva LILIANA GARCIA SANCHEZ (2015, [Artículo])

El objetivo del estudio fue examinar el impacto de diferentes concentraciones de sólidos suspendidos volátiles del licor mezclado en el ensuciamiento de las membranas en un bio-reactor con membranas sumergidas (BRMS)en periodos cortos y largos de operación durante el tratamiento del agua residual. Tres BRMS a escala laboratorio fueron operados bajo condiciones críticas, sub-críticas y condiciones de succión intermitente y retrolavados. En cortos tiempos de operación de los BRMS con concentraciones de licor mezclado de 4,200 y 6,150 mg SSVLM L-1, la resistencia hidráulica de las membranas se comportó de manera similar con un promedio de 5.0E+12 m-1, mientras para una concentración de 7,940 mg SSVLM L-1, su obtuvo una alta resistencia con valores de 1.7E+13 m-1. Los resultados mostraron que con concentraciones altas de biomasa la permeabilidad de las membranas disminuye debido a la formación de una biopelícula en la superficie de las membranas y a la presencia de Sustancia Poliméricas Extracelulares (SPE).

The aim of this study was to examine the impact of different Mixed Liquor Volatile Suspended Solids (MLVSS) concentrations on membrane fouling, in a submerged Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) at short and long-term MBR operation for wastewater treatment. Three laboratory-scale in a submerged MBR system were operated under critical flux, sub-critical flux, and an intermittent suction time and backwashing conditions. At short-term MBR operation with mixed liquors of 4,200 and 6,150 mg MLVSS L-1, the hydraulic resistance of membranes followed a same trajectory with averages of 5.0E+12 m-1, whereas for 7,940 mg MLVSS L-1, a high resistance of up to 1.7E+13 m-1 was obtained. The result showed that high biomass concentrations decreased to permeability due to a bio-layer formed in the membrane surface and high Extracellular Polymeric Substance (EPS).

Biorreactores Sólidos suspendidos volátiles INGENIERÍA Y TECNOLOGÍA

Climate-smart agricultural practices influence the fungal communities and soil properties under major agri-food systems

madhu choudhary ML JAT Parbodh Chander Sharma (2022, [Artículo])

Fungal communities in agricultural soils are assumed to be affected by climate, weather, and anthropogenic activities, and magnitude of their effect depends on the agricultural activities. Therefore, a study was conducted to investigate the impact of the portfolio of management practices on fungal communities and soil physical–chemical properties. The study comprised different climate-smart agriculture (CSA)-based management scenarios (Sc) established on the principles of conservation agriculture (CA), namely, ScI is conventional tillage-based rice–wheat rotation, ScII is partial CA-based rice–wheat–mungbean, ScIII is partial CSA-based rice–wheat–mungbean, ScIV is partial CSA-based maize–wheat–mungbean, and ScV and ScVI are CSA-based scenarios and similar to ScIII and ScIV, respectively, except for fertigation method. All the scenarios were flood irrigated except the ScV and ScVI where water and nitrogen were given through subsurface drip irrigation. Soils of these scenarios were collected from 0 to 15 cm depth and analyzed by Illumina paired-end sequencing of Internal Transcribed Spacer regions (ITS1 and ITS2) for the study of fungal community composition. Analysis of 5 million processed sequences showed a higher Shannon diversity index of 1.47 times and a Simpson index of 1.12 times in maize-based CSA scenarios (ScIV and ScVI) compared with rice-based CSA scenarios (ScIII and ScV). Seven phyla were present in all the scenarios, where Ascomycota was the most abundant phyla and it was followed by Basidiomycota and Zygomycota. Ascomycota was found more abundant in rice-based CSA scenarios as compared to maize-based CSA scenarios. Soil organic carbon and nitrogen were found to be 1.62 and 1.25 times higher in CSA scenarios compared with other scenarios. Bulk density was found highest in farmers' practice (Sc1); however, mean weight diameter and water-stable aggregates were found lowest in ScI. Soil physical, chemical, and biological properties were found better under CSA-based practices, which also increased the wheat grain yield by 12.5% and system yield by 18.8%. These results indicate that bundling/layering of smart agricultural practices over farmers' practices has tremendous effects on soil properties, and hence play an important role in sustaining soil quality/health.

