Climate-smart agricultural practices influence the fungal communities and soil properties under major agri-food systems

Fungal communities in agricultural soils are assumed to be affected by climate, weather, and anthropogenic activities, and magnitude of their effect depends on the agricultural activities. Therefore, a study was conducted to investigate the impact of the portfolio of management practices on fungal communities and soil physical–chemical properties. The study comprised different climate-smart agriculture (CSA)-based management scenarios (Sc) established on the principles of conservation agriculture (CA), namely, ScI is conventional tillage-based rice–wheat rotation, ScII is partial CA-based rice–wheat–mungbean, ScIII is partial CSA-based rice–wheat–mungbean, ScIV is partial CSA-based maize–wheat–mungbean, and ScV and ScVI are CSA-based scenarios and similar to ScIII and ScIV, respectively, except for fertigation method. All the scenarios were flood irrigated except the ScV and ScVI where water and nitrogen were given through subsurface drip irrigation. Soils of these scenarios were collected from 0 to 15 cm depth and analyzed by Illumina paired-end sequencing of Internal Transcribed Spacer regions (ITS1 and ITS2) for the study of fungal community composition. Analysis of 5 million processed sequences showed a higher Shannon diversity index of 1.47 times and a Simpson index of 1.12 times in maize-based CSA scenarios (ScIV and ScVI) compared with rice-based CSA scenarios (ScIII and ScV). Seven phyla were present in all the scenarios, where Ascomycota was the most abundant phyla and it was followed by Basidiomycota and Zygomycota. Ascomycota was found more abundant in rice-based CSA scenarios as compared to maize-based CSA scenarios. Soil organic carbon and nitrogen were found to be 1.62 and 1.25 times higher in CSA scenarios compared with other scenarios. Bulk density was found highest in farmers' practice (Sc1); however, mean weight diameter and water-stable aggregates were found lowest in ScI. Soil physical, chemical, and biological properties were found better under CSA-based practices, which also increased the wheat grain yield by 12.5% and system yield by 18.8%. These results indicate that bundling/layering of smart agricultural practices over farmers' practices has tremendous effects on soil properties, and hence play an important role in sustaining soil quality/health

Designing CS Farming Systems towards Carbon-Neutral Sustainable Agriculture in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, India

In the South India region, the inefficient use and mismanagement of production resources, especially land, water, energy and agro-chemicals, have vastly impacted health of the natural resource base resulting into global warming led climatic variability. Several climate-smart agricultural practices (CSAPs) developed, refined and tested by several agencies and research organizations, demonstrated improved productivity, resilience and adaptive capacity for different commodities and agro-ecological zones within the region. However, the perception of farmers on climate vulnerability and responses of the CSAPs vary with bio-physical and socio-economic diversity of farm households. The lack of integration of bio-physical and socio-economic knowledge in technology targeting, limits the large-scale adoption by diaspora of farmers specially marginalized and women farmers. Therefore, development and targeting portfolios of CSAPs require in-depth understanding of the diversity of farming practices, and assessment of various interventions on the adaptive capacity of farming community as well as food security. Designing and applying adapted household survey to understand the diversity of farming systems in each location. The major cropping systems in Andhra Pardesh and Telanana, India are maize-maize and rice-maize where the farmer’s field size is very small comparatively. Conducted meetings and trainings with group of farmers in selected villages through demonstration of different interventions and distributed required implements to small holding farmers, trained them about LCC, GS and MNBS by experts. Also visited progressive farmers’ field and planned about the rabi sowing crop and shared to the data collection sheet and urea calculator

Conservation Agriculture: Gateway for Sustainable Intensification of Smallholder Systems

The Conservation Agriculture (CA) practices with increased acceptance across the globe are being considered as harbinger for sustainable intensification of smallholder production systems. Its positive impact on natural resources, and adaptation to and mitigation of climate change effects are widely acknowledged. In developing world specially Asia and Africa, CA is a relatively new introduction and hence capacity development is vital for development, adaptation and scaling CA based technologies for impact at scale on smallholder farmers in these regions. The training objectives were centered on understanding Conservation Agriculture (CA) and its applications in Asia and Africa. The key findings from the training were that participants need more collaboration with educational institutions and stakeholders when it comes to new knowledge and information, that they would need to re-visit the research, education, and extension linkages vis-à-vis the CA practices, and that the information gained during the course had to cascade to students and the farming community. The participants were pleased that the CA practices was out and that they could begin to explore different areas they could implement on-site in their contexts. Furthermore, participants noted that the CA practices was a useful technology to their work situations. Finally, the participants stated that the partnerships they had with the different experts represented by the different institutions was paramount to the subsequent programs and activities, that would follow the CA practices

Fertility Desire and Intention of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Tanzania: A call for Restructuring Care and Treatment Services.

