万载县黑膜覆盖马铃薯高产栽培技术

近年来,江西省万载县马铃薯种植面积有所增加,马铃薯开始成为当地冬种作物之一。但由于较为落后的耕作方式和栽培技术,其生产效益不理想,以致于影响农户种植马铃薯的积极性,限制了马铃薯产业的发展。黑膜覆盖栽培方式为马铃薯生长发育创造了一个相对稳定的农田生态环境,从而影响其产量和品质的形成。江西省万载县农业局经济作物站在康乐街道里泉村和鹅峰乡涂泉村建立了黑膜覆盖高产示范区,以研究此栽培技术的要点、优点以及应用中存在的问题,并提出了适宜的解决方法,供当地马铃薯种植农户借鉴。     

Spatial analysis of forage parameters using geographic information system and image-analysis techniques

In efficient agricultural systems high production and high quality is expected throughout the year, but spatial and seasonal variation of biophysical variables can have a significant impact on the yield and quality of production. The yield and quality component of a forage field was monitored using statistical and Geographical Information System (GIS) techniques. The display of yield and forage quality in a spatial context proved to be very useful to the farmer since it allowed him to determine where in the field he obtained the best and worst production and whether such performance was consistent over the entire growing season. GIS is considered a new management tool that allows the spatial evaluation and presentation of production information in a new and innovative manner. Examples are provided to assist farmers in production accounting, to determine cause and effect relationships between management and production, to forecast production and to modify management to account for differences within the field.     

Collaborative breeding with farmers can be effective

Plant breeding efficiency is increased by better taking into account the needs of the clients. This can sometimes be helped by involving farmers in selection in the segregating generations. We describe a rice-breeding programme in Nepal where the use of simple breeding methods optimised the benefits from such collaboration. Farmers grew in their fields large populations that were bulks derived from the F₂ generations of single crosses. They selected within them starting in a generation where selfing was sufficiently advanced for the between-plant heritability to be high. Poorer bulks were soon rejected by farmers. A high proportion selected within the bulks and a significant proportion did so over several generations. An increasing number of farmers grew the best of the selected bulks because they spread from farmer to farmer without the need of intervention from scientists. Varieties selected from these bulks were preferred by farmers in on-farm trials and had a superior combination of yield and maturity compared with the later breeders’ selection from the same bulk. Levels of participation were higher with the better performing bulks and even when training was not provided, provided the germplasm performed acceptably well sufficient farmers selected in the bulks to make collaborative breeding cost effective. Collaborative breeding can be successful but demands different types of resources than those for on-station breeding so its cost effectiveness will vary with circumstances. It can be used to increase the probability of selecting segregants that perform well across environments by using methods that pool bulks selected by different farmers and it is also extremely useful for decentralising breeding programmes.     

Smallholder farmers' knowledge,perceptions and management of pea weevil in north and north-western Ethiopia

Pea weevil (Bruchus pisorum L.) is one of the most serious insect pests of field pea (Pisum sativum L.) in Ethiopia. A survey of 400 farmers was conducted in four main pea-growing districts in north and north-western Ethiopia. The objectives were to assess farmers' knowledge and perceptions of pea weevil, to examine their current pest management practices and to identify challenges to pea weevil control, so that participatory integrated pest management for smallholder farmers in Ethiopia can be developed. The results revealed that most (71%) of the farmers surveyed had knowledge about pea weevil and were able to identify damaged seeds based on common visible symptoms of weevil infestation. However, most farmers did not know that pea weevil attacks plants in the field, but rather considered it a storage pest. The results also showed that farmers' cultural practices influence the incidence and spread of pea weevil and that most farmers did not check seed for pea weevil symptoms before planting. Only a minority of farmers (19%) harvested peas early and some harvested late, unintentionally promoting infestation and carryover of weevils. In addition, most farmers (74%) were not aware of the source and means of weevil spread on their farm and some did not clean up fallen and shattered peas during harvesting and threshing. The majority (63%) of the farmers surveyed relied on chemical insecticides, namely actellic dust and phostoxin, to treat harvested peas in storage. However, the results revealed a knowledge gap in that farmers were well aware of the problem of pea weevil, but lacked knowledge of cultural practices affecting pea weevil and of problems in the use of pesticides. This highlights the need for farmer training and for development of participatory integrated pest management methods for pea weevil.     

