Making Sustainable Agriculture Real in CAP 2020: The Role of Conservation Agriculture

Europe is about to redefine its Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) for the near future. The question is whether this redefinition is more a fine-tuning of the existing CAP or whether thorough changes can be expected. Looking back to the last revision of CAP the most notable change is, undoubtedly, the concern about EU and global food security. The revival of the interest in agricultural production already became evident during the Health Check as a consequence of climbing commodity prices in 2007/08. It is therefore no surprise that “rising concerns regarding both EU and global food security” is the first topic to appear in the list of justifications for the need for a CAP reform. Other challenges mentioned in this list such as sustainable management of natural resources, climate change and its mitigation, improvement of competitiveness to withstand globalization and rising price volatility, etc., while not new are considered worthwhile enough to be maintained and reappraised

Descriptive Analysis of Articles and Advertisements Pertaining to Skin Cancer Prevention in 2 Popular US Parenting Magazines, 2000–2010

Magazines focused on parenting are popular in the United States, and parents may use them to guide decisions about the health of their children. We analyzed issues of 2 popular parenting magazines published in the past 11 years during the months of peak ultraviolet radiation exposure for content related to sun protection and for advertisements for skin products that did and did not contain sun protection factor. Only 24 of 2,594 articles addressed the topic of sun protection for skin cancer prevention. Although advertising is pervasive in these magazines, the extent to which such advertising focuses on products with sun protection factor was low. These findings suggest that parenting magazines can do more to assist parents in making informed decisions about preventing skin cancer risk among youth

Mobilizing Greater Crop and Land Potentials with Conservation Agriculture

Based on worldwide empirical and scientific evidence, it appears generally evident that CA can play a major role in accelerating production output growth to meet future global food needs. The evidence also suggests that it can do so while arresting soil degradation and improving factor productivity (efficiency of input use) and profit margins, as well as add the much needed resilience to cropping systems and ecosystem services. There is growing evidence to show that CA through improved soil quality enables better phenotypic performance from any adapted genotype, traditional or improved. This is because CA enables agricultural soil and landscape to be treated as living biological entities in which soil biota and their symbiotic relationships with root systems are encouraged while maintaining improved and efficient soil-plant-moisture-nutrient relationships (Jat et al., 2014)

Mobilizing greater crop and land potentials: Replacing the faltering engine

Prof Amir Kassam (University of Reading & UN Food & Agriculture Organisation - FAO) and Dr Gottlieb Basch (University of Evora, Portugal, and President of the European Conservation Agriculture Federation, ECAF) then presented their paper on ensuring the supply side of food production: ‘Mobilizing greater crop and land potentials: replacing the faltering engine’. They explained that the engine of the supply side of food security is the way we farm. The current engine of conventional farming method is seen to be faltering and needs to be replaced. The presentation focused on the new paradigm of Conservation Agriculture (CA) (involving no-till farming with mulch soil cover and diversified cropping) that raises productivity sustainably and efficiently, reduces inputs, regenerates degraded land, minimises soil erosion and harnesses the flow of ecosystem services. There is empirical and scientific evidence that future food supplies can be assured sustainably by shifting away from conventional agriculture towards the more sustainable paradigm of CA. They suggested that the supply side of future food security will be determined by how successful we are in facilitating the global up-scaling of this new engine of sustainable agriculture - Conservation Agriculture

The Role of Sustainable Agricultural Soil Management in Enhancing Ecosystem Services

