Agronomist–farmer knowledge encounters: an analysis of knowledge exchange in the context of best management practices in England

This paper explores how knowledge is exchanged between agricultural advisors and farmers in the context of sustainable farming practices in England. Specifically the paper examines the nature of the knowledge exchange at the encounters between one group of advisors, agronomists, and farmers. The promotion of best management practices, which are central to the implementation of sustainable agricultural policies in England, provide the empirical context for this study. The paper uses the notion of expert and facilitative approaches as a conceptual framework for analyzing knowledge exchange encounters between agronomists and farmers. Data were derived from semi-structured interviews with 31 agronomists and 17 farmers, in the context of three initiatives promoting a range of best management practices including (a) targeted use of nitrogen (N), (b) use of nutrients within manure, and (c) management practices to improve soil structure. The interviews revealed that, although many agronomist–farmer knowledge exchange encounters are characterized by an imbalance of power, distrust, and the divergence of knowledge, other encounters provide a platform for the facilitation of farmer learning in their transition to more sustainable practices.

Routine inertia and reactionary response in animal health best practice

Animal health is a key factor affecting the economic efficiency of the dairy industry. Improvements in animal health are also of relevance to society more broadly, given important implications for animal welfare, food safety and quality. Although the economic gains of best practice with regard to animal health have been well documented, many farmers are not adopting optimal herd management techniques. This paper utilises nationally representative farm-level data from Ireland for 2013 to identify drivers and barriers to the adoption of best practice with regard to on-farm mastitis management. Exploratory factor analysis is used to derive measures of farmers’ attitudes towards animal health and mastitis and econometric techniques are employed to empirically assess the influence of these on the uptake of beneficial herd health management practices. A number of focus groups were also undertaken to complement the analysis. This paper concludes that farmers’ attitudes towards animal health are not a key driver in the uptake of best practice, although perceived disease risk is of relevance. A number of interesting issues arise in identifying barriers to the uptake of best practice, these include the possibility of routine inertia, i.e., farmers do not deviate from the routine developed around mastitis prevention until there is an indication of infection, as well as constraints around the availability of labour and time. Farmer behaviour with respect to mastitis management can thus be considered as reactionary as opposed to precautionary. This research highlights the valuable role of the extension agent but concludes that engagement around knowledge transfer and technology adoption is particularly complex.     

中草药防治奶牛乳房炎的研究概况

奶牛乳房炎是奶牛最常见的疾病之一,严重制约着奶牛业的发展。对我国应用中草药防治奶牛乳房炎的一些方法和防治机理进行综述,对中草药防治奶牛乳房炎的前景进行了展望,认为中草药在治疗奶牛乳房炎方面具有巨大的潜力。     

中草药防治奶牛乳房炎的研究概况

奶牛乳房炎是奶牛最常见的疾病之一,严重制约着奶牛业的发展。对我国应用中草药防治奶牛乳房炎的一些方法和防治机理进行综述,对中草药防治奶牛乳房炎的前景进行了展望,认为中草药在治疗奶牛乳房炎方面具有巨大的潜力。     

Month-Wise Prevalence of Subclinical Mastitis in Dairy Cows in Guangdong Province,China

To evaluate the month-wise prevalence of subclinical mastitis (SM) and its relations with climatic temperature and humidity, and to provide references for control and prevention of mastitis in dairy cows in Guangdong, China, California mastitis test method was used to determine the monthly prevalence of SM (MPSM, %) of lactating Holstein cows from 11 dairy farms in Guangdong Province, China, including about 516 cows per monthly examination. The average MPSM on a cow and a quarter basis were 30 and 13% respectively, and there was a positive linear correlation between monthly mean air temperature (MT, ?C) and MPSM on a cow basis (r=0.763, P=0.004) or a quarter basis (r=0.577, P=0.049), but there were no correlations between MT and MPSM on a cow or a quarter basis (P>0.05). There was a shift in MPSM trend that the highest MPSM (38.4%) was not for the hottest July with MT at 30.8?C, but for the later September at 27.9?C. The farms need to develop new housing conditions to control cowshed temperatures in the hot season to reduce the mastitis prevalences in the posthot months.     

