Investigating the Needs of Agriculture Scholars: The Purdue Case

ABSTRACT

To better understand the complexity of agricultural research, two Purdue University Libraries’ faculty members conducted a series of interviews with subjects from across the College of Agriculture. Interview questions addressed research methodologies and outputs, research data management, primary information resources, and other aspects of the research cycle and the researchers’ professional lives. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using nVivo software. The results are summarized and presented here.     

Bibliometric analysis of research on soil health from 1999 to 2018

Purpose

Soil health has been a major focus of research by international scholars because it is an important factor that supports human survival and development. However, few scholars have performed bibliometric analyses of research on soil health. This study investigated the current research status and development characteristics of soil health.

Materials and methods

We performed a bibliometric analysis of documents on soil health from 1999 to 2018 in the Web of Science Core Collection. The bibliometric analysis tools, CiteSpace and HistCite software, were applied.

Results and discussion

A total of 1629 documents on soil health in the Web of Science Core Collection were identified. From the research status of soil health, the number of publications will continue to increase. Most of the research institutions examining soil health are located in the USA, and there is little cooperation and communication among countries, neither do research institutions in this field. Each country has its own research labs while lab cooperation within individual countries is relatively close. Most documents on the research of soil health have been published in the journal Applied Soil Ecology. In addition, research directions are expanding from the basic study of soil production, soil health indicators, and soil pollution to the comprehensive study of soil ecosystem.

Conclusions

Bibliometric analysis tools, CiteSpace and HistCite software, provide a comprehensive approach for making predictions regarding trends in the field. This method was used in this study to identify the hotspots, frontiers, and future development of soil health to provide guidance for future research.

     

Research Practices and Support Needs of Scholars in the Field of Agriculture at Cornell University

ABSTRACT

This article presents the results of one of numerous and coordinated qualitative studies carried out at land-grant universities across the United States, to improve our understanding of agricultural research practices and identify new avenues for library services to meet the changing needs of agricultural faculty and research staff. We interviewed agricultural researchers across several departments at Cornell University about their research practices including research dissemination methods, data sharing, their use of primary and secondary resources, and current challenges in conducting agricultural research. Emerging themes included stakeholder engagement, collaboration and interdisciplinarity, the impact of technology, and research inputs and outputs.     

Global sensitivity and uncertainty analysis of the AquaCrop model for maize under different irrigation and fertilizer management conditions

ABSTRACT

Crop model parameters usually vary with diverse field management and environment conditions, which hinder the model calibration. Sensitivity analysis (SA) and uncertainty analysis (UA) for model parameters and outputs are helpful for calibrating crop model under diverse conditions. A global SA and UA were used to determine the maize parameters sensitivity and outputs uncertainty of the AquaCrop model under different irrigation and fertilizer management conditions, i.e. none, slight, and moderate stress pertaining to water and fertility. The results indicated that the sensitive parameters to maximum above ground biomass (AGB) and yield differed from those to canopy cover development and AGB production (time-response outputs of the AquaCrop). The sensitive parameters should be preferentially calibrated given their strong effects on all type of model outputs, besides, the sensitive parameters to the model time-response outputs were somewhat different from those to the model non-time-response outputs. The interaction effects among parameters on the model outputs should receive more attention in the model calibration. The SA and UA results between diverse management were clearly different, and these differences between different fertility stress levels were larger. Fertility stress is a more influential factor on parameters sensitivity and outputs uncertainty than water stress in the AquaCrop model.     

New Trends in Pioneer Hi-Bred International,Inc.'s Communication with Rural America

ABSTRACT

Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. is a major agribusiness company that communicates in a variety of ways with its rural customers. The following methods are discussed: face-to-face, print media, radio and television, printed materials, telecommunications, on disk, and satellite communication. In addition, key communication trends are identified.     

The Current Core Literature of the Agricultural Sciences

ABSTRACT

A five year project to identify the most vital or core literature of the agricultural sciences was undertaken with results for the advanced countries as well as the Third World countries. Citation analysis and other bibliometric techniques were used to identify the most valuable literature for university-level instruction and research. Monographs in seven sub-disciplines of agriculture were evaluated by researchers resulting in a composite list of 8,400 volumes and in 363 core journals. Methods of analysis, evaluation techniques, and end products are described. Four of seven books describing the literature of agriculture have been published. A final product will be the transfer of the full text of the monographs and the journals for a five year period onto compact disk for use in the Third World. Because of copyright and other restrictions, the estimated 280 disk library will not be available to developed countries.     

