Prospects for ecological intensification of Australian agriculture

World population growth, changing diets and limited opportunities to expand agricultural lands will drive agricultural intensification in the decades ahead. Concerns about the reliance of past agricultural intensification on non-renewable resources, about its negative impacts on natural resources both on and off farm and on greenhouse gas emissions, provide an imperative for future agricultural intensification to become ecologically efficient. We define ecological intensification of agriculture (EIA) as: producing more food per unit resource use while minimising the impact of food production on the environment. Achieving it will require increased precision in the use of inputs and reduction in inefficiencies and losses. It will also require a more holistic view of farming, going beyond efficiencies of single inputs into a single field in a single season to consideration of efficiencies of whole systems over decades. This paper explores the ecological intensification issues facing agricultural production in Australia where opportunities for agricultural intensification are centred on more efficient use of limited and unreliable water resources in both dryland and irrigated agriculture. Ecological efficiencies can be achieved by better matching the supply of nutrients to crops’ requirements both temporally and spatially. This has the added benefit of minimising the opportunities for excessive nutrients to impact on soil health (acidity and dryland salinity) and water quality (pollution of groundwater and eutrophication of lakes and rivers). Opportunities for ecologically efficient intensification are also identified through better integration of crop and livestock enterprises on mixed crop–livestock farms. We define nine desirable attributes of an EIA system: (1) increased agricultural production; (2) efficient use of limited resources; (3) minimal impact on global warming; (4) minimal negative on-site impacts; (5) minimal negative off-site impacts; (6) minimal risk and maximum resilience; (7) preservation of biodiversity in agriculture; (8) preservation of biodiversity in nature and; (9) positive social outcomes. We focus on four technologies and production systems emerging in Australian agriculture: climate risk management; precision agriculture; crop–livestock integration and deficit irrigation. For each of these systems we identify how well they are likely to match the nine desirable attributes of an EIA system. While it seems unlikely that any single technology can satisfy all nine desirable attributes, there is hope that in combination emerging and future technologies will progress Australian agriculture towards greater productivity and ecological efficiency.     

彝族传统畜牧养殖的生物多样性智慧研究

文章以彝族生物多样性观念分析为基础,总结了彝族传统畜牧养殖与生物多样性有关的基本原则、方法和技术。自然环境的多样性影响了彝族人对自然的认识,在彝族的观念中,多样性的存在可以满足人们不同的需求,一个拥有环境多样性、植物多样性和动物多样性的世界才是一个理想的世界。由于不同动物具有生产和生态作用的不同,彝族以畜牧养殖的动物多样性满足生产生活的多种需求;依靠环境和植物的多样性,通过季节性轮牧、火焚等措施恢复草场植被,利用森林树木、农副产品补充饲料不足,采用多种动物的野外混牧节约放牧所需的劳动力,彝族多样性养殖得以持续;在放牧中,通过畜禽与野物的交配,不同类群畜禽的交配,利用不同动物对其他动物繁育的辅助作用,彝族人在获得优良品种的同时,维护了自然动物的多样性。现代畜牧养殖应借鉴彝族传统畜牧养殖的生物多样性智慧,在现有发展与保护措施下,重塑生物多样性与人类生存的自然观念,发展与环境和农业生产相适宜的畜牧技术,进一步开发与利用多样性畜禽品种的生态和生产价值增加畜牧业和农业收益,实现畜牧养殖生产功能与生态服务的和谐发展。     

Sustainability of dairy farming system in Tuscany in a changing climate

It is widely accepted that our climate is changing due to the increasing atmospheric concentrations of the ‘greenhouse gases’, and these changes may exercise strong impacts on different economic sectors. In particular for agricultural systems, such a change may have significant impacts on crop yield, cattle breeding and related management practices. Accordingly, the economic viability of agricultural production systems in future scenarios is a main concern especially for policy-making purposes. Up until now, the impact of climate change on agriculture has focused on change in crop yield, whereas a ‘holistic’ approach, considering both benefits (in terms of direct economic income) and detrimental environmental impacts of agricultural practices (soil loss, nitrogen leaching, water balance) has not been considered. On these premises, the objective of the present article was to assess agricultural sustainability on a farm level in Tuscany (central Italy) under the climate change regime, considering both conventional and organic farming systems (CFS and OFS, respectively). In particular, an ecological–economic optimisation model was run for both the present and future scenarios to perform an integrated assessment of sustainability of CFS and OFS on the case-study farm.     

