Portable apparatus directly measures albedo from sensing areas <1000 m2 and captures differences from crops, seasons, and sub-hourly snowmelt.

OPINION article Front. Med., 03 September 2020Sec. Infectious Diseases – Surveillance, Prevention and Treatment Volume 7 - 2020 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2020.00486

An approach for rapid appraisal of agricultural landscapes was developed and applied to the Yaqui Valley, Mexico, in order to assess progress toward sustainability. Indicators were prioritized with input from stakeholders, and then data were collected to gauge progress toward targets for those metrics. This study identifies and addresses some of the practical challenges and limitations that arise when assessments must rely on readily accessible information. The sources and quality of information to determine baseline and target values and to support future monitoring are reviewed for indicators of soil quality, productivity, biodiversity, vulnerability, poverty, transparency, and economic implications of crop diversity. Appraisal results suggest land management practices that conserve and increase the efficiency of water and nutrient use contribute to achieving goals endorsed by stakeholders. And in this arid, irrigated region, risks for soil compaction and salinization must be monitored and minimized. The approach illustrates how common gaps in reliable and scale-appropriate data can be addressed by focusing on stakeholder priorities and best available information. The approach can be applied in other regions and landscapes to identify and test strategies designed to move toward increasing agricultural sustainability.

A systematic process for assessing progress toward landscape sustainability goals is developed and tested. Application of the approach builds capacity and promotes continual improvements in management practices, thus enabling timely action to address changing conditions while progressing toward locally defined goals. We consider how the approach applies to agricultural landscapes, that is farm ecosystem interactions with the environment and human well-being. We present lessons learned from applying the assessment approach in two contrasting situations: large, high-input, commercial agriculture in northwestern Mexico and small, low-input family farms in the Western Highlands of Guatemala. Applying the approach reveals five attributes required for success and the means to achieve those conditions. (1) Having a capable local champion for the project is critical. (2) Implementation of the approach must be in concert with local people and organizations as well as with regional and national policies and programs. (3) Identification and engagement of key stakeholders is essential. (4) Application of the approach is not meant to be a one-time effort but rather an ongoing and systematic process. (5) Engagement and buy-in from stakeholders including multiple agency levels is essential for allocation of necessary resources and logistic support in the continuing implementation of the approach.

Intelligent Agriculture, also known as e-agriculture, focuses on the enhancement of agricultural and rural development through improved information and communication processes. More specifically, e-agriculture involves the conceptualization, design, development, evaluation and application of innovative ways to use information and communication technologies (ICTs) in the rural domain, with a primary focus on agriculture. In the present book, fifteen typical literatures about intelligent agriculture published on international authoritative journals were selected to introduce the worldwide newest progress, which contains reviews or original researches on Agricultural Electrification and Automation, Agricultural Production, Agricultural Resources, Animal Breeding and Nutrition, Crop Physiology and Science, etc. We hope this book can demonstrate advances in intelligent agriculture as well as give references to the researchers, students and other related people.

There is widespread consensus about the need for landscape sustainability but little agreement about how to define or measure it. The aim of the paper is to present a systematic approach for measuring progress toward landscape sustainability goals. The approach was developed based on existing literature and our experiences in applying the approach to support more sustainable agricultural landscapes. Examples applying this approach are summarized for case studies in the United States (U.S.) and Mexico. The approach has six steps: the scope and objectives of the assessment are determined based on the particular context; indicators that alert pending concerns are selected and prioritized based on utility and relevance; baselines and targets are established for each indicator, and scenarios for consideration are determined; the indicator values are obtained and evaluated; trends in and tradeoffs among indicator values are analyzed; and good practices are developed, applied, and assessed. Insights gained from applying this approach suggest that designing sustainable landscapes depends on stakeholder engagement, effective communication, transparency and trust, timely monitoring, and continual improvement. Iterative application of the assessment approach builds capacity and promotes continual improvements in management practices, thus enabling timely responses to changing conditions while still progressing toward a set of locally defined goals.

