This study examines the relationship between land fragmentation and agricultural productivity in Vietnam, as well as the outcomes of land consolidation programs on productivity. Data from the Vietnam Household Living Standard Survey 2004 and data on the land consolidation process was used for the regression analysis. The results show weak correlations between fragmentation and productivity. Land fragmentation seems to be positively correlated to productivity due to more use of fertilizers and labour input. The communes that have consolidated their land are more productive, but this seems to be explained by initial differences in productivity. Our results suggest that there are no immidiate gains in land consolidation.

A study was conducted to determine (1) the N contribution of lentil (<i>Lens culinaris</i> Medikus) and its effect on subsequent wheat (<i>Triticum aestivum</i> L.) crops in the Dark Brown and Brown soil zones of Saskatchewan, (2) if synchronization of available N contributes to the rotation benefit, and (3) N fertilizer replacement value of the N effect of lentil on the subsequent wheat crop. Two approaches were used: a landscape-scale study established at Dinsmore in 1994, and a repeated small-plot study established at several locations (Dinsmore, 1993 and 1994; Clavet, Conquest, Eston and Zealandia, 1995). In the landscape-scale study, N2 fixation by lentil ranged from 28 to 46 kg ha-1, with an average of 34 kg ha -1 N and an N balance of -36 kg ha-1. In the small-plot study, N2 fixation ranged from 10 to 112 kg ha -1 with an average of 59 kg ha-1 N and an N balance of -22 kg ha-1. In the landscape-scale study, preseeding available N on the rotation that incorporated lentil was 29 and 61% higher than in the monocropped wheat in the first and second subsequent crops, respectively. The corresponding values for the small-plot study were 59 and 14%, respectively. N availability was well synchronized with the period of maximum N demand by the wheat crop in both rotations. However, both lentil-residue N and wheat-residue N were poorly synchronized with the period of maximum N demand by the wheat. The rotation effect was exhibited in higher grain yield (23% higher in the landscape-scale study, and 21% higher in the small-plot study). Approximately 10 and 70% of the rotation benefit in the landscape-scale and small plot studies, respectively, were attributed to the N effect. Nitrogen fertilizer replacement value ranged from 47 to 89 kg ha-1 N. Therefore, lentil can fix enough N and indirectly contribute to greater available N in subsequent crops than in crops following non-legumes. However, the actual amount of N derived from lentil residue is small. The greater available N is attributed to spared N and enhanced soil N mineralization. Hence, under the conditions of this study, enhancement of available N contributed more to the rotation benefit than synchronization. The high NFRV show that inclusion of lentil in the rotation can enhance available N in the cropping system and potentially reduce fertilizer N application.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Göteborg : Göteborgs universitet, 2008. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

The Soviet Union occupied her southern neighbor Afghanistan on Thursday, December 27, 1979. Soon after the occupation, significant impacts were felt on agriculture and other sectors of the economy. Agriculture was affected in many ways from the integrity of irrigation systems to the cultivation of opium poppies. Agricultural extension, as the main department within the Ministry of Agriculture, was severely affected in terms of programs, organization, personnel, budget, methods, relations with farmers, and transfer of improved technologies. This study was designed to assess the impacts of the occupation and identify recommendations for the future development of the system. A survey design was used. Sixty-two Afghans with detailed knowledge about the Soviet occupation and agriculture participated in the study. The survey included 34 mostly open-ended questions, covering three areas: demographic characteristics of respondents, impacts of the occupation, and prospects for the future of the Agricultural Extension System of Afghanistan. The majority of participants were highly educated and lived in North America after departing Afghanistan. The results also showed that during the occupation many participants were assigned to passive positions or lost their jobs. The occupation affected the attitudes of the farmers, reduced the cultivation of agricultural land, destroyed the infrastructure for delivering agricultural services, altered the types of crops grown and reduced the number of people working in agriculture. Millions of landmines remain a serious threat to those who return to farming. Recommendations are made for the Government, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Higher and Vocational Education, Agricultural Extension System, Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs), and International Aid Agencies. Agricultural extension rehabilitation should be given high priority to meet the emerging challenges of increasing agricultural production by adopting modern technology, generating suitable marketing channels for surplus agricultural products, providing equal development and working opportunities for Afghan women, protecting natural resources, utilizing professional returnees, and replacing poppy cultivation with regular food crops. Perceptual and structural obstacles may militate against providing proper support for agricultural development in Afghanistan. The overall reconstruction and development of the Afghan Agricultural Extension System is a prerequisite for the future development of the Afghan agriculture sector. Establishing a stable Afghan government and support from the international coalition are essential to rebuilding this important sector of the economy.