Grasshopper control in the Sahel: farmer perceptions and participation

This study used farmers' responses to a questionnaire to investigate the practices they used against grasshoppers, locusts and other pests, the reasons for their choices, and the differences between the perception and control of grasshoppers vis-à-vis other pests. 313 farmers were interviewed in the Sahelian zones of Benin, Mali and Niger. The perceived relative and absolute gravity of pests, and the techniques used against them, varied between areas. Insect control techniques requiring cash spending were generally disfavoured for this reason. Compared with that of other insects the traditional, non-chemical controls of grasshoppers, though effective, were seen as demanding of time and money, and may have interfered with other farm tasks such as weeding. For these reasons grasshopper control was not performed very much by farmers, but left to the publicly-organised village control brigades.     

Knowledge, attitudes and practices of farmers on rodent pests and their management in the lowlands of the Sierra Madre Biodiversity Corridor, Philippines

A survey of the knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) of 100 rice farmers and 50 coconut farmers was conducted in the coastal lowland agro-ecosystems of the Sierra Madre Biodiversity Corridor, Luzon, Philippines to identify current rodent management practices and to understand the extent of rat damage and the attitudes of farmers to community actions for rodent management. Pests were most commonly listed as one of the three most important rice and coconut production constraints. Other major crop production constraints were typhoons and insufficient water. Farmers consider rats to be the major pest of coconut and of rice during the wet season rice crop, with average yield losses of 3.0% and 13.2%, respectively. Rice and coconut farmers practised a wide range of rodent management techniques. These included scrub clearance, hunting and trapping. Of the 42 rice farmers and 3 coconut farmers that applied rodenticides to control rodents, all used the acute rodenticide, zinc phosphide. However, only ten rice farmers (23.8%) applied rodenticides prior to the booting stage and only seven farmers (15.6%) conducted pre-baiting before applying zinc phosphide. The majority of farmers belonged to farmer organisations and believed that rat control can only be done by farmers working together. However, during the last cropping season, less than a third of rice farmers (31.2%) applied rodent management as a group. In order to reduce the impact of rodents on the farmers of the coastal lowlands of the Sierra Madre Biodiversity Corridor, integrated management strategies need to be developed that specifically target the pest rodents in a sustainable manner, and community actions for rodent management should be promoted.     

Importance of basic cultivation techniques to increase irrigated rice yields in Tanzania

The productivity of irrigated rice is low in Tanzania. We hypothesized that this is caused by the absence of a packaged application of basic cultivation techniques. A baseline survey of 31 rice irrigation schemes across the country revealed that a large proportion of fields were cultivated without a technical package. Thus, a package was introduced to each of the 31 schemes through a farmer-to-farmer (FTF) extension approach. First, selected key farmers (KFs) were trained with the basic cultivation techniques at agricultural training institutes. Second, the KFs transferred their knowledge to intermediate farmers (IFs) by working together at a demo-field established in each scheme. Third, the KFs and IFs exhibited the rice performance to other farmers (OFs). The paddy yield across the 31 schemes greatly increased from the pre-training level of 2.4 t ha^?1 to 3.6 t ha^?1after the FTF extension. However, the farmer interviews in the four selected schemes suggested that the technical package was not adopted by all farmers owing to the time-consuming nature of the FTF extension. It was inferred from our study that the low productivity of irrigated rice is caused by the absence of basic cultivation techniques in Tanzania. However, the post-training yield remained relatively low compared with high-yields (4.3–8.4 t ha^?1) recorded in cultivar selection trials and high-performing schemes in the county. This “yield gap” could be partly ascribed to the insufficient technical diffusion and the technique-dependent adoption among OFs.     

