Nematode parasite control practices of sheep and goat farmers in the region of Trikala, Greece

Information concerning worm control practices of sheep and goat farmers in the region of Trikala (central Greece) was collected through a questionnaire survey by visiting farms and interviewing farmers. Questionnaires from 57 farmers residing in 23 rural communities were collected. Anthelmintics were used by 89% of the farmers. On average, lambs, kids and goats were treated once annually, while sheep were treated either once or twice annually. Only 2% of farmers reported treatment of animals with anthelmintics when moving to new pastures. The most common broad-spectrum anthelmintics used were those belonging to the benzimidazoles and probenzimidazoles. Fifty nine percent of the farmers used the same anthelmintic group for 3 or more years and 34% used two or more anthelmintic groups in the same year. Almost all farmers reported estimating live weights for calculating anthelmintic doses through visual perception on the basis of an average weight (96%). Tablets and boluses were the most preferred anthelmintic formulation used by 96% of farmers. The selection of an anthelmintic was based for 58% of farmers on recommendation by a veterinarian and for 39% of farmers on the cost of the drug. The most common occasions for deworming the animals were at turn out (86%) and after parturition (31%). Only 6% of farmers reported deworming new animals before introducing them onto the farm. Farmers preferred to seek information about the use of anthelmintics and worm control strategies from veterinarians (63%) and other farmers (37%).     

Sweet Potato Virus Disease in Sub-Saharan Africa: Evidence that Neglect of Seedlings in the Traditional Farming System Hinders the Development of Superior Resistant Landraces

Sweet potato virus disease (SPVD) occurs in sweet potato at all localities on the perimeter of Lake Victoria areas surveyed in Uganda and Tanzania, and was particularly common in Kagera District in Tanzania and in Rukungiri District in Uganda. All fields were planted with landraces and the most important control practices, as perceived by farmers, were the planting of cuttings derived from only symptomless parents and destroying diseased plants. Although SPVD-resistant landraces were available, they were perceived by most farmers to have poor and late yields. Most farmers considered that their greatest need was new, more acceptable, SPVD-resistant genotypes. Few farmers had seen either sweet potato seeds (15%) or sweet potato seedlings (11%) and, of those that had, most had ignored them. The lack of seedlings and their neglect by farmers is likely to be hindering the evolution of more acceptable, SPVD-resistant landraces, and is probably responsible for SPVD being a long-term disease problem.     

Rift Valley fever knowledge,mitigation strategies and communication preferences among male and female livestock farmers in Eastern Province,Rwanda

The Government of Rwanda reported an outbreak of Rift Valley fever (RVF) in the Eastern Province in 2018. To respond to the outbreak, vaccination and education campaigns about the disease were carried out. Because RVF cases continue to be detected in Rwanda and the disease impacts livelihoods and health, accurate knowledge and communication are imperative. The objectives of this study were to evaluate knowledge and risk perceptions of RVF transmission among livestock farmers in Nyagatare District, Eastern Province, Rwanda, and to compare RVF knowledge, risk perceptions, and farming practices between male and female livestock farmers. This cross-sectional, quantitative study was conducted in selected sectors of Nyagatare District in the Eastern Province of Rwanda in June 2019. A 34-question survey was used to ask about demographics, livestock ownership, risk perceptions about zoonotic diseases and livestock management, RVF knowledge, preferred communication sources and information sharing strategies, and protective strategies for RVF mitigation while working with livestock. Livestock farmers were interviewed at three milk collection centers, two village meeting points, a farm cooperative meeting, and during door-to-door visits in villages. In total, 123 livestock farmers were interviewed. The survey found that most livestock farmers lacked knowledge about epizootic and zoonotic transmission of RVF, more male livestock farmers were familiar with RVF and risk mitigation strategies, and female livestock farmers are not viewed as reliable sources of information. Additionally, most livestock farmers had not vaccinated their animals against RVF despite past vaccination campaigns. Radio was the most popular communication channel. These findings show that RVF knowledge and information sharing are inadequate among livestock farmers in Eastern Province. Therefore, vaccination and education campaigns may need to be reevaluated within the context of these trends in order to prepare for future RVF outbreaks.     

