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Thesis (MPhil) --Stellenbosch University, 2003. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The incidence of organic agriculture, seen as the sustainable agriculture of the future, was investigated in the Western Cape Province (WCP). Informationabout organic farms in the WCP was obtained through the Internet, over a period of three months. These farms occupy about 33% (771 122 hal of the area within the WCP which is presently being used for the cultivation of crops and horticulture. The information obtained with regard to the type of agriculture and the location thereof was processed and presented graphically. Further, the utilisation of land in the WCP was researched, as well as the problems experienced with the degradation thereof. The possibility of making municipal commonage available to communities and small farmers for sustainable agriculture was also investigated. Taking cognisance of the above variables (organic farms, soil quality and municipal commonage), "Go Organics at Spier" (GOAS) was investigated as a case study. Recommendation was then made on how organic agriculture in the WCP could be promoted. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die voorkoms van organiese landbou, gesien as die volhoubare landbou van die toekoms, is ondersoek in die Wes~Kaap Provinsie (WKP). Inligting oor die organiese plase in die WKP is verkry deur middel van die Internet, oor 'n periode van drie maande. Hierdie plase beslaan ongeveer 33% (771 122 ha) van die oppervlakte binne die WKP wat tans vir die verbouing van gewasse benut word. Die inligting wat verkry is ten opsigte van die tipe landbou en die ligging daarvan is verwerk en grafies voorgestel. Verder is daar ondersoek ingestel na die benutting van grond in die WKP en die probleme wat ondervind word met die degradasie daarvan. Daar is ook ondersoek ingestel na die moontlikheid om munisipale gemeenskapsgronde beskikbaar te stel aan gemeenskappe en klein boere vir volhoubare landbou. Met inageneming van bogenoemde veranderlikes (organiese plase, grond kwaliteit en munisipale gemeenskapsgrand), is "Go Organics at Spier" (GOAS) as 'n gevallestudie ondersoek. Voorstelle word dan gemaak oor die bevordering van organiese landbou in die WKP. / Thesis

Soil phosphorus (P) is often unavailable in SK soils due to immobilization by microbial biomass and complexation with cations. The prohibition of synthetic fertilizer use in organic systems means farmers rely on crop rotation or approved inputs to supply P for crops. Legumes in crop rotation add P to soil through decomposition and deposition, and approved fertilizers such as bone meal (BM), rock phosphate (RP), and composted manure add P to soil through dissolution. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) improve crop access to soil P. The fungi colonize roots of host crops, allowing roots to reach immobile pockets of soil P. Colonization by AMF is usually decreased or delayed following partial fallow periods, non-host plants, and the addition of soluble P fertilizers. This thesis consists of two studies. For the first, the effects of crop rotation were tested on AMF colonization and soil P dynamics. Colonization by AMF of mycorrhizal crops was examined following a non-mycorrhizal crop, a partial fallow period, and mycorrhizal crops. All crops were colonized evenly (63-70%) at flowering despite non-mycorrhizal and partial fallow periods, and the sequence most depleted in soil N (wheat-barley) had the lowest colonization in August (36%). The second study evaluated soil P and plant N and P after applications of BM, hydroxyapatite (HAP), and sheep manure compost. Compost application increased plant P uptake compared to the control (1.26 vs. 0.71 mg pot-1), while applications of BM and HAP alone did not. Compost application did not affect AMF colonization of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Overall this research highlights the importance of legumes and composted manure use in organic systems. Legume use in crop rotation simultaneously increased soil P deposition and may have preserved AMF communities despite fallow periods and non-host crops in rotation. Conditions normally affecting AMF colonization in conventional systems did not apply. The use of composted manure in the greenhouse study resulted in the greatest P uptake and concentrations in wheat. Thus the use of legumes and composted manure may increase P availability to crops directly and indirectly: directly through soil P deposition and perhaps indirectly through the preservation of AMF communities.

L'agriculture doit évoluer vers une activité plus respectueuse de l'environnement tout en étant économiquement viable. Ce type d'agriculture, dite durable, requiert de nouveaux savoirs et savoir-faire. Or, nous montrons que la gestion des connaissances n’est pas suffisante en agriculture durable. Pour y remédier, nous proposons de développer un système informatisé de gestion des connaissances en agriculture. Nous l’appelons KOFIS. Nous faisons l’hypothèse que les méthodes de gestion de connaissances dans le monde industriel sont transposables en agriculture pour construire KOFIS. Notre travail parcourt les étapes qui suivent. Nous faisons un état de l’art sur la gestion des connaissances et sur son lien avec l’innovation. Nous discutons des acteurs potentiels de KOFIS et de leurs rôles respectifs. Puis, nous travaillons sur le patrimoine des connaissances en agriculture durable, sur la sélection des connaissances critiques ainsi que sur leur représentation dans l’outil. Les principales caractéristiques de l’architecture informatique de KOFIS sont décrites. In fine, le contenu de KOFIS est dynamique. Il capitalise de la connaissance et propose une démarche pour innover. KOFIS est un système socio-technique intégrant de nombreux acteurs, reposant sur un corpus de connaissances en partie codifié et sur des échanges informels organisés. Il permet une évolution partagée des connaissances du domaine. / Agriculture must evolve into a more environmentally-friendly approach, while remaining economically viable and socially interesting, which is necessary so that the process can be pursued in the long term, i.e that the process is sustainable. This type of agriculture is said to be sustainable. Sustainable agriculture has a systemic logic and therefore requires new types of knowledge and know-how. We show that knowledge is insufficiently managed in sustainable agriculture. We thus propose implement a knowledge management computing tool, which we called KOFIS. We make the assumption that the methods of management of knowledge in the industrial world are applied in agriculture to construct KOFIS. Our work followed the stages which follow. We make a state of the art on knowledge management and its bond with the innovating designs. After having presented some general information on knowledge, its typology and its cycle of management, we will move on its patrimonial management, then we will finish on the knowledge management for the innovative design. We discuss the potential actors of KOFIS and their possible implications. We deal with its contents, selection and form. At last, the main computing features of KOFIS are shown. The contents of KOFIS are dynamic. It capitalizes knowledge and also proposes a step to innovate. KOFIS is a sociotechnical system integrating numerous actors, based on a partially codified knowledge corpus and organized informal exchanges, generating a shared evolution of the domain knowledge.

