Master of Agribusiness / Department of Agricultural Economics / Vincent Amanor-Boadu / Despite the dependence of more than three-quarters of a million households depending on cocoa for their living in Ghana, the production segment of the cocoa industry is fraught with significant challenges manifesting as low farm productivity. Various intervention programs to help farmers improve productivity at the farm level have been used over the past few decades. One of such programs is the Cocoa Abrabopa Program (CAA), which uses an integrated approach where farmers are supplied inputs made up of fertilizer, pesticides and fungicides as well as provided training and extension support services. The inputs are provided on credit and the producers repay the cost of these inputs upon selling their crop. This study sought to assess the results of the CAA in enhancing the net profits of its members over time. It used survey data collected over five years from members of the CAA program. The study used an econometric model to evaluate the demographic and production characteristics of CAA members on their net profits. The results show that male members in the CAA program had higher net profits that their female counterparts, about GHS 237.32 more. For every year increase in the member’s age, the net income increased by GHS 6.46, which was statistically significant at the 10 percent level. The crux of the study – the effectiveness of the CAA program in enhancing performance – was supported by the results. Participants who were two years in the program posted GHS 591.13 more net profit than those who were in their first year. Those who were three year and four or more years posted respectively GHS 1,211.04 and GHS 18,752.29 than those in the first year. All these were statistically significant at the 1 percent level. Thus, the CAA program is producing what it is expected to produce – enhancing the net profits of its members and doing so in higher levels with the duration of membership. The study also found that having a bank account produced a higher effect on net profits than being male, posting GHS 296.13 more net profit than not having a bank account. The econometric model specified and estimated was significant and the variability in all the independent variables in the model explained about 46 percent of the variability in net profits. The study recommends that the CAA program incorporates helping all its members open bank accounts as part of its offerings. It also recommends working with policymakers and community leaders across its operational areas to encourage investments in the education of females and elimination of the tenural rights discrimination that frequently confronts females in agriculture. It also recommends that an increased effort be made to expand membership of the CAA program to all cocoa producers in Western South because of the significant benefit of the yield effect of the region on net profit of CAA members in the region.

The aim of this diploma thesis was an evaluation of the environmental aspects of growing of the chosen feeding varieties of a spring barley in various systems of farming. Further purpose of this diploma thesis was a quantification of an emission load bond with the unit of area, and the unit of yield of spring barley, in the scope of conventional and ecological system of farming. The part of this study was a formation of the literature survey about problems of the conventional and ecological growing of the spring barley, with the focus on the agrotechnical requirements and environmental aspects. The practical part was performed in the area of the Faculty of Agriculture in Czech Budejovice.

Dans la région méditerranéenne, l'agriculture irriguée est confrontée de plus en plus aux problèmes de rareté physique et de pollution de l'eau, à la concurrence plus intense des autres usages, aux fluctuations des marchés agricoles et aux contraintes institutionnelles imposées par les crises économique et environnementale. Cette thèse propose d'analyser les liens entre les formes sociales d'exploitation agricole et les rapports aux risques liés à l'irrigation et d'interpréter ces derniers dans le cadre plus général des rapports des agriculteurs aux mondes sociétal et naturel. À cet effet, nous construisons un modèle d'analyse, à partir des éléments empruntés principalement aux approches théoriques de la vulnérabilité, pour comprendre les caractères complexe et dynamique de la vulnérabilité liée à l'irrigation. Les résultats d’analyse, dans le contexte de la plaine de la Mitidja en Algérie ou dans une perspective comparative entre plusieurs territoires irrigués en Méditerranée occidentale, montrent globalement une différenciation importante des formes sociales d'exploitation agricole, fondée sur des inégalités d'accès aux ressources productives et aux opportunités sociales. De plus, sur le plan des rapports aux risques liés à l'irrigation, la majorité des exploitations sont dotées de capacités d'adaptation plutôt élevées au Nord, tandis que les figures vulnérables dominent largement au Sud. Ces différences renvoient généralement aux clivages Nord/Sud dans les rapports aux mondes sociétal et naturel. / In the Mediterranean area, irrigated agriculture is faces growing problems of physical scarcity and water pollution, increased competition from other uses, to fluctuations in agricultural markets and institutional constraints imposed by the economic and environmental crises. This thesis aims to analyze the links between social forms of agricultural farm and their report towards risks related to irrigation and to interpret these latter in the broader context of the reports of farmers to societal and to natural worlds. To this end, we construct a model of analysis, from elements borrowed mainly to theoretical approaches to vulnerability, to understand the complex and dynamic character of vulnerability associated to irrigation. The analysis results in the context of the plain of Mitidja in Algeria or in a comparative perspective between several irrigated areas in the western Mediterranean shows a significant differentiation of social forms of farming, based on unequal access to productive resources and social opportunities. Furthermore, in terms of relations to the risks associated to irrigation, the majority of farms are equipped with coping capacities rather high in the North, while vulnerable configurations dominate the South. These differences generally refer to the North / South division in relations to societal and natural worlds.