The triple-bottom-line approach to sustainability in agriculture requires multi- and inter-disciplinary expertise and remains a major design and implementation challenge. Tools are needed to link extension agents, development workers, farmers, and other agriculture decision-makers to information related to practices that improve sustainability across agricultural landscapes. The digital age has brought many new cloud-based and mobile device–accessible software applications (apps) targeted at farmers and others in the agriculture sector; however, the effectiveness of these tools for advancing sustainability goals is unknown. Here, we review apps for agriculture in order to identify gaps in information provisioning and sharing for tools that connect decision-makers to knowledge in support of sustainable agricultural landscapes. The major findings are (1) Agricultural apps can be categorized as supporting regulatory compliance, equipment optimization, farming simulator games, information management, agronomic reference information, product tracking, pest identification, emissions accounting, or benchmarks for marketing claims. (2) Many apps are developed to link specific products for single solutions, such as GPS-guided crop implementation or sensors within Internet-of-things connectivity. (3) While pilots, prototypes, and case studies are available in both Apple and Android digital markets, public mobile apps to improve multidirectional agriculture knowledge exchange are limited and poorly documented. (4) There remains a need for apps emphasizing knowledge exchange and resource discovery, rather than simply information delivery, to help farmers identify evidence-based practices that improve indicators of sustainability. (5) Development of a digital decision support tool requires early and ongoing interactions with targeted end users to clarify app performance objectives and social networking preferences, ensure reliability of scientific input and business management plans, and optimize the user experience.

Research and development agencies, as well as policy makers and agri-food enterprises, need reliable data to support informed decisions that can improve the sustainability of agricultural landscapes. We present a review of agricultural sustainability assessment frameworks (ASAF) that identifies the features most relevant to monitoring progress towards sustainability goals for agricultural landscapes. This qualitative review considers a variety of approaches for defining goals and for selecting stakeholders, spatial and temporal boundaries, indicators, and analytical approaches. We focused on assessment frameworks that (i) include environmental, social, and economic implications of agriculture; (ii) are applicable to multiple, non-specified farm system types; (iii) are described in an English language, peer-reviewed publication; (iv) have been developed for use at a farm system to regional spatial scale; (v) engage stakeholders; (vi) provide case studies; and (vii) could be used in a variety of contexts across the globe. Based on the review, we provide recommendations for further development and use of assessment frameworks to better address the needs of agricultural research, extension, and development organizations. We recommend an agroecosystem approach to help stakeholders identify appropriate indicators for their situation. Assessment methods need to be flexible enough for adaptation to a spectrum of agricultural landscapes and changing environmental conditions, and remain relevant as farmers and other stakeholders acquire new information, resources, and different management techniques. We find that to address information gaps across different scales from farm to region will require creativity and some reliance on local knowledge systems to support adaptive management. Assessment results should communicate relationships among ecosystem services and socio-economic activities affected by agricultural landscapes. Visualization tools can facilitate understanding of trade-offs and synergies among sustainability goals as reflected by individual indicators.

Research and development agencies, as well as policy makers and agri-food enterprises, need reliable data to support informed decisions that can improve the sustainability of agricultural landscapes. We present a review of agricultural sustainability assessment frameworks (ASAF) that identifies the features most relevant to monitoring progress towards sustainability goals for agricultural landscapes. This qualitative review considers a variety of approaches for defining goals and for selecting stakeholders, spatial and temporal boundaries, indicators, and analytical approaches. We focused on assessment frameworks that (i) include environmental, social, and economic implications of agriculture; (ii) are applicable to multiple, non-specified farm system types; (iii) are described in an English language, peer-reviewed publication; (iv) have been developed for use at a farm system to regional spatial scale; (v) engage stakeholders; (vi) provide case studies; and (vii) could be used in a variety of contexts across the globe. Based on the review, we provide recommendations for further development and use of assessment frameworks to better address the needs of agricultural research, extension, and development organizations. We recommend an agro-ecosystem approach to help stakeholders identify appropriate indicators for their situation. Assessment methods need to be flexible enough for adaptation to a spectrum of agricultural landscapes and changing environmental conditions, and remain relevant as farmers and other stakeholders acquire new information, resources, and different management techniques. We find that to address information gaps across different scales from farm to region will require creativity and some reliance on local knowledge systems to support adaptive management. Assessment results should communicate relationships among ecosystem services and socio-economic activities affected by agricultural landscapes. Visualization tools can facilitate understanding of trade-offs and synergies among sustainability goals as reflected by individual indicators.

