Evaluation of Heirloom and Commercial Cultivars of Small Grains under Low Input Organic Systems

Raizada

2017

Agric & Food Secur

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Here, we review the impacts of recent natural disasters in developing countries on rural agriculture and livelihoods with the objective of understanding gaps and providing recommendations. Lessons from these disasters demonstrate that national governments, aid agencies, and international/non-governmental organizations (I/NGOs) are effective primarily at distributing short-term products (e.g. food packages and tarpaulin) to cities. Such products are inexpensive, simple to procure, and easily quantifiable for donors. Unfortunately, the literature suggests that many national governments and foreign NGOs are ineffective at assisting rural farmers in the short and long term. Given that the global community is somewhat effective at distributing short-term products, we suggest that a similar strategy should be developed for rural areas, but focusing on products that can assist farm households. There appears to be a gap in knowledge of effective products that can target such households after a disaster. We propose an emergency sustainable agriculture kit (eSAK) framework for disaster relief in rural areas that involves a comprehensive list of products that can be combined into packages to address the needs of shelter, hunger, first aid, seeds, preservation of indigenous crop varieties, and post-disaster labour shortages. We also propose ideas on how to re-purpose relief products provided to urban areas to assist with farm needs. Products highlighted are rolls of agricultural-grade plastics, low-oxygen grain storage bags, waterproof gardening gloves, multi-use shovels, seeds of early maturing crops, fertilizers, inexpensive farming tools, temporary food support, and first-aid kits. These products are needed, inexpensive, labour efficient, compact, lightweight, available/procurable on a large scale, simple, and re-usable. Furthermore, correct use and re-purposing of the products can be explained using accompanying graphical illustrations, which is critical for rural illiterate households. As distribution to rural areas is a challenge, especially after a disaster, we propose the use of pre-existing alcohol/cigarette/snackfood distribution networks as a novel strategy for rural disaster relief. These efforts must be in partnership with local officials and grassroots organizations, with dedicated funding from governments and international aid agencies. It is hoped that global stakeholders will benefit from these recommendations to assist affected farmers after a crisis.

Section: Seeds Of Early Maturing Crop Varieties Along With Fertilizersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impacts of natural disasters on smallholder farmers: gaps and recommendations

Raizada

2017

Agric & Food Secur

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“…that reduce the use of synthetic fertilisers in crop production; and by providing tools and practices (i.e., genetic selection, optimal crop and soil management practices, and field testing of precision agriculture techniques) that sustain ecosystem services, input efficiency and environmental quality while adapting to climatic extremes [17][18][19][20][21][22]. Selection of crops and/or varieties with different root architectures (i.e., longer and finer roots, including greater number of tips and branching angle, and a lower shoot: root ratio) may also help tolerate drought conditions [23,24]. Intensive rotational grazing and forage/pasture improvement practices may be useful to feed an increasing number of livestock in the region.…”

Section: Testing/adoption Of Appropriate Crops and Cropping Systems Smentioning

confidence: 99%

Farming in Northern Ontario: Untapped Potential for the Future

2017

Agronomy

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Farming in Northern Ontario is limited to less than 1% of the total land area available. With over 2000 farms, this is home to about 6% of the province's population, concentrated in the five major southern border cities of Thunder Bay, Sault Ste. Marie, Timmins, Sudbury and North Bay, with a significant presence of indigenous (i.e., First Nations) and disadvantaged peoples. This review highlights the challenges and opportunities of agriculture in Northern Ontario and offers a few strategies for establishing and sustaining agricultural operations locally. The challenges of farming in this region include the prevalence of adverse climatic conditions, lack of crop/economic diversification, insufficient infrastructure and support services, presence of small local markets, an aging population and youth out-migration, attitudes of dependency on government and limited investment potential. Nevertheless, this region offers much potential for farming as it contains significant amounts of fertile soils, good road networks and affordable land to start up farm businesses. Furthermore, the changing climate could be a boon to improve growing conditions, with expanded cropping options and increased yields in recent years. Production and consumption of local foods, conducting innovative on-farm research that addresses the needs of local producers including First Nations peoples, fostering regional research centres, building relationships through networking, exchange of ideas through effective use of different extension avenues, and collaboration and assisting local producers with market development may help establish a more competitive and sustainable agrifood sector in Northern Ontario. Favourable government policies to support growers who have experienced damage to their crops, forages and livestock due to adverse climatic conditions will further help sustain and expand their agricultural operations.

“…Cultivars of hard red spring wheat (Scarlet), common bean (Red Kidney and Black Turtle), and fava bean (Bell) that performed well (i.e., in terms of synchronized maturity for combined harvesting, yield potential, protein content, and nodulation potential) in previous cultivar trials (Chapagain and Riseman, 2012) were selected for intercropping trials. Common bean (bush type with steep basal roots) and the fava bean (upright growth with extensive fibrous root architecture) were chosen to assess the impact of different genera (Vicia and Phaseolus) and different cultivars (Red Kidney or Black Turtle) on companion wheat plants.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Intercropping Wheat and Beans: Effects on Agronomic Performance and Land Productivity

Riseman

2014

Crop Science

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Declining land productivity associated with soil degradation is a significant issue for intensive wheat production. An intercropping system combining wheat and grain legumes may provide a farmwide production system that fulfills both economic and environmental concerns. We grew spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L. ‘Scarlet’) as a monoculture and intercropped with either a common bean cultivar (Phaseolus vulgaris L. ‘Red Kidney’ or ‘Black Turtle’) or a fava bean cultivar (Vicia faba L. ‘Bell’) without fertilizer in rows of wheat/bean 1:1 and 2:1 as well as broadcast arrangements during 2011 and 2012 to assess the impact of different genera (Vicia and Phaseolus) and cultivars (Red kidney or Black Turtle) on the wheat performance, land productivity, N and C accumulation in aboveground biomass, and soil mineral N balance. As baseline, the monoculture wheat plots yielded 3.2 t ha−1. However, wheat–fava bean plots displayed higher land equivalent ratio (LER) and total land outputs (TLO) with increased land productivity of 50% in the 1:1 and 32% in the 2:1 arrangements. Intercropped plots in row arrangements also improved wheat biomass nitrogen and grain protein content compared with monoculture plots. Wheat–fava bean in the 1:1 arrangement accumulated the highest N (34 kg ha−1, i.e., 176% higher) and organic C (2138 kg ha−1, i.e., 26% higher) in shoot biomass compared with monocultured wheat. Both NH4+ and NO3− pools were higher in intercrop plots with the highest mineral N balance in wheat‐fava bean in the 1:1 arrangement (+0.2 mg NH4+ and +1.1 mg NO3−kg‐1 dry soil). This study demonstrates that intercropping wheat with fava bean is an efficient strategy to increase land productivity while also increasing forage and soil quality.