The family farming system in the semi-arid region is observed in small productions, where the socioeconomic character composes a developed production system. In the high midland part of the estate of Sergipe, this system can be verified in the pig breeding developed associated with the cheese and milk fabrication and the cattle breeding in the municipal district of Nossa Senhora da Glória. The main characteristic of the areas in the city of Nossa Senhora da Glória is the subsistence agriculture, where the main activities are cheese and milk production and the breeding of pigs and other kinds of animals. The sustainable development of the production systems of the cheese producers of this region is related to the balance between the social, economical, ambiental and political institutional factors. To understand better the complex integration between the production sistems developed by the productors of Milk derivatives, this work studied the sustainability of the production systems of the cheese productors in Nossa Senhora da Glória, showing the related indexes under a new methodology represented by biograms and characterized the pig breeding developed in consortium with the milk processing units in the mentioned city, establishing the positives and negatives aspects in this production system. / O sistema de agricultura familiar na região do semi-árido nordestino é observado em pequenas produções, onde o caráter socioeconômico compõe o sistema de produção desenvolvido. No Alto Sertão do estado de Sergipe esse sistema pode ser verificado através da suinocultura desenvolvida em consórcio com a fabricação queijeira e a bovinocultura de leite no município de Nossa Senhora da Glória. As propriedades no município de Nossa Senhora da Glória, se caracterizam por uma agricultura de subsistência onde predomina a atividade leiteira, com a fabricação de queijo associada à suinocultura e a criação de outros animais. O desenvolvimento sustentável dos sistemas de produção dos produtores de queijo do município de Nossa Senhora da Glória, está relacionado com o equilíbrio entre os fatores sociais, econômicos, ambientais e político-institucionais. Afim de se compreender melhor a complexa interação entre os sistemas de produção desenvolvidos pelos produtores de derivados do leite, este trabalho estudou a sustentabilidade nos sistemas de produção dos produtores de queijo em Nossa Senhora da Glória apresentando os índices de sustentabilidade nesses sistemas de produção sobre uma nova metodologia representada por biogramas e caracterizou a suinocultura desenvolvida em consorcio com as unidades de processamento de leite em Nossa Senhora da Glória, identificando os pontos negativos e positivos deste sistema de produção.