Agriculture is a potentially important activity to address poverty, hunger and unemployment in rural communal areas. To cater for the needs of the many small-scale farmers in KwaZuluNatal, the Farming Systems Research Section (FSRS) was mandated in the mid-1990s to conduct on-farm, client-orientated research in rural communal areas. The identification of the Obonjaneni community as target area by the Extension staff was based on the fact that agriculture was in a poor state and that very few agricultural activities were taking place in Obonjaneni. Members of the community endorsed this by describing agriculture as "dead and not sick" when the FSRS arrived in the community during late 1997. Secondary information gleaned from the Bioresource Programme indicated that there was considerable potential for improved crop and vegetable production in Obonjaneni. Livestock in the community was destructive and prevented crop production activities in the communal cropping fields. A diagnostic study took place during March 1998, when 17 people engaged in agriculture were individually interviewed at their homesteads. Of the 17 respondents interviewed, 10 (59%) were involved with both crops and livestock, six (35%) planted crops only and one (6%) had only livestock. Most of the agricultural products were retained to satisfy household food requirements, with a very small proportion of products (29% of respondents indicated a once-off income through selling of potatoes, maize or livestock) being marketed in the community. The diagnostic survey, and further discussions with members of the community, revealed that agriculture was in a poor state, in terms, for example, of productivity, community interest in agriculture and livestock control. The two main issues which had a negative impact on the agricultural activities in Obonjaneni were identified as stray animals and a lack of agricultural expertise. Indications were that no-one in the community was permanently involved in agriculture and no-one seemed to rely on agriculture as a source of income. Obonjaneni is, however, an area with high agricultural potential and reports were that, in the past, the community was actively involved in agriculture. At the time of the interviews, no activity was taking place in the 40 ha of communal cropping fields, which had been unplanted for five to seven years at the time of the interviews, due largely to the major problem of stray animals. Maize was the main crop produced in Obonjaneni in areas around the homesteads, with 16 (94%) of the respondents interviewed planting it. People interviewed harvested between 100 kg and 1000 kg of shelled maize, while the yield averaged VI approximately 300 kg per household. The maize yields obtained from the small areas at the homesteads in general did not meet the requirements of households. People in the community did not use lime when growing crops and vegetables. Soil analyses indicated that soil fertility, and particularly the high soil acidity levels, were negatively affecting the production of crops and vegetables. Another important finding was that all the people interviewed spent money on some fertilizer, but 94% of the farmers interviewed had never had their soils tested. The community garden was in a poor state, with low vegetable yields and despondent garden members. Poverty, the agricultural constraints identified and the low agricultural production justified the focus of an on-farm research and technology dissemination programme. The objective of the intervention was to revive agriculture in Obonjaneni. The constraints were used as the basis for planning the research programme. The on-farm trials confirmed that the Obonjaneni area has considerable agricultural potential. It was found to be extremely difficult to initiate a livestock programme to address the constraints. The main reason for this was the absence of an organised community livestock association in Obonjaneni to provide support and to guide a research programme. The main technology dissemination events were (i) activities such as planting, management (e.g. weeding and pest and disease control) and harvesting of trials (ii) farmers' field days and (iii) feedback meetings on trial results. The farmers ' field days drew participation from across all sectors of the community, including community leaders, participating and nonparticipating farmers (including some farmers from neighbouring communities) and pupils, who had agriculture as a subject, from the local secondary school. An important input was obtained from members of the community's Amazizi Maize Association, who shared their knowledge and experiences at the farmers ' field days and at meetings. Feedback from farmers and the questions asked by them were encouraging