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Carbon storage in agricultural soils is an important measure to mitigate climate change. As the soil management techniques can greatly influence the amount of carbon stored in agricultural soils, the influence of different managements was analyzed in a literature review for northern Europe and Sweden. With a unique dataset, the temporal development of soil organic matter, and in a case study the influence of SOM on crop yield in Sweden was examined, as well as the relationship of SOM towards clay content and pH level. For northern Europe, organic amendments in form of manure and sewage sludge application and crop residue incorporation as well as nitrogen fertilization and diverse crop rotations indicate a positive impact on soil organic carbon. The influence of reduced tillage was found to be less impactful. Detailed development of SOM in Swedish agricultural fields remains unclear due to data restraints and scarcity, but for the Skåne region the data analysis suggests a stable SOM content for the time period analyzed. The relationship of SOM to crop yield remains unclear but indicates that SOM can have a positive effect on crop yield. More research is needed to understand underlying mechanisms of development, management influence and yield response on soil organic carbon for northern Europe.

Im Rahmen der Gemeinsamen Agrarpolitik der Europäischen Union wurden Agrarumweltprogramme (AES) entwickelt, um die durch die Landwirtschaft verursachte Zerstörung der natürlichen Umwelt zu bekämpfen. Um die ökologische Wirksamkeit der Systeme zu verbessern, wird ein kollektiver Ansatz empfohlen, der sich auf eine Landschaft statt auf eine einzelne Betriebsebene konzentriert. Dieser Ansatz wird in ganz Europa selten angewendet, außer in den Niederlanden, wo seit 2016 alle AES gemeinsam realisiert werden müssen. Da die Teilnahme an den Programmen freiwillig ist, ist es von entscheidender Bedeutung, die Motivation der Landwirte zu verstehen, sich anzuschließen, da die Annahme und Umsetzung von Maßnahmen eine Voraussetzung für die Erreichung ist irgendwelche Effekte. Ziel dieser Studie ist es daher, die Motivation niederländischer Landwirte zur Teilnahme an kollektiven AES zu untersuchen und die wichtigsten Vor- und Nachteile des Programms herauszufinden, die von den Landwirten wahrgenommen werden. Eine Q-Studie mit 15 Landwirten aus sechs Provinzen zeigt drei vorherrschende Motivationsansichten: eine kollektivorientierte, eine wirtschaftsorientierte und eine umweltorientierte Perspektive. Alle Bauern eint ihre Zuneigung und Sorge für die Natur, die von unterschiedlichem Problembewusstsein und Kollektivzugehörigkeit begleitet wird. Finanzieller Ausgleich wird von allen als wichtig erachtet, jedoch eher als notwendiges Mittel, um notwendige Änderungen in der landwirtschaftlichen Praxis zu ermöglichen, denn als zusätzliche Einnahmequelle. Während die niederländischen Regelungen noch weiter verbessert werden können, um mehr Flexibilität, eine bessere Integration des Wissens der Landwirte und eine bessere Kommunikation zu ermöglichen, weisen alle Landwirte viele Vorbehalte im Zusammenhang mit kollektiven Maßnahmen zurück, was darauf hindeutet, dass der niederländische Ansatz über die nationalen Grenzen hinaus gefördert werden könnte. / Within the European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy, agri-environment schemes (AES) have been designed to address the degradation of the natural environment caused by agriculture. To improve the schemes’ ecological effectiveness, a collective approach focusing on a landscape instead of a single farm level is recommended. This approach is rarely applied across Europe except for the Netherlands, where all AES have to be realised collectively since 2016. As participation in the schemes is voluntary, understanding farmers’ motivation to join is crucial since the uptake and implementation of measures is prerequisite for achieving any effects. Hence, the aim of this study is to explore Dutch farmers’ motivation to participate in collective AES and to find out about the scheme’s main advantages and disadvantages perceived by the farmers. A Q study with 15 farmers from six provinces shows three dominant motivational views: a collective-oriented, a business-oriented and an environment-oriented perspective. All farmers unites their affection and care for nature, which is accompanied by different levels of problem awareness and affiliation to the collective. Financial compensation is deemed important by all, yet rather as necessary mean to enable required changes in farming practices than as additional source of revenue. While the Dutch schemes can still be further improved to allow for more flexibility, a better integration of the farmers’ knowledge and enhanced communication, all farmers dismiss many caveats related to collective action, indicating a potential to promote the Dutch approach beyond national borders.

