Latest Research In Agriculture
Research No-1
Governing the transformation towards ‘nature-inclusive’ agriculture: insights from the Netherlands
It is becoming increasingly difficult to combine nature conservation by farmers with intensive and large-scale farming. The Dutch government recently adopted the new policy concept of ‘nature-inclusive’ farming, which aims at promoting more sustainable agricultural practices that minimizes negative ecological impacts, maximizes positive ones and at the same time benefits from natural processes. A transformation towards ‘nature-inclusive’ farming faces three key governance challenges that are elaborated upon in this paper. First, agri-environment schemes and other conservation arrangements need to become more effective. At the same time, nature conservation should be mainstreamed in agricultural policies and in agri-food chains. Second, we need shared meanings about nature-inclusive farming. Third, other forms of knowledge production for nature-inclusive farming are required that focus more on farmers’ knowledge needs.
Research No-2
Precision Farming for Small Agricultural Farm: Indian Scenario
Aims: Precision farming becomes more and more an accepted way of crop production and helps to achieve a sustainable environmental friendly agriculture. Furthermore, growing interest in automated data acquisition and information processing is going to form another milestone towards improved farm management and an overall trace ability in agricultural food production. The benefit and effectiveness of using precision farming techniques is highly dependent on the capabilities of the utilized technology. Study Design: The study was design based on the available report and hence it was decided to design the research work so as to collect maximum information including case studies. Place and Duration of Study: The study was undertaken at our Institute i.e. CSIR-Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute, Durgapur, India during the period Aug. 2011 to Feb. 2012. Methodology: This research is basically focused on the work done so far on the subject precision farming for small agricultural farm. Accordingly work was reviewed and consolidated points are discussed in this paper in the subsequent sections. Results: Precision farming provides a new solution using a systems approach for today's agricultural issues, namely the need to balance productivity with environmental concerns. Precision farming aims at increased economic returns, as well as reducing the energy input and the environmental impact of agriculture. Conclusion: The potential of this technology has already been demonstrated, but in practice, meaningful delivery is difficult as it needs large scale commercial application to realize the benefits. PA is facilitating the prospects and scope for switching over to modern agriculture leaving the traditional one by utilizing right resources in right time and management, which results an environment friendly sustainable agriculture.
Research No-3
Critical Review of Precision Agriculture Technologies and Its Scope of Adoption in India
Precision agriculture (PA) concept was initiated for site specific crop management as a combination of positioning system technology, variable rate technology, remote sensing, yield mapping etc. to optimize the profitability, sustainability with a reduced environmental impact. From centuries Indian farms are experiencing some sort of soft precision agriculture technology. But the challenges of free and globalized market as well as ever-increasing population with huge food grain demand create the scope of adoption of hard precision agriculture technology in Indian farms. So learning the new agricultural technology invented in developed countries and its proper modification and application according to the domestic condition is necessary. Therefore, nearly hundred research papers generated in last three decades have been critically reviewed to find the status of main six components of PA, i.e., Positioning System, Remote Sensing, Variable Rate Technology, Crop & Soil Sensing & Analysis, Yield Mapping and Information Transmission Protocol. Additionally strategies for adoption of PA in Indian agriculture are discussed.
Research No-4
A Review on Current Status of Agricultural Extension Service in Nigeria
This study reviewed on the current status of agricultural extension in Nigeria. Numerous extension approaches have been used in Nigeria. The basic and essential task of agricultural extension has been and still is: The exchange and means of sharing information, knowledge and skills for improved livelihood regardless of its organization. In a changing world and its environment, however, the context and hence the challenges in agricultural extension service changes; such as: improvement in agricultural production, environmental degradation, biotechnology, HIV/AIDs; reduced government support for public research and extension; entrance of private service providers; increasing private sector involvement and development of information and communication technology in extension service. The conventional development paradigm (T & V, University extension approach, ministry of agriculture approach, commodity/ sectoral agency extension, non-profit organizations or NGOs,). These old styles of agricultural extension services has an assumption that its primary task is to convey a superior technology to local farmers either as adopters or rejecters of innovations, but as the originator of technical knowledge of improved practices. There is now a rival view of extension represented by the participatory approach to development. The bottom-up views of strategies is an emerging paradigm in development thinking and practices. It was recommended that a demand-driven (private) extension service be institutionalized to thrive along with the UAES, which has often been seen as part of the social services rendered by government for the farming populace. It was also recommended that a legal legislative action be put in place, which would, among other things, define the responsibilities of the various tiers of government towards financing agricultural extension services in Nigeria.
Research No-5
Impact of agriculture on the selection of insecticide resistance in the malaria vector Anopheles gambiae: a multigenerational study in controlled conditions
Background Resistance of mosquitoes to insecticides is mainly attributed to their adaptation to vector control interventions. Although pesticides used in agriculture have been frequently mentioned as an additional force driving the selection of resistance, only a few studies were dedicated to validate this hypothesis and characterise the underlying mechanisms. While insecticide resistance is rising dramatically in Africa, deciphering how agriculture affects resistance is crucial for improving resistance management strategies. In this context, the multigenerational effect of agricultural pollutants on the selection of insecticide resistance was examined in Anopheles gambiae.
Methods An urban Tanzanian An. gambiae population displaying a low resistance level was used as a parental strain for a selection experiment across 20 generations. At each generation larvae were selected with a mixture containing pesticides and herbicides classically used in agriculture in Africa. The resistance levels of adults to deltamethrin, DDT and bendiocarb were compared between the selected and non-selected strains across the selection process together with the frequency of kdr mutations. A microarray approach was used for pinpointing transcription level variations selected by the agricultural pesticide mixture at the adult stage.
Results A gradual increase of adult resistance to all insecticides was observed across the selection process. The frequency of the L1014S kdr mutation rose from 1.6% to 12.5% after 20 generations of selection. Microarray analysis identified 90 transcripts over-transcribed in the selected strain as compared to the parental and the non-selected strains. Genes encoding cuticle proteins, detoxification enzymes, proteins linked to neurotransmitter activity and transcription regulators were mainly affected. RT-qPCR transcription profiling of candidate genes across multiple generations supported their link with insecticide resistance.
Conclusions This study confirms the potency of agriculture in selecting for insecticide resistance in malaria vectors. We demonstrated that the recurrent exposure of larvae to agricultural pollutants can select for resistance mechanisms to vector control insecticides at the adult stage. Our data suggest that in addition to selected target-site resistance mutations, agricultural pollutants may also favor cuticle, metabolic and synaptic transmission-based resistance mechanisms. These results emphasize the need for integrated resistance management strategies taking into account agriculture activities.
farmers’ knowledge needs.