APPLYING LISA CONCEPTS ON SOUTHERN FARMS

Agribusiness,

Organic Crop Production Overview

This publication provides an overview of the key concepts and practices of certified organic crop production. It also presents perspectives on many of the notions, myths, and issues that have become associated with organic agriculture over time. A guide to useful ATTRA resources and to several non-ATTRA publications is provided

Rainfed agriculture: unlocking the potential

Rainfed farming / Soil degradation / Crop production / Climate change / Irrigation methods / Water harvesting / Yield gap / Models / Supplemental irrigation / Water productivity / Watershed management / India

Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture Annual Report, 2013-2014

The Leopold Center was established by the Iowa Legislature as part of the Iowa Groundwater Protection Act of 1987. Its mandated missions are to identify impacts of agricultural practices, contribute to the development of profitable farming systems that conserve natural resources, and cooperate with Iowa State University Extension to inform the public of new findings.Information for this report was compiled by Leopold Center staff with the help of its researchers and educators who are committed to improving Iowa agriculture and the lives of Iowans

Business plan for 2019: 2019-2023 strategy.

This Business Plan presents Embrapa's goals and strategic results for 2019 as well as a long term strategy comprising guidelines for activities to be developed by Embrapa from 2019 to 2023.bitstream/item/201533/1/PLANO-DE-NEGOCIOS-EM-INGLES-BUSINESS-PLAN-2019.pd

Enhancing resilience to climate change through prospective strategies for climate-resilient agriculture to improve crop yield and food security

It is important to highlight that agriculture is one of the sectors that will be directly affected by climate change scenarios in recent years. There are a number of processes such as drought, floods, temperature, salinity etc along with other forms of biotic factors posing significant impacts on crop yields of various crops due to their fluctuating scenario in the environment. Espousal of smart technologies and practices like smart crop and variety selection, efficient climate-based cropping system, agricultural water management (AWM), balanced fertilization, contingency planning, recarbonization of soils, no-till system, integrated farming system, site specific nutrient management etc are being advised to exercise in many regions for climate-resistant agriculture. These approaches minimize soil disruption and energy usages, enhance soil health and alleviate greenhouse gas discharges, minimize unproductive losses and improve efficiency of land and water use result in greater crop production with reduced fertilizer usage. As a part of this strategy, weather stations and mini-weather lookouts are set up at the village stage to register relevant weather observations like temperature, rainfall, wind speed and relative humidity etc to furnish customized agro-advisories to farmers, which reduce detrimental consequences attributed to the climate. A climate smart approach integrates farmer’s practices with related technologies, plans, institutes, policies and financial packages. So, initiating the choice of site-specific crops, development of customized technologies and tools, diversification of crops, improvement of climate-resistant crop varieties, syndication of forecasting tools and proper management of resources at the community level can effectively enhance climate resilience in agriculture

Use of High Science Tools in Integrated Watershed Management

Not AvailableSemi-Arid Tropics (SAT) are characterized by highly variable rainfall, poor soils, low yields and poor developmental infrastructure. Watershed management is now an accepted strategy for development of rainfed agriculture in these areas. New science tools like remote sensing, geographical information systems (GIS), water balance, simulation modeling, information and communication technology (ICT) are currently being used very widely in irrigated and well-endowed areas. Importance of these tools in the SAT areas is now well understood and recognized. Application of new science tools in rain-fed agriculture opens up new vistas for development through integrated watershed management programs (IWMP). ICRISAT in partnership with national agricultural research systems and advanced research institutes in Asia has applied new science tools for enhancing the productivity of rain-fed systems in the SAT through science-led development. The remarkable developments in space technology currently offers satellites, which provide better spatial and spectral resolutions, more frequent revisits, stereo viewing and on board recording capabilities. High spatial and temporal resolution satellite data could be effectively used for watershed management and monitoring activities at land ownership level. Techniques are also successfully used for preparing detailed thematic maps, watershed development plans and continuous monitoring of the natural resources in rain-fed areas. Synergy of GIS and Web Technology allows access to dynamic geospatial watershed information without burdening the users with complicated and expensive software. Use of smart sensor network along with GIS, RS, simulation modeling and ICT opens up new opportunities for developing intelligent watershed management information systems. These tools can help in improving the rural livelihoods and contribute substantially to meet the millennium development goals of halving the number of hungry people by 2015 and achieving food security through enhanced use efficiency of scarce natural resorces such as land and water in the tropical countries.Not Availabl

Nanobiotechnology: a solution to food insecurity, safety and sustainability

The problems of food insecurity, safety and sustainability occur mostly through the activities of pest and pathogens. The resistance of the causative agents on agricultural production coupled with potential health hazards posed on the environment by synthetic pesticides led to the search for an alternative to synthetic chemicals. Nanotechnology is currently the best candidate for ensuring food security, safety and water quality. National governments especially in developing countries are advised to mount regulating agencies that will be responsible for achieving food security and safety as already done in countries like USA, India and Indonesia among others. Considering the fact that we are now in a period when global population is steadily increasing and there is a very high demand for health food but high cost of production and need for sustainable agriculture has limited the profit margin made by farmers. The cause of naturally-occurring products with interesting antimicrobial eliciting properties and their derivatives has been getting more attention in recent years. Nanotechnology may have concrete solutions against many agriculture-related problems like insect pest management using traditional methods, adverse effects of chemical pesticides; development of improved crop varieties. As with any other technology, controversy surrounding nanotechnology is no exception in a heterogeneous society. Several concerns need to be addressed on different issues like food safety and beneficiaries of the technology.Keywords: Food-insecurity, pathogen, pest, safety, chemicals, materials, benefits, nanoparticles, biotechnolog