Agriculture Management Fungal Community Diversity Indices Climate-Smart Agricultural Practices CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA AGRICULTURE TILLAGE CLIMATE-SMART AGRICULTURE SOIL ORGANIC CARBON

Farmers’ perspectives as determinants for adoption of conservation agriculture practices in Indo-Gangetic Plains of India

Ajay Kumar Mishra ML JAT (2022, [Artículo])

Understanding the farmer's perspective has traditionally been critical to influencing the adoption and out-scaling of CA-based climate-resilient practices. The objective of this study was to investigate the biophysical, socio-economic, and technical constraints in the adoption of CA by farmers in the Western- and Eastern-IGP, i.e., Karnal, Haryana, and Samastipur, Bihar, respectively. A pre-tested structured questionnaire was administered to 50 households practicing CA in Western- and Eastern-IGP. Smallholder farmers (<2 ha of landholding) in Karnal are 10% and Samastipur 66%. About 46% and 8% of households test soil periodically in Karnal and Samastipur, respectively. Results of PCA suggest economic profitability and soil health as core components from the farmer's motivational perspective in Karnal and Samastipur, respectively. Promotion and scaling up of CA technologies should be targeted per site-specific requirements, emphasizing biophysical resource availability, socio-economic constraints, and future impacts of such technology.

Smallholder Farmers Agents of Change Technology Diffusion Climate-Smart Practices CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA SMALLHOLDERS SOCIAL STRUCTURE IRRIGATION MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGY CLIMATE-SMART AGRICULTURE CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE

Energy and economic efficiency of climate-smart agriculture practices in a rice–wheat cropping system of India

Manish Kakraliya Deepak Bijarniya Parbodh Chander Sharma ML JAT (2022, [Artículo])

Intensive Tillage Conventional Rice–Wheat Systems Energy Efficiency On-Farm Studies Climate-Smart Agricultural Practices CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA CLIMATE-SMART AGRICULTURE RICE WHEAT CROPPING SYSTEMS

Análisis de la integridad hidroecológica de una cuenca con presión hídrica

Luis Alberto Bravo-Inclán ERNESTO AGUILAR GARDUÑO REBECA GONZALEZ VILLELA PERLA EDITH ALONSO EGUIA LIS (2017, [Documento de trabajo])

La estructura de este informe se presenta de la siguiente manera: 1. Evaluación de la calidad del agua en siete subcuencas de la Ciudad de México – 2. Hidrología superficial en la cuenca metropolitana del Valle de México – 3. Hidrología subterránea en la cuenca metropolitana del Valle de México – 4. Indicadores biológicos en la cuenca metropolitana del Valle de México – 5. Cambio climático en la cuenca metropolitana del Valle de México.

Cuencas Ecohidrología Calidad del agua Aguas subterráneas Aguas superficiales Bioindicadores Cambio climático BIOLOGÍA Y QUÍMICA

Mining alleles for tar spot complex resistance from CIMMYT's maize Germplasm Bank

Martha Willcox Juan Burgueño Daniel Jeffers Zakaria Kehel Rosemary Shrestha Kelly Swarts Edward Buckler Sarah Hearne Charles Chen (2022, [Artículo])

Maize Landraces Maize Genetic Resources Allelic Diversity Rare Alleles Phenotypic Characterization Tropical Maize Phyllachora maydis CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA MAIZE LANDRACES GENETIC RESOURCES ALLELES FOLIAR DISEASES CLIMATE CHANGE

Automated in-season rice crop mapping using Sentinel time-series data and Google Earth Engine: A case study in climate-risk prone Bangladesh

Mustafa Kamal Timothy Joseph Krupnik (2024, [Artículo])

High-resolution mapping of rice fields is crucial for understanding and managing rice cultivation in countries like Bangladesh, particularly in the face of climate change. Rice is a vital crop, cultivated in small scale farms that contributes significantly to the economy and food security in Bangladesh. Accurate mapping can facilitate improved rice production, the development of sustainable agricultural management policies, and formulation of strategies for adapting to climatic risks. To address the need for timely and accurate rice mapping, we developed a framework specifically designed for the diverse environmental conditions in Bangladesh. We utilized Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 time-series data to identify transplantation and peak seasons and employed the multi-Otsu automatic thresholding approach to map rice during the peak season (April–May). We also compared the performance of a random forest (RF) classifier with the multi-Otsu approach using two different data combinations: D1, which utilizes data from the transplantation and peak seasons (D1 RF) and D2, which utilizes data from the transplantation to the harvest seasons (D2 RF). Our results demonstrated that the multi-Otsu approach achieved an overall classification accuracy (OCA) ranging from 61.18% to 94.43% across all crop zones. The D2 RF showed the highest mean OCA (92.15%) among the fourteen crop zones, followed by D1 RF (89.47%) and multi-Otsu (85.27%). Although the multi-Otsu approach had relatively lower OCA, it proved effective in accurately mapping rice areas prior to harvest, eliminating the need for training samples that can be challenging to obtain during the growing season. In-season rice area maps generated through this framework are crucial for timely decision-making regarding adaptive management in response to climatic stresses and forecasting area-wide productivity. The scalability of our framework across space and time makes it particularly suitable for addressing field data scarcity challenges in countries like Bangladesh and offers the potential for future operationalization.

Synthetic Aperture Radar Random Forest Boro Rice In-Season Maps CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA SAR (RADAR) RICE FLOODING CLIMATE CHANGE