Modelling crop rotations of organic farms

With the described holistic model approach it is possible to generate agronomically-suitable and detailed 3-8 year crop rotations for diluvial sites in north-eastern Germany under the special demands of organic farming systems with and without livestock production. The stand-alone version can be used for crop rotation planning at the farm level. In addition, this model version may be applied for studying the influence of the parameter and estimation algorithm ranges within the model on the complex interactions between site condition, cropping methods and the rotational cropping systems. Sensitivity analyses show those model parameters and estimation algorithms which have to be managed with special care and those for which further research is needed

Modell zur Unterstützung strategischer und taktischer Fruchtfolgeplanung im Ökologischen Landbau

Im Ökologischen Landbau gewinnt die Fruchtfolgegestaltung als wesentlicher Aspekt der strategischen und taktischen Planungsebene im Ackerbau durch den Verzicht auf externe Steuermechanismen gegenüber der operativen Planungsebene (z.B. Pflanzenschutzmitteleinsatz nach Prognosemodellen) an relativer Bedeutung. Deshalb ist die Entwicklung eines Entscheidungsunterstützungsmodells zur Fruchtfolge-Planung (für die Bereiche N-Versorgung, Beikrautregulierung, Berücksichtigung phytosanitärer Restriktionen) gerade zur Optimierung des ökologischen Landbaus sinnvoll

Regionalisierung von Anbausystemen des ökologischen Landbaus [Regionalisation of cropping systems in organic agriculture]

Problemstellung/ Ziele: Der Ökologische Landbau wird - im Gegensatz zum konventionellen Landbau - in seinen ökonomisch und ökologisch Leistungen deutlich stärker von den natürlichen Standortbedingungen (Bodenqualität, Witterung) beeinflusst. Dies ist bei der regionalen Abbildung und Bewertung von Anbausystemen bzw. -verfahren des Ökologischen Landbaus zu berücksichtigen. Bisher findet dies aber aus Mangel an regionalisierenden Abschätzungs- und Bewertungsalgorithmen in Wissenschaft und Beratung nur ungenügend statt. Neben Fruchtfolgen sind Anbauverfahren der verschiedener Fruchtarten das wesentliche Element zur Charakterisierung von Anbausystemen in Abhängigkeit der Betriebstrukturen. Eine prinzipielle Methodik zur Generierung und Bewertung von anbauverfahren und daraus generierten Fruchtfolgen für den Ökologischen Landbau wurde bereits an anderer Stelle vorgestellt. Im bisherigen Ansatz werden regionale Unterschiede jedoch nur unbefriedigend berücksichtigt. Ein möglicher Regionalisierungsansatz soll im Folgenden dargestellt werden. Sowohl für die regionale Bewertung des Ökologischen landbaus in Hinblick auf dessen ökonomische wie auch ökologischen Leistungen, als auch für die einzelbetriebliche, strategische Planung, ist eine möglichst detaillierte Abschätzung des Einflusses der Bodenqualität in Kombination mit regionalen Witterungsverhältnissen, sowohl auf die Gestaltung von Fruchtfolgen, als auch die Gestaltung bzw. Auswahl von Anbauverfahren einzelner Fruchtarten mit ihren zeitlichen Abläufen notwendig

On-Farm Experimente - Leitfaden zur Planung und Durchführung

Durch den entwickelten Leitfaden wird gewährleistet, dass durch eine richtige Anlage/ Auswertung von Experimenten eine in den Betriebsablauf integrierte Weiterentwicklung von Anbauverfahren und –strategien erfolgen kann. So enthält der Leitfaden u.a. eine Anleitung zur Problemidentifikation und Formulierung relevanter Versuchsfragen, die unter den Bedingungen bzw. Einschränkungen von "On-Farm Experiments" realisiert werden können, eine Erläuterung der Grundprinzipien bei der Durchführung von Versuchen, eine Auswahl potenzieller Prüfmerkmale und -faktoren sowie Stufen der Prüffaktoren, Beispiele für Versuchsanlagen, Datenerhebung bzw. Auswertung/ Aussagefähigkeit und Dokumentation

Sending Granny to Chiang Mai: debating global outsourcing of care for the elderly

This article ties in with existing discussions on global care chains, family separation and the devaluation of social-reproductive work. We explore the new trend of outsourcing care for the elderly to countries with lower wages. We base our analysis on the debate in the German press and supplement it with insights from ethnographic field observations in two care homes in Thailand. We identify a discourse of abandonment, which shows how outsourcing the care of the elderly unsettles the privilege of sedentarism that is often taken for granted in the Global North. Furthermore, the newspaper articles tend to villainize people who seek care for their loved ones abroad. We argue that both discourses foster a neoliberal rationale of individualized responsibility and obfuscate the deep systemic roots of the care crisis in the Global North. However, by extending the discussion on outsourcing care for the elderly beyond the dominant media discourses, we envisage a rich potential for provoking political debate on the revaluation of care