Over many centuries, agricultural soil management has led to wind and water erosion of soil and to degradation of soil physical, chemical, biological, and hydrological qualities. This is because the dominant farming paradigm is based on mechanical tillage of various types to control weeds and to soften the top soil to serve as a seedbed for crop establishment, and to loosen the compacted subsoil layer. Consequently, tillage is still considered to be normal and necessary, and mechanized tillage is considered to be a symbol of ‘modern’ agriculture. However, it is also known to be the major root cause of soil degradation, leading to loss of many of the ecosystem functions and services, including biological production. Over the last few decades, the concept of sustainable production intensification (SPI) has taken shape. SPI methods aim at supporting productive agricultural systems capable of delivering maximum yields and ecosystem services while being resource efficient and resilient. Overall, this translates into producing more from less, and sustainably, primarily with regards to soil and water, but also from other inputs such as fertilizers, plant protection products, energy, labour and capital. It also means that certain ecosystem services that are soil-mediated, such as carbon sequestration, water resource quantity and quality, water regulation, control of erosion, biological nitrogen fixation, control of certain weeds, insect pest and diseases, can be enhanced. The three interlinked principles of Conservation Agriculture: (i) minimal soil disturbance (based on no-till), (ii) permanent soil cover; and (iii) crop diversity, are increasingly being accepted as constituting the core or foundation elements that simultaneously improve the overall soil conditions necessary to enhance its ecosystem functions while allowing for increased levels of productivity with reduced inputs. This communication discusses the evidence on the role of Conservation Agriculture in sustainable soil management for enhancing ecosystem services and production intensification

Readability of Colorectal Cancer Online Information: A Brief Report

Purpose: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States. A decline in deaths caused by CRC has been largely attributable to screening and prompt treatment. Motivation, shown to influence cancer-related screening and treatment decisions, can be shaped by information from the Internet. The extent to which this information is easily readable on cancer-related websites is not known. The purpose of this study was to assess the readability levels of CRC information on 100 websites. Methods: Using methods from a prior study, the keyword, “colorectal cancer,” was searched on a cleared Internet browser. Scores for each website (n = 100) were generated using five commonly recommended readability tests. Results: All five tests demonstrated difficult readability for the majority of the websites. Conclusions: Online information related to CRC is difficult to read and highlights the need for developing cancer-related online material that is understandable to a wider audience

Purple nustedge (Cyperus rotundus L.) control through climbing legumes such as Mucuna pruriens L. and Lablab purpureus L.

The adoption of Conservation Agriculture in Mozambique poses new challenges for smallholder farmers. One of these challenges is the control of perennial weeds without herbicides which is beyond the reach of this group of farmers in Cabo Delgado due to: a) High prices (low-income farmers), and b) Cabo Delgado is a remote area where aff ordable access to herbicides and other inputs is not yet possible. Looking for sustainable solutions according to local agro-ecological and socio-economic conditions of the region was the aim of the on-farm research carried out. The present study aimed at testing the effi ciency of two cover crops, Mucuna pruriens L. and Lablab purpureus L. in the control of purple nustedge (Cyperus rotundos L.) in Conservation Agriculture systems. The trials were conducted in the village of Nangua, in the province of Cabo Delgado during the rainy seasons of 2014/15 and 2015/16 crop years in a field that was abandoned due to purple nustedge weed infestation. Two cover crops, mucuna and lablab, were established in 12 m² plots, in three replications. Three counts of the quantity of purple nustedge were made in these plots: 1st count, 1 day before sowing; 2nd count, 30 days after germination, and 3rd count, 60 days after germination. Before the cover crops were sown, the purple nustedge counts were made in 1 m² area in 2 sites located in each plot, during two seasons. In the first year, there was a decrease in the number of plants of purple nustedge in the plots where both legumes were grown. Both legumes showed greater efficiency in the control of purple nustedge with increase in their duration in the field mainly between 30 days and 60 days after sowing. Results show that mucuna and lablab can replace each other in the control of purple nustedge because the effect of the application of both cultures is indifferent. Mucuna and lablab usage as cover crop in Conservation Agriculture Systems favors dormancy of the bulbs and creates unfavorable conditions for the viability of purple nustedge seeds and thus decreases their proliferation capacity in field crops

Sustainable Soil Management: Its perception and the need for policy Intervention in the European context