Pressurized Hot Water Procedures for Use on Small Farms in Developing Countries

Abstract

Soil analysis for small farms in developing countries is often inconvenient and prohibitively expensive, yet the information gained from these soil tests could result in significant benefits. Based on tests done on a limited range of soils, the pressurized hot water (PHW) extraction coupled with colorimetric or turbidimetric analysis is a promising alternative. Before this extraction and analysis can be used in developing countries, testing is needed across the range of soils found in these countries. At Brigham Young University (BYU), 228 soils from Guatemala and Morocco were analyzed for NO₃‐N, phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) using standard methods (water–CTA, Olsen–molybdic acid and ammonium acetate–atomic absorption, respectively). Results were correlated to values obtained from the PHW extraction coupled with colorimetric or turbidimetric analytical procedures. The relationships between these tests were good (r² values of 0.96, 0.71, and 0.52 for NO₃‐N, P, and K, respectively). In an additional study comparing several P extraction methods for Guatemala soils, relationships between PHW‐extractable P and Olsen‐, Bray I–, and Mehlich I–extractable P (r² values of 0.75, 0.67, and 0.46, respectively) suggest that PHW is a promising P‐extraction procedure for use in Guatemala. Overall, PHW extraction and accompanying analyses are a less expensive alternative to current soil nutrient extraction and analysis procedures for the soils of Morocco and Guatemala.     

农作系统研究方法在持续农作系统发展研究中的应用

农作系统方法可划分为农作系统分析和农作系统研究。在发展中国家农作系统方法已被广泛地应用于改善农场技术和提高土地生产率。在西方国家已将这一方法应用于研究和发展持续农作系统。本文将简要介绍农作系统方法以及在研究和发展持续农作系统中的应用，并对研究结果进行综述。     

A Rapid Turbidimetric Potassium Test Modified for Use with the Pressurized Hot‐Water Extraction

Abstract

Colorimetric or turbidimetric quantification of soil potassium (K) coupled with pressurized hot‐water (PHW) extraction could provide an inexpensive alternative to standard methods for small‐scale farmers in developing countries. Two of many methods for K analysis, one using sodium tetraphenylborate and the other using sodium cobaltinitrite, were modified for use with PHW extraction and evaluated for the following requirements: readable on the spectrophotometer, minimal equipment requirement, rapid, simple, and comparable in accuracy to proven methods of K analysis. The sodium tetraphenylborate method was unreliable at low K concentrations, did not relate with K extracted using ammonium acetate and analyzed by atomic absorption (AA), required extract filtration and was too expensive in developing countries. Sodium cobaltinitrite was both simple and inexpensive, and results were consistent and reliable. Test results from 38 arid soils from the western United States support the use of sodium cobaltinitrite as an acceptable procedure for K quantification compared to AA analysis (r² of 0.90, p<0.05). When coupled with PHW, K measured using sodium cobaltinitrite was predictably related with ammonium acetate‐AA measured K (r² of 0.67, p<0.05).     

Impact and Publication Patterns: A Model for Examining Resources in an International Context

ABSTRACT

The goal of this study was to determine the international impact of publications from a variety of institutes of parasitology and to evaluate sources for research in order to improve collection development decisions. Two methods were developed: a method of providing academic librarians with information on the relative impact of their institution when compared with other similar institutions and a method for comparing research sources on an international level. Using articles indexed in ISI Web of Science, twelve parasitology research centers from five countries were compared over a five-year period for number of publications produced and times each of the journal articles was cited.     

Research Support Services for the Field of Agriculture: Ithaka S+R Interviews and Themes for Libraries

ABSTRACT

As part of a larger, national survey, we performed an in-depth qualitative analysis using semistructured interviews and a standard set of questions. We wished to examine the research practices of faculty in agriculture, to understand what they need to be successful in their teaching and research. We plan to use this information to make improvements to research support services. The national survey results should help pinpoint opportunities for developing new research support services for agriculture. This study adds to library and information sciences by examining the specific needs of faculty members in agriculture and agricultural extension, groups that have been previously underrepresented in the library literature.     