基于灰色关联理论的农业经济结构分析——以南昌市为例

都市农业是现代农业的重要组成部分,研究其农业经济结构有利于探索现代农业的发展方向和促进城市工业与农业的和谐化发展.本研究以南昌市为例,利用灰色系统理论的灰色关联分析探索农业经济结构之间的关联度,以及探寻影响都市农业经济结构的因素.结果表明:都市农业中牧业与渔业具有快速发展优势,即渔业与牧业与农业总产值的灰色关联性最大;种植业虽然与农业总产值关联性要小些,但其年平均增长速度仍高于整个农业的发展速度;从投入来看,生产效率和消费因素是重要的关联因素.说明都市农业不同于全国或区域性农业经济结构是服务于城市发展的需要.     

基于农业发展不确定性的经济生态机制探讨

通过建立农业发展长效机制以解决农业发展的不确定性问题。笔者利用时间序列分析方法、经济学理论总结工农业发展的周期性规律特点和工农业协调发展的规律,基于农业发展的不确定性分析,探讨工农业协调发展以减少农业发展不确定性的可行性,并提出减少农业不确定性的制度安排及多层次政策体系。结果表明,对农业发展产生不确定性的冲击主要有自然条件及自然灾害、经济周期、知识经济时代下农业运用现代知识技术的短缺等3大冲击。降低这3大冲击,不仅是农业发展本身的需要,也是建立生态经济系统的需要。农村土地经营权拍卖机制、健全农村社会保障体制、加强农村财政转移支付、创新农村金融与保险体系等措施可以降低农业发展不确定性的风险。     

Agroecological principles for the redesign of integrated crop–livestock systems

Combining crops and livestock within integrated crop–livestock systems (ICLS) represents an opportunity to improve the sustainability of farming systems. The objective of this paper is to analyse how agroecological principles can help farmers to redesign and improve the resilience, self-sufficiency, productivity, and efficiency of ICLS. Relying on case studies from Brazil and France, we examine how the transformation of two conventional, specialised systems into more integrated-production systems illustrates the different dynamics towards agroecological ICLS. The French case study, based on self-sufficient farming systems belonging to a sustainable agriculture network, highlights that cost-cutting management led to a win–win strategy comprising good economic and environmental performances. The farms decreased their dependence on external inputs and had only a limited loss of production. The past trajectories of the farms illustrate how increasing the interactions between subsystems improved the self-sufficiency and efficiency of the farms. The Brazilian case study compares slash-and-burn agriculture in the Amazonian region with the recovery of degraded grazing area by ICLS. A small increase in chemical inputs linked to a diversification of productions led to a large increase in production and a large decrease in environmental impacts (deforestation). The Brazilian case study also illustrates how the diversification of production increased the resilience of the system to market shocks. Reconstructing the links among soil, crops, and animals following agroecological principles could improve the different performances of ICLS. New agroecological ICLS, benefiting from diversified productions and increased interactions between subsystems, are likely to offset the trade-off between agricultural production and environmental impacts observed in current ICLS.     

日本和印度区域农业及对中国农业发展的启示

中国是一个农业大国，区域差异明显；不同的区域，其农业发展方向与重点也有所不同；与国外发达国家相比，中国的区域农业并没有得到很好的发展。从对日本和印度两国的区域农业专业化发展进行分析，论述日本和印度区域农业专业化发展的做法和措施；其中包括：农业的科技推广、教育、以及政府的支持等方面；从而得到一些对中国区域农业发展的启示。     

美法两国区域农业的发展及对中国农业发展的启示

中国是一个农业大国,区域差异明显;不同的区域,其农业发展方向与重点也有所不同;与国外发达国家相比,我国的区域农业并没有得到很好的发展。本文从对美、法两国的区域农业专业化发展进行分析,论述美、法区域农业专业化发展的做法和措施;其中包括：农业的科技推广、教育、以及政府的支持等方面;从而得到一些对中国区域农业发展的启示。     

Relationship between barley grain yield measured in low- and high-yielding environments

