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Innovation Issues in Water, Agriculture and Food
Abstract
The main challenge faced by agriculture is to produce enough food for a continued increase
in population, however in the context of ever-growing competition for water and land, climate change,
droughts and anthropic water scarcity, and less-participatory water governance. Such a context implies
innovative issues in agricultural water management and practices, at both the field and the system or
the basin scales, mainly in irrigation to cope with water scarcity, environmental friendliness, and
rural society welfare. Therefore, this special issue was set to present and discuss recent achievements
in water, agriculture, and food nexus at different scales, thus to promote sustainable development of
irrigated agriculture and to develop integrated approaches to water and food. Papers cover various
domains including: (a) evapotranspiration and crop water use; (b) improving water management
in irrigated agriculture, particularly irrigation scheduling; (c) adaptation of agricultural systems to
enhance water use and water productivity to face water scarcity and climate change; (d) improving
irrigation systems design and management adopting multi-criteria and risk approaches; (e) ensuring
sustainable management for anthropic ecosystems favoring safe and high-quality food production, as
well as the conservation of natural ecosystems; (f) assessing the impact of water scarcity and, mainly,
droughts; (g) conservation of water quality resources, namely by preventing contamination with
nitrates; (h) use of modern mapping technologies and remote sensing information; and (i) fostering a
participative and inclusive governance of water for food security and population welfare.
... The main challenge faced by agriculture is to produce enough food for a continued increase in population [1]. Agricultural production of food needs to increase by an estimated 60% by 2050 to ensure global food security [2]. ...
In arid and semi-arid areas, integrated agriculture aquaculture (IAA) system represents an effective approach for sustainable agriculture and food Security. This study presents the effects fish water (FW), used in crop irrigation, on agricultural production and soil fertility. The experimental plot was divided into four subplots; two of them were cultivated by pea and the two others by faba bean. The crops were irrigated by both FW and borehole water BW (control subplots). FW and BW qualities were evaluated using their physicochemical properties and Water quality index (WQI). Their effects on soil fertility were estimated by analyzing soil organic matter and assessment of abundance and biomass of earthworms. Then, their impact on yield parameters was estimated. The results revealed that using WQI, FW was classified "excellent" for irrigation. It has increased soil fertility since the soil irrigated with BW was moderately rich in organic matter (1.9% and 1.3%) whereas soil irrigated by FW was rich (2.77% and 2.79%). The abundance and biomass of earthworms were significantly higher in the subplots irrigated by FW. Regarding, crops yields, both faba bean and pea were significantly influenced by FW. For instance, a significant increase in pods number per plant was counted for faba bean irrigated by FW compared with control (43.2 and 27.2 respectively) and pods weight per plant in pea had significantly increased (30.49%). The results indicate clear evidence that FW irrigation system optimizes water consumption, increases crops production and improves soil fertility.
... Unsustainable water use practices, including excessive groundwater extraction, can result in water scarcity and poorer water quality, which has a negative impact on the sustainability and productivity of agriculture. [59,61] Biodiversity loss (EN3) ...
Sustainable agriculture is crucial to the United Nations’ efforts to promote the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, to develop successful policies and strategies, it is necessary to assess the many obstacles to implementing sustainable agriculture. This study uses Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) techniques to analyze the challenges and opportunities facing sustainable agriculture in China’s economy, particularly in advancing the SDGs. Three enormous obstacles are found in the study, along with fifteen smaller ones that are broken down into economic, social, and environmental categories. The weights of the obstacles and sub-barriers are determined, and the solutions for sustainable agriculture are ranked using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Simple Additive Weighting (SAW) methodologies. According to the AHP approach, economic issues are China’s most significant obstacles to sustainable agriculture, followed by environmental and social concerns. Climate change and a lack of financial incentives are the two highest-ranked sub-barriers. On the other hand, the SAW approach suggests that the best ways to achieve the SDGs through sustainable agriculture are through international cooperation, financial investments in sustainable agriculture, and alternative agricultural methods. In order to advance sustainable agriculture and the SDGs in China, the report advises policymakers to focus on strengthening institutional support, increasing public awareness, and making technological investments.
... Our results corroborate the physicochemical properties of organochlorines (Cameira & Pereira 2019;Weber et al., 2010), since the residual contents of the insecticides endosulfan and DDTs are present in several sediment samples of the region, although they were not detected in waters, with the exception of a sample presenting residual endosulfan content. In other words, as they are insoluble in water and easily bound to soil particles, organochlorines are quickly adsorbed on bottom sediment particles. ...
