Conversion to organic arable farming in The Netherlands: A dynamic linear programming analysis

Several studies show that organic farming is more profitable than conventional farming. However, in reality not many farmers convert to organic farming. Policy makers and farmers do not have clear insight into factors which hamper or stimulate the conversion to organic farming. The objective of this paper is to develop a dynamic linear programming model to analyse the effects of different limiting factors on the conversion process of farms over time. The model is developed for a typical arable farm in The Netherlands central clay region, and is based on two static liner programming models (conventional and organic). The objective of the model is to maximise the net present value over a 10-year planning horizon. The results of the analysis of a basic scenario show that conversion to organic farming is more profitable than staying conventional. In order to arrive at the actual profitable phase of organic farming, the farmer has to pass through the economically difficult 2-year conversion period. Sensitivity analysis shows that if depreciation is 25% higher than conventional fixed costs due to machinery made superfluous by conversion, conversion is less profitable than staying conventional. Also the availability of hired labour, which can be constrained in peak periods, has a strong effect on the cropping plan and the amount of area converted. Further analysis shows that a slight drop (2%) in organic prices lowers the labour income of the farmer and makes conversion less profitable than conventional farming. For farmers, a minimum labour income can be required to ‘survive’. The analysis shows that constraint on minimum labour income makes stepwise conversion the best way for farmers to overcome economic difficulties during conversion.     

Finding niches for whole-farm design models – contradictio in terminis?

Whole-farm design models quantitatively analyze the effects of a variety of potential changes at the farm system level. Science-driven technical information is confronted with value-driven objectives of farmers or other social groupings under explicit assumptions with respect to exogenous variables that are important drivers of agricultural systems (e.g., market conditions). Hence, farm design is an outcome of objective specification and the potential of a system. In recent publications, whole-farm design modelling has been proposed to enhance (farm) innovation processes. A number of operational modelling tools now offers the opportunity to assess the true potential of whole-farm design modelling to enhance innovation. In this paper, we demonstrate that it is not trivial to find niches for the application of goal-based farm models. Model outcomes appeared not to match questions of farm managers monitoring and learning from their own and other farmers’ practices. However, our research indicates that whole-farm design modelling possesses the capabilities to make a valuable contribution to reframing. Reframing is the phenomenon that people feel an urge to discuss and reconsider current objectives and perspectives on a problem. Reframing might take place in a situation (i) of mutually felt dependency between stakeholders, (ii) in which there is sufficient pressure and urgency for stakeholders to explore new problem definitions and make progress. Furthermore, our research suggests that the way the researcher enters a likely niche to introduce a model and/or his or her position in this niche may have significant implications for the potential of models to enhance an innovation process. Therefore, we hypothesize that the chances of capitalizing on modelling expertise are likely to be higher when researchers with such expertise are a logical and more or less permanent component of ongoing trajectories than when these researchers come from outside to purposefully search for a niche.     

耕地资源空间集聚度评价及影响因素——以江苏省睢宁县为例

耕地空间集聚是农地整治目标之一,也是农业现代化的基本要求,现有研究大多是从景观格局视角用多指标对耕地空间集聚进行评价,为了探寻耕地空间集聚的影响因素,本文提出一种单指标评价法。首先综合考虑耕地图斑的位置、形状、面积,定义了耕地图斑的空间集聚度公式,并用程序代码求取每一图斑的集聚度大小;其次以不同图斑的集聚度为因变量,选择相关影响因素为自变量进行计量分析;最后以江苏省睢宁县为例做了实证分析。结果表明:当设定半径指数为2 000 m时,2013年睢宁县耕地空间集聚平均值是0.567 7,总体水平较高,有利于农业现代化生产;坡度、高程、人均GDP、人均耕地、与城市距离、路网密度、基本农田建设对耕地空间集聚水平都有显著影响,且坡度与基本农田建设对耕地集聚的作用弹性较大,而城市距离对空间集聚的作用弹性最小。论文提出的耕地空间集聚度评价方法可为基本农田划定及农地整治提供相关技术支撑。     

Constraints on development of fungal biomass and decomposition processes during restoration of arable sandy soils

In an earlier study we reported the apparent stabilization of a low fungal biomass in ex-arable lands during the first decades after abandonment. It was hypothesized that the lack of increase in fungal biomass was due to constraints on development of fungi with persistent hyphae such as lignocellulolytic basidiomycetes and ericoid mycorrhizal fungi. With respect to the former group, the slow increase of the pool of lignocellulose-rich organic matter was expected to be the major constraint for their development. To study this, we enriched soil samples of one arable land, of two recently abandoned arable lands, of one older abandoned arable land and of heathland with carbon substrates that differed in composition (glucose, cellulose and sawdust). In addition, we combined the effect of carbon addition on fungal biomass development in arable and recently abandoned lands with inoculation of 1% of soil from the older abandoned site and the heathland. All treatments induced a fast increase and a subsequent rapid decline in fungal biomass in the arable and ex-arable fields. Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE) band patterns and enzyme activities did show differences between the carbon treatments but not between the recent and older abandoned field sites, indicating a similarly responding fungal community even after three decades of land abandonment and irrespective of soil inoculation. Identification of fungi by sequencing and culturing confirmed that decomposition processes were mostly dominated by opportunistic fungi in arable and ex-arable fields. In the heathland, only a very slow increase of microbial activity was observed after addition of carbon and sequencing of DGGE bands showed that ericoid mycorrhiza (ERM) fungi were responsible for carbon decomposition. We conclude that an increase of enduringly present fungal hyphae in ex-arable land may only be possible when a separate litter layer develops and/or when suitable host plants for ERM fungi become established.     