生态脆弱区农户返贫脆弱性评估及其影响因素——以陇南山区为例

生态脆弱区既是生态环境最敏感区域,也是返贫问题较为集中的区域,返贫脆弱性作为评价农户返贫状况的重要指标,可为生态脆弱区农户的防返贫提供有效借鉴。以地处西秦岭的陇南山区为例,构建农户的返贫脆弱性评价指标体系,并利用微观调查数据,测度农户的返贫脆弱性水平,并利用分位数回归模型揭示其影响因素。结果发现:(1)陇南山区农户返贫脆弱性指数均值为0.103,整体处于中度脆弱水平,等级分布呈"两头小中间大"的橄榄形态势。(2)不同类型农户的返贫脆弱性水平存在分化特征,高山区、农业收入占比高、抚养比高的农户返贫脆弱性较高,且农业收入占比高、抚养比高农户的高脆弱群体占比也高。(3)不同抚养比农户的暴露度与适应能力差异最为显著,敏感性水平则在不同生计方式和抚养比农户中差异最大。(4)家庭规模的扩大可显著增强农户的返贫脆弱性,而交通便利度、网络覆盖率、未来生活预期、帮扶措施多样化和政策帮扶强度的提高可有效减缓农户的返贫脆弱性;政策帮扶强度削弱了高度脆弱农户因交通便利度低所致的返贫脆弱性,帮扶措施多样化则减弱了户主受教育水平高所发挥的降脆效果。     

Factors influencing smallholder orange farmers for compliance with GobalGAP standards

The inability of farmers to comply with global good agricultural practices (GlobalGAP) standards has led to food safety issues harmful to human health and sustainable agriculture. This study aimed to assess the extent of GlobalGAP compliance among orange farmers and investigate barriers associated with compliance. Data were collected with structured questionnaires from 238 orange farmers. The findings showed that the farmers’ rate of adherence to the GlobalGAP standards was moderate (mean 3.58). Using factor analysis, the following four groups were identified as key barriers to compliance: personal and economic barriers, awareness and information barriers, institutional-support barriers, and infrastructure barriers. Institutional support barriers were deemed most important by farmers in compliance decisions (mean 4.29), followed by personal and economic barriers (mean 3.89). Therefore, a focus on the barriers faced by smallholder farmers would be crucial to improve their adoption of food safety standards. This can enhance the quality of agricultural commodities, customers’ safety, and the livelihood of smallholder farmers.     

Evaluating Farmers’ Knowledge of Shade Trees in Different Cocoa Agro-Ecological Zones in Ghana

Shade trees are an integral part of most cocoa growing systems across the world. This study assesses farmers’ local knowledge of shade trees at two locations in Ghana with different climatic conditions and vulnerability to climate change. Akumadan is located in the northern dry part of the cocoa belt representing marginal conditions for cocoa cultivation, whereas Asankragua is located in the southern wet part, more ecologically favorable for cocoa cultivation. Inventories were conducted to assess the abundance of species, their structural characteristics and benefits to cocoa systems. Results show that cocoa farmers have detailed knowledge on the functions of shade trees in cocoa systems and prefer species that provide specific needs according to the location. However, abundance of species in a location does not necessary translate into beneficial impacts on cocoa productivity. In the drier part of the cocoa belt, income diversification through shade trees is an adaptation strategy to the increasingly marginal conditions for cocoa production, which has led to the high proportion of fruit trees among the most abundant species. In contrast, farmers in the southern part of the cocoa belt select shade trees for their high cocoa compatibility. Adaptation strategies for cocoa farmers should therefore promote species that best accommodate farmers’ economic, agronomic and environmental needs.     

Agricultural Science in the Wild: A Social Network Analysis of Farmer Knowledge Exchange