Scaling up of antiretroviral therapy (ART) is currently underway in sub-Saharan Africa including, Tanzania, increasing survival of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). Programmes pay little attention to PLWHA's reproductive health needs. Information on fertility desire and intention would assist in the integration of sexual and reproductive health in routine care and treatment clinics. A cross-sectional study of all PLWHA aged 15--49 residing in Kahe ward in rural Kilimanjaro Tanzania was conducted. Participants were recruited from the community and a local counselling centre located in the ward. Data on socio-demographic, medical and reproductive characteristics were collected through face-to-face interviews. Data were entered and analysed using STATA statistical software. A total of 410 PLWHA with a mean age of 34.2 and constituting 264 (64.4%) females participated. Fifty-one per cent reported to be married/cohabiting, 73.9% lived with their partners and 60.5% were sexually active. The rate of unprotected sex was 69.0% with 12.5% of women reporting to be pregnant at the time of the survey. Further biological children were desired by 37.1% of the participants and lifetime fertility intention was 2.4 children. Increased fertility desire was associated with living and having sex with a partner, HIV disclosure, good perceived health status and CD4 count >=200 cells for both sexes. Reduced desire was associated with havingmore than 2 children among females, divorce or separation, and having a child with the current partner among both males and females. Fertility desire and intention of PLWHA was substantially high though lower than that of the general population in Tanzania. Practice of unprotected sexual intercourse with higher pregnancy rate was observed. Fertility desire was determined by individual perceived health and socio-family related factors. With increasing ART coverage and subsequent improved quality of life of PLWHA, these findings underscore the importance of integrating reproductive health services in the routine care and treatment of HIV/AIDS worldwide. The results also highlight a group of PLWHA with potentially high desire for children who need to be targeted during care

Role of Women in Crop Residue Management for Better Health

The role of women has changed dramatically from stone age to contemporary global society. The process of Industrialization, modernization and globalization show its deep impact on human society all over the world. The role and responsibilities of women have attained new definition and perspective. On the encouraging side, in the Northwest India, there has been a relatively increase in economic participation in the past one decade. Development programmes and policies have largely tended to focus on women in isolation with little effort to work alongside men and include them in restructuring social relations to mainstream gender. If women’s empowerment is to be achieved and sustained in agriculture, it must be complemented by programmes that include working with men to bring about the desired structural change. The training workshop was conducted to motivate the women folks of Haryana villages to participate in the agricultural activities, support to bring change and updating in farming practices by adopting new trending mechanization and techniques like Happy Seeder, Green Seeker, Soil Humidity Meter, adopt techniques like ‘Lekha-Jhokha’ for better farming practices, and to earn profits by their contributions. The main focus was to make aware women to participate in no burning of rice crop residue, so that they can influence in reducing the air pollution and strengthen the Conservation Agriculture (CA), to enhance the field nutrients by sustainable agricultural practices

Youth Farmer’s Training : Business Model for Scaling Happy Seeder Technology

Rural youth continue to face challenges related to unemployment, underemployment and poverty. Despite the agricultural sector’s ample potential to provide income-generating opportunities for rural youth, challenges related specifically to youth participation in this sector and more importantly options for overcoming them are not extensively documented. For youth to successfully participate in the agricultural sector, access to both information and education are crucial. In addition to knowledge of agricultural production and processing techniques and the relative know-how, young farmers need access to information about finance, land and markets.The training strongly emphasized participatory extension principles and entrepreneurship as means of increasing farm productivity amongst young farmers. Utilizing field mechanization as a means of optimizing the number of youth engaged in face-to-face learning, past workshops were held for young farmers that served to provide space for interactions with experts, discuss methods for improving delivery of services, and learn a new component of agribusiness and entrepreneurship with the intent of transferring this information to more youth farmers in a similar way

"The non-ischemic repair" as a safe alternative method for repair of anterior post-infarction VSD

Patient's myocardium with post-infarction ventricular septum defect (VSD) is characterized by severe dysfunction. The "additive ischemia" caused by the operating process of cross-clamp ischemia and reperfusion injury, has a significant aggravation to the myocardium and overall negative impact to patient's outcome. We present a useful, safe and advantageous methodology in order to abolish "the toxic phase" of ischemia-reperfusion which is adopted by most as the "classic repair method" of myocardial protection. This abolition is in our opinion, particularly beneficial in order to reverse postoperatively the Low Cardiac Output Syndrome (LOS) and achieve better short and long term results. By using this method we avoid the aortic occlusion, the use of systematic hypothermia and any cardioplegic arrest. Furthermore, the total cardio-pulmonary bypass (CPB) time is significantly reduced, tissue debridement and stitching is much easier and safer. We think the method is applicable for every anterior and apical case of post-infarction septum rupture. After application of method in 3 patients with anterior post-myocardial infarction VSD, we are convinced that the patient will have a better postoperative haemodynamic condition and therefore a better outcome

The economic impacts of ocean acidification on shellfish fisheries and aquaculture in the United Kingdom

Ocean acidification may pose a major threat to commercial fisheries, especially those for calcifying shellfish species. This study was undertaken to estimate the potential economic costs resulting from ocean acidification on UK wild capture and aquaculture shellfish production. Applying the net present value (NPV) and partial equilibrium (PE) models, we estimate both direct and economy-wide economic losses of shellfish production by 2100. Estimates using the NPV method show that the direct potential losses due to reduced shellfish production range from 14% to 28% of fishery NPV. This equates to annual economic losses of between o3 and o6 billion of the UK's GDP in 2013, for medium and high emission scenarios. Results using the PE model showed the total loss to the UK economy from shellfish production and consumption ranging from o23-o88 million. The results from both the direct valuation and predicted estimate for the economic losses on shellfish harvest indicate that there are regional variations due to different patterns of shellfish wild-capture and aquaculture, and the exploitation of species with differing sensitivities to ocean acidification. These results suggest that the potential economic losses vary depending on the chosen valuation method. This analysis is also partial as it did not include a wider group of species in early-life-stages or predator-prey effects. Nevertheless, findings show that the economic losses to the UK and its devolved administrations due to ocean acidification could be substantial. We conclude that addressing ocean acidification with the aim of preserving commercially valuable shellfish resources will require regional, national or international solutions using a combined approach to reduce atmospheric CO2 emissions and shift in focus to exploit species that are less vulnerable to ocean acidification