Farm buildings and agri-food transitions in Southern France:Mapping dynamics using a stakeholder-based diagnosis

This study's goal is to present a dynamic portrait of the farm-buildings environment in Occitania,in Southern France,in order to better identify the transitions underway in agri-food chains.To this end,we undertook a ter-ritorial diagnosis based on actor statements,using 28 semi-structured interviews across Occitania.This diagnosis was enriched by graphic modelling,which enabled the spatialization of the dynamics described.We show that the process of standardisation of farm buildings prevails in the majority of the territories studied.This phenomenon has intensified in recent years with the development of vast photovoltaic-roofed sheds,accentuating the farm-land conversion and soil sealing.At the same time,in areas with strong environmental,landscape and heritage contexts,a'new adventure in farm buildings'(2022 survey)is taking shape.It is primarily driven by local short food chains,which rely on self-construction,repurposing and refurbishment,the sharing of tools and equipment,and which favour the use and reuse of local resources.This study shows that farm-buildings dynamics crystallise many challenges confronting the reterritorialisation of agriculture and food production.

Technical efficiency of cocoa farms at varying elevation levels in Davao City, Philippines: implications to sustainable upland farming systems

Elevation is one of many components that influence agriculture, and this in turn affects the level of both inputs and outputs of farmers. This article focuses on the productivity and technical efficiency of 100 cocoa farms using cross-sectional data from areas ranging from 190 to 1021 m above sea level which were classified as low, medium, and high elevation in Davao City, considered as the chocolate capital of the Philippines. Using stochastic frontier analysis, the results showed that the cost of inputs per ha and the number of cocoa trees per ha significantly increase yield. Farms at high elevations were less technically efficient, as this entails lower temperatures and increased rainfall, and cocoa farming in those areas and conditions can be more challenging, especially with changes in farming practices, terrain, and distance to markets. Other significant variables were age of cocoa farms, married farmers, and age of the farmers. Older farms may be more developed, farmers who are married benefit from their spouses being able to readily contribute as farm labor, and lastly, older farmers' inefficiency may likely stem from nonadaptation of newer farming practices. With an average technical efficiency of 0.61, 0.63, and 0.26 in low, medium, and high elevation areas, respectively, farmers therefore have an incentive to improve farm practices and consider topographical variations found in high elevation areas. Recommendations for the improvement of technical efficiency of cocoa farms are better connectivity to markets, enhancing farm practices, and continuation and improvement of government programs on cocoa with an added emphasis on research. For farmers in high elevation areas, mitigating solutions such as sustainable agriculture practices and ecolabelling are key to improving efficiency and minimizing the potential negative impact on upland farming systems. Moreover, such adaptation measures may also contribute to sustainability of cocoa farming in high elevation areas.

Health Risk Assessment of Employees Exposed to Chlorination By-products of Recreational Water in Large Amusement Parks in Shanghai

Objective Chlorination is often used to disinfect recreational water in large amusement parks;however,the health hazards of chlorination disinfection by-products(DBPs)to occupational populations are unknown.This study aimed to assess the exposure status of chlorinated DBPs in recreational water and the health risks to employees of large amusement parks.Methods Exposure parameters of employees of three large amusement parks in Shanghai were investigated using a questionnaire.Seven typical chlorinated DBPs in recreational water and spray samples were quantified by gas chromatography,and the health risks to amusement park employees exposed to chlorinated DBPs were evaluated according to the WHO's risk assessment framework.Results Trichloroacetic acid,dibromochloromethane,bromodichloromethane,and dichloroacetic acid were detected predominantly in recreational water.The carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks of the five DBPs did not exceed the risk thresholds.In addition,the carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks of mixed exposure to DBPs were within the acceptable risk limits.Conclusion Typical DBPs were widely detected in recreational water collected from three large amusement parks in Shanghai;however,the health risks of DBPs and their mixtures were within acceptable limits.

The Impacts and Causes of Land Fragmentation on Farm Productivity: Case Review of East African Countries