Organic matter (OM) is a multi-purpose tool in West African smallholder mixed-farming systems, but its supply has been decreasing for several decades. To assess the viability of a mixed-farming system of south Senegal, carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P; available in soil and noted POD) budgets (stocks and flows) were thus quantified.The village territory of the study showed a ring-like organisation with growing intensification of fertilization and cropping practices from the periphery (bush ring) to the compounds (compound fields).Stocks in plant and soil averaged 54.7 tC, 2.63 tN and 43.5 kgP ha 1 in old fallows. They were 97, 29 and 251 % higher than in the bush cropped fields, plant biomass accounting for nearly all of the rise. C, N and P amounts recorded in the soil of compound fields were higher than those of the bush field, but the increase was restricted mainly to the 0 10 cm layer. However, the rather weak response of local sandy soils to management can be interpreted only by reassessing the bio-thermodynamical signification of soil organic carbon cycling in the maintenance of the integrity of local agroecosystems.Manageable stocks of the whole village territory were estimated to 29.7 tC, 1.52 tN and 28.6 kgP ha 1 in 1997. Carbon was stored mainly in soil. Livestock, crop harvest and wood collecting were responsible for respectively 59, 27 and 14 % of the C uptake on the village territory. As a result, large C flows were set towards the compound ring (3.8 tC ha 1 y 1). N and P depletion of the system amounted to 4 kgN and 1 kgP ha 1 y 1, suggesting that the system was close to nutrient balance.Under current demographic growth rate, C depletion may reach 0.38 tC ha 1 y 1 and C demand may double during the next three decades. Without any intensification of farming practices, the viability of the system might soon be called into question.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: South Africa is rich in biodiversity among which are semi-domesticated vegetable species which are known as wild or indigenous vegetables. These wild indigenous vegetables have been reported to be good in nutritional qualities such as macro and micronutrients. However, there is still a high prevalence of malnutrition; especially micronutrient deficiencies among low or marginal income bracket of the population. The use of indigenous vegetables has been proposed as part of the solutions to the problems of micronutrient malnutrition among these populations. Indigenous vegetables are an important source of food in the maize based subsistence farming sector of rural South Africa. Their main role is as relish as they are used as an accompaniment for staple cereal based diets. They are also generally reported to be rich in micronutrients. Although they may be consumed in small quantities, they influence the intake of cereal staples, manage hunger and play a central role in household food security for the poorer rural groups. Mixing several indigenous vegetables species in one meal contributes to dietary diversity in terms of more vegetable types as well as in terms of choice of relish. For some very poor families indigenous vegetables are substitutes for some food crops. The seasonal occurrence of these vegetables leaves many families without a food source during the off-season. Indigenous vegetables increase agro-biodiversity at the household level. This agro-biodiversity helps in buffering against the accumulation and multiplication of pests and diseases and provides important cover for the soil. Further research on agronomic, social and economic dimensions is required to understand the roles of IV in subsistence farming systems in South Africa. The survey study revealed that indigenous vegetables were important in the diets of most rural people in the study area. They were consumed as relish although they were not being cultivated. Their method of acquisition was gathering from homesteads and the wild. These vegetables were also believed to be medicinal. The local naming of wild vegetables varied among villages in the same district such that a vegetable in one village was assigned to a different species of vegetable in another village. They were reportedly abundant during summer and there was a decrease in availability off-season leaving vulnerable people who rely on them with a food shortage. The utilisation of wild vegetables among South Africans is reported to be declining due to over reliance on introduced temperate species. Efforts to domesticate and cultivate wild vegetables could be hampered by several factors including seed dormancy and premature flowering. In this present study dormancy was observed in C. olitorius. The response of wild genotypes of