Organic farming, a low intensity system, may offer benefits for a range of taxa, but what affects the extent of those benefits is imperfectly understood. We explored the effects of organic farming and landscape on the activity density and species density of spiders and carabid beetles, using a large sample of paired organic and conventional farms in the UK. Spider activity density and species d...

The archaeological documentation of the development of sedentary farming societies in Anatolia is not yet mirrored by a genetic understanding of the human populations involved, in contrast to the spread of farming in Europe [1-3]. Sedentary farming communities emerged in parts of the Fertile Crescent during the tenth millennium and early ninth millennium calibrated (cal) BC and had appeared in ...

This paper examines what factor determines demand of firms for contract farming, and how the market condition affects their demand. 208 pork processing firms in Jilin and Henan Provinces in China faced a severe price competition, and failed to differentiate their products that allow them to raise selling prices. Under this market condition, few firms have demands for employing contract farming....

The objectives of the study were to provide quantitative information on the material benefits generated from urban farming in order to assess the contribution of this activity to the food security and nutrition of participating households and to explore the meaning of urban agriculture in the livelihood of participants. The study was conducted in five informal settlements of Atteridgeville, Pre...

Studies of climate impacts on agriculture and adaptation often provide current or future assessments, ignoring the historical contexts farming systems are situated within. We investigate how historical trends have influenced farming system adaptive capacity in Uganda using data from household surveys, semi-structured interviews, focus-group discussions and observations. By comparing two farming...

The recurring decimal of rural and urban poverty in Nigeria, resulting from lack of sustainable livelihood activities by the people due to non-diversification of the economy, necessitated this study. One hundred snail farmers were randomly selected in Akure North and Akure South Local Government areas of Ondo State, Southwest Nigeria where snail farming is widely practised. Data collection was ...

Nutrient content (Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium) monitoring in soils is essential for the proper use of fertilizers to minimize environmental impact wrong pattern fertilization practice. Collecting samples from different locations and laboratory testing takes longer costs a lot. New-generation digital sensors are smart enough replace chemical lab real-time with minimum effort almost precise ...

Organic farming technology may be relatively unknown to farmers at the time when they switch from conventional into organic farming. Therefore, experience gained over time and learning by doing may be important determinants in the efficiency of organic farming. It may also take time to reach the optimal nutrient stock of soil and optimal nutrient supply for arable crops under organic farming. T...

INTRODUCTION Occupational exposure to noxious dusts, gases, and fumes most likely contributes to obstructive lung disease. We studied whether self-reported farming work is associated with non-reversible airways obstruction. METHODS Following the burden of obstructive lung disease (BOLD) study protocol, we surveyed a gender-stratified population-based sample of 2,200 adults aged 40 years and o...

During the last decades, high-efficiency farming equipment has been developed in the agricultural sector. This has also included efficiency improvement of moving techniques, which include increased working speeds and widths. Therefore, the risk of wild animals being accidentally injured or killed during routine farming operations has increased dramatically over the years. In particular, the nes...