19366 research outputs found
Sort by
Balancing the push and pull factors of land-use change: A New Zealand case study
No full textNew Zealand is increasingly facing environmental and social challenges associated with its current land-use choices. There is therefore a drive to find ways to continue to add value to its primary sectors, which are of significant economic value to the country whilst at the same time mitigating the externalities associated with the use of land in primary production. Next-generation systems (NGS) are identified as potentially being able to address these challenges. Through the application of a multi-criteria decision making tool, this paper identifies the factors that are important to individual land managers in terms of choice of land-use and how these factors may act as barriers or facilitators of change. By examining land-use change as a combination of push and pull factors between alternative systems, this paper highlights the complex and context specific nature of decision-making at the individual land-manager level and the importance of risk perceptions. It argues that simply pushing land managers away from land-uses that have “undesirable” characteristics through regulation is unlikely to lead to a sustainable transition without the existence of viable alternatives. There is a need to balance increasing the risk of current land-uses whilst at the same time reducing the risk of transitioning to next-generation systems
Impacts of plot size on maize yields and farm profits: Implications for sustainable land use and food security
No full textThis paper examines the impact of plot size on maize yields and farm profits, using plot-level data collected from Chinese maize farmers in 2013 and 2015. Unlike previous studies that have used either a parametric or non-parametric model, this study estimates a semi-parametric model. This model simultaneously estimates the impact of plot size on maize yields and farm profits non-parametrically and the impact of other control variables on the two outcome variables parametrically, which provides more insights. The findings reveal that plot size affects maize yields and farm profits differently. There is a ‘pan-shaped’ relationship between plot size
and maize yields. Specifically, we show that when increasing plot size from 0.1 to 1.5 mu and then to 65 mu, the maize yields decrease first and then become stable. When plot size is above 65 mu, maize yields increase as plot size increases. In comparison, our results indicate that as plot size increases, the farm profits of maize production monotonically increase. Our findings have important implications for sustainable land use and food security
The impact of selection and breeding for above-ground vigour on below-ground traits associated with weed competitiveness in wheat
No full textWeeds are a critical pest management issue for wheat producers. The weed competitiveness of wheat has typically been reduced through a century of selection for dwarf genotypes to prevent lodging and increase the harvest index. Many of the cultural and chemical strategies employed to manage weeds are costly and some may lead to the development of herbicide resistance. Therefore, novel and cost-effective integrated approaches for weed management in cereals are needed. One approach to enhance competitiveness without reducing harvest index is through selection for early shoot vigour. However, the impact of above-ground vigour on below-ground root traits and competitiveness has not been well characterised to date
Driving youngsters to be green: The case of plant-based food consumption in Indonesia
No full textEnvironmental degradation and the rising popularity of healthy, sustainable diets have increased public awareness of the importance of plant-based food (PBF). This creates opportunities for unique business development, and comprehending strategies to strengthen consumers’ favorable green attitude and behavior is crucial. Youngsters embrace this shift in food choice. This study aims to provide a holistic understanding of the formation of attitude and behavioral intention toward PBF by integrating consumption value, environmental concern, and perceived cost as the drivers, as well as assessing the gender moderating role. Data was gathered through online questionnaires from 334 young green customers from Indonesia’s greater Jakarta region. Using partial least squares for data analysis, this study reveals that environmental concern, and the functional, social, and conditional values are significant predictors of attitude and behavioral intention. Further, this research shows that gender does not moderate the association between attitude and behavioral intention, and its drivers. These findings provide guidance for PBF business managers to improve their competitiveness and, at the same time, contribute toward a more sustainable environment
Clinical features of patients hospitalised with COVID-19 from February to October 2020, during the early waves of the pandemic in New Zealand
No full textAim: As New Zealand transitions towards endemic SARS-CoV-2, understanding patient factors predicting severity, as well as hospital resourcing requirements will be essential for future planning.
Methods: We retrospectively enrolled patients hospitalised with COVID-19 from 26 February to 5 October 2020 as part of the COVID-19 HospitalisEd Patient SeverIty Observational Study NZ (COHESION). Data on demographics, clinical course and outcomes were collected and analysed as a descriptive case series.
Results: Eighty-four patients were identified across eight district health boards. Forty-one (49%) were male. The median age was 58 years [IQR: 41.7–70.3 years]. By ethnicity, hospitalisations included 38 NZ European (45%), 19 Pasifika (23%), 13 Māori (15%), 12 Asian (14%) and 2 Other (2%). Pre-existing co-morbidities included hypertension (26/82, 32%), obesity (16/66, 24%) and diabetes (18/81, 22%). The median length of stay was four days [IQR: 2–15 days]. Twelve patients (12/83, 14%) were admitted to an intensive care unit or high dependency unit (ICU/HDU). Ten (10/83, 12%) patients died in hospital of whom seven (70%) were not admitted to ICU/HDU; the median age at death was 83 years.
Conclusion: Despite initially low case numbers in New Zealand during 2020, hospitalisation with COVID-19 was associated with a high mortality and hospital resource requirements
Characterizing retained dormant shoot attributes to support automated cane pruning on Vitis Vinifera L. cv. Sauvignon Blanc
No full textBackground and Aims: The shortage of skilled pruners portends automation as an alternative. To train an Artificial Intelligence (AI) system in cane pruning, the attributes of grapevine dormant shoots were characterised.