The diploma thesis deals with harrowing of spelt wheat (Triticum spelta L.) by the weeding harrows and its influence on weed frequency, yield and quality parameters of wheat. In the literature review there are described general cultivation principles for the growing of spelt (Triticum spelta L.) used in current agricultural practice. There is overview of the general principles of spelt wheat cultivation in the organic farming, available varieties in the Czech Republic and brief description of agricultural technology suitable for its cultivation. We also describe the types of weeds, their brief description and the possibility of reducing their frequency in the organic farming growing system. The literature review provides also information about the technology of harrowing cereal crops as a measure to control weeds and other positive aspects of harrowing on grain crops. In the practical part, data from a field trial were collected, where the effect of harrowing on the weed frequency, the influence of harrowing on spelt wheat tillering and other parameters were statistically evaluated and compared with results in the literature. At the end of the thesis, given the results evaluated in the practical part, it was determined whether it is appropriate to use harrowing as protection of spelt wheat (Triticum spelta L.), its number, influence on weed infestation and its influence on both the quantitative and qualitative properties of spelt wheat (Triticum spelta L.).

The diploma thesis is focused on the voluntary tools of environmental protection, those representing a remarkably wide and variable group of tools. The aim of this thesis is to create an integrated and compendious overview of the previously mentioned tools applied not only in the Czech Republic, to outline its basic characteristics, ways of its usage, and its mutual combinations, including the analysis of the legal regulation of the voluntary tools. After the two introductory chapters dedicated to the environmental policy and the system of all tools of environmental protection the following chapter deals with the voluntary tools only, dividing them for the purposes of this diploma thesis into categories of regulatory, informative, and educational tools. Considering the extent of the topic, the author decided on a detailed analysis elaboration of the three chosen tools in the following part of the thesis. In the fourth chapter the diploma theses concentrates on the EMAS according to the Regulation (EC) No 1221/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the voluntary participation by organisations in a Community Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS), which is being compared to the second implementation option of Environmental Management System, that is represented by the internationally...

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Wine production is one of the farming practices with the highest negative environmental impacts, mainly due to a heavy use of pesticides, why it is important to find more sustainable wine production practices. One such practice is organic farming, but the transition is slow and the number of organic certified vineyards remain low. The purpose of this study is to map what motives and barriers Swedish wine farmers perceive in using organic practices in their production, and to what extent the decision to do so is guided by intrinsic or extrinsic motivation. This was studied by visiting 11 Swedish vineyards and conducting interviews with the wine farmers. The theoretical framework used in this thesis builds on the Self-determination theory about motivation together with previous research on motives and barriers to convert to organic farming. The results show that despite that only 5% of the Swedish vineyards are organically certified, all visited vineyards almost exclusively use organic practices in their production. The main motives to use organic practices were identified to be soil protection and long-term scope of the vineyard, biodiversity and ecosystem protection, lower exposure to agrochemicals, to produce an honest product, and the possibility of increased sales. Perceived barriers with using organic practices among Swedish wine producers were increased workload and labour costs, lack of access to knowledge about organic viticulture, difficulties with weed and pest control, and lower harvest yields. The decision to use organic practices are mainly guided by inner beliefs about producing the wine in harmony with nature, not causing unnecessary damage, producing a high-quality product they can be proud of, and the desire to get a professional challenge and develop as winemakers, consequently indicating that Swedish wine farmers are motivated by intrinsic motivation. Only weak indicators of extrinsic motivation were found in the study. Furthermore, the study found that the climate in southern Sweden is facilitating for organic viticulture which together with a lack of regulations regarding grape- and vine varieties could act as a foundation for Sweden to become a leader in sustainable wine production, but that a lack of knowledge and the strict regulation on sales of alcohol might prevent this.

Diploma thesis on the topic of possibilities of marketing orientation on the organic market deals with organic farming and organic food. The first part is to get familiar with this issue. There are characterized differences between organic and conventional farming, the advantages and disadvantages of organic farming, animal and plant specifications of production, conditions that must be met if the transition from conventional to organic farming, the follow-up compliance with the conditions laid down by law. Another section is devoted to organic food and their characterization, organic certification and marketing. The practical part includes its own investigation with an awareness of consumers about organic food. The conclusion gives the specifics of organic farming and organic food, and based on the analysis and possible recommendations on marketing orientation.

This master thesis is focused on czech organic food and it role in current czech retailing. Organic food is nowadays widely discussed but czech local organic food is unjustly neglected. In the theoretical part of the master thesis, terms such as retailing and organic farming are defined, it also alyses czech retail market and czech organic food market. Analytical part, on the other hand, uses these termes in the actual analysis of the czech organic food market. Using data collected from 5 different retailers (Globus, Tesco, Interspar, Penny Market a Albet) I conducted a country of origin analysis. Last part of the thesis sums up recommendations to improve the position of czech local product, aimed at czech farmers, consumers and oficial organizations.