As stated in the strategic objectives of the Global Soil Partnership “healthy soils and sustainable soil management are the precondition for human well-being and economic welfare and therefore play the key role for sustainable development”. Although the functional properties of a healthy soil are well understood, in practice it is easily overlooked what is necessary to achieve and sustain healthy agricultural soils. This contribution intends: to discuss the concept of sustainable soil management in agricultural production with regard to soil health, and to highlight its importance in the achievement of both Sustainable Development Goals and the 4 per mille objectives, as well as for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). In Europe, soil and the need for its conservation and stewardship gained visibility at the beginning of this century during the discussions related to the Soil Thematic Strategy. This higher level of awareness concerning the status of Europe’s soils led to the introduction of soil conservation standards into the cross-compliance and recently into the greening mechanisms within the 1st Pillar of CAP. However, the business-as-usual model of tillage based agriculture continues and soil degradation through erosion, soil organic matter and soil biodiversity decline and compaction together with general yields’ stagnation continues. In light of the above, urgent action is needed to extend the timid European efforts of agricultural soil conservation and to include measures that would cover and apply directly to a much larger area under agricultural production while preserving and enhancing the production potential and capacity of the farmland. Crop production and agricultural land management based on the principles of Conservation Agriculture (no-till seeding and weeding, maintaining soil mulch cover, crop diversification) has proven to improve decisively the delivery of all soil-mediated productivity and ecosystem services, including soil carbon sequestration (4 per mille), the efficient use of natural resources and external inputs, and thus improved cost efficiency and profit, while maintaining or increasing productivity. However, especially in Europe, institutional and policy support is needed to mainstream this truly agro-ecological approach of Conservation Agriculture to sustainable farming and land management

Conservation agriculture in the dry Mediterranean climate

The objective of this article is to review: (a) the concepts and principles that underpin Conservation Agriculture (CA) ecologically and operationally; (b) the potential benefits that can be harnessed through CA systems in the dry Mediterranean climates; (c) current status of adoption and spread of CA in the dry Mediterranean climate countries; and (d) opportunities for CA in the Central and West Asia and North Africa (CWANA) region. CA, comprising minimum mechanical soil disturbance and no-tillage seeding, organic mulch cover, and crop diversification is now practised on some 125 million ha, corresponding to about 9% of the global arable cropped land. Globally, the area under CA is spread across all continents and all agro-ecologies, including the dryland climates in the Mediterranean basin region as well as in the Mediterranean climates elsewhere in the world. Worldwide empirical and scientific evidence is available to show that significant productivity, economic, social and environmental benefits exist that can be harnessed through the adoption of CA principles for sustainable production intensification in the dry Mediterranean climates, including those in the CWANA region. The benefits include: fundamental change for the better in the sustainability of production systems and ecosystem services; higher stable yields and incomes; climate change adaptation and reduced vulnerability to the highly erratic rainfall distribution; and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. CA has taken off globally and is now spreading in several Mediterranean climates outside the Mediterranean basin particularly in South America, South Africa and Australia. In the dry Mediterranean climates in the CWANA region, CA is perceived to be a powerful tool of land management but CA has not yet taken off. Research on CA in the CWANA region has shown that there are opportunities for CA adoption in rainfed and irrigated farming systems involving arable and perennial crops as well as livestock

Validation study of a web-based assessment of functional recovery after radical prostatectomy

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Good clinical care of prostate cancer patients after radical prostatectomy depends on careful assessment of post-operative morbidities, yet physicians do not always judge patient symptoms accurately. Logistical problems associated with using paper questionnaire limit their use in the clinic. We have implemented a web-interface ("STAR") for patient-reported outcomes after radical prostatectomy.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We analyzed data on the first 9 months of clinical implementation to evaluate the validity of the STAR questionnaire to assess functional outcomes following radical prostatectomy. We assessed response rate, internal consistency within domains, and the association between survey responses and known predictors of sexual and urinary function, including age, time from surgery, nerve sparing status and co-morbidities.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Of 1581 men sent an invitation to complete the instrument online, 1235 responded for a response rate of 78%. Cronbach's alpha was 0.84, 0.86 and 0.97 for bowel, urinary and sexual function respectively. All known predictors of sexual and urinary function were significantly associated with survey responses in the hypothesized direction.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>We have found that web-based assessment of functional recovery after radical prostatectomy is practical and feasible. The instrument demonstrated excellent psychometric properties, suggested that validity is maintained when questions are transferred from paper to electronic format and when patients give responses that they know will be seen by their doctor and added to their clinic record. As such, our system allows ready implementation of patient-reported outcomes into routine clinical practice.</p