C. olitorius with different seed sizes to various dry heat and hot water treatments was evaluated. Steeping seeds in boiling water (95oC) for ten seconds and soaking seeds in a hot water bath at 80oC for ten minutes resulted in the highest response to germination in this species. The study also recorded significant interactions between heat treatment and seed sizes. We concluded that C. olitorius seeds of different sizes require diverse durations of exposure to heat treatment methods to break dormancy caused by an impermeable seed coat. Cleome gynandra is another species that is consumed as a vegetable in various parts of the world including Africa. The plant is also used as a medicinal herb for the treatment of various human diseases. Among the wild vegetables, C. gynandra has been reported to flower prematurely, a phenomenon known as bolting and common in many vegetable crops. Premature flowering (bolting) can be as a response to temperature extremes and photoperiod and affects many other leafy vegetables such as lettuce (Lactuca sativa), spinach (Spinacea oleracea) and mustard rape (Brassica juncea). Bolting leads to production losses in leaf vegetable crops as they flower before they have produced an economic yield. The removal of flowers and nitrogen application resulted in significant increases in the fresh and dry weight of cleome leaves. Removal of flowers resulted in a 46% increase in fresh weight of leaves. The observed positive response of leaf yield to removal of flowers offers a possible way to deal with the problem of bolting. The continuous removal of the flowers leads to increased utilisable leaf yield. The application of incremental amounts of nitrogen top dressing results in increased leaf yield in C. gynandra. The response of selected indigenous vegetables (Corchorus olitorius and Amaranthus cruentus) to micronutrients added to the soil was compared with the response of a reference crop; Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris var. cicla). For all the levels of micronutrients applied, Swiss chard accumulated Cu, Zn and Mn in the leaves at significantly (p<0.01) higher concentrations than the wild vegetables. Variations between the vegetables in the micronutrients were greater for Zn (72–363 ppm) and Mn (97.9–285.9 ppm) for Cu (8.8–14 ppm). C. olitorius had the least capacity to concentrate Mn and Zn in the leaf, which suggested that this vegetable is a less attractive candidate for agronomic bio-fortification of these elements. However, C. olitorius accumulated Fe at a significantly higher concentration (327 ppm) in the leaves than did Amaranthus (222 ppm) or Swiss chard (295 ppm). Sulphur as a macronutrient varied little in the plant species tested. The mean S concentration in the leaves ranged from 0.26% in C. olitorius to 0.34% in Amaranthus cruentus and Swiss chard. We concluded that the different vegetables have different abilities to take up Cu and Zn in the order Swiss chard > Amaranthus > Corchorus, and that they responded to micronutrients added to the soil but only up to certain limits of supplementation. The results from this current study seem to contradict the belief that wild vegetables have the inherent ability to concentrate mineral micronutrients in their tissue. Factors such as environment, anti-nutrients, dietary diversity, plant parts, plant age, and varieties result in differences in reported nutritional composition of indigenous vegetables. Post-harvest handling, storage, cooking and preservation also alter the composition. The need to optimise protocols for each vegetable type and for different laboratories makes analysis expensive. Equipment and methods of analysis are varied and may not be comparable, making it difficult to generalise on the composition of these vegetables. The Agricultural Research Council of South Africa and other stake holders are conducting studies on some aspects of these vegetables. There are still many information gaps regarding many aspects of these vegetables which require research attention. These include; the selection and improvement of genotypes, seed biology and germination studies, agronomic (population, fertiliser, crop mixtures) studies and phyto-chemical evaluation of these important species in order to encourage the overall use of these important indigenous resources. Finally, there is need to promote their increased utilisation. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Suid- Afrika is ryk aan biodiversiteit waaronder half-mak groente spesies, wat as wilde of inheemse groente bekend is, voorkom. Hierdie wilde inheemse groente is aangedui om goed in voedingswaarde te wees met voldoende makro-en mikrovoedingstowwe. Daar is egter nogsteeds 'n hoë voorkoms van wanvoeding, veral tekorte aan mikronutriënte onder die lae of marginale inkomstegroep van die bevolking. Die gebruik van inheemse groente word voorgestel as deel van die oplossing van die probleem van wanvoeding onder hierdie bevolkings. Inheemse groente is 'n belangrike bron van voedsel in die mielie gebaseerde bestaansboerdery sektor van landelike Suid-Afrika. Hul vernaamste rol is as smoor waar dit gebruik word tesame met stapelvoedsel in ʼn graan-gebaseerde dieet. Hierdie groentes was oor die algemeen ook aangedui om ryk te wees in mikrovoedingstowwe. Hoewel hulle verteer kan word in klein hoeveelhede, beïnvloed hulle die inname van graan stapelvoedsel, en speel 'n sentrale rol in huishoudelike voedselsekuriteit vir die armer landelike groepe. Vermenging van verskeie inheemse groente spesies in een maaltyd dra by tot die dieet diversiteit in terme van meer groentesoorte sowel as in terme van die keuse van smaak. Vir 'n paar baie arm gesinne is inheemse groentes die plaasvervanger vir gewone groente gewasse. Die seisoenale voorkoms van hierdie groente laat baie gesinne sonder 'n bron van voedsel gedurende die af-seisoen. Inheemse groente verhoog landbou-biodiversiteit op ʼn huishoudelike vlak . Hierdie landbou-biodiversiteit help buffer teen die opbou en vermeerdering van peste en siektes en bied belangrike dekking vir die grond. Verdere navorsing op akkerbou-, maatskaplike en ekonomiese aspekte is nodig om die rolle van inheemse groentes in bestaansboerdery in Suid-Afrika te verstaan. Die studie opname het getoon dat inheemse groente belangrik was in die dieet van die meeste mense van die platteland in die studie area. Hierdie groentes was gebruik as smoor hoewel hulle nie gekweek word nie. Hul metode van verkryging is deur dit te versamel van huise en die natuur. Die groentes word ook as medisinaal beskou. Die plaaslike benaming van wilde groente het gewissel tussen dorpe in dieselfde distrik, tot so 'n mate dat die benaming van groente tussen dorpe verskil. Hulle was na bewering volop in die somer, en daar was 'n afname in die beskikbaarheid af-seisoen, wat kwesbare mense, wat staatmaak op hul voorkoms, met 'n tekort aan kos laat. Die benutting van wilde groente onder Suid-Afrikaners daal as gevolg van die afhanklikheid in nuwe spsies. Pogings om te mak en wilde groente te kweek, kan belemmer word deur verskeie faktore, insluitend saaddormansie en voortydige blom. In hierdie studie was dormansie waargeneem in C. olitorius. Die reaksie van wilde genotipes van C. olitorius met verskillende saad groottes op verskeie droë hitte en warm water behandelings, was geëvalueer. Sade was geweek in kookwater ( 95oC ) vir tien sekondes en ander in 'n warm water bad by 80oC vir tien minute, en het gelei tot die hoogste reaksie op ontkieming in hierdie spesie. Die studie het ook belangrike interaksies tussen hitte behandeling en saad groottes getoon. Ons het tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat C. olitorius sade van verskillende groottes diverse duur van blootstelling vereis en ook so m.b.t. die ondeurdringbare saadhuid. Cleome gynandra is nog 'n spesie wat as 'n groente in verskeie dele van die wêreld, insluitend Afrika verbruik word. Die plant word ook gebruik as 'n medisinale plant vir die behandeling van verskeie siektes van die mens. Onder die wilde groente, was C. gynandra aangedui om vroeg te blom, 'n verskynsel wat bekend staan as “bolting” en is algemeen in baie groente gewasse. Voortydige blom (vas) kan wees as 'n reaksie op die temperatuur uiterstes en fotoperiode en raak ook baie ander groen groente soos blaarslaai (Lactuca sativa) , spinasie (Spinacea oleracea) en mosterd (Brassica juncea ) . “Bolting” lei ook tot produksie verliese in blaar groentegewasse as hulle blom voordat hulle 'n ekonomiese opbrengs opgelewer het. Die verwydering van blomme en stikstof toediening het gelei tot 'n aansienlike toename in die vars en droë gewig van Cleome blare. Verwydering van blomme het gelei tot 'n toename van 46% in vars gewig van die blare. Die waargenome positiewe reaksie van die blaar opbrengs deur verwydering van blomme bied 'n moontlike manier om die “bolting” probleem te hanteer. Die voortdurende verwydering van die blomme lei tot verhoogde bruikbare blaar opbrengs. Die toepassing van toenemende stikstof topbemesting het verhoogde blaar opbrengs in C. gynandra tot gevolg. Die reaksie van geselekteerde inheemse groente (Corchorus olitorius en Amaranthus spp ) met mikrovoedingstowwe toegevoeg tot die grond, is in vergelyk met die reaksie van 'n verwysings gewas; spinasiebeet (Beta vulgaris var cicla . ). Vir al die vlakke van mikronutriente toegepas, was die spinasiebeet opgehoopte Cu , Zn en Mn in die blare, in beduidend (p <0.01 ) hoër konsentrasies as die wilde groente.