and showed that some farmers were benefiting from the on-farm trials. A very strong indicator of the growing interest in agriculture between 1997 and 2002, when a comprehensive impact evaluation study was conducted as part of the study, was the increase in the number of fields being cultivated and planted in the communal cropping area. In 1997 not one field was planted; during the cropping season of 1998/1999 eight fields were planted with maize, 16 fields during 200112002 and 44 fields in January 2003 (41 fields with maize vu and 3 with potatoes). Records kept by two farmers showed net profits during the 200112002 season ofR3 572 and R2 443 from the maize they produced. During the impact evaluation study conducted in September and October 2002, individual interviews were held and 113 questionnaires were completed from a selected sample of 223 out of a possible 937 homesteads in Obonjaneni. Women in 68% of these households were found to be responsible for agricultural activities. The feedback from 65% of the respondents was that the state of agriculture in Obonjaneni has improved at the time of the interviews, compared to the situation prior to the on-farm research and technology dissemination programme, when the people had described agriculture as "dead and not sick". The improved production of crops contributed largely to the view that agriculture in Obonjaneni had improved. Bearing in mind the poor state of agriculture, and the total absence of any cropping activity in the communal fields when the FSRS arrived in Obonjaneni. Five years later approximately 90% of the respondents in October 2002 were of the view that agriculture had a good and bright future for agriculture in the community. An important aspect was that approximately 23% of the respondents had the vision of being upgraded from "a small- to a large-scale farmer" category. The on-farm research and technology dissemination programme conducted in Obonjaneni between 1998 and 2002 contributed to the revival of agriculture and benefited people in terms of improved crops and vegetable production, especially in the communal cropping fields and community garden. It was responsible for some employment opportunities (e.g. weeding and harvesting of maize) and for the production of produce to sell and buy in their own community. The intervention of the FSRS engendered new enthusiasm for agricultural production in the Obonjaneni community and contributed to the appreciation by farmers of the enormous potential that agriculture holds for food security and the upliftment of people living in the community. This thesis includes chapters dealing with target area selection, secondary information, diagnostic studies, on-farm research and technology dissemination, the selection of a sample and the results of an impact evaluation study. The many lessons learned during this intervention are translated into recommendations for use in future initiatives of a similar kind. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2005.

Africa’s agricultural productivity is the lowest in the world. At the same time the largest proportion of poor people live in rural areas where they are dependent upon agriculture for their survival. Agriculture is thus an essential to consider when fighting poverty. Women make up 70-80 % of the labour force in the agricultural sector and produce about 80% of the food for the household. Women are at the same time dependent upon their husbands for access to agricultural land and financial resources. Despite the important role of agriculture for poverty reduction, the sector continues to lack attention from both governments and international organizations, and the fact that gender discrimination is a cause of poverty is rarely raised.   This thesis aims to investigate, through a field study in Zambia, which conditions and circumstances that create low agricultural productivity, based on how the peasants themselves perceive it. The paper aims to problematize the question of low agricultural productivity by looking at the issue of land access and gender equality. This thesis takes its methodological point of departure in a qualitative ethnographic field study with semi-structured interviews. In order to analyze the peasants situation Sustainable Rural Livelihood has been used as an analytical framework.   