Weed management in canola (Brassica napus L): a review of current constraints and future strategies for Australia

ABSTRACT

Weeds are a major constraint to canola (Brassica napus L.) production, reducing grain yield and quality. The repeated use of pre- and post- emergent herbicides to control several grasses and broadleaf weeds has escalated the problem of herbicide resistance in weeds. The development of herbicide-tolerant canola cultivars has increased the flexibility of weed management but has also increased the risks of outcrossing with wild relatives and weed shifts to resistance. Herbicide-resistant weed species, and the related biological repercussions, pose a major threat to sustainable weed management. These developing risks have led researchers to examine integrated weed management (IWM) techniques for sustainable weed control. Weed control strategies using non-chemical tactics have valid roles for managing weeds. However, in broad-acre commercial fields, the effectiveness of several non-chemical selections are less proven than commercial chemical herbicides. Canola competition and allelopathy for weed suppression are potential components for integrated weed management in canola. This review examines current chemical and non-chemical options available for developing IWM strategies for profitable canola production, as well as future research directions.     

Organizational Effectiveness of the Agricultural Scientific Information Dissemination and Management System in Kenya

ABSTRACT

Developing countries, Kenya included, continue to put considerable efforts in the creation of scientific agricultural information through the utilization of scientific human resources and an extensive agricultural research system. Little attention has been paid to the management and dissemination of the information so created, especially within the research system, as contrasted with the fanner level. This paper argues that the management and dissemination of information at the level of the research scientists is crucial to the effectiveness of the entire research system, and concludes that Kenya is deficient in this respect.     

Agricultural Energy Crops and the Search for Alternative Energy: Analysis of the Current Research and Core Journal Literature on Biofuels and Bioenergy

ABSTRACT

This paper analyzes the agricultural research output on energy crops and bioenergy for the period 2000–2005. Seven hundred eighty-three (783) articles gathered from CAB Abstracts from this period were analyzed to determine which disciplines have been publishing the most on this subject. The findings show that engineering-related research is most prevalent but that twelve distinct agricultural disciplines produced research on the subject during the study period, with varying degrees of productivity for each discipline. The actual agricultural energy resources being researched were determined by examining the 783 articles. The resources were divided into woody crops, non-woody crops, and animal-based resources, and the number of articles for each was tabulated. The three resource types were further examined to create a list of the individual crops or animal-based resources under investigation, along with the number of articles for each individual crop or resource. The core journal literature dealing with energy crops and bioenergy was determined by doing searches in both CAB Abstracts and Web of Science and tabulating the number of articles appearing in each journal. This allowed for the creation of a core journal list, ranked by the number of appropriate articles appearing in each journal.     

Global research on soil contamination from 1999 to 2012: A bibliometric analysis

We evaluated soil contamination research based on a bibliometric analysis of 14,090 articles published in journals in the Science Citation Index and Social Sciences Citation Index bibliographic databases from 1999 to 2012, which revealed scientific outputs, subject categories and major journals, international collaboration and geographic distribution of authors and countries, keywords, and hot issues. The results suggested that research on soil contamination developed well with increasing scientific production and research collaboration. Environmental science, engineering environment, soil science, and applied microbiology were the most frequently used subject categories in soil contamination studies. Chemosphere was the most active journal in this field. The clusters of authors were more in the USA, Western European countries, China, Japan, and India. Q. X. Zhou of Nankai University was the most productive author, and S. P. Mcgrath of Rothamsted Research England published the most influential articles. The USA exceeded all other countries with the most independent and collaborative papers in research on global soil contamination. Heavy metal pollution was the hottest issue, and bioremediation is the most promising research topic in combating against heavy metal pollution of soils. The status of publication on soil contamination research described here is significant for researchers on soil contamination in their future work.     

Analytical Studies on Lead Pollution in Roadside Soil Samples of Raipur and Bhilai,Chhattisgarh State,India

Abstract

Although lead in gasoline represents only 2.2% of total global lead use, this fuel remains by far the single largest source of this heavy metal in urban areas. In developing countries like India approximately 90% of all lead emissions into the atmosphere are due to the use of leaded gasoline. In many countries in Southeast Asia, unleaded gasoline is scarce, and the maximum allowed lead content might reach or exceed 0.8 ppm per liter. Emissions from the metallurgical operations and the waste incineration are also responsible for the rising levels of lead in the environment. Battery recycling, lead‐glazed pottery, and lead pigments industries are other sources of lead in the environment. In the present work, lead pollution in soil samples from Raipur (capital city) and Bhilai, Chhattisgarh State, India, has been investigated. The lead concentration in the surface soil of Raipur and Bhilai was found in the range of 7.2–84.0 and 9.5–79.7 ppm, respectively. The seasonal and temporal variations in the concentration of metal, its distribution pattern, and trend are discussed as well as the mobility, deposition, and sources of lead in the area. The enrichment factor of lead in the urban soil was found to be very high, depending on the nature of sources.     