Tyrimo objektas – UAB ,,Dotnuvos projektai‘‘ technologinių inovacijų diegimas klientų ūkiuose. Tyrimo tikslas – nustačius problemas su kuriomis susiduria UAB ,,Dotnuvos projektai‘‘ klientai diegdami siūlomas inovacijas, pateikti technologinių inovacijų diegimo valdymo tobulinimo kryptis. Uždaviniai: 1. Išanalizuoti teorinius inovacijų klasifikavimo, jų diegimo valdymo aspektus; 2. Parengti inovacijų diegimo valdymo klientų ūkiuose tyrimo metodiką. 3. Nustatyti ir išanalizuoti inovacijų diegimo problemas bei galimybes UAB ,,Dotnuvos projektai‘‘ klientų ūkiuose. 4. Parengti inovacijų diegimo valdymo tobulinimo kryptis. Tyrimo metodai: mokslinės literatūros analizės ir sintezės, palyginimo, grafinio vaizdavimo apklausos metodai. Tyrimo rezultatai: o pirmoje darbo dalyje pateikta lietuvių bei užsienio autorių mokslinė analizė inovacijų sampratos ir esmės, klasifikavimo bei inovacijų valdymo klausimais. o antroje darbo dalyje supažindinta su UAB ,,Dotnuvos projektai‘‘ veikla taip pat pateiktas tyrimo detalus planas, kurio metu siekta nustatyti problemos ir galimybės diegiant inovacijas UAB ,,Dotnuvos projektai‘‘ klientų ūkiuose. o trečioje darbo dalyje pateikta apklausos rezultatų analizė, taip pat pateikta inovacijų diegimo valdymo tobulinimo kryptys. Tyrimo rezultatai skelbti studentų mokslinėje konferencijoje ,,Jaunasisis mokslininkas 2014‘‘. / Research object – installation of technological innovation by UAB ,,Dotnuvos projektai'' in clients' farms. Research aim – to indentify problems faced by clients of UAB ,,Dotnuvos projektai‘‘ in installation of proposed innovation, to propose the direction for technological innovation installation management improvements. Objectives: 1. To analyze theoretical aspects of innovations classification and installation management; 2. To prepare research methodology for innovation installation management in clients' farms; 3. To identify and analyze innovation installation problems and opportunities in UAB ,,Dotnuvos projektai'' client farms; 4. To prepare directions for innovation installation management inprovements. Research metods: synthesis and analysis of scientific literature, comparison, graphical representation, interview. Research results: o the first part of work presents concept, essence, classification and management of innovations as described in the Lithuanian and foreign scientific literature. o the second part of work introduces activities of UAB ,,Dotnuvos projektai‘‘, presents detailed research plan to analyse problems and oppurtunities in innovation installation in UAB ,,Dotnuvos projektai‘‘ clients' farms. o the third part of work analyses result of accomplished research, also proposes the directions of innovation installation management improvements. The research results are published at the students’ scientific conference: „Young Scientist 2014“.

Dans la zone Mali-Sud, l'augmentation démographique, le développement de la culture cotonnière et, parallèlement, des systèmes d'élevage ont entraîné une augmentation des surfaces cultivées, une réduction du temps de mise en jachère et un passage progressif à la culture continue. L'espace pastoral est réduit aux terres pas encore mises en culture. Dans un contexte climatique, économique et institutionnel difficile, on cherche à faire évoluer les pratiques de gestion de la fertilité des sols et d'alimentation des animaux pour renforcer les systèmes de production et ne pas hypothéquer leur durabilité. De nouvelles postures de recherche visent à transformer les situations, produire des connaissances et renforcer l'implication des acteurs. Les références élaborées par la recherche doivent être compréhensibles par l'ensemble des acteurs et prendre en compte les savoirs techniques locaux des praticiens. Cette prise en compte dans l'analyse des pratiques de gestion de la fertilité des sols permet-elle de produire des connaissances nouvelles sur les pratiques, de formuler des propositions techniques ou d'améliorer les relations recherche-vulgarisation-paysans ? Nous proposons de tester un cadre d'analyse des pratiques de gestion de fertilité des sols en nous basant sur une caractérisation préalable des savoirs techniques locaux. Ce travail est mené auprès de paysans de deux villages du Mali-Sud. La lecture des relations savoirs-pratiques permet d'apprécier la pertinence des savoirs techniques locaux, d'enrichir la description des pratiques agricoles et d'évaluer l'intérêt de cette approche pour les sciences agronomiques et pour le développement agricole / Soil fertility management and herd role in the cotton-cereals-livestock systems in south Mali, technical local knowledge and crop-livestock farming practices. In the south Mali, population growth, joint development of cotton-crop and breeding system furthered the extension of cultivated lands, furthered the development of