The result of this thesis shows that peasants’ productivity mainly is hampered by the fact that they lack access to productive and financial resources. The overall difficult macro-economic situation in Zambia, together with the fact that investments from the government in the agricultural sector and in rural development is small, contributes to a situation that hinders peasants’ opportunities to increase productivity with other means than just working harder. Furthermore, the result shows that women experience gender discrimination in accessing land, credits and education. The difference between men and women is structural and is the result of unequal access to resources, which have given men more power and influence. Hence, women have become dependent upon their husbands to gain access to land and financial resources, implying that women become both vulnerable and isolated. Access to land would strengthen women’s economical dependency and give them the possibility to control the income and investment made in agriculture. / Afrikas jordbruksproduktivitet är lägst i hela världen,.sSamtidigt som den största delen av fattiga människor bor på landsbygden där de är beroende av jordbruket för sin överlevnad. Jordbruket är därmed en central fråga för att kunna bekämpa fattigdom. Kvinnor utgör 70-80 % av arbetskraften inom jordbrukssektorn och producerar cirka 80 % av maten till familjen. Samtidigt är kvinnor beroende av sina män för tillgång till jordbruksmark och finansiella resurser. Trots jordbrukets viktiga roll för fattigdomsbekämpning fortsätter sektorn att bli åsidosatt av både regeringar och internationella organisationer, samtidigt som bristen på könsdiskriminering som en orsak till fattigdom sällan tas upp.   Denna uppsats syftar till att undersöka, genom en fältstudie i Zambia, vilka förhållanden och omständigheter som skapar låg jordbruksproduktivitet, utifrån hur böndernas själva ser på det. Uppsatsen ämnar problematisera frågan om låg jordbruksproduktivitet genom att titta på frågan om tillgång till land och jämställdhet mellan kvinnor och män. Uppsatsen har sin metodologiska utgångspunkt i en kvalitativ etnografisk fältstudie med semi-strukturerade intervjuer. För att analysera böndernas situation har Sustainable Rural Livelihood använts som analytiskt ramverk.   Resultatet av denna studie visar att bönders produktivitet framförallt hindras av det faktum att de saknar tillgångar till produktiva och finansiella resurser. Den övergripande svåra makroekonomiska situationen i Zambia, tillsammans med att investeringar från regeringen i jordbrukssektorn och landsbygds utveckling är små, bidrar till en situation som hämmar böndernas möjligheter att öka sin produktivitet på andra sätt än genom att enbart arbeta hårdare. Vidare pekar resultatet av denna studie på att kvinnor upplever könsdiskriminering vad gäller tillgången till land, krediter och utbildning. Skillnaden mellan män och kvinnor  är strukturell och bottnar i en ojämlik tillgång till resurser, vilket gett män mer makt och inflytande. Detta har gjort att kvinnor är i nuläget är beroende av sina män för tillgång till land och finansiella resurser, vilket innebär att de blir både sårbara och isolerade. Tillgång till land skulle stärka kvinnors ekonomiska oberoende och ge dem möjligheten att själva kontrollera intäkterna och investeringarna i jordbruket.

An aggregate agricultural production function (a pooled covariance model) based on the metaproduction approach, was estimated using cross section, time series data for 32 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) covering the 1970-1993 period to evaluate the effect of foreign aid on agricultural production. The Almon lag structure of the foreign aid (Official Development Assistance) variable was specified to account for the effect of foreign aid over time. The results support the hypothesis that the aggregate effect of aid on agricultural production in SSA is positive. The marginal effect of foreign aid in SSA is calculated to be $0.14 which can be interpreted to mean that a one dollar increase in aid in each of the past six years would be expected to increase the value of agricultural output by 14 cents in the current year. / There is a great variation in the effect of foreign aid on agricultural production when countries are classified according to agro-climatic region, income level and policy environment. Excluding Eastern and Southern Africa where the effect of aid is negative, the marginal effect of foreign aid ranges from $0.40 in Sudano-Sahel to $1.32 in Central Africa. The marginal effect of foreign aid is larger in middle income countries as compared to high income countries; it is negative in low income countries. The effect of aid is positive and significant in countries classified under a favourable policy environment but negative and insignificant in countries classified under an unfavourable policy environment. The structural adjustment dummy variable is positive and significant in most regressions indicating that structural adjustment programs have been beneficial to agriculture in most Sub-Saharan African countries.

Thesis (M.Sc. (Biochemistry, Microbiology & Biotechnology)) - Rhodes University, 2008.