This report provides an overall assessment of land fragmentation problems in East Africa. Many parts of East Africa have become highly fragmented, putting development systems and activities in these areas at risk of complete collapse. Land fragmentation occurs when land gets converted for agriculture, industrialization, or urbanization, invaded by non-local plants, or enclosed for individual use and by subdividing farmlands into subsequent smaller units called parcels with varying average farm sizes. Fragmentation results from inappropriate agricultural development processes and ineffective land use planning that fails to recognize how farmland is used, and the importance of its interconnected areas. Insecurity of tenure and resource rights are key factors in making this possible. Land fragmentation is one of the key reasons why the ability of most resources in East Africa becomes scarcer, and those remaining become “privatized” by more powerful community members—keen to maintain their access to them. Such individualistic attitudes are new and disadvantage the poorest even further by affecting the traditional customary safety nets and agricultural outputs. Neither the government nor customary governance systems effectively protect resource access for the poorest. This review summary report identifies the key causes, measures, and implications, government interventions, and the common remedies to land fragmentation problems in the East African Countries of Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and Tanzania including neighboring Ethiopia, and the Sudan. The findings indicated from 2005 to 2015, the population kept increasing for all the named countries in East Africa with Rwanda and Uganda having a substantial increase in population density. The study review further explores the trend in the performance of agriculture by average farm sizes within the intervals of five years by highlighting their strong linkages and found that the average farm size has declined drastically, especially for Kenya. This can only mean that small farms kept becoming smaller and smaller and that there were more small-scale farmers. The results further depicted that the major and commonly cultivated food crops among the East African countries include maize, sorghum, rice, cassava, sweet potatoes, bananas, Irish potatoes, beans, peas, etc., with maize yields (Mt/ha) in 2003 for Uganda being the highest (1.79 Mt/ha) and the lowest in Rwanda (0.77 Mt/ha) respectively. Therefore, from the review results, recommendations are being made as to how the negative impacts of land fragmentation on agricultural productivity can be reduced or mitigated. One way is by community sensitization and awareness about the importance of land consolidation and its proposition on farm productivity.

Enhancing microgrid renewable energy integration at SEKEM farm

This study explores the feasibility of implementing a hybrid microgrid system powered by renewable energy sources.Including solar photovoltaics,wind energy,and fuel cells to ensure a reliable and sustainable electricity supply for the SEKEM farm in WAHAT,Egypt.The study utilizes MATLAB/Simulink software to conduct simulations based on sun irradiation and wind speed data.Various control techniques,such as the proportional-integral(PI)controller,Fuzzy Logic Controller for PI tuning(fuzzy-PI),and neuro-fuzzy controllers,were evaluated to improve the performance of the microgrid.The results demonstrate that the Fuzzy-PI control strategy outperforms the alternative control systems,enhancing the overall dependability and long-term viability of energy provision.The hybrid system was integrated with a voltage source control(VSC)and fuzzy PI controller,which effectively addressed power fluctuations and improved the stability and reliability of the energy supply.Furthermore,it provides insightful information on how to design and implement a 100%renewable energy system,with the fuzzy PI controller emerging as a viable method of control that can guarantee the system’s resilience and outperform other approaches,such as the standalone PI controller and the neuro-fuzzy controller.

Wind farms increase land surface temperature and reduce vegetation productivity in the Inner Mongolia

Wind power has been developing rapidly as a key measure to mitigate human-driven global warming.The under-standing of the development and impacts of wind farms on local climate and vegetation is of great importance for their rational use but is still limited.In this study,we combined remote sensing and on-site investigations to identify wind farm locations in Inner Mongolia and performed landscape pattern analyses using Fragstats.We explored the impacts of wind farms on land surface temperature(LST)and vegetation net primary productivity(NPP)between 1990 and 2020 by contrasting these metrics in wind farms with those in non-wind farm areas.The results showed that the area of wind farms increased rapidly from 1.2 km2 in 1990 to 10,755 km2 in 2020.Spatially,wind farms are mainly clustered in three aggregation areas in the center.Further,wind farms increased nighttime LST,with a mean value of 0.23℃,but had minor impacts on the daytime LST.Moreover,wind farms caused a decline in NPP,especially over forest areas,with an average reduction of 12.37 GC/m^(2).Given the impact of wind farms on LST and NPP,we suggest that the development of wind farms should fully consider their direct and potential impacts.This study provides scientific guidance on the spatial pattern of future wind farms.

Smart Farming for Sustainable Rice Production:An Insight into Application,Challenge,and Future Prospect

Rice has a huge impact on socio-economic growth,and ensuring its sustainability and optimal utilization is vital.This review provides an insight into the role of smart farming in enhancing rice productivity.The applications of smart farming in rice production including yield estimation,smart irrigation systems,monitoring disease and growth,and predicting rice quality and classifications are highlighted.The challenges of smart farming in sustainable rice production to enhance the understanding of researchers,policymakers,and stakeholders are discussed.Numerous efforts have been exerted to combat the issues in rice production in order to promote rice sector development.The effective implementation of smart farming in rice production has been facilitated by various technical advancements,particularly the integration of the Internet of Things and artificial intelligence.The future prospects of smart farming in transforming existing rice production practices are also elucidated.Through the utilization of smart farming,the rice industry can attain sustainable and resilient production systems that could mitigate environmental impact and safeguard food security.Thus,the rice industry holds a bright future in transforming current rice production practices into a new outlook in rice smart farming development.