letting fallow land for a short-lived and the extension of lands cultivated in a continuous way. The pastoral lands are limited to the none cultivated areas. In a difficult context made off climatic hazard, economic crises and institutional uncertainty, the evolution of soil fertility practices and pastoral practices is looked up to enhance the farming systems and not mortgage their sustainability. New scientific approaches aim at changing the crop and breeding systems, at producing new knowledges and at reinforcing the farmer´s involvement. The technical references developed must be understandable by the farmers and the researchers and must integrate their local technical knowledges. Does the consideration of local technical knowledges in the soil fertility practices analysis enable to produce new knowledges on the practices, to elaborate technical proposals or improve the relations between researchers and farmers? We suggest to test a scientific approach to investigate soil fertility practices with the support of the characterization of the local technical knowledges. This work is performed with farmers of two villages of the South Mali. Analysis of knowledges and practices relations allows to appreciate the relevance of the local technical knowledges, allows to improve farming practices description and to assess the interest of this research method for agricultural sciences and the agricultural development

L'agriculture périurbaine (AP) est devenue un thème central dans la recherche, impliquant un débat scientifique multidisciplinaire. L'agriculture effectuée dans les zones périurbaines est mobilisée afin d'avoir un développement territorial et donner aux agriculteurs une chance de maintenir leur activité. En Italie, l'analyse sur la AP ont été axés sur les villes métropolitaines, alors que peu d'études ont évalué AP sous l'influence des villes moyennes, qui sont le plus touchés par l'urbanisation. Le récent débat sur la sécurité alimentaire a surgi réflexions sur la contribution potentielle de la AP dans l'alimentation des consommateurs urbains, même dans les pays développés. La connexion entre l'AP et le système alimentaire local (SAL) a été mobilisé par plusieurs organisations et chercheurs, en soulignant les avantages environnementaux, économiques et sociaux de la production "proximale". Néanmoins plusieurs auteurs ont demandé des analyse plus spécifiques sur la participation effective des agriculteurs dans SAL. Peu d'études ont porté sur les pratiques mises en place au niveau territorial par les agriculteurs périurbains, afin d'évaluer comment les stratégies productives des agriculteurs sont intégrés avec le SAL. Pour cette raison, une analyse agronomique au niveau territorial est exigée. Le but de cette recherche est de développer une méthodologie pour l'évaluation de la production potentielle fournie par AP au SAL. Pour faire ça la recherche réponds à trois questions: Quelle production alimentaire est mis en place actuellement dans les espaces périurbains? Comment les agriculteurs produisent pour le SAL? Dans quelles conditions l'AP peut produire pour le SAL? L'analyse est basée sur l'interaction de deux approches: le système de production et les approches du système alimentaire. Le cas d'étude est l’AP de Pise, une ville moyenne en Toscane (Italie). La zone périurbaine se compose de six municipalités, caractérisée par un étalement urbain récent et représentatif du système agricole en Méditerranée. L'analyse est basée sur des entretiens aux agriculteurs et aux acheteurs locaux de leurs productions. L'analyse montre que la AP a une composition hétérogène d’exploitations en termes d'intensité, quantité et qualité des aliments produits. Il ya un haut degré d'hétérogénéité de la production de l'intensité qui est lié à l'hétérogénéité des choix commerciaux entre les chaînes alimentaires locales et globales. Le choix de circuit alimentaire semble être caractérisé par des indicateurs sur la gestion de l'exploitation et l'utilisation des terres, plutôt que indicateurs sociaux. En considérant la quantité de production alimentaire, la différence entre les indicateurs de capacité productives décrit la différence dans les estimations basées sur l'analyse statistique et territoriale, et il quantifie le manque entre ce qui est produite et ce qui est réellement disponible pour SAL. Ce manque reflète les stratégies des différents agriculteurs à participer dans les SAL: la plupart des agriculteurs coordonne stratégies hybrides de commercialisation entre le marché local et le marché global. L'analyse de réseau révèle que même dans le SAL, les agriculteurs hybrident différentes typologies de SAL; l'analyse parallèle des autres acteurs du SAL (transformateurs et commerçants) démontre la difficulté de s'approcher à l’AP impliquées dans ces stratégies commerciales hybridées. Les