Research is lacking on the impact of alternative reduced tillage (RT) systems on vegetable crop performance and soil quality, especially in organic production systems, where weed control cannot rely on synthetic herbicides. A 2-year field study was implemented in Aug. 2010 in Knoxville, TN, to evaluate cover crop–based systems for organic vegetable production either with or without spring tillage. Treatments, all organically managed, included 1) Till (+ACC), spring tillage of a winter cover crop with aboveground cover crop biomass (ACC) retained and soil covered by polyethylene mulch; 2) Till (−ACC), spring tillage of a winter cover crop with aboveground cover crop biomass (ACC) removed before tillage and soil covered by polyethylene mulch; and 3) RT system with no spring tillage and mechanically terminated winter cover crop residue on the soil surface. Vegetable crops of eggplant ( Solanum melongena L.) and watermelon [ Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. et Nakai] were planted in 2011 and 2012, respectively. Crop yield, cover crop biomass accumulation, soil N and C dynamics, and weed density were assessed. Marketable eggplant yield and marketable watermelon yield did not differ among treatments, but weed density was higher in the RT system. Measures of soil quality after 2 years of the study indicated that particulate organic matter-carbon (POM-C) and -nitrogen (POM-N) were highest in the RT treatment, a significant increase as compared with values at the beginning of the study. As a measure of the active fraction of soil organic matter, this indicates that the RT system may best maintain and improve soil quality in similar regional organic vegetable cropping systems. As indicated by measures of soil quality and crop yield, removal of aboveground cover crop biomass did not negatively impact the Till (−ACC) system as compared with the Till (+ACC).

Interest is increasing in organic forage production and sod‐based rotations in the southeastern United States, but research‐based information is limited. A replicated field study was established to evaluate productivity and soil quality changes in five organically‐managed forage systems over 2 yr. Systems included four regionally‐adapted perennial systems and one warm‐ and cool‐season annual rotation: (i) alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), (ii) red clover (Trifolium pratense L.), (iii) alfalfa/orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.), (iv) red clover/orchardgrass, and (v) an annual system of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)/crimson clover (T. incarnatum L.) followed by sorghum–sudangrass [Sorghum bicolor × S. bicolor var. sudanense (Piper) Stapf.]. Soil quality was compared to two annual vegetable systems, one managed organically and one managed conventionally. Poultry litter was applied to organically‐managed systems in September 2010 (9 Mg ha−1) and in September 2011 (4.5 Mg ha−1). Mean annual forage yield was greatest from wheat/crimson clover and sorghum–sudangrass (12.4 Mg ha−1 yr−1), intermediate from red clover, red clover/orchardgrass, and alfalfa/orchardgrass (10.0–10.3 Mg ha−1 yr−1), and least from alfalfa (7.6 Mg ha−1 yr−1). Soil C (total and particulate organic matter‐C) increased over 2 yr in all forage systems which were similar, and was in most cases significantly lower in vegetable systems. Soil N (total and particulate organic matter‐N) increased in all forage systems and was highest in alfalfa and treatments containing red clover, and lowest in vegetable systems. Results suggest these short‐term forage systems are viable options for regional organic rotations.