Large-scale sugarcane farmers' knowledge and perceptions of Eldana saccharina Walker (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), push–pull and integrated pest management

A push–pull strategy for controlling Eldana saccharina Walker is being promoted as part of an area-wide integrated pest management (AW-IPM) programme in the South African sugar industry. Understanding farmers' perceptions of pests and pest management can improve rates of adoption of pest management strategies, in particular for knowledge-intensive practices such as AW-IPM. Fifty-three large-scale sugarcane farmers were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. Respondents recognised the threat which E. saccharina posed, and 83% had heard of push–pull and IPM. Ecozone delineations played a more important role in adoption decisions than demographic and general enterprise factors such as farmer age, experience and land tenure, supporting the suggestion that experiential learning activities with small, local groups of farmers are suitable for introducing new pest management strategies. Notwithstanding good basic knowledge of E. saccharina, push–pull and IPM which farmers demonstrated, there is still a need for more detailed and practical knowledge on the implementation of push–pull at farm level. This knowledge should be made available to farmers in a hands-on manner with an emphasis on locally-oriented field days and model farms. Eldana saccharina may not be a priority for all farmers in the region where surveys were conducted. However, farmers should not be allowed to become complacent about this pest, as its range is increasing. These results will be used to formulate future push–pull and AW-IPM dissemination activities amongst large-scale sugarcane farmers in South Africa.     

茶农生计恢复力测度及影响因素研究——以安溪县为例

依据生计恢复力理论,结合可持续生计分析框架,构建茶农生计恢复力测度指标体系,选取福建省安溪县作为研究区域,运用综合指数法和多元线性回归模型,测度茶农生计恢复力并识别其影响因素.研究结果显示:(1)茶农生计恢复力指数由高到低依次为:务工主导型>务农主导型>纯农业型,总体呈现由非农收入主导向纯农业收入逐渐减弱的态势,并且不...     

Evaluation of agricultural ecosystem services in fallowing land based on farmers’ participation and model simulation

Fallowing with green fertilizer can benefit agricultural ecosystem services (AES). Farmers in Taiwan do not implement fallow practices and plant green fertilizer because the current subsidy level (46,000 NT$ per ha) is too low to manage fallowing. This paper defines the objective of government agriculture policy or the farmer’s objective as maximization of farm productivity, approximated to the value of social welfare and AES. Farms, which do not follow proper fallowing practices, often have poorly maintained fallow land or left farmland abandoned. This results in negative environmental consequences such as cutworm infestations in abandoned land, which in turn can affect crops in adjacent farmlands. The objectives of this study are twofold. First, it determines the proper fallowing subsidy based on the concept of payment for ecosystem services to entice more farmers to participate in fallowing. Second, it simulates the benefit of planting green manure in fallow land to the supply of AES based on the rate of farmers who are willing to participate in fallow land practices and essential parameters that can affect soil fertility change. The approach involves a series of interviews and a developed empirical model. The value of AES when the rate of farmer participation is 100% represents a 1.5% increase in AES (448,317,000 NT$) over the value at the current participation rate of 14%. This study further concludes that the appropriate fallowing subsidy has a large positive impact on AES and social welfare (e.g., benefit from food and biofuel supplies) and is seen as a basis of ecological governance for sustainable agro-ecosystems.     

Effectiveness and economics of hermetic bags for maize storage: Results of a randomized controlled trial in Kenya

Maize is an important seasonal crop and year-round food staple in Africa. On-farm storage is therefore needed, but it suffers from storage pests. To study the effectiveness and economics of a new storage method, hermetic bags, a randomized controlled trial was organized in Kenya with 300 farmers in the treatment group using hermetic bags and 300 in the control group using conventional farmer practices. A subsample of 224 farmers was visited three times during the 2012–2013 major storage season: at baseline and after two and four months. Grain samples were taken and insect infestation, damage and weight loss observed. Results show that hermetic bags were highly effective in controlling storage insect pests: after four months, grain damage was 14% in the control and only 4% in the treatment; weight loss due to insect pests was 1.7% among control farmers, but only 0.4% in the treatment group. Economic analysis shows that hermetic bags become potentially profitable, under basic price and loss assumptions, if farmers use hermetic bags for storage for at least four months per season, and if the bags last for at least four seasons.     