Summary The paper addresses the general question of identifying the optimum environment for selection in plant breeding programs for low input agricultural systems. After defining low-yielding and high-yielding environments based on the average grain yield of large numbers of barley genotypes in different cropping seasons, we examined: 1) the phenotypic relationships between the highest yielding genotypes in low- and high-yielding environments, and 2) the genetic correlation coefficients between grain yield in low- and high-yielding environments. The results indicate that the alleles controlling high grain yield in low-yielding conditions are at least partially different from those controlling high grain yield in high-yielding conditions. Therefore, selection in high-yielding environments is expected to produce a negative response or no response in low-yielding environments. This may explain why crop varieties bred under high-yielding conditions failed to have an impact in low-yielding agricultural systems. The results may be extrapolated to systems where environmental concern suggests a reduction of inputs by raising the question of whether crop breeding programs based on selection under high inputs are likely to generate the right type of germplasm for an environmentally friendly agriculture.     

天山北坡经济带城乡产业关联性综合评价

从城乡产业协调的新视角,综合运用SPSS相关分析和灰色关联度分析方法,对新疆天山北坡经济带11市县的城乡产业关联性进行了多层面的综合研究。结果表明该经济带第一产业与第二、三产业的相关性较强;种植业、牧业与经济带农业的相关性也较强;工业与农业整体上呈较强的正相关性,但部分市县呈负相关性。在此基础上,提出了以工业思维发展农业,以推进农业产业化,促进城乡产业协调发展。     

基于能值的黄土梁峁丘陵区农业生态系统可持续发展研究

为揭示黄土梁峁丘陵区农业生态系统的动态变化和农业生产中形成的独特人地关系,为区域农业生态系统的可持续发展提供有效的理论依据,选取典型县域──永和县为研究案例。运用能值理论及方法,定量分析了永和县2000—2015年农业生态系统能值投入产出情况,并对其可持续发展能力进行综合研究。结果表明：（1）永和县农业生态系统的能值产投结构不断优化,农业生产效率逐渐提高,但系统对自然环境资源依赖较强且利用不充分,经济能值投入不足,制约了农业的发展;（2）从能值投入看,可更新环境资源能值为农业生产做出了很大的贡献,可更新有机能值投入逐渐减少,不可更新工业辅助能值投入逐渐增多; （3）从能值产出看,其产出量明显提高,种植业、林业、畜牧业趋于协同发展,且优势产业凸显。 16年间,永和县农业生态系统功能整体较好,可持续发展能力总体处于低程度的可持续发展状态（平均指数1.03）,但不够稳定。     

河南省黄河滩区绿色草业工程建设的现状与展望

笔者根据河南省黄河滩区自然条件的特点和畜牧业发展中存在的问题,依据生态学原理探讨了在滩区建设绿色草业工程的必要性和可行性。文章的重点在于提出建立以发展“三元”农业生产结构、发展绿色草业工程、发展绿色畜禽产品小区以及加强生物多样性保护为核心的绿色综合建设措施,其目的是为了改善黄河滩地的生态环境,保护滩地的生物多样性,促进滩区湿地以及周边地区农田和草地的科学化利用,促进滩区农牧业经济的良性循环和可持续发展。     

绿色农畜产品清洁生产模式的研究

摘要 环境污染与食品污染,已成为当今世界关注的严重问题。虽然各国自然资源条件和经济发达程度的差异,使得农业生产模式各不相同。但以防止环境污染和生产绿色─有机食品为主要内容的可持续发展农业,及其相应的技术研究,在全世界已形成一个大趋势。我国在这一工作上起步较晚,理论研究和应用技术都不及发达国家。目前许多农业科技工作者,根据我国自然资源条件及经济技术现状,将研究目标定格在可持续发展的绿色农畜产品清洁生产水平上,是非常现实和客观的,且具较强的可操作性。本文采用文献分析,理论与实践相结合的研究方法,针对农区种草养畜的生产趋势,用构建食物链的技术措施,建立绿色农畜产品清洁生产模式,达到既生产符合人们希望的绿色农畜产品,又不污染农业环境的目的。     

中国区域农业现代化发展水平差距分析

采用宏观分析与农户调查相结合的方法,对中国东、中、西部地区农业现代化发展水平差距与问题进行研究分析。结果表明,中国区域农业生产的现代化投入元素总体上呈现差距不断扩大的趋势,加强农业投入是推进区域现代农业建设的首要问题。     