agriculteurs répondent que la capacité de production pour SAL est affectée par plusieurs contraintes liées principalement à la réglementation et aux réseaux commerciaux. Les agriculteurs périurbains sont adaptant aux nouvelles possibilités de la proximité géographique aux zones urbaines, mais un effort de coordonner ces initiatives individuelles est nécessaire. Cette coordination doit intégrer la dimension territoriale qui affecte la production alimentaire périurbaine, afin de mieux répondre aux besoins de développement territorial. / Periurban agriculture (PA) is becoming a central topic in research, involving debates from different disciplines. Agriculture performed in periurban areas is conceived as a tool to have territorial development and to give farmers a chance to maintain their activity. In Italy, analysis on PA have been especially done for metropolitan areas, while few studies have assessed PA under the influence of medium-sized cities, which are the most affected by the recent urbanization. While the debate has started in valorizing the PA’s multifunctionality, the recent claims on food security have arisen reflections on its potential contribution in feeding urban consumers, even in developed countries. The connection between PA and local food system (LFS) has been mobilized by several organizations and researchers, highlighting the environmental, economical and social benefits of such “proximal” production. Nevertheless several authors have claimed for in-depth analysis about the effective participation of farmers in LFS. Moreover, few studies have been focused on the practices put in place at territorial level by periurban farmers, in order to assess how productive strategies are integrated with farmers’ local commercial strategies. For this reason an agronomic analysis at territorial level is required. The overall purpose of this research is to develop a methodology for the assessment of the food production provided by PA and how it is integrated to LFS. To do so, the research answers to three questions: What current food production is performed by PA? How do farmers produce for the LFS? Under which conditions PA can produce for the LFS? The analysis is based on the interaction of two approaches: the farming system and the food system approaches. The case study is the PA around the city of Pisa, a medium-sized city located in Tuscany (Italy). The periurban area’s border consists of six municipalities, characterized by a recent urban sprawl and representative of Mediterranean coastal farming systems evolution. The analysis is based on interviews to farmers and the local buyers of their productions. The analysis shows that PA is composed by an heterogeneous composition of farms in terms of intensity, quantity, and quality of food production. There’s a high degree of heterogeneity of intensity’s production which is linked to heterogeneity of commercial choices between local and global food chains. This choice seems to be characterized mainly by indicators on farm management and land use, more than indicators on social characters of farmer, as age or formation. Considering the quantity of food production, the difference among potential, effective and real food capacity outlines the difference in estimates based on statistical and territorial analysis; it also quantifies the lack between what is effectively produced and what is really available for the LFS. This lack reflects different farmers’ strategies in participating in alternative and local food chains; especially most of the farmers coordinate hybrid strategies between alternative/local and conventional/global food chains. The network analysis highlights that even in LFS, farmers hybrid different typologies of local food networks. The parallel analysis of other LFS’ actors (processors and final sellers) demonstrates the difficulty in approaching a PA involved in such hybrid commercial strategies. If local buyers principally asserts that not all the production produced in periurban area is available for LFS, farmers reply that the capacity of producing for LFS is affected by several constraints mainly linked to regulation and commercial networks. Periurban farmers are thus adapting to the new opportunities of the geographical proximity to urban area, but an effort in coordinate such individual initiatives is needed. This coordination should integrate the territorial dimension that affects periurban food production, in order to better address issues on territorial development of such areas.

The purpose of this dissertation is to specify the issues of integrated production of fruit and vegetables in the Czech Republic. Furthermore, the paper aims to capture the current situation based on completed surveys which were distributed among consumers, producers and complementary distributional units.