Evaluation of fly ash,apatite and rice straw derived-biochar in varying combinations for in situ remediation of soils contaminated with multiple heavy metals

ABSTRACT

In

-situ sorbent amendment is a relatively low-cost, low-impact approach for remediation of soil contaminated with heavy metals (HMs), and thus is considered a way to be favored in developing countries. In this study, materials of non-hazardous, alkaline agronomic and industrial by-products were used as sorbents to explore their capacity of in situ immobilization of multiple HMs in mining-impacted arable soil. These sorbents included fly ash (FA), biochar (BC) and apatite (AP) and they were implemented with varying ratios of combinations. Results of soil microcosm tests showed that after incubation for 90 days, concentrations of Pb, Zn, and Cd in their exchangeable forms determined by a sequential extraction method significantly decreased in amended soils, as opposed to the unamended control. Of the five sets of amendments, the composite of FA, BC, and AP resulted in the maximum reduction (up to 80%) in the mobility of Pb, Zn, and Cd in soils. The mechanisms underlying the immobilization of HMs in amended soils might involve processes of surface precipitation, ion exchange and complexation, in which the physicochemical properties of sorbent materials played an important role. The immobilization efficacy of sorbent amendments on HMs in soil was further supported by pot experiments in which significant inhibition of HM accumulation in the belowground and aboveground tissues of maize was observed after 50-day cultivation in amended soils as compared with control soil. Together, these results suggest that the application of cost-saving and environmentally friendly materials derived from wastes as sorbents to remediate soils contaminated with multiple HMs is promising for developing countries like Vietnam.     

Trace elements in soils and food chains of the Balkan region

Abstract

The present review summarizes the available data on the concentration of trace elements (TEs) in soils and their availability to plants with a view to reflect the quality and safety of food and fodder crops. Most soils in western Balkan countries are not contaminated. However, soils around industrial centers and historical mining sites do create concern for food and feed safety. Also high concentrations of TEs are related to their geochemical original. For example, ultrabasic rocks and serpentinites in western Serbia and western Bosnia are very rich in chromium, nickel, magnesium, iron (Fe), and cobalt, and cover an area of 5200 km². High TE concentrations caused by anthropogenic activities are also reported. In vineyard soils in Croatia, concentrations of cadmium, copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn) were much higher than their background concentrations. On the other hand, TE deficiency in plants is also prevalent in the regions. For example, Zn and Fe deficiencies in eastern parts of Croatia and northern parts of Serbia, Cu deficiency in pasture and sheep's blood at Nisici Plateau of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and selenium (Se) deficiency almost in the whole region have been observed. Therefore, information on TEs' behavior and soil factors affecting their mobility and availability is highly needed in order to separate the areas of contamination and then propose agrotechnical measures to protect the entry of TEs into the food chain. Research is also required to assess the influence of agronomic management on TE supply to plants and for achieving a better utilization of essential TEs. Concentrations of Se in wheat in Serbia are so low that if people were fed exclusively with wheat, their daily requirements for Se would not be met. There is also a need for full implementation of new food safety regulations in the Balkan countries in accordance with the legislations of the European Union.     

From Their Mouths to Our Ears: Research Practices and Needs of Agricultural Scientists at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln

ABSTRACT

University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) Libraries was one of 19 participants in a national study of the research practices and needs of agricultural researchers. Two UNL Libraries faculty members interviewed 11 UNL scholars during the summer of 2016. The ethnographic research approach revealed four core themes: interdisciplinarity and collaborations, scientific communication practices, scientific research data issues and practices, and challenges and opportunities. Illustrated by the sample of faculty comments presented here, the themes have direct implications for the UNL Libraries, while in other cases these point to concerns and opportunities for the university, the academy, and the nation.