Seeing below the surface: making soil processes visible to Ugandan smallholder farmers through a constructivist and experiential extension approach

Ugandan smallholder farmers need to feed a growing population, but their efforts are hampered by declining soil fertility rates. Agricultural extension can facilitate farmers’ access to new practices and technologies, yet farmers are understandably often hesitant to adopt new behaviors. New knowledge assimilation is an important component of behavior change that is often overlooked or poorly addressed by current extension efforts. We implemented a Fertility Management Education Program (FMEP) in central Uganda to investigate smallholder farmers’ existing soil knowledge and their assimilation of new scientific concepts into their knowledge framework. Qualitative data were collected through participant observation, farmer interviews, and focus groups, and coded for using a priori and emergent themes. Our exploration revealed some notable similarities between farmers’ soil knowledge and scientific concepts, particularly in regards to soil health concepts, a discovery that could facilitate communication between extension agents and farmers. However, certain scientific concepts are either unknown to farmers or discordant with existing soil knowledge; these concepts are unlikely to be assimilated by farmers without convincing and concerted extension efforts. Importantly, we found that the combination of new scientific knowledge and hands-on experimentation with novel practices gave farmers far greater confidence in implementing improved soil management practices. Our study provides evidence that extension programs should engage directly with farmers’ existing soil knowledge to develop their understanding of key biological concepts and confidence in implementing improved practices.     

奶牛乳腺炎调查及病因分析

对佳木斯市4所奶牛场进行流行病学调查,研究临床型乳腺炎和隐性乳腺炎的发病率以及病因。对4所奶牛场的390头泌乳牛进行检测,其中218头患有隐性型乳腺炎,头发病率为55.90%;17头患有临床型乳腺炎,头发病率为4.43%;乳腺炎的头发病率为60.26%。在被检的1416个有效乳区中,患有隐性型乳腺炎的乳区有792个,乳区阳性率为55.93%;患有临床型乳腺炎的乳区有20个,乳区阳性率为1.41%。对牛场圈舍条件和生产、管理诸环节调查分析表明,引起奶牛乳腺炎的主要原因为饲养管理水平较低、饲料品质较低、挤奶工不能严格遵守无菌操作、高产奶牛乳头未开展干奶期预防工作等。     

奶牛寄生虫病的防治

目前,大多数奶牛养殖场(户)只注重奶牛乳房炎、蹄病的防治措施,而忽略了奶牛寄生虫病的防治。乳房炎、腐蹄病等一些症状较明显,损失相对直观;寄生虫病的病程慢、症状不明显,对它的防治几乎没有概念。并非是寄生虫病给奶牛养殖带来的损失小不足以引起人们的重视,主要是因为人们对奶牛寄生虫病的危害认识不够和造成的损失不甚了解,从而没有得到相应的关注。因此,我们要加强奶牛寄生虫病的防治,尤其是奶牛消化道线虫与球虫病的防治工作,需要进一步加强。     

奶牛乳房炎的免疫预防

[目的]为了加强奶牛乳房炎免疫控制。[方法]介绍奶牛乳房炎的病理学、发病机理、免疫与防御机制及其疫苗种类和研究进展。[结果]该病病原主要为多种非特定的病原微生物,致病机制仍然不太清楚,防御机制包括先天性免疫和特异性免疫,采取综合防治,特别要注意抗生素的使用问题。[结论]该研究为奶牛乳房炎的免疫研究提供了理论依据。     

农户兼业对土地利用行为的影响——基于对南通市、苏州市、宿迁市的对比分析

近年来我国农民从事农业生产的同时,在郊区或城区从事非农兼业活动越来越普遍。根据兼业程度的不同,将传统农户划分为纯农户、一兼农户、二兼农户和非农户,对江苏省内3个具有地域代表性的市县进行调研,研究农户兼业是否对土地利用行为有显著影响,以及此现象在经济发展程度不同地区间的差异。调研结果表明:农户兼业在江苏省普遍存在,经济发展水平越高的地区兼业水平越高;江苏省农户兼业对土地利用行为有显著性影响;农户兼业的选择对于其在土地上的资金投入、劳动投入、肥料投入、以及土地经营规模等方面有显著性影响。并根据分析结果提出相关政策建议,以促进农户兼业结构的优化、对土地利用行为的积极导向和实现土地规模经营。     

乳腺炎奶牛乳腺组织损伤的原因及防治

乳腺炎作为一种乳腺炎症反应,是奶牛场“最昂贵”的疾病。乳腺炎奶牛的乳腺组织在细菌因子和宿主免疫等作用下其上皮组织受到损伤,其相关机制有待深入研究。本文拟从细胞凋亡或坏死、细菌感染、中性粒细胞、血浆蛋白等方面总结奶牛乳腺炎乳腺组织损伤的原因,并提出防治措施,以期为有效防控奶牛乳腺炎提供科学理论基础和技术参考。     

Traditional knowledge and pest management in the Guatemalan highlands

Adoption of integrated pest management(IPM) practices in the Guatemalan highlands has beenlimited by the failure of researchers andextensionists to promote genuine farmer participationin their efforts. Some attempts have been made toredress this failure in the diffusion-adoptionprocess, but farmers are still largely excluded fromthe research process. Understanding farmers'agricultural knowledge must be an early step toward amore participatory research process. With this inmind, we conducted a semi-structured survey of 75Cakchiquel Maya farmers in Patzún, Guatemala, tobegin documenting their pest control practices. Theirresponses revealed that their understanding ofbiological and curative pest control is limited.However, their broad knowledge of cultural preventivepest control practices could explain why they hadfaced few pest problems in their traditionalmilpa (intercrop of corn, beans, and other edibleplants). The majority of these preventive practicesare probably efficient and environmentallyinnocuous.     

