Planungswerkzeuge zur Optimierung der Stickstoffversorgung in Anbausystemen des Ökologischen Landbaus - Standort- und vorfruchtabhängige Kalkulation der N-Salden von Anbauverfahren

Die in den vergangenen Jahren deutliche Ausweitung der Anbaufläche des Ökologischen Landbaus führte in der Praxis zu Wissenslücken bzgl. der Besonderheiten des Ökologischen Anbaus. Vor allem ein adäquates Fruchtfolge-Management hat sich als schwierig erwiesen. Optimale Fruchtfolgen sollten eine ausreichende Stickstoffversorgung aller Fruchtfolgeglieder sichern und gleichzeitig phytosanitäre Restriktionen, eine ausreichende Unterdrückung von Unkräutern und gesamtbetriebliche Anforderungen wie die Bereitstellung von Futter und die Verwertung von Wirtschaftsdünger berücksichtigen. Hier wird ein Schätzverfahren vorgestellt, dass die Ermittlung des N-Saldos von Anbauverfahren relevanter Fruchtarten für unterschiedliche Standorte und Positionen in einer Fruchtfolge erlaubt. Damit wird eine wichtige Voraussetzung für die Entwicklung von Modellen zur Optimierung und Bewertung einzelner Fruchtfolgen bis hin zu gesamten Produktionssystemen des Ökologischen Landbaus auf betrieblicher und regionaler Ebene geschaffen

Managing the intake of new patients into a physician panel over time

This article focuses on balancing supply and demand for physicians and panel patients on a tactical level to ensure a manageable workload for the physician and access to care for patients. Patients are part of the physician’s panel if they visit the physician somewhat regularly. For the first time, we propose deterministic integer linear programs that decide on the intake of new patients into panels over time, taking into account the future panel development. The main objective is to minimize the deviation between the expected panel workload and the physician’s capacity over time. We classify panel patients with respect to age and the number of visits in a period and assume a transition probability from one visit category to another from one period to the next. We can include stationary patient attributes and consider several physicians together. The programs work with aggregation levels for the new patients’ demand concerning the patient attributes. We conduct experiments with parameters based on real-world data. We consider the transition between visit categories and the new patients’ demand to be stochastic in a discrete-event simulation. We define upper bounds on the number of patients in a patient class to be accepted in a period through solving the programs several times with different demand inputs. Even in this uncertain environment, we can significantly reduce the expected differences between workload and capacity over time, taking into account several future periods instead of one. Using a detailed classification of new patients decreases the expected differences further

An analytical framework for soil degradation, farming practices, institutions and policy responses

There is a lack of knowledge about the effectiveness and efficiency of soil conservation policies in agriculture and little understanding of how policy measures should be designed to encourage farmers to adopt soil conservation practices. This paper analyzes institutional settings surrounding agricultural soil management in ten European countries based on the Institutions of Sustainability framework. This framework considers the interdependencies between ecological and social systems, taking into account environmental conditions, farming practices impacting on soil conservation, different types of actors, policies, institutions and governance structures. The purpose of this paper is to describe the analytical framework and the methodology that all case studies are based on, present and discuss compared findings, outline implications for successful soil conservation policy, and draw conclusions on the methodological approach. The case studies focused on the main soil degradation types occurring across Europe which are addressed by a broad range of mandatory and incentive policies. The findings highlight the following issues: i) the need to design policies that target the locally most common soil threats and processes in the light of agricultural management; ii) the need to take farming management constraints into consideration, (iii) the need for good communication and cooperation both between agricultural and environmental authorities as well as between governmental and non-governmental stakeholders; iv) the necessary mix of mandatory and incentive instruments; and v) the need for data and monitoring systems allowing the evaluation of the effectiveness of policies and soil conservation practices.Institutional analysis, soil degradation, soil conservation policy, soil conservation measures, farming practices, policy evaluation, Farm Management,

Modelling regional agricultural land use and climate change adaptation strategies in 4 case study regions Northern Germany

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Assessment of Nitrogen Management on Sunflower Yield and Its Economic Response in Smallholder Farms in a Semi-Arid Region

Although sunflower production in Tanzania is increasing, smallholder farmers still face a number of constraints that result in poor yields. Lack or inadequate nutrient supply is one of the main factors limiting crop productivity in Tanzania. However, mineral fertilizer is not always easily available and not economically affordable by smallholder farmers. Therefore, the use of animal manure could be a feasible and financially viable alternative, especially in the Dodoma region, where there is abundant livestock production. The aim is to analyze the effects of different animal manure rates on sunflower yield and the economic response of smallholder farms from Dodoma region. The dataset used in this study was obtained from a 2-year in loco survey. Sunflower yields under different animal manure rates were obtained using a process-based biophysical model, and results linked to an economic assessment. Results considering the 2015 and 2045 period showed a positive effect of animal manure application in sunflower yield (866.8 kg ha(-1)) under manure rate limiting 5000 kg ha(-1). The high rates of animal manure showed a decrease on yield providing evidence that water stress becomes the main limit factor for sunflower growth. Taking the economic assessment into account, an animal manure rate of 3000-5000 kg ha(-1) is the most appropriate fertilization management under the environmental and social conditions of Dodoma region, providing a profitable financial return to the farmers (283-416 USD ha(-1)). Therefore, sunflower is an attractive cash crop for Tanzanian farmers when the soil fertilization is properly managed