Influence of agricultural traffic and crop management on collembola and microbial biomass in arable soil

Collembola and microbial biomass C were investigated in a field experiment with controlled agricultural traffic and crop rotation over a period of 27 months. The wheel-induced compactive efforts were applied according to management practices within the crop rotation of sugar beet, winter wheat, and winter barley. Increasing wheel traffic produced increasing soil compaction, mainly due to a reduction in surface soil porosity. Increasing soil compaction was accompanied by a decrease in microbial biomass C and the density of collembola. The influence of soil compaction on microbial biomass C was smaller than that of the standing crop. However, for collembola, especially euedaphic species, a reduction in pore space appeared to be of more importance than the effects of a standing crop. Within the crop rotation, microbial biomass C and the density of collembola increased in the order sugar beet, winter wheat, and winter barley.     

潮土区土壤有机质含量的趋势演变研究——以禹城市为例

通过分析山东省禹城市100个采样点1980年和2003年耕层土壤的有机质含量,研究了土壤有机质的时空变异特征,探讨了潮土区有机质含量的变化,形成了研究区1980年和2003年有机质含量空间分布图及1980~2003年有机质含量的空间变化图。分析了研究区有机质含量增加的原因。研究结果表明,该市目前土壤有机质含量平均为14.68g kg-1,比1980年的6.0g kg-1增加了8.68 g kg-1,年均提高0.38g kg-1。土壤表层含盐量的降低为土壤养分含量提高提供了条件。     

Influence of Soil Particle Size on the Measurement of Sodium by Near-Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy

This study evaluates the effect of soil particle size (SPS) on the measurement of exchangeable sodium (Na) (EXC-Na) by near-infrared reflectance (NIR) spectroscopy. Three hundred thirty-two (n = 332) top soil samples (0–10 cm) were taken from different locations across Uruguay, analyzed by EXC-Na using emission spectrometry, and scanned in reflectance using a NIR spectrophotometer (1100–2500 nm). Partial least squares (PLS) and principal component regression (PCR) models between reference chemical data and NIR data were developed using cross validation (leaving one out). The coefficient of determination in calibration (R²) and the root mean square of the standard error of cross validation (RMSECV) for EXC-Na concentration were 0.44 (RMSECV: 0.12 mg kg^–1) for soil with small particle size (SPS-0.053) and 0.77 (RMSECV: 0.09 mg kg^–1) for soils with particle sizes greater than 0.212 mm (SPS-0.212), using the NIR region after second derivative as mathematical transformation. The R² and RMSECV for EXC-Na concentration using PCR were 0.54 (RMSECV: 0.07 mg kg^–1) and 0.80 (RMSECV: 0.03 mg kg^–1) for SPS-0.053 and SPS-0.212 samples, respectively.     

Effect of Cropping on Changes in Phosphorus Fractions of Soils from Arable and Other Forest Land Use: A Greenhouse Bioassay

Abstract

Laboratory and greenhouse studies were conducted on six soils from natural reserves, seven plantation soils, and two arable soils from the Omo biosphere reserves in southwestern Nigeria to assess the phosphorus (P) fractions and the extent to which the soils could support five consecutive cycles of maize (Zea mays L.) harvest. The organic‐P fractions constitutes about 50% of the total P, and the inorganic‐P fractions in the order of abundance was iron (Fe) P>occluded P>aluminum (Al)‐P>calcium (Ca) P. The residual P constituted about 20% of the total P. There were significant reductions in the inorganic‐P fractions after five consecutive maize harvests; this was however, more pronounced in the available P (Bray 1). About 62% reduction in Bray 1 P was recorded after maize harvests. The reductions in the P forms after five cycles of maize harvest was Bray 1 P>Ca P>residual P>Al P>total P>Fe P>organic P>occluded P>reductant P. The capacity of the soils to support maize growth without fertilization varied widely in each of the maize cycle. Soil from natural reserves produced a significantly higher maize yield compared to most plantation soils. The arable soils investigated were depleted of their fertility after the third crop harvest.     

试论耕地资源禀赋不足对我国近代农业技术发展的影响

技术进步是农业发展的必要条件之一。但技术的发展受到资源禀赋和市场需求的影响制约。在近代由于我国和西方在耕地资源禀赋和市场发育等方面存在显著差异，导致了我国和西方在农业技术进步和社会发展方面的巨大不同。