Anaerobic soil disinfestation (ASD; also termed biological soil disinfestation) is a non-chemical process which includes 1) soil incorporation of a labile carbon (C) source, 2) mulching with polyethylene film to limit gas exchange, and 3) drip irrigation to saturation of the topsoil or bedded area. A number of putative mechanisms have been proposed as contributing to control of pathogens, nematodes, and weeds during ASD treatment, although not all have been well-characterized. Mechanisms include formation of organic acids and volatile compounds during anaerobic decomposition of the added C source, biocontrol by microorganisms favored by ASD treatment, and changes in soil chemical constituents under anaerobic conditions. In Tennessee, USA, growth chamber, greenhouse, and field studies have been conducted to evaluate and optimize the ASD procedure for regional production systems and to evaluate pest, soil, and crop responses resulting from differing C source rates and properties. A growth chamber study conducted using soil temperatures typical to spring soil disinfestation treatment in this region (15 to 24°C), suggests that C amendment rates less than 1 mg C g-1 soil for ASD treatment do not consistently decrease viability of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum sclerotia or decrease incidence of endemic Fusarium root rot of common bean compared to an unamended control. Variability in measures of accumulated anaerobic soil conditions and an observed soil pH increase in ASD-treated soils are also indicative of ineffective ASD treatment at low amendment rates. Other preliminary work suggests that amendment rates may need to be as high as 4 mg C g-1 soil for effective soil disinfestation at moderate soil temperatures. Studies to determine optimal amendment rates and properties for consistent ASD treatment at moderate soil temperatures are ongoing.

Anaerobic soil disinfestation (ASD) is a biologically based, non-fumigant, pre-plant soil treatment developed to control soilborne plant pathogens and plant-parasitic nematodes in specialty crop production systems. Soil treatment by ASD includes the incorporation of a labile carbon (C) source, tarping with plastic, and irrigation of the topsoil to saturation (5 cm irrigation) to create conditions conducive to anaerobic decomposition of the added C source. A field study was implemented beginning in Fall 2010 and repeated in the same plot locations in Fall 2011 in Knoxville, TN, to evaluate ASD. Soil properties, weed and Rhizoctonia solani population dynamics, and crop performance were evaluated after ASD treatment with several potential C sources for ASD before production of fresh-market tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum L. ‘Red Defender’) and red bell pepper ( Capsicum annum L. ‘Red Knight X3R’). Treatments included: 1) untreated control; 2) mustard seed meal (biofumigant control); 3) ASD with dried molasses; 4) ASD with soil-incorporated Indian mustard ( Brassica juncea L. ) , white mustard ( Sinapis alba L.), and arugula ( Eruca sativa Mill.) cover crop with molasses added at cover crop incorporation; 5) ASD with soil-incorporated Indian mustard, white mustard, and arugula cover crop; 6) ASD with soil-incorporated cereal rye ( Secale cereale L.) cover crop with molasses added at cover crop incorporation; and 7) ASD with soil-incorporated cereal rye cover crop. Accumulated soil anaerobic conditions were significantly greater than the untreated control in all ASD treatments except the ASD mustard/arugula treatment. Although not related to accumulated anaerobic conditions, populations of R. solani were lowest and equivalent to the biofumigant control for ASD cereal rye and ASD mustard/arugula treatments. Differences in weed populations and soil inorganic nitrogen among treatments were limited. Yield of bell pepper and tomato did not differ among treatments, which may have been partly the result of the low pest pressure observed at the site over the 2 years of the study.

Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) provides the world's dominant renewable textile fiber, and cotton fiber is valued as a research model because of its extensive elongation and secondary wall thickening. Previously, it was assumed that fibers elongated as individual cells. In contrast, observation by cryo-field emission-scanning electron microscopy of cotton fibers developing in situ within the boll demonstrated that fibers elongate within tissue-like bundles. These bundles were entrained by twisting fiber tips and consolidated by adhesion of a cotton fiber middle lamella (CFML). The fiber bundles consolidated via the CFML ultimately formed a packet of fiber around each seed, which helps explain how thousands of cotton fibers achieve their great length within a confined space. The cell wall nature of the CFML was characterized using transmission electron microscopy, including polymer epitope labeling. Toward the end of elongation, up-regulation occurred in gene expression and enzyme activities related to cell wall hydrolysis, and targeted breakdown of the CFML restored fiber individuality. At the same time, losses occurred in certain cell wall polymer epitopes (as revealed by comprehensive microarray polymer profiling) and sugars within noncellulosic matrix components (as revealed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of derivatized neutral and acidic glycosyl residues). Broadly, these data show that adhesion modulated by an outer layer of the primary wall can coordinate the extensive growth of a large group of cells and illustrate dynamic changes in primary wall structure and composition occurring during the differentiation of one cell type that spends only part of its life as a tissue.