Integration von Umweltzielen in die Betriebsoptimierung im ökologischen Landbau – Möglichkeiten und Grenzen am Beispiel des Versuchsbetriebes Klostergut Scheyern

Am Beispiel der Reduzierung von Bodenerosion konnte modellhaft gezeigt werden, dass die Integration von Umweltzielen für einen integrierten Betrieb mit geringeren Opportunitätskosten verbunden ist, als dies bei dem ökologisch wirtschaftenden Betrieb der Fall ist. Aufgrund der Notwendigkeit einer vielfältigen Fruchtfolge mit Zwischenfrüchten bzw. Untersaaten im ökologischen Landbau, ist das Erosionsrisiko im ökologisch wirtschaftenden Betrieb bereits ohne Auflagen deutlich niedriger, als die im integrierten Betrieb. Ein integrierter Betrieb ist in der Regel nur durch Zahlung von Prämien zu einer Berücksichtigung von Umweltzielen bereit. Diese Anreize werden dem ökologischen Landbau bereits durch die höheren Produktpreise sowie die Grundförderung gesetzt. Die dargestellten Zusammenhänge helfen aufzuzeigen, wie effizient Umweltziele erreicht werden können

CAP-reform and the provision of non-commodity outputs in Brandenburg

This paper presents an attempt to model the response of selected farms to decoupled direct payments and the associated impact on the provision of a defined set of non-commodity outputs (NCO’s) using a combined modelling approach consisting of the AgriPoliS and MODAM models. AgriPoliS focuses on the socio-economic dimension of multifunctionality at the individual farm and regional levels and explicitly models heterogeneous farms (in size, location and efficiency) within a competitive and dynamic environment. The linear-programming model MODAM allows a detailed representation of production processes and their impact on the environmental dimension of multifunctionality at the farm level. We simulate the impact of a uniform area payment and a fully decoupled single farm payment. Our case study region is the district Ostprignitz-Ruppin in Brandenburg. Results show that the decoupling schemes create a trade-off between the NCO’s and that adjustment reactions differ between farms depending on their legal form, size, and production.decoupling, multifunctionality, non-commodity outputs, modelling, simulation, policy analysis, ecological indicators, Agricultural and Food Policy, Land Economics/Use,

The interface between morphology and action planning: a comparison of two species of New World monkeys

Recent research with several species of nonhuman primates suggests sophisticated motor-planning abilities observed in human adults may be ubiquitous among primates. However, there is considerable variability in the extent to which these abilities are expressed across primate species. In the present experiment, we explore whether the variability in the expression of anticipatory motor-planning abilities may be attributed to cognitive differences (such as tool use abilities) or whether they may be due to the consequences of morphological differences (such as being able to deploy a precision grasp). We compared two species of New World monkeys that differ in their tool use abilities and manual dexterity: squirrel monkeys, Saimiri sciureus (less dexterous with little evidence for tool use) and tufted capuchins, Sapajus apella (more dexterous and known tool users). The monkeys were presented with baited cups in an untrained food extraction task. Consistent with the morphological constraint hypothesis, squirrel monkeys frequently showed second-order motor planning by inverting their grasp when picking up an inverted cup, while capuchins frequently deployed canonical upright grasping postures. Findings suggest that the lack of ability for precision grasping may elicit more consistent second-order motor planning, as the squirrel monkeys (and other species that have shown a high rate of second-order planning) have fewer means of compensating for inefficient initial postures. Thus, the interface between morphology and motor planning likely represents an important factor for understanding both the ontogenetic and phylogenetic origins of sophisticated motor-planning abilities

A Review of Policies and the Regulatory Environment Concerning Soil Conservation in the EU

Agricultural soils are increasingly targeted by European Union (EU) policy measures including measures within the Common Agricultural Policy. Member states have implemented a variety of measures at the national and regional level that regulate the use of soils or offer incentives for the adoption of soil conservation practices. Up to date, no comprehensive policy overview exists for the EU-27, which would allow a comparative analysis. For this purpose, a policy survey was conducted based on a classification system for agricultural policies that allows the analysis of their impact concerning soil conservation. Policy measures were described with their attributes such as the soil quality objectives within the policy and the technical measures required. Data were gathered by a voluntary online survey among experts in national and regional ministries and administrative bodies. More than 50 experts and institutions from 24 EU member states participated in the survey and more than 400 policy measures were entered in the database. The survey enabled a detailed and comparative analysis of the interrelationships between soil conservation practices, soil degradation processes and policy measures across member states at the national or regional level