NJAS Wageningen Journal of Life Sciences This is an RSS file. You can use it to subscribe to this data in your favourite RSS reader or to display this data on your own website or blog.

Ethics of smart farming: Current questions and directions for responsible innovation towards the future
Discussions that fall under these themes have however not yet reached a satisfying conclusion, as there seem to be different ideas at work in the background regarding the purpose and function of digital farms in society. The pros and cons of these rivalling ideas are rarely foregrounded in the discussion. We suggest that future research should focus first on the content of these goals, especially on the content of societal and commercial goals and whether and how they can be combined in differing contexts. This will offer a lead to think about what data ought to be shared with whom, to set preconditions for trust between s...
Source: NJAS Wageningen Journal of Life Sciences - March 15, 2019 Category: Biology Source Type: research

A sustainable approach to fostering agricultural knowledge sharing in conflict-affected areas of Eastern Ukraine
Publication date: Available online 9 March 2019Source: NJAS - Wageningen Journal of Life SciencesAuthor(s): Andrew F. Fieldsend, Yana Voitovska, Farrukh Toirov, Ruslan Markov, Nevena AlexandrovaAbstractThe agriculture sector of the Donbass Region in eastern Ukraine is facing serious challenges caused by the ongoing military conflict and consequent disruption of the earlier-established value chains. An advisory service potentially could help farmers to adapt to the changed circumstances. To inform the development process, an interview survey was conducted among 80 farmers in the region of their perceived information and adv...
Source: NJAS Wageningen Journal of Life Sciences - March 11, 2019 Category: Biology Source Type: research

Social farming and work inclusion initiatives for adults with autism spectrum disorders: A pilot study
Publication date: Available online 4 March 2019Source: NJAS - Wageningen Journal of Life SciencesAuthor(s): Biancamaria Torquati, Gianluca Stefani, Giulio Massini, Lucio Cecchini, Massimo Chiorri, Chiara PaffariniAbstractIn recent years, an increasing number of social farming initiatives have involved adults with autism spectrum disorders, both to improve their life conditions and promote their work inclusion. Several studies have assessed these experiences, showing that the participants derive important benefits from being part of a social community, working in the countryside, and establishing a good relationship with th...
Source: NJAS Wageningen Journal of Life Sciences - March 5, 2019 Category: Biology Source Type: research

‘Smart farming’ in Ireland: A risk perception study with key governance actors
Publication date: Available online 14 February 2019Source: NJAS - Wageningen Journal of Life SciencesAuthor(s): Áine ReganAbstractAs research and innovation around Smart Farming further advances, there is a need to consider the impact of these technologies including the socio-economic, behavioural and cultural issues that may arise from their adoption. The current study explores the perceived risks and benefits arising from the development of Smart Farming in Ireland and in particular focuses on the different interpretations ascribed to risk issues by different actors. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 21 a...
Source: NJAS Wageningen Journal of Life Sciences - February 15, 2019 Category: Biology Source Type: research

Understanding the heterogeneity of smallholder production systems in the Andean tropics – The case of Colombian tomato growers
Publication date: Available online 12 February 2019Source: NJAS - Wageningen Journal of Life SciencesAuthor(s): Rodrigo Gil, Carlos Ricardo Bojacá, Eddie SchrevensAbstractIn developing countries, a common goal is to improve horticultural production systems as a strategy to increase food security and to improve the living conditions of these rural communities. However, smallholder-based agricultural systems are highly heterogeneous due to the wide range of biophysical conditions to which the crops are exposed, and the diversity in the management practices. In order to implement programs aimed at improving the productivity ...
Source: NJAS Wageningen Journal of Life Sciences - February 12, 2019 Category: Biology Source Type: research

Do consumers care about local feedstuffs in local food? Results from a German consumer study
Publication date: Available online 10 January 2019Source: NJAS - Wageningen Journal of Life SciencesAuthor(s): Adriano Profeta, Ulrich HammAbstractWe analyse if the introduction of a label showing a local feed origin is a promising product differentiation marketing strategy for animal products. Until now, animal products sold in Germany have not normally been labelled with any information about the feed origin. A Discrete-Choice experiment (DCE) was applied for pork cutlets and eggs. The German label ‘Regionalfenster’ (‘RF’) was used as the carrier for the local feed origin and different local feed-share levels (75...
Source: NJAS Wageningen Journal of Life Sciences - January 10, 2019 Category: Biology Source Type: research

Refining the smallholder market integration framework: A qualitative study of Ethiopian pastoralists
This study presents an in-depth qualitative investigation into the behavioral consequences of market integration for Ethiopian pastoralists. The findings show that pastoralists further strengthen their strategic connection to the market by the processes of market sensing and market responding, which enable them to offer livestock with the quality attributes demanded by buyers. Pastoralists engaging in these activities typically generate more revenue from the market, thereby improving their livelihoods. They are also more capable of adapting to changes in natural conditions and are more likely to change their lifestyles. Th...
Source: NJAS Wageningen Journal of Life Sciences - January 3, 2019 Category: Biology Source Type: research

Perceived climate risks and adaptation drivers in diverse coffee landscapes of Uganda
This study empirically provides evidence of diversity of rural coffee farm-households and climate vulnerabilities in Uganda. We specifically characterized farm-household systems in the coffee-based farming systems; identified perceived climate risks; identified generalized landscape-level and specific farm-household system-level adaptation practices; and determined socio-economic drivers that impacted uptake of adaptation practices. 688 farm-households were surveyed and asked what they perceived as major climate risks, and how they adapted to experienced shocks/stresses in Eastern (Arabica) and Central (Robusta) Uganda. Pr...
Source: NJAS Wageningen Journal of Life Sciences - January 1, 2019 Category: Biology Source Type: research