Several studies have reported agronomic benefits by improving soil health/quality, but uncertain knowledge remains when determining specific impacts on water quality off-field. This study investigated the links between runoff water quality and soil health/quality in agricultural fields of the Mississippi delta under three land management scenarios: Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), vegetative buffer (VB), and row crops (RC). Using the Soil Management Assessment Framework (SMAF), a Soil Quality Index (SQI) was obtained based on ten soil health/quality indicators from 2008 and 2012 datasets. The SMAF identified significant differences in soil health/quality improvements among scenarios over a four-year period. Varied relationships between water quality parameters, SQI, and soil health/quality indicators were determined. Individually, physical and chemical soil indicators were also correlated with runoff water quality. Overall, the evidenced relationship between soil health/quality and water quality parameters was stronger in areas under CRP.

This study resulted in a comparative analysis of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE) for rice production with different infield rice straw management practices based on an experiment conducted in An Giang Province of Vietnam, during the autumn - winter season of 2016. Direct field GHGE was analyzed based on in-situ measurement and the total direct and indirect GHGE were estimated by applying the life cycle assessment using Ecoinvent3 database which is incorporated in SIMAPRO software. The experiment was conducted based on a completely random design with three treatments and three replications. The three treatments are [T1] Incorporation of straw and stubbles treated with Trichoderma; [T2] Incorporation of stubbles and removal of straw; and [T3] In-field burning straw. Closed chamber protocol and gas chromatography (SRI 8610C) was used to measure and analyse CH4 and N2O. CH4 emission rate was not significantly different (p>0.05) among the three treatments during sampling dates except on the days 17 and 24 after sowing (DAS). N2O emission rate was not significantly different (p>0.05) either. However, there were high variations of N2O emission after the dates of urea applied. Direct field emissions of CH4, N2O and CO2 equivalent (CO2eq) are not significantly different among the three treatments, but the amount of CO2eq per kg straw in T1 of incorporating rice straw treated with Trichoderma is significantly higher than in T3 of in-field burning straw. LCA based analysis resulted in total GHGE in the range of 1.93-2.46 kg CO2-eq kg-1 paddy produced consisting of 53-66% from direct soil emissions. Incorporationof straw treated with Trichoderma did not indicate the improvement of paddy yield. However, the organic matter, N-NH4+, and N-NO3- of this treatment was higher than those of the other researched treatments. This research was just conducted in one crop season, however, the results have initial implications for the other crop seasons. / Nghiên cứu này phân tích phát thải khí nhà kính từ sản xuất lúa theo các biện pháp quản lý rơm rạ khác nhau dựa vào thí nghiệm được thực hiện ở vụ Thu Đông năm 2016 tại tỉnh An Giang, Việt Nam. Lượng phát thải khí nhà kính từ đất đã được phân tích dựa vào kết quả đo đạt tại ruộng và tổng lượng phát thải khí nhà kính trực tiếp và gián tiếp được ước tính bằng phương pháp vòng đời sử dụng cơ sở dữ liệu Ecoinvent3 gắn kết với phần mềm SIMAPRO. Thí nghiệm được bố trí hoàn toàn ngẫu nhiên gồm 3 nghiệm thức và 3 lần lặp lại. Các nghiệm thức gồm [T1] vùi rơm và rạ với Trichoderma, [T2] lấy rơm ra khỏi ruộng và vùi rạ và [T3] đốt rơm. Kỹ thuật buồng kín (closed chamber protocol) và máy sắc ký khí (SRI8610C) được sử dụng để đo đạt và phân tích khí CH4 và N2O. Tốc độ phát thải khí CH4 không khác biệt giữa ba nghiệm thức, ngoại trừ kết quả ở lần lấy mẫu 17 và 24 ngày sau sạ. Tốc độ phát thải N2O cũng không có sự khác biệt giữa các nghiệm thức. Tuy nhiên, tốc độ phát thải biến động rất lớn sau các ngày bón phân đạm. Lượng phát thải trực tiếp từ ruộng của CH4, N2O và CO2 tương đương (CO2-eq) không có sự khác biệt giữa ba nghiệm thức, nhưng lượng CO2-eq/kg rơm ở nghiệm thức vùi rơm và rạ với Trichoderma (T1) cao hơn nghiệm thức đốt rơm (T3). Kết quả phân tích LCA cho thấy lượng phát thải khí nhà kính dao động trong khoảng 1,93 – 2,46 kg CO2-eq/kg lúa với 53 – 66% lượng phát thải trực tiếp từ trong đất. Vùi rơm rạ với Trichoderma chưa cải thiện được năng suất lúa. Tuy nhiên, phần trăm chất hữu cơ và hàm lượng đạm hữu dụng trong đất của nghiệm thức này cao hơn so với hai nghiệm thức còn lại của thí nghiệm. Nghiên cứu này chỉ mới được thực hiện một vụ, nhưng đã mang lại nhiều kết quả có thể ứng dụng cho các vụ sau.