知识共享背景下导师制模式的农民培训

为了使农民培训体系更加完善和科学,更好地契合农民的培训需求,在借鉴企业导师制培训新员工的理论和实践基础上,引入导师制作为农民培训的模式。基于知识共享理论,结合导师制管理和农民培训模式,探讨在知识共享背景下将导师制模式应用于农民培训。分析了导师制农民培训的意义,提出了导师制农民培训项目设计与实施面临的问题,同时给出了导师制农民培训的框架设计,即导师制农民培训项目展开需要经过导师遴选、导师辅导、导师管理、导师考核四大模块。     

农民专业合作社的发展与管理——以贵州省罗甸县为例

为探索县域农民专业合作社的发展与管理,以贵州省罗甸县农民专业合作社为例,对农民专业合作社存在问题进行分析,并对农民专业合作社的发展与管理提出了建议。     

贫困地区农业产业化的若干思考

农业产业化是一种适应社会主义市场经济要求的农业经济管理体制和运行机制。实施农业产业化是提高农民组织化程度，把农民引向市场经济，增加农民收入的一条有效途径。本文分析了贫困地区的产业状况，探讨了贫困地区脱贫的出路，并提出了贫困地区实现农业产业化的基本途径     

保定市农作物病虫害植保社会化服务的现状问题与对策

阐述了发展植保专业化服务组织、开展统防统治的必要性。分析了保定市植保专业化服务组织的现状、类型（专业合作社型、专业协会型、专业服务公司型、农资企业型、基层农技部门型、村防治组织型、种植大户型、其他类型）和服务形式（出工代防代治、带药代防代治、全程承包防治、自防自治）;指出了植保服务组织发展以及统防统治工作中存在的主要问题;从高度重视、加大投入、建章立制、多元发展、规模经营、机艺匹配、典型带动、提高素质8个方面,提出了保定市植保专业化统防统治的对策与建议。     

农民专业合作社与农民增收的思考——以广西贵港为例

通过分析农民专业合作社对促进农民增收的作用,指出广西贵港市农民专业合作社发展存在人才短缺、合作社规模小、资金实力弱、产品附加值低、缺乏品牌意识等问题,提出了加大宣传力度,提升农民整体素质;扩大合作社规模;多方融资;加大农业产业结构调整力度,提高合作社经营能力;树立品牌意识,培植品牌农业等利用农民专业合作社促进农民增收的对策建议。     

对宝鸡市职业农民培育的思考

文章在对宝鸡市农业产业发展的调查分析基础上,对进一步深化和提升职业农民培育模式及相关问题展开了思考,并提出应处理好职业农民与新型经营主体、规模效益与职业收入、农业产业的风险性与抗灾救济、体面劳动与职业地位、制度框架与配套政策、农民教育培训与职业农民培育等方面的问题,以加强职业农民培育。     

达拉特旗农民专业合作经济组织的发展现状及对策

党的十七届三中全会指出,培育农民新型合作组织,发展各种农业社会化服务组织．鼓励龙头企业与农民建立紧密型利益联结机制,着力提高组织化程度。扶持农民专业合作社加快发展,使之成为引领农民参与国内．外市场竞争的现代农业经营组织。近年来,迭拉特旗紧紧抓住大力发展现代农牧业等有利契机,依托新农村新牧区建设,积极发展特色产品和优势产业,坚持以“民办、民管、民受益”为主,促进农民专业合作组织不断发展。     

正确处理产加关系促进奶业持续发展

奶农和乳品加工企业之间的关系,即产加关系,是奶业发展的根本.在"公司(龙头企业)+农户"的经营模式中,公司处于主导地位,奶农属于弱势群体.为防止产加关系处理不当导致奶业受挫,应采取以下措施:(1)建立企业和奶农的风险共担机制;(2)及时、公正、公平的解决牛奶质量检测中的争议;(3)做好技术服务工作;(4)设立奶业风险基金;(5)充分发挥奶业协会的作用.