“If they don’t tell us what they do with it, why would we trust them?” Trust, transparency and benefit-sharing in Smart Farming
Publication date: Available online 17 December 2018Source: NJAS - Wageningen Journal of Life SciencesAuthor(s): Emma Jakku, Bruce Taylor, Aysha Fleming, Claire Mason, Simon Fielke, Chris Sounness, Peter ThorburnAbstractAdvances in Smart Farming and Big Data applications have the potential to help agricultural industries meet productivity and sustainability challenges. However, these benefits are unlikely to be realised if the social implications of these technological innovations are not adequately considered by those who promote them. Big Data applications are intrinsically socio-technical; their development and deploymen...
Source: NJAS Wageningen Journal of Life Sciences - December 18, 2018 Category: Biology Source Type: research

Transitioning towards commercial upland agriculture: A comparative study in Northern Lao PDR
Publication date: Available online 28 November 2018Source: NJAS - Wageningen Journal of Life SciencesAuthor(s): Catherine M. Hepp, Thilde Bech Bruun, Andreas de NeergaardAbstractUpland agricultural systems are rapidly transitioning from traditional shifting cultivation to more commercialized agriculture, i.e. annual cash crop cultivation – a trend widely observed in the uplands of Northern Lao P.D.R. and with consequences to household livelihood strategies at the village-level. The main objective of this study was to compare village and household socioeconomic standings of two upland agricultural systems varying in degre...
Source: NJAS Wageningen Journal of Life Sciences - November 28, 2018 Category: Biology Source Type: research

Saturation mapping of consistent QTLs for yield and days to flowering under drought using locally adapted landrace in rice (Oryza sativa L.)
Publication date: Available online 24 October 2018Source: NJAS - Wageningen Journal of Life SciencesAuthor(s): Ashish B. Rajurkar, C. Muthukumar, A. Bharathi, Helen Baby Thomas, R. Chandra BabuAbstractDrought stress is a major constraint for rice production in rainfed ecosystems. Landraces are reservoir of genes that can help in breeding drought tolerant cultivars. Utilizing the genetic potential of these locally adapted resilient germplasm using quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping and marker-assisted breeding (MAB) will hasten development of high yielding drought resilient cultivars. A total of 60 genomic regions linked...
Source: NJAS Wageningen Journal of Life Sciences - October 25, 2018 Category: Biology Source Type: research

Public-private partnerships as systemic agricultural innovation policy instruments – Assessing their contribution to innovation system function dynamics
Publication date: Available online 12 October 2018Source: NJAS - Wageningen Journal of Life SciencesAuthor(s): Frans Hermans, Floor Geerling-Eiff, Jorieke Potters, Laurens KlerkxAbstractThis paper addresses the question how public-private partnerships function as systemic innovation policy instruments within agricultural innovation systems. Public-private partnerships are a popular government tool to promote innovations. However, the wide ranging nature of PPPs make it difficult to assess their effects beyond the direct impacts they generate for the partners. This paper broadens the discussion on the evaluation of PPPs bey...
Source: NJAS Wageningen Journal of Life Sciences - October 13, 2018 Category: Biology Source Type: research

Adoption of climate change adaptation strategies by maize-dependent smallholders in Ethiopia
In this study, we investigate how maize-dependent smallholders in Ethiopia adapt to climate change. Both household and plot-level data were collected, and subsequently analysed by a multivariate probit regression model. Results show that most climate change adaptation strategies implemented by maize-dependent smallholders, are complementary. Combining conservation tillage, mixed maize-legume cropping and terracing along with the use of drought-resistant maize varieties allows farmers to increase productivity while building resilience to climate change more than a subset of these strategies. Findings indicate that the likel...
Source: NJAS Wageningen Journal of Life Sciences - October 5, 2018 Category: Biology Source Type: research

Diagnosing the potential of hydro-climatic information services to support rice farming in northern Ghana
Publication date: Available online 21 September 2018Source: NJAS - Wageningen Journal of Life SciencesAuthor(s): Emmanuel Nyadzi, Andy B. Nyamekye, Saskia E. Werners, Robbert G. Biesbroek, Art Dewulf, Erik Van Slobbe, Catrien J.A.M. Termeer, Fulco LudwigAbstractHydro-climatic information has a potential to improve agricultural productivity under climate variability. Recent developments in information sharing platforms (Environmental Virtual Observatories, EVOs) could make information provisioning more actionable. Here we present the results of a diagnostic study for the development of a hydro-climatic EVO that enables rice...
Source: NJAS Wageningen Journal of Life Sciences - October 5, 2018 Category: Biology Source Type: research

Techne meets Metis: Knowledge and practices for tick control in Laikipia County, Kenya
This article diagnoses tick control practices, knowledge underlying these practices and how knowledge is shared at the wildlife-livestock interface in Laikipia County, Kenya. It identifies diverse land use and tick control practices by different land and livestock owners from a scientific knowledge-based (techne) and context driven experiential knowledge-based (metis) perspective.Interviews, focus group discussions, observations and documents yielded qualitative data to unravel i) the historical development of tick control in Kenya ii) techne and metis tick control practices within three ranches and among pastoralists in L...
Source: NJAS Wageningen Journal of Life Sciences - September 6, 2018 Category: Biology Source Type: research