长江中下游稻区农户用种行为研究

基于浙江、江西、安徽、湖南四省342户农户水稻种植的微观数据,运用统计分析方法,研究影响长江中下游稻区农户用种行为的主要因素。结果显示,农户用种行为受水稻种植规模、农户年龄、从事水稻种植年份、信息获取难易程度和是否拥有农业保险等因素影响。提出相应对策建议：通过育种政策引导培育广适性品种,提升农业技术推广的深度和广度,通过补贴政策引导鼓励农户适度规模经营,培育家庭农场等新型农业经营主体,扩大农业保险以提升稻农抗风险能力。     

Effects of training on acquisition of pest management knowledge and skills by small vegetable farmers

Effects of farmer field school (FFS) and the conventional (classroom lectures) training on acquisition of pest management knowledge and skills by small vegetable farmers were studied in Yunnan province, China from 2003 to 2007. There were significant gains of knowledge about vegetable pests, natural enemies, insect and disease ecology and pest management among the FFS farmers, but were no significant improvements of knowledge among the conventional trained farmers. Vegetable FFS enabled farmers to learn simple knowledge as well as complex IPM knowledge. In contrast, the conventional training only improved vegetable farmers' simple knowledge. The potential and limitations of FFS as a unique extension tool to disseminate the complex knowledge of IPM to smallholder farmers were demonstrated.     

Adoption of improved crop varieties by involving farmers in the e-wallet program in Nigeria

The amount of improved seed used in Nigeria is extremely low. Overall, only 5–10% of cultivated land is planted with improved seeds, and about 10% of rural farmers use improved varieties. The objective of this investigation was to identify determinants of adoption of improved seed by farmers not participating in and those participating in the federal government’s e-wallet program in Nigeria. We determined the impact of the e-wallet program on adoption of improved seed in rural areas. A total of 1200 rural farmers were sampled across six geopolitical zones of Nigeria. Results from the use of a bivariate probit model indicated that the e-wallet program continued to become increasingly popular among rural farmers; and that farmers’ literacy, ownership of a mobile phone, value output, mobile network coverage, power for charging phone batteries and contact with extension agents were the positive determinants of farmer participation in the e-wallet program. Cultural obstacles to married women, growers’ age, and increased distance to registration and input collection centers reduced farmers’ tendency to participate in the e-wallet program. The results also showed that rural farmers depended on the e-wallet program for increased use and adoption of improved seed in Nigeria, to boost food security in sub-Saharan Africa. The results suggested the need for an improved e-wallet model by lessening constraints mostly associated with rural information and communication infrastructure, and distance to the registration and input collection centers.     

Factors determining adoption of integrated pest management by vegetable growers in Nakhon Ratchasima Province,Thailand

Widespread use of highly toxic pesticides primarily for agricultural purpose has generated increasing concerns about the negative impact of pesticides on human health and the environment. Integrated pest management (IPM) usually seeks to minimize the use of pesticides and can be utilized to solve pest problems while minimizing risks to people and the environment. A total of 220 vegetable farmers in Nakhon Ratchasima Province of Thailand was interviewed with the objective of investigating the factors determining their adoption or non-adoption of IPM practices. The findings demonstrated that farmers had different uncompromising reasons for determining the use of IPM for their insect pest management. Higher costs of insecticides (91%), adverse effects of insecticides on human health and the environment (80%), and a greater risk of insect pests developing resistance to insecticides (28%) were the primary reasons for the adoption of IPM by vegetable growers in the study area. The reasons for the rejection of IPM practice were unsuitability of IPM for a large farm (52%), implementation difficulties (80%) and a greater belief in synthetic insecticides and their efficacy for target pest control (39%). A comparison between the IPM and the non-IPM farmers showed a significant difference (P < 0.01) in farmers' knowledge of pest management, which influenced IPM adoption or non-adoption. The IPM farmers had greater knowledge about identifying natural enemies and their beneficial role in controlling insect pests, about plant extracts and their efficacy in controlling insect pests and about sticky traps and their efficacy in monitoring natural enemies and controlling insect pests. For example, 24% of IPM farmers had knowledge of natural enemies whereas it was only 4% for the non-IPM farmers. A logistic regression model was fitted which showed that lower cost of pest management, better knowledge on IPM after training and availability of extension services were the factors which influenced farmers' adoption of IPM practice. The non-IPM farmers rejected adoption of IPM due to the common belief that natural enemies would not be effective in controlling insect pests and yields of vegetables would not be increased by practicing IPM.     