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Since the introduction of Toyota's Production System, the deployment of lean production systems (or lean manufacturing), and more advanced technological developments, Participatory Management Practices (PMP) have been viewed as lying at the heart of successful manufacturing workplaces. Studies on technology and PMP have concluded that the state of technology in a company unequivocally shapes PMP and can open spaces to enhance the wellbeing of workers regardless of the PMP dynamics. However, these claims are contested by studies that question the positive effects from PMP. These studies argue that workplaces are organized in such a way that workers are viewed as mere resources to be deployed in the production process, without paying attention to their human morale and agency. This research presents a case study of a food plastics packaging firm that contextualizes, describes, and analyzes: 1) PMP from a Socio-technical Systems Theory (SST) perspective to further our understanding of the role of participative dynamics in the wellbeing of workers; and 2) the dynamics of control-resistance in the workplace as a measure of dignity at work in the context of power relations. This research provides a rich exploration of a workplace that is facing and managing the challenge of automation and technological development. Using an extended case study research method (Burawoy, 2009), data are collected by observing workers' daily interactions with a combination of technologies. These observations reveal the importance of team dynamics in the production process. The observed PMP dynamics show conflictive, competitive, and cooperative behaviors that are negotiated through continuous human-machine, machine-machine, and human-human interactions in the production process. However, management is found to be indifferent to the impact that a combination of technologies and lean production approaches have on participation dynamics. This indifference inhibits managers from embracing and appreciating the value of PMP. All the identified expressions of what technology and PMP mean to workers, and their dynamics, show an ongoing negotiating process. This process comes from all types of participation in which a worker struggles for dignity. The organizational structure of the firm expects workers to display specific types of participation in team efforts, but workers are also provided with opportunities to negotiate their interests or struggle for dignity by changing their type of participation in team activities. The work processes and findings described in this dissertation generally support the theory of Hodson (2001). Further, this research develops the concept of "combination of technologies," which can be used to help observe workers' understanding of technology and participative dynamics. The research also identifies various types of participation based on the interactions of workers in the technology process and how workers manage or safeguard their dignity based on their engagement with different types of participation in team-based situations or events. Finally, this research identified how participative engagement by workers can be used as a power mechanism to retain their dignity. / Doctor of Philosophy / Modern manufacturing production is based on the increasing use of technology and workers' participation in problem solving when it comes to the production system. These types of production systems are called Lean Production Systems. These systems stem from the philosophy of doing more with less and are viewed as lying at the heart of successful manufacturing workplaces. However, studies on technology and teams have concluded that not only does technology shape the dynamics of teams, but the practices and dynamics of workers in teams can open spaces to enhance human wellbeing. Even so, some studies question the positive effects of worker participation in teams based on Participatory Management Practices (PMP). These studies argue that workplaces are organized in such a way that workers are viewed as mere resources to be deployed in the production process, without paying attention to human morale and agency. This research is a case study of a rigid food plastics packaging firm that contextualizes, describes, and analyzes: (1) the participation of workers in PMP from the perspective that workers and technology have a social relationship with deep contextual meaning; and (2) a measure of human dignity in the context of power relations and how control and resistance are met in these spaces. This research provides a rich exploration of a workplace that is facing and managing the challenge of automation and technological development. Using an extended case study research method (Bloomfield, 1994 as cited in Burawoy, 2009, p. 154), data are collected from workers' daily interactions with a combination of technologies. The importance of how people participate in teams during the production process, was observed and acknowledged to enhance workers wellbeing. A range of dynamics were observed and defined as conflictive, competitive, or cooperative behavior that are negotiated through the continuous human-machine, machine-machine, and human-human interactions that occur during the production process. However, management is indifferent to and disregards the impact that technology has on worker participation in teams and is unconcerned with contrasting meanings of technology from workers, which means they are not paying attention to how these factors impact the use of technology and participation dynamics. All expressions of what technology and worker participation means show an ongoing negotiating process in which workers struggle for dignity. This research follows Hodson (2001) categories of struggle for dignity as a measure of self-worth. This research develops concepts that can be used to help observe workers' understanding of technology and participative dynamics, as well as identifies different types of participation by observing the interactions of workers in the technology process. This research identified how workers manage or safeguard their dignity based on their engagement with different types of participation observed during team-based situations or events. Finally, the research identified how workers' ability to change their interactions in teams is used as a power mechanism to retain their dignity.