Submitted by David Roquetti Filho (droquettifilho@uol.com.br) on 2014-04-02T18:46:11Z No. of bitstreams: 1 David_Roquetti_Filho_2014.pdf: 12362120 bytes, checksum: 079ed8901018620b54e278ce99ea81ef (MD5) / Rejected by Suzinei Teles Garcia Garcia (suzinei.garcia@fgv.br), reason: Bom dia David, A dissertação não está de acordo com as Normas: 1 - agradecimento - justificar 2 - resumos (português e inglês) - após o agradecimento. 3 - numeração das páginas a partir da introdução Qualquer dúvida estou à disposição. Att. Suzi 11 3799-7876 on 2014-04-03T12:29:09Z (GMT) / Submitted by David Roquetti Filho (droquettifilho@uol.com.br) on 2014-04-03T17:48:25Z No. of bitstreams: 1 DISSERTAÇÃO_David_Roquetti_Filho_FGV_2012_2014_03.04.2014.pdf: 12367988 bytes, checksum: 62df142fa2a68311e1fc79115da12060 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Suzinei Teles Garcia Garcia (suzinei.garcia@fgv.br) on 2014-04-03T18:34:17Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 DISSERTAÇÃO_David_Roquetti_Filho_FGV_2012_2014_03.04.2014.pdf: 12367988 bytes, checksum: 62df142fa2a68311e1fc79115da12060 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2014-04-03T18:37:04Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 DISSERTAÇÃO_David_Roquetti_Filho_FGV_2012_2014_03.04.2014.pdf: 12367988 bytes, checksum: 62df142fa2a68311e1fc79115da12060 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-02-07 / For all Brazilian municipalities, data of planted area, quantity produced, types of soil and soil use, for Rice, Beans, Wheat, Corn and Soybeans, was collected. With the aid of a Geographic information System (GIS) maps were drawn, and by cross-checking them, crop yields per type of soil in anthropized areas were obtained. From the expected yield on the application rate of fertilizer per level of availability of primary major nutrients (Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium) in the soil, recommended by Embrapa (WebAgritec), it was considered that each municipality, without area expansion as from its actual productivity value in 2011/12, would increase to the maximum xpected value related to the recommended application rate of fertilizers on the upper range of productivity. A period of ten years was considered for the rise of productivity level, which allowed a time horizon of the estimates from 2011/12 to 2061/62. The Fertilization Consumption, Application Rate and Efficiencies for the primary major nutrients, as well as the Balances of CO2eq, required for these new conditions, were projected. The horizon and the resulting volume of agricultural production were compared to the projections of MAPA (Ministério da Agricultura, Pecuária e Abastecimento and Outlook Fiesp 2023, whose horizon projections are 2021/22 and 20022/23 respectively. The potential volume of agricultural production via fertilization of these five cultures and the impact on the balance of CO2eq are then measured, thus culminating with the possibility of significant advances in this volume in terms of the number of harvests and the beneficial effect on the balance of CO2eq, allowing, due to the spared areas, significant postponement of emissions of CO2eq / Para todos os municípios Brasileiros foram coletados dados de área plantada, quantidade produzida, tipos de solos e uso do solo, para o Arroz, Feijão, Trigo, Milho e Soja. Com o auxílio de Sistema de Informações Geográficas (SIG), mapas foram elaborados, e a partir do cruzamento entre eles, produtividades por tipo de solo em áreas antropizadas foram obtidas. A partir das faixas de produtividades esperadas relativas às faixas de dosagem de adubação por nível de disponibilidade de macronutrientes primários (Nitrogênio, Fósforo e Potássio) no solo, recomendadas pela Embrapa (WebAgritec), considerou-se que cada município, sem nenhuma expansão de área, a partir de seu valor real de produtividade em 2011/12, aumentasse a mesma até o valor máximo esperado e correspondente à recomendação de dosagem de adubação relativa à faixa superior de produtividade. Considerou-se um período de dez anos para a subida de um patamar para outro de produtividade, o que permitiu um horizonte temporal das estimativas de 2011/12 até 2061/62. Projetaram-se os Consumos, Dosagens e Eficiências de Adubação, bem como os Balanços de CO2eq para os macronutrientes primários, necessários e resultantes destas novas condições. O horizonte e os volumes de produção agrícolas resultantes foram comparados com as projeções do MAPA 2021/22 e do Outlook Fiesp 2023. O potencial de volume de produção agrícola via fertilização destas cinco culturas e o impacto no balanço de CO2eq são então mensurados, culminando com a possibilidade de significativas antecipações deste volume em termos de número de safras e com o efeito benéfico no balanço de CO2eq, permitindo em virtude das áreas poupadas, postergação expressiva em termos de emissões de CO2eq