Methods and Results: Eight attributes of dormant shoots, diameter, length, vertical and horizontal distance, node number, internode length, origin and position relative to bottom fruiting wire, were measured prior to and after pruning. Vine canopies were modified according to a 5 [total node numbers on canes: 10, 20, 30, 40, 50] × 3 [total node numbers on spurs: 1, 2, 3] factorial design. Compared to non-retained dormant shoots, retained dormant shoots were thicker (9.2 ± 0.07 mm), longer (104.7 ± 0.93 cm), close to the vine trunk (11.4 ± 0.65 cm) and below the bottom fruiting wire (83.2 ± 0.54 cm). Spurs had the shortest horizontal (9.8 ± 0.93 cm) and vertical (77.8 ± 0.7 cm) distance, originating from the vine head, base nodes and first nodes of old canes and old spurs. Modifying the vine canopy via increased node numbers had a significant effect on all retained dormant shoot attributes (P < 0.05) except on the position relative to the bottom fruiting wire.
Conclusions: Cane pruning in commercial vineyards is consistent and follows rules based on viticulture knowledge. Retained, non-retained dormant shoots, canes and spurs exhibit distinct attributes useful in quantifying, assessing and modelling cane pruning.
Significance of the Study: Data and knowledge from the research are currently being used in modelling and training AI cane-pruning algorithms
Plantaganet Ireland by Robin Frame
No full textThis is the fifth volume in the Trinity Medieval Series that follows the equally impressive Katherine Simm’s Gaelic Ulster (Four Courts Press, 2020). Simms focused on the region of Ulster with a similar beginning period but more expansive in reaching 1610. Robin Frame’s volume stops in the fifteenth century but concentrates on ‘English’ Ireland and the interactions between the Plantagenet kings and their 'subjects’ in Ireland. Frame’s vast historical scholarship is reflected in this collection of essays with some by his own admission having been exhumed from the 1970s. This mix of older work and some completely new chapters manage to encapsulate the perspectives and process in the colonisation of Ireland
The role of agricultural institutions in providing support towards sustainable rural development in South Pacific Island countries
No full textThis paper examines the agricultural training in higher education institutions and tertiary colleges, their pre-eminent role and how best they can contribute to alleviate poverty in rural communities in Fiji and other South Pacific island countries. These institutions provide support through training farmers (vocational and adult education) and/or extension officers and providing researchers. Unfortunately, agricultural training institutions are not adapting to the rapid changing times early enough and have more or less maintained the traditional way of training. There is a need for agricultural institutions to amend their programs to facilitate the new emerging areas, together with new learning and teaching frameworks, establish new partnerships with the private sector in addition to expanding their representation in governance in addition to holding continuous dialogue with policymakers. Further, these institutions can potentially showcase local customs and knowledge, mirroring the regional culture, and ethical customs of the Pacific island community, as well as global movements and development forces. In reinforcing their title role as contributors to a culture of education and rural agricultural development, we suggest that agricultural institutions engage more directly and more effectively in partnerships and dialogue with other local agricultural stakeholders and their surrounding rural communities in Fiji and other Pacific island countries
An analysis of the recent fire regimes in the Angolan catchment of the Okavango Delta, Central Africa
No full textBackground: This paper presents an analysis of fire regimes in the poorly studied Angolan catchment of the Okavango Delta in Botswana. We used MODIS data to examine the frequency and seasonality of fires over 20 years (from 2000 to 2020) in three dominant vegetation types (miombo woodlands, open woodlands and grasslands, and short closed to open bushlands), and in areas where people were present, and where they were absent.
Results: The median fire return intervals for both open woodlands and grasslands and short bushlands were relatively short (1.9 and 2.2 years respectively). In miombo woodlands, fires were less frequent (median return periods of 4.5 years). Human population density had no discernible effect on the fire return intervals, but about 14% of the miombo woodlands experienced no fires over 20 years. Ongoing shifting cultivation within miombo woodlands has led to structural changes and the introduction of fire into this vegetation type where fires were rare or absent in the past. About 12% of the miombo did not burn during the period examined where people were present, whereas close to 20% of the sites remained unburnt where people were absent. This suggests that people did not change the fire return interval in any of the vegetation types studied, but that they altered the amount of the landscape that is flammable in miombo vegetation. Fires occurred between June and September, with a peak in the late dry season (August and September).
Conclusions: Historical research indicates that late dry-season fires are detrimental to miombo woodlands, and our analysis suggests that degradation in parts of the catchment has led to the introduction of fire to this previously fire-free and fire-sensitive vegetation type. Deforestation of miombo woodlands, and the consequent introduction of fire, is a cause for concern with respect to the ecological stability of the Okavango Delta. Managers should therefore aim to protect the remaining closed-canopy miombo stands from further clearing and to attempt to shift the timing of burns to the early dry season to reduce their intensity
Putting the ‘Ag in the enviro’: Report 1: Review of recent professional development courses
No full textThe project ‘Putting the Ag in the Enviro’ aims to create professional development course to provide non-agriculturalists with an understanding of farming. This could assist them to use their environmental expertise to support farmers with the implementation of the Essential Freshwater package. The first report provided recommendations for a future professional development course based on a review of recent training courses in the agricultural sector