Optimal harvest timing vs. harvesting for animal forage supply: Impacts on production and quality of lucerne on the Loess Plateau,China

The current promotion of larger areas of lucerne (Medicago sativa) production on the Loess Plateau in China prompted this study, which investigated lucerne harvesting practices by farmers and the scope for improved harvest yield and quality by optimizing harvest date, interval and height above ground. On-farm surveys were conducted to document the dominant harvesting practices used by farmers and their perceptions of barriers to adoption of alternative harvesting practices. In districts with less emphasis on livestock, less labour and inadequate facilities to store conserved lucerne, smaller areas of lucerne are grown and it is often harvested daily to meet demand from penned livestock. The consequence is that much of the lucerne is harvested either before or after flowering, resulting in suboptimal yield of biomass and crude protein. Field experiments conducted at low and high rainfall locations on the Loess Plateau over three seasons showed that delaying the start to harvest until after mid-June (the date of first flowering), while not affecting total biomass harvested for the season, does reduce leaf biomass harvested and hence crude protein concentration and yield. Lower crude protein is a consequence of a decline in both leaf percentage in harvested biomass and stem nitrogen concentration. Commencing harvests well before flowering with short (3 week) harvest intervals also penalized total and leaf biomass harvested. Raising cutting height from ground level (current farmer practice) to 50 mm (likely with the advent of mechanized harvesting) did not penalize harvested total or leaf biomass.     

山地有机循环茶园体系优化构建与生产技术对策研究

茶业是乡村振兴与农民增收的重要产业.目前茶业发展呈现良好的态势,但依然存在4个突出制约生产种植发展的因素:优良品种选育与更新换代;茶园水土流失与生态恢复;土壤酸化与有效改良技术;多样功能发挥与"四生茶园"(生产-生活-生态-生命耦合联动茶园).实践表明,有机循环茶园的优化构建与有效运作,有助于解决制约茶叶生产的关键问题,进而促进茶产业的高质量发展.有机循环茶园是现阶段乡村绿色发展的新动态,也是常规有机茶业的转型升级版.本文阐述了有机循环茶园发展内涵、体系优化构建、基本技术要求,并提出了促进山区乡村有机循环茶园高质量发展对策的若干思考.     

Developing an approach to assess farmer perceptions of the value of pasture assessment technologies

Measurement and monitoring of pasture have been identified as foundations for profitable and sustainable grazing systems. The value that farmers place on pasture assessment in feed management is difficult to ascertain and has seen limited research. The objectives of this study were to test a survey to quantify the perceived value of pasture assessment and identify key criteria for design of pasture assessment technologies. An online survey methodology was piloted with 44 New Zealand farmers to assess perceptions of actual and great grazing management outcomes, good and great pasture assessment, and the value associated with moving from good to great pasture assessment. Results highlighted that many farmers perceive a small potential for improvements in their current pasture performance, whereas industry-level studies suggest that this is not the case. We found limitations with farmers linking better pasture management performance with eventual improvements in milk production. There were anomalies with assessing current and potential improved pasture performance through this type of survey methodology, with many farmers claiming very high levels of current performance, and some rating themselves as performing at more than 100% of potential. This research highlights that pasture assessment technology designers need to be aware of the high expectations of farmers regarding performance, for example measurement accuracy and data timeliness. Over, or under, specification of technology for specific tasks, such as daily allocation of pasture at a herd level, may lead to farmer dissatisfaction around costs of technology, return on investment, and if the technology is fit-for-purpose.     

双季稻机插技术在江西的应用现状、存在问题及推广对策

利用江西省双季稻区8个县24个乡镇的调查数据,对双季稻机插技术在江西的应用现状、存在问题进行了研究。结果表明,机插种植方式的成本低于其他种植方式、收益高于其他种植方式;机插种植方式的推广受到农户的年龄、文化程度、土地规模、资金等的影响,年龄越小、文化程度越高、土地经营规模越大的农户机插比例相对较高;限制机插技术推广的主要因素包括育秧技术复杂、购机及机插费用高、田块小和分散等;积极推进土地集约化进程、加强机插核心技术的培训指导力度、建立稳定的政策资金扶持机制、创新机插服务模式、积极宣传并做好示范区建设等是促进机插技术推广的重要举措。