Os fertilizantes minerais apresentam-se como um dos insumos contribuidores para o aumento da produtividade no Brasil desde os anos de 1980, diante da limitada expansão da área agrícola, e são considerados como poupadores de terra. No entanto, por serem provindos de recursos naturais escassos, extraidos viávelmente (econômico e físico) de limitados locais do mundo, e dependerem altamente de energia para a síntese, fazem com que a produção agrícola seja sensível aos impactos de oferta e demanda pelos fertiliznates. A exemplo do ocorrido em 2008/2009, em que a elevação dos preços dos fertilizantes reduziu sua quantidade de consumo e houve alteração no mercado das commodities agrícolas. Diante disso, objetivou analisar a dinâmica econômica entre os fertilizantes minerais com o mercado agrícola da região Centro-Oeste (CO), onde apresenta o maior consumo de fertilizante minerais e concentra a maior produção agrícola do país. Para análise, considerou-se as variáveis como a quantidade consumida de fertilizantes e o poder de compra ponderado à produtividade (poder de compra p.p.) no CO, e o preço do fertilizante específico. Empregou-se a metodologia de séries temporais, mais especificamente o modelo Autorregressivo Vetorial Estrutural (SVAR), para cada macronutriente primário, ou seja, os fertilizantes nitrogenados, fosfatados e potássicos. Tal modelo permitiu estimar as respostas das variáveis endógenas aos impactos positivos tanto das demais variáveis como de si próprio. Os resultados mostram que a quantidade consumida como sendo a variável mais endógena, com a maior participação do poder de compra p.p. do que seus preços, além da própria variação para os três modelos. Diferentemente dos preços que se apresentaram mais exógenos, cuja contribuição própria foi mais de 90%, também para os três modelos. Por conseguinte, nas análises dos impactos determinou-se a maior sensibilidade de variação entre o impacto no poder de compra p.p. sobre a quantidade consumida do fertilizante para os três modelos. Ao serem comparados, obtiveram a ordem decrescente das elasticidades igual a 0,65; 0,58; e 0,48, respectivamente aos fertilizantes N > P205 > K2O, sequência esta conferida pela atuação agronômica dos nutrientes no solo da região e nas culturas. Já a menor sensibilidade de variação ocorreu entre o poder de compra p.p. sobre o choque nos preços dos fertilizantes, resultado esse esperado, devido os fertilizantes serem um dos insumos necessários para o aumento de produtividade. Assim, reconhece-se a relação positiva entre os três tipos de fertilizantes minerais e a produção no Centro-Oeste pelas demandas dos fertilizantes se apresentarem inelásticas à variação dos preços dos fertilizantes. / Mineral fertilizers are one of the contributor inputs to increase productivity in Brazil since the 1980s, given the limited expansion of the agricultural area, and are considered land-savers. However, because they are derived from scarce natural resources, viably extracted (economically and structurally) from limited locations of the world, and highly dependent on energy for synthesis, they make agricultural production sensitive to the impacts of supply and demand. As in 2008/2009, when the increase in fertilizer prices reduced its quantity of consumption, there were changes in the agricultural commodities market. The present dissertation aims to analyze the economic dynamics between mineral fertilizers and the agricultural market of the Central-West region, where the highest mineral fertilizer consumption is presented and the largest agricultural production in the country is concentrated. For the analysis, we considered some variables, such as the quantity of fertilizers consumed, and the purchasing power weighted by productivity, as well as the price of the specific fertilizer. The time series methodology, more specifically the Autoregressive Structural Vector Model (SVAR), was used for each primary macronutrient, that is, the nitrogen, phosphate and potassium fertilizers. This model allowed us to estimate the responses of the endogenous variables to the positive impacts of the other variables as well as of themselves. The results found the quantity consumed as being the most endogenous variable, with the greater participation of weighted purchasing power than its prices, besides its own variation for the three models. Differently from the prices that presented more exogenous, whose own contribution was more than 90% also for the three models. Therefore, in the analysis of the impacts, it was determined the greater sensitivity of variation between the amount of fertilizer consumed on the shock in purchasing power for three models. When compared, they obtained the decreasing order of elasticities equal to 0.65; 0.58; and 0,48, respectively, to N> P205 > K2O fertilizers, a sequence that is conferred by the agronomic performance of the nutrients in the soil of the region and in the crops. On the other hand, the lower sensitivity of variation occurred between purchasing power over the shock of fertilizer prices, a result expected, because fertilizers are one of the inputs needed to increase productivity. Thus, the positive relation between the three types of mineral fertilizers and the production in the Central-West by the demands of the fertilizers are inelastic to the variation of the fertilizer prices.