A framework for developing an evidence-based, comprehensive tobacco control program

BACKGROUND: Tobacco control is an area where the translation of evidence into policy would seem to be straightforward, given the wealth of epidemiological, behavioural and other types of research available. Yet, even here challenges exist. These include information overload, concealment of key (industry-funded) evidence, contextualization, assessment of population impact, and the changing nature of the threat. METHODS: In the context of Israel's health targeting initiative, Healthy Israel 2020, we describe the steps taken to develop a comprehensive tobacco control strategy. We elaborate on the following: a) scientific issues influencing the choice of tobacco control strategies; b) organization of existing evidence of effectiveness of interventions into a manageable form, and c) consideration of relevant philosophical and political issues. We propose a framework for developing a plan and illustrate this process with a case study in Israel. RESULTS: Broad consensus exists regarding the effectiveness of most interventions, but current recommendations differ in the emphasis they place on different strategies. Scientific challenges include integration of complex and sometimes conflicting information from authoritative sources, and lack of estimates of population impact of interventions. Philosophical and political challenges include the use of evidence-based versus innovative policymaking, the importance of individual versus governmental responsibility, and whether and how interventions should be prioritized.The proposed framework includes: 1) compilation of a list of potential interventions 2) modification of that list based on local needs and political constraints; 3) streamlining the list by categorizing interventions into broad groupings of related interventions; together these groupings form the basis of a comprehensive plan; and 4) refinement of the plan by comparing it to existing comprehensive plans. CONCLUSIONS: Development of a comprehensive tobacco control plan is a complex endeavour, involving crucial decisions regarding intervention components. "Off the shelf" plans, which need to be adapted to local settings, are available from a variety of sources, and a multitude of individual recommendations are available. The proposed framework for adapting existing approaches to the local social and political climate may assist others planning for smoke-free societies. Additionally, this experience has implications for development of evidence-based health plans addressing other risk factors

Procollagen Triple Helix Assembly: An Unconventional Chaperone-Assisted Folding Paradigm

Fibers composed of type I collagen triple helices form the organic scaffold of bone and many other tissues, yet the energetically preferred conformation of type I collagen at body temperature is a random coil. In fibers, the triple helix is stabilized by neighbors, but how does it fold? The observations reported here reveal surprising features that may represent a new paradigm for folding of marginally stable proteins. We find that human procollagen triple helix spontaneously folds into its native conformation at 30–34°C but not at higher temperatures, even in an environment emulating Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER). ER-like molecular crowding by nonspecific proteins does not affect triple helix folding or aggregation of unfolded chains. Common ER chaperones may prevent aggregation and misfolding of procollagen C-propeptide in their traditional role of binding unfolded polypeptide chains. However, such binding only further destabilizes the triple helix. We argue that folding of the triple helix requires stabilization by preferential binding of chaperones to its folded, native conformation. Based on the triple helix folding temperature measured here and published binding constants, we deduce that HSP47 is likely to do just that. It takes over 20 HSP47 molecules to stabilize a single triple helix at body temperature. The required 50–200 µM concentration of free HSP47 is not unusual for heat-shock chaperones in ER, but it is 100 times higher than used in reported in vitro experiments, which did not reveal such stabilization

Organic Farming on large farms with special reference to Eastern Germany

Nearly 3 % of the total arable land of the five new States of Germany have been converted to organic farming according to the AGÖL standards. The average farm size reaches about 200 ha, while the average size of organic farms in West Germany amounts to 30 ha. The structure of the large farms in East Germany contrasts with the organic farms in West Germany and are mainly characterised by a higher complexity of organisation, involving mainly blue collar workers and low livestock units. Under the site and structural conditions of large organic farms in North-East Germany, for economic and environmental reasons, it is especially important to develop and apply special nutrient management strategies concerning the prediction and optimisation of nitrogen inputs so as to prevent deficits and losses. As long-term management strategies the calculation of humus and nitrogen balances are suitable for an overview of the nutrient fluxes of the total farm. To optimise the nitrogen uptake and to minimise nitrate leaching, the effects of specific cultivation methods, selected fields and crops, and short-term management strategies are developed for site- and situation-adapted decision making. Positive abiotic and biotic environmental effects of organic farming systems, similar to those known from small family farms, can be described or predicted for large farms in North-East Germany. These effects include significant reduction of nitrate losses through leaching and nitrate contents in the soil water; prevention of pesticide leaching; conservation and increase of the humus content; reduction of CO2-emission caused by intensive agriculture; conservation and increase of biodiversity of flora and fauna. To achieve an expansion of organic agriculture, particularly in CEE countries, the development of specific markets with higher prices (especially for milk products) and/or specific economic rewards of the positive environmental effects are necessary