Remote sensing as a monitoring tool for cropping area determination in smallholder agriculture in Tanzania and Uganda

This document highlights the efforts that are being led by the International Potato Center (CIP) to develop cost-effective methods that utilize UAV as a platform to collect accurate and timely data for agricultural statistics. Beyond the platforms, low-cost and high quality sensors for specific agricultural applications, as well as the software required to process and analyze the acquired data are being developed

Swine production simulation model: LIFE SIM

Supported by the CGIAR Systemwide Livestock ProgrammeNon-ruminant animals are essential in many resource-poor production systems, particularly in Asia. The feeding strategies are as varied as the different agro ecosystems, thus increasing the challenge faced by researchers and extension agents in the search for appropriate solutions to feeding limitations. Systems analysis provides a unique opportunity to translate existing knowledge into process-based models that can be used to assess year-round feeding strategies at the farm level. Although livestock models have been developed to address similar situations for ruminant animals, swine are seldom included. The present work describes a swine model that analyzes the bioeconomic response to feeding strategies in different production systems. This swine model has been incorporated into the software Livestock Feeding Strategies Simulation Model (LIFE-SIM) complementing the existing models for ruminant species: Dairy, Beef, Goat, and Buffalo (León-Velarde et al., 2006) The model simulates a confined group of animals (at least two females or males) with a weight ranging from 15 to 120 kg, under either an ad libitum or controlled feeding regime with a feed value characterized in terms of dry matter (%), metabolizable energy (ME/kg), crude fiber (%), lysine (%), methionine + cystine (%), threonine (%), and tryptophan (%). The model can store a number of different rations and their prices allowing a comparison during a defined fattening period. Weight gain and the bioeconomic performance of each ration can then be estimated and analyzed

Benchmarking farmers' economic and social status in Anantapuramu and Kurnool arid districts of Andhra Pradesh for probable introduction of potato crop.

India has experienced rapid growth in potato production during recent past and the country has almost doubled its potato production during 2003–2013. The potato productivity improved 31.4% over this period of time. However, potato production scenario in southern states of India is quite grim and with the result potato consumers of these states always have to purchase potatoes at very high prices compared to the national average prices. With the objective to augment potato production in southern states this study was carried out for analysing socio-economic characteristics of potential potato growers in non-traditional Anantapuramu and Kurnool districts of arid region in Andhra Pradesh. A long list of socio-economic factors viz. education level, occupation pattern, house condition, tractor ownership, food security level, access and affordability to civic amenities, children's education type, possession of household amenities, expenditure pattern and level of mechanization adoption were studied in this study so that most suitable are

Emerging techniques for soil carbon measurements

Soil carbon sequestration is one approach to mitigate greenhouse gases. However, to reliably assess the quantities sequestered as well as the chemical structure of the soil carbon, new methods and equipment are needed. These methods and equipment must allow large scale measurements and the construction of dynamic maps. This paper presents results from some emerging techniques to measure carbon quantity and stability. Each methodology has specific capabilities and their combined use along with other analytical tools will improve soil organic matter research. New opportunities arise with the development and application of portable equipment, based on spectroscopic methods, as laser-induced fluorescence, laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy and near infrared, for in situ carbon measurements in different ecosystems. These apparatus could provide faster and lower cost field analyses thus improving soil carbon contents and quality databases. Improved databases are essential to model carbon balance, thus reducing the uncertainties generated through the extrapolation of limited data

Spatial random downscaling of rainfall signals in Andean heterogeneous terrain.

Remotely sensed data are often used as proxies for indirect precipitation measures over data-scarce and complex-terrain areas such as the Peruvian Andes. Although this information might be appropriate for some research requirements, the extent at which local sites could be related to such information is very limited because of the resolution of the available satellite data. Downscaling techniques are used to bridge the gap between what climate modelers (global and regional) are able to provide and what decision-makers require (local). Precipitation downscaling improves the poor local representation of satellite data and helps end-users acquire more accurate estimates of water availability. Thus, a multifractal downscaling technique complemented by a heterogeneity filter was applied to TRMM (Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission) 3B42 gridded data (spatial resolution ~ 28 km) from the Peruvian Andean high plateau or Altiplano to generate downscaled rainfall fields that are relevant at an agricultural scale (spatial resolution ~ 1 km)