Mobile genetic elements facilitate the transmission of antibiotic resistance genes in multidrug-resistant Enterobacteriaceae from duck farms

Multidrug-resistant(MDR)Enterobacteriaceae critically threaten duck farming and public health.The phenotypes,genotypes,and associated mobile genetic elements(MGEs)of MDR Enterobacteriaceae isolated from 6 duck farms in Zhejiang Province,China,were investigated.A total of 215 isolates were identified as Escherichia coli(64.65%),Klebsiella pneumoniae(12.09%),Proteus mirabilis(10.23%),Salmonella(8.84%),and Enterobacter cloacae(4.19%).Meanwhile,all isolates were resistant to at least two antibiotics.Most isolates carried tet(A)(85.12%),blaTEM(78.60%)and sul1(67.44%)resistance genes.Gene co-occurrence analysis showed that the resistance genes were associated with IS26 and integrons.A conjugative IncFII plasmid pSDM004 containing all the above MGEs was detected in Proteus mirabilis isolate SDM004.This isolate was resistant to 18 antibiotics and carried the blaNDM-5 gene.MGEs,especially plasmids,are the primary antibiotic resistance gene transmission route in duck farms.These findings provide a theoretical basis for the rational use of antibiotics in farms which are substantial for evaluating public health and food safety.

Productivity and technical efficiency of Robusta coffee farms at varying elevation categories in Sultan Kudarat, Philippines: implications on sustainability

Elevation can affect agricultural outputs,affecting farms’productivity and efficiency.This article identified the significant production inputs influencing productivity and factors influencing technical efficiency(TE)and determined the average TE scores of Robusta coffee farms at varying elevations in Sultan Kudarat,Philippines.Cross-sectional data from the Mahintana Foundation,Inc.using random stratified sampling and power analysis from September 9,2021,to January 13,2022,were used to analyze 604 farms from areas ranging from 0.33 to 1284.18 above mean sea level(amsl),classified as low,medium,and high elevation.Open-Data-Kit-based(ODK)mobile data collection systems were utilized to precisely determine the farms’coordinates and elevation.Using stochastic frontier analysis,results showed that increasing the total fertilizer amount and total trees by 1%significantly increased yield by 0.20%and 0.79%,respectively.Meanwhile,increasing the total land area by 1%,including areas unutilized for coffee farming,decreases total yield by 0.11%.Regarding TE,results showed that TE decreases by approximately 0.58%at high elevations.Meanwhile,increasing net income from coffee farming alone by 1%significantly increases TE by 0.00008%.With an average TE of 0.60,0.77,and 0.63 in low,medium,and high elevations,farms may be incentivized to improve farming practices to increase their TE further.TE improvement recommendations include promoting coffee-agroforestry systems and ecolabelling at medium elevations,such as shade-grown coffee,to promote sustainable production in Robusta coffee farms by assigning a premium to consumers demanding environmental conservation.

Transient Stability Preventive Control of Wind Farm Connected Power System Considering the Uncertainty

To address uncertainty as well as transient stability constraints simultaneously in the preventive control of windfarm systems, a novel three-stage optimization strategy is established in this paper. In the first stage, the probabilisticmulti-objective particle swarm optimization based on the point estimate method is employed to cope with thestochastic factors. The transient security region of the system is accurately ensured by the interior point methodin the second stage. Finally, the verification of the final optimal objectives and satisfied constraints are enforcedin the last stage. Furthermore, the proposed strategy is a general framework that can combine other optimizationalgorithms. The proposed methodology is tested on the modified WSCC 9-bus system and the New England 39-bussystem. The results verify the feasibility of the method.

Contour Farming Suitability of the Black Soil Region in Northeast China and Its Spatial Characteristics

Contour farming technology plays a key role in reducing soil erosion,enhancing water use efficiency,and fostering sustain-able agricultural development,Despite being a straightforward yet efficacious farming technique,it has not seen widespread implement-ation in China.Considering the deteriorating quality of arable lands in the Black Soil Region of Northeast China(BSR-NEC),it is ne-cessary to investigate spatial patterns and identify suitable areas for contour farming in this region.To achieve this objective,spatial autocorrelation and grouping analysis methods were employed to classify the land into four categories of suitability for contour farming:highly suitable,moderately suitable,generally suitable,and unsuitable.The results reveal that:1)the contour farming suitable area in BSR-NEC covers 89861.32 km^(2),accounting for 21.59%of arable land as of 2020.Heilongjiang Province owns the largest suitable area of 32853.68 km^(2),and Inner Mongolia has the highest proportion of 28.89%.2)In terms of the spatial distribution,regions with higher suitability for contour farming are concentrated in the Da Hinggan Mountains region,particularly Nenjiang City(Heilongjiang Province),which has the highest area of 2593.07 km^(2).Areas with a high proportion of suitable arable lands for contour farming are mainly found in the Da Hinggan Mountains and Changbai Mountains regions,with Ergun City(Inner Mongolia)having the highest pro-portion at 47.2%.Regions with higher suitability and proportion are concentrated in the Da Hinggan Mountains region,primarily cover-ing the Inner Mongolia and Heilongjiang.3)Regarding spatial clustering,both the area and proportion of suitable contour farming areas exhibit noticeable clustering effects,though not entirely consistent.4)Group