The current development model of the agricultural sector in Brazil has considerable potential to cause negative environmental impacts, including the pollution of aquatic ecosystems, as it may contribute to the intensification of erosive processes on deforested soils, to the leaching of eroded materials, and to the consequent siltation of waterbodies with soil particles containing environmental pollutants. We aimed at assessing the occurrence of several pesticide residues in aquatic ecosystems located near large soybean crops of the Santarém region, in the eastern Brazilian Amazon. By adopting a methodological approach combining analytical and environmental chemistry, 10 groundwater samples, 18 surface water, and 15 drainage bottom sediment samples, all collected in streams from the study region, were analyzed. The study included a distributed sampling procedure covering an area of approximately 20 km², and the potential risks of the studied pollutants and their implications for the region were likewise examined and critically discussed. Results indicate that active ingredients such as the herbicides atrazine and metolachlor were detected in the waters, as well as organochlorine insecticides such as DDTs and endosulfan. The spatialization of the resulting pesticide concentrations in water suggests that the contamination would not be punctual but would rather come from various point sources. As for the sediments, glyphosate and DDT contamination was likewise pervasive. Our findings suggest the need of elucidating the sediment and water polluting effects of large-scale soybean crops in the Amazonian rainforest.
Extension in agriculture has been the bedrock of information sharing among agricultural communities for centuries, supporting the transmission of scientific progress from research centers to the fields of farmers. In the face of high-speed technological advancement, climatic change adversity, and dynamic socio-economic circumstances, the significance of agricultural extension cannot be overstated. This publication, Innovations in Agricultural Extension: Bridging Knowledge and Practice, explores the vibrant arena of extension services, with emphasis on revolutionary methods to improve knowledge transfer and uptake of best practices in agriculture.
The constantly expanding universe of digital technology, participatory methods, and farmer-driven methods has transformed extension service delivery. From artificial intelligence and mobile-based advisory systems to community-based initiatives and sustainable agriculture, the innovations presented in this volume are a testament to the variety of approaches taken to empower farmers. The book collects contributions from researchers, extension professionals, and practitioners who share their experiences on how contemporary extension services can efficiently bridge the research-practice gap in agriculture.
The book is organized to present a thorough insight into the conventional as well as modern extension methods. The book addresses important issues like the role of ICT in agricultural extension, participatory rural appraisal methods, climate-smart agriculture, policy initiatives for extension services, and case studies of exemplary extension schemes. Every chapter presents evidence-based analysis, imparting insightful information to researchers, extension agents, policymakers, and students involved in agricultural sciences.
The goal of this book is to be a useful guide for academicians, extension workers, and farmers alike. Through successful case studies and innovative models, we aim to inspire new directions for building strong agricultural extension so that knowledge can reach all farmers efficiently and sustainably.
We take this opportunity to thank all the contributors for sharing their experience and knowledge with us, thereby enriching the book with diverse inputs. We also appreciate the commitment of extension workers across the globe who work tirelessly to ensure the gap between research and farming is minimized. Their relentless effort is the real impetus towards sustainable agricultural growth.
We wish this book to be a thoughtful handbook, to elicit debates, studies, and more innovations in agricultural extension. Let us keep working together toward building stronger and knowledge-based agri-systems for a brighter and food-secure world.
The article highlights the importance of cultivation of major crops - cotton, both in the Republic of Uzbekistan and China, the problems arising from the use of furrow irrigation with surface water shortages in these countries. Proposals on the application of drip irrigation of cotton under cultivation for the purpose of rational use of water. Presents conclusions and expected results in the implementation of drip irrigation of cotton, given the calculations of irrigation norms and fertilizer, obtained data analysis.
The current development model of the agricultural sector adopted in Brazil has considerable potential to cause negative environmental impacts, including contamination of aquatic ecosystems, as it may contribute to the intensification of natural erosive processes on deforested soils, for the leaching of eroded materials, and to the consequent siltation of water bodies with soil particles containing environmental contaminants. Thus, the general objective of this doctoral research was to assess the occurrence of pesticides and metals in aquatic ecosystems located in rural areas of the metropolitan region of Santarém, and secondly examine the possibility of ecotoxicity of a glyphosate-based herbicide in typical aquatic organisms of that region. By adopting a methodological approach of analytical and environmental chemistry, 10 groundwater samples, 18 surface water samples and 15 drainage bottom sediment samples, all collected in streams from the study region, were analyzed, and such approach was complemented with an experimental laboratory ecotoxicological study to examine the possibility of acute and/or chronic ecotoxicity of Roundup® in Biomphalaria glabrata snails. As a result, herbicides such as atrazine, glyphosate and metolachlor were detected in water samples, as well as organochlorine insecticides such as DDTs and endosulfan, in addition to the presence of metals in different concentrations. This study included a distributed sampling procedure covering an area of approximately 20 km2 and the spatialization of pesticide results suggests that the contamination would not be punctual but would rather come from various sources. As for the sediment samples, in turn, glyphosate and DDT series contamination was widely spatialized. After the experimental analysis of the possibility of ecotoxicity, the potential risks of glyphosate and their implications for the study region of this thesis were critically examined and discussed, and it was found that in light of current Brazilian legislation the glyphosate concentrations observed in the field measurements would not pose significant risks to the biota of those aquatic ecosystems. From the analytical results, it was critically examined the Brazilian environmental regulatory framework, leaving gaps that allow the existence of an overlap of political and economic interests to the detriment of preserving environmental quality and ecosystems.
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