Responding to demands for transformed farming practices requires new forms of knowledge. Given their scale and complexity, agricultural problems can no longer be solved by linear transfers in which technology developed by specialists passes to farmers by way of extension intermediaries. Recent research on alternative approaches has focused on the innovation systems formed by interactions between heterogeneous actors. Rather than linear transfer, systems theory highlights network facilitation as a specialized function. This paper contributes to our understanding of such facilitation by investigating the networks in which farmers discuss science. We report findings based on the study of a pastoral farming experiment collaboratively undertaken by a group of 17 farmers and five scientists. Analysis of prior contact and alter sharing between the group’s members indicates strongly tied and decentralized networks. Farmer knowledge exchanges about the experiment have been investigated using a mix of quantitative and qualitative methods. Network surveys identified who the farmers contacted for knowledge before the study began and who they had talked to about the experiment by 18 months later. Open-ended interviews collected farmer statements about their most valuable contacts and these statements have been thematically analysed. The network analysis shows that farmers talked about the experiment with 192 people, most of whom were fellow farmers. Farmers with densely tied and occupationally homogeneous contacts grew their networks more than did farmers with contacts that are loosely tied and diverse. Thematic analysis reveals three general principles: farmers value knowledge delivered by persons rather than roles, privilege farming experience, and develop knowledge with empiricist rather than rationalist techniques. Taken together, these findings suggest that farmers deliberate about science in intensive and durable networks that have significant implications for theorizing agricultural innovation. The paper thus concludes by considering the findings’ significance for current efforts to rethink agricultural extension.     

Resource-Use Patterns in Swidden Farming Communities: Implications for the Resilience of Cassava Diversity

Resource-use patterns, especially through exchanges among farmers, may ultimately confer resilience to the local agrobiodiversity. We investigated the use of cassava ethnovarieties by swidden farming communities in Brazil, exploring the structure of networks depicting farmers and the varieties they cultivate. The emergent nested resource-use pattern indicated that all farmers shared a core of top-ranked ethnovarieties (most common/abundant) while some farmers also cultivate rarer varieties. This pattern may result of individual preferences. Due to the current loss of interest and cultivation area for traditional agriculture, we simulated the extinction of crop fields to evaluate whether nestedness conferred robustness to cassava diversity. The diversity of ethnovarieties of cassava tended to be conserved when farmers were randomly removed from the network than when we preferentially removed farmers with more diverse crop fields. Stem cuttings of ethnovarieties are commonly exchanged among farmers, thus the extinction of ethnovarieties within crop fields could be restored. Therefore, we suggest that the interplay between the farmer’s resource-use patterns and exchange system strengthens the resilience of cassava diversity, which is an important staple resource for such communities.     

Knowledge,attitudes, and practices (KAP) related to blood cholinesterase level among tobacco farmers in Northern Thailand

Abstract

Tobacco is one of the crops using a lot of pesticides, especially organophosphate and carbamate pesticides. A cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate knowledge, attitudes, and Practices (KAP) related to blood cholinesterase levels related to pesticide use among tobacco farmers. A questionnaire and a reactive-paper finger blood test were completed by 44 tobacco farmers. The results showed that most of the participants were females (75.0%) between 51 and 60 years old (54.5%). Almost 95.5% of respondents acknowledged that they should wear a mask while spraying and most of them read pesticide labels before use (93.2%). Most of the tobacco farmers had moderate level of knowledge and attitudes, 63.6% and 70.5%, respectively and good practice (84.1%). The prevalence of risky levels of blood cholinesterase among tobacco farmers in the study area was high. The study found a strongly significant association between level of knowledge and blood cholinesterase level (P < 0.001). Policy implementation and risk communication will be introduced to the community in order to develop a safety program. Government authorities should be provided with the appropriate recommendations regarding pesticide exposure of tobacco farmers in this area.     

Peridomestic structure, farming activity and triatomine infestation

The role of peridomestic structure and farming activity on triatomine infestation was studied on two vector species of Chagas disease (Triatoma pseudomaculata and T. brasiliensis) in Bahia State, northeastern Brazil. A randomly selected population issued from 136 farms was divided into four categories according to the householder activity. At regional scale, the dwellings of farmers working on degraded land of irrigated farms are less exposed to T. pseudomaculata infestation. At premises scale, the farmers and casual workers, who have smaller peridomiciles and less cattle, are also less exposed to T. pseudomaculata. The association of T. brosiliensis with the most mobile populations (casual workers and young breeders) suggests a passive transport of this competitive species. Finally, the retired farmers that own large premises and cattle, but have more sedentary behavior, are the most exposed to T. pseudomaculata infestation.     

Genetically modified crops and small-scale farmers: main opportunities and challenges

Although some important features of genetically modified (GM) crops such as insect resistance, herbicide tolerance, and drought tolerance might seem to be beneficial for small-scale farmers, the adoption of GM technology by smallholders is still slight. Identifying pros and cons of using this technology is important to understand the impacts of GM crops on these farmers. This article reviews the main opportunities and challenges of GM crops for small-scale farmers in developing countries. The most significant advantages of GM crops include being independent to farm size, environment protection, improvement of occupational health issues, and the potential of bio-fortified crops to reduce malnutrition. Challenges faced by small-scale farmers for adoption of GM crops comprise availability and accessibility of GM crop seeds, seed dissemination and price, and the lack of adequate information. In addition, R&D and production costs in using GM crops make it difficult for these farmers to adopt the use of these crops. Moreover, intellectual property right regulations may deprive resource poor farmers from the advantages of GM technology. Finally, concerns on socio-economic and environment safety issues are also addressed in this paper.     

多重压力下重点生态功能区农户生计脆弱性——以甘南黄河水源补给区为例

农户作为农村社会中最小的生计单元,面临着多重压力的冲击,这些压力不仅加剧了重点生态功能区农户的生计脆弱性,更威胁到该区生态服务功能的提升,当前亟需准确评估多重压力下农户的生计脆弱性,为制定可持续的生计政策提供借鉴。以甘南黄河水源补给区为例,利用入户调查数据,评估了多重压力下农户的生计脆弱性,分析了多重压力下农户生计脆弱性的形成过程。结果发现：（1）家人患病、子女学费开支高和自然灾害三种生计压力对甘南黄河水源补给区农户生计的影响最为剧烈,经济压力是该区农户面临最频繁的压力类型,但自然压力对该区农户的生计脆弱性影响最大;（2）经济示范区农户的生计敏感性最高,重点保护区农户的适应能力最低;（3）重点保护区农户的生计脆弱性最高,经济示范区次之,恢复治理区最低,自然压力冲击下农户的生计脆弱性最高;（4）不同类型的生计压力影响农户生计脆弱性的路径不同,自然压力通过影响自然资源依赖度与自然资本、社会压力通过影响饮水条件与社会资本、经济压力通过影响家庭抚养比与金融资本来影响生计脆弱性,生计压力之间的交互作用会增强农户的生计脆弱性。     

Pesticide handling practices,health risks,and determinants of safety behavior among Iranian apple farmers

Common safety practices in pesticide use were assessed among apple farmers in Ardabil Province, Iran. With reference to the place of storing pesticides, most farmers (60%) stated that they store the pesticides in stalls and warehouses, while 8.5% stated that they store the pesticides in their houses. The majority of the farmers (71.5%) stated that they prepare the pesticide sprays in the orchards or next to irrigation wells. Almost one out of three farmers (32.8 %) reported that they dump the empty containers in the orchard fields and almost an equal proportion (30.2%) reported that they usually bury the empty containers. Irritating (burning) eyes and blurred vision were symptoms that the majority of respondents had experienced. Most farmers used trousers, long-sleeved blouses/shirts, and gloves when spraying, but coveralls and goggles were rarely used. Age and farming experience negatively affected PPE use and safety behavior, namely old and experienced farmers did not follow safety rules. On the contrary, education, information about pesticides, and farming as the main profession promoted safety behavior. Overall, significant levels of exposure among farmers can be concluded due to pesticide use. The extension services should aim human safety in relation to pesticide use in agriculture.     

Farmers’ perception of termites in agriculture production and their indigenous utilization in Northwest Benin

Background

Although termites are considered as agricultural pests, they play an important role in maintaining the ecosystem. Therefore, it matters to investigate the farmers’ perception of the impacts of the termites on the agriculture and their indigenous utilization.

Methods

A semi-structured questionnaire was used to interview 94 farmers through 10 villages of Atacora department, in the northwestern region of Benin, to obtain information for the development of successful strategies of termite management and conservation. Their perceptions on the importance and management of termites along with the indigenous nomenclature and utilization of termite mounds were assessed. Termite species identified by farmers were collected and preserved in 80% alcohol for identification.

Results

Eight crops were identified by farmers as susceptible to termites with maize, sorghum, and yam as being the most susceptible. According to farmers, the susceptibility to termites of these crops is due to their high-water content and sweet taste. A total of 27 vernacular names of termites were recorded corresponding to 10 species, Amitermes evuncifer, Macrotermes subhyalinus, and Trinervitermes oeconomus being the most damaging termite species. All the names given to termite species had a meaning. The drought was identified by farmers as the main factor favouring termite attacks. Demolition of termite mounds in the fields was the most commonly reported control method. Salt and other pesticides were commonly used by farmers to protect stored farm products. The lack of effective control methods is the main constraint for termite management. In northwestern Benin, farmers reported different purpose utilizations of termite mounds and termites.

Conclusions

The study has shown that farmers perceived termites as pests of several agricultural crops and apply various indigenous control practices whose efficiency need to be verified. Utilization of termites and termite mound soil as food and medicinal resources underlines the need for a more focused approach to termite control for the conservation of non-pest termite species. The sensitization of farmers on the importance of termites as well as the development of an integrated control method to combat termite pests proved necessary.

     

Communal farmers of Namibia appreciate vultures and the ecosystem services they provide

Ecosystem services are cited as one of the many reasons for conserving declining vulture populations in Africa. We aimed to explore how communal farmers in Namibia perceive vultures and the ecosystem services they provide, with special focus on cultural and regulating ecosystem services. We surveyed 361 households across Namibia’s communal farmlands and found that over two-thirds of households liked vultures and found them useful, stating that they were harmless and useful for locating dead livestock. The minority of households who disliked vultures believed that they were killing their livestock. Poisoning was the main cause of vulture mortalities reported by farmers. While poisoning appears to be a concern for vultures in the communal farmlands, it appears that cultural use of vulture body parts is a minimal threat. We found that few farmers knew of cultural beliefs about vultures or uses for body parts; most farmers believed these beliefs and practices to be outdated. It is further promising that communal farmers have an overall positive perception of vultures. This highlights the potential for communal conservancies to bring attention to vulture conservation in their constituencies.     

基于参与性调查的农户对退耕政策及生态环境的认知与响应

采用参与性农户评估方法(PRA)对黄土丘陵区107户农户进行了分层随机抽样调查,并根据研究区内地形等条件将所调查农户分为旱地农户和川水地农户两组,就目前农户对退耕还林还草政策的态度及农户对生态环境的意识及行为的异同进行分析比较。尝试从农户行为角度研究区域发展问题,并基于对农户行为的分析,对区域相关政策制定、实施以及生态环境建设等提出相关建议。研究表明:研究区农户对于土地依赖性较大,旱地农户表现尤为突出,大多数农户对于退耕持支持态度。农户进行的相关水土保护措施,很大程度上并不是农户经过决策后有意识的自觉行为,而是农户为了保证基本农业生产,采取的相应的对策所产生的效应。在土地管理及水土保护措施方面,除了相关的种植措施外,旱地农户更多倾向于通过工程措施来获取好的回报,而川水地农户更多注重于现有土地质量的管护,来进一步提高现有耕地的质量。农户对于环境重要性的认识较为明确,川水地农户认识要比旱地农户更充分一些。与10a前相比,近80%的农户认为当地的生态环境有所好转,然而近45%的农户在生产活动过程中根本不考虑对生态环境的影响,两组农户之间差异不大。超过55%的农户认为生态环境恶化首要原因是气候的影响,干旱是关键因子,其次是过度放牧(24.5%)和水土流失(22.5%)等,两组农户对于生态环境恶化原因的认识具有较大的差别,旱地农户认为生态环境的恶化主要原因是干旱和水土流失,而川水地农户认为生态环境的恶化主要原因是干旱和过度放牧。     

Benchmarking the Environmental Performances of Farms (4 pp)

Background, Aim and Scope The usual route for improvement of agricultural practice towards sustainability runs via labelling schemes for products or farm practices. In most approaches requirements are set in absolute terms, disregarding the variation in environmental performance of farms. Another approach for promoting sustainable farming concerns the concept of benchmarking, which takes into account competition among farmers. The individual agricultural performance is characterized by quantitative criteria and compared with scores of other relevant farms. Methods Therefore, a pilot study has been conducted in the Netherlands concerning benchmarking among arable farmers in the Internet involving crop protection. A voluntary Dutch benchmark initiative in the Internet is described including farmers' perception regarding the tool. Results The results show that the benchmark tool in the Internet allows farmers to compare their environmental and economic performance anonymously and securely in a large-scale open-access environment. The pilot group of farmers responded positively to the instrument. An important factor in success is the ease and speed with which data can be entered into the benchmark tool. Conclusions A benchmark tool for comparing the environmental performance among farmers can form the basis for agreements between farmers and their costumers. An application involving food industry and retailers is discussed.     

A method for comparing pesticide usage patterns between farmers

A method is described for standardizing data from surveys of insecticide and fungicide usage, to enable comparisons to be made between farmers. Pesticide usage by the fruit and vegetable farmers surveyed was initially coded in units, and then standardized by taking each farmer's deviation from a regional average for the crop, expressed as standard measure. The vegetable farmers studied were less variable in their usage of pesticides for the control of aphid, caterpillar and blight on crops harvested late in the season rather than early (cabbage, lettuce, potatoes and sprouts). There was evidence that farmers did not heed the Beaumont period warnings issued by the Agricultural Development and Advisory Service (ADAS) for blight attack on potatoes. Also on potato crops, insecticide use against aphids was influenced by the level of fungicide usage for blight control. Standardized insecticide and fungicide usage values for individual farmers were very uniform. A two-way analysis of variance showed that most of the variation in the model was accounted for by variation between farmers rather than by variation between crops on the same farm. By expressing pesticide usage data in this standardized form, one can measure the element in pesticide usage which is not related to pest incidence. This can then be used to study the influence of other factors on pesticide usage.     

Production objectives,trait and breed preferences of farmers keeping N’Dama,Fulani Zebu and crossbred cattle and implications for breeding programs

Many local livestock breeds in developing countries are being replaced by exotic breeds, leading to a loss of genetic resources. In southern Mali, for the past two decades, a trend towards increasing crossbreeding between the trypanotolerant N’Dama cattle and the trypano-susceptible Fulani Zebu cattle has been taking place. A survey with 160 farmers owning a cattle herd was carried out in southern Mali to investigate their production objectives, as well as trait and breed preferences and correlated socio-economic determinants in order to understand farmers’ breeding decisions and to identify comparative advantages of three breed groups (N’Dama, Fulani Zebu and crossbreds) raised in the study area. Data were analyzed using an exploded logit model. The reasons for raising cattle, as well as trait and breed preferences reflected the multiple objectives of the farmers. Draught power and savings were the most important production objectives. Productive traits were ranked highest; farmers reported large body size as the most preferred trait, followed by fertility, draught ability and milk yield. Crossbreds were the favored breed group. Breed preferences were mainly explained by ‘resistance to disease’ for N’Dama cattle and ‘high market price’ for Fulani Zebu and crossbred cattle. Production objectives, trait and breed preferences were mainly influenced by farmer group (local farmers and settled transhumants). Local farmers put comparatively more emphasis on livestock functions linked to crop production such as draught power. They had a higher preference for traction ability as a selection trait and preferred N’Dama over Fulani Zebu cattle. Settled transhumants emphasized milk yield as a selection trait and preferred Fulani Zebu over N’Dama. The results indicate that the trend towards more crossbreeding will continue putting the N’Dama breed under high risk of genetic dilution in southern Mali. The N’Dama cattle remain a valuable breed due to their adaptive traits such as disease and drought tolerance and their good traction ability, fulfilling the diverse objectives of local farmers. Crossbreeding was found to be a promising breeding strategy, which might contribute to the maintenance of the local breed, provided that breeding schemes are thoroughly planned and organized.     

Attitudes of European farmers towards GM crop adoption

This article analyses European Union (EU) farmers' attitudes towards adoption of genetically modified crops by identifying and classifying groups of farmers. Cluster analysis provided two groups of farmers allowing us to classify farmers into potential adopters or rejecters of genetically modified herbicide-tolerant (GMHT) crops. Results showed that economic issues such as the guarantee of a higher income and the reduction of weed control costs are the most encouraging reasons for potential adopters and rejecters of GMHT crops. This article also examines how putting in place measures to ensure coexistence between GM and non-GM crops may influence farmers' attitudes towards GMHT crop adoption. Results show that the implementation of a coexistence policy would have a negative impact on farmers' attitudes on adoption and consequently may hamper GMHT adoption in the EU.