覆盖作物及其作用的研究进展

在农作物种植系统中,田间杂草、土壤因素对作物的生长发育、产量和品质的影响一直都是农业领域关注的热点。大量使用化肥和除草剂可以达到作物增产、除草的目的,但其对土壤和环境造成的负面影响,严重制约了农业生产的可持续发展。种植覆盖作物是一种实现农业可持续发展的新策略,可以达到控制杂草、减少氮肥施用、改善土壤质量等目的。本文主要从覆盖作物的起源与发展过程、主要种类和作用及其种植制度等方面,总结了目前覆盖作物的研究进展及其在作物种植中的应用,以期为覆盖作物在我国农业生产中的研究与应用提供理论基础。     

土壤机械压实及其对作物生长的影响

在生产中农业机械替代人畜力从事农业生产劳动是必然的趋势。随着农业机械化水平的快速提高,土壤机械压实问题越来越突出。通过分析土壤机械压应力传递模型,以及土壤压实后土壤容重、坚实度增加,孔隙度、含水量降低,土壤的渗透性变差等土壤质量恶化现象,发现土壤压实可导致土壤质量下降,抑制作物的根系生长发育,对作物吸收土壤中的水分、养分产生不利影响。可造成玉米减产9.5%～14.4%,小麦减产4.0%～20.0%,大豆减产3.8%～13.4%,甜菜根产量降低5.81%～24.13%,含糖率降低0.49～0.81oZ。因此,在农业生产中必须要重视土壤压实问题,采取切实可行的技术措施,减轻农业机械化作业对土壤造成的负面影响,促进作物生长,提高农艺综合效益。     

中国与肯尼亚农业科技交流合作研究及启示

从1963年至今,中国与肯尼亚农业科技交流合作经历了从单向无偿援助向互利合作方式的转变,并通过政府高层往来、中非农业合作论坛、农业投资及研讨会、互派专家和留学生、高校与科研机构支持等途径,以农业科技合作示范与种质资源利用、中国农业高新科技在肯尼亚推广应用、短期技术研修与培训班开设、学历农业人才培养等内容方式,在中国优良农作物引种推广、栽培管理技术体系输出、科学合作研究、农业科技人才培养、生物多样性保护、扩大农产品市场等方面取得了不少成就,但仍然面临前期调研不够、途径内容不多、成效比较有限、投资不足等挑战以及语言、文化和历史等问题,需要从制定长期规划、建立高层次协调机制、加强基础调查研究、拓展途径与内容、加大投资力度、完善财税政支持体系、继续重视人才培养、坚持绿色合作与可持续发展等方面综合应对。     

阳东县农业发展总体规划与农业结构调整思路探讨

探讨了阳东县农业发展总体规划的思路、原则、总体目标、功能分区与空间布局、农业结构调整思路与方向、农业发展战略以及实施对策等。认为全县应采用点-轴开发模式,构建“农业三区三心一中心”格局,即建立三大特色农业功能区、三个农业经济次中心和一个农业物流与服务中心,从而形成“两横两纵”农业经济走廊（或发展轴线）。同时指出,在产业结构发展定位方面,全县应重点做好山水文章,在产业结构调整上采取“三水一菜一牧一林一加一游一流”的产业发展思路,形成“水产、水果、水稻、蔬菜、畜牧业、林业、农业加工业、农业旅游业和物流业”全面发展的产业结构。     

低碳背景下的农业生物多样性保护思考

农业生物多样性对于低碳农业的发展起到至关重要的作用。该文通过分析中国农业生物多样性的现状,从其价值、功能、影响因素3个方面,探讨了低碳农业背景下中国生物多样性保护的相关问题,提出农业生物多样性具备生产消费、生活服务和生态服务3个功能。该文建议：编制农业生物多样性保护总体规划,发展低碳农业,进行价值评估,减少人为破坏,加大节能减排宣传力度。     

农业活动对农田生态系统物种多样性的影响

农业活动如化肥、农药、地膜的使用、高产品种的推广、节水灌溉技术的应用等,所导致的生境条件的变化和农田景观结构的不合理是影响农田生态系统物种多样性的重要原因。鉴于此,提出了保护农田生态系统物种多样性的几点建议：①建立可持续的生态农业;②进行合理的农田生态规划;③合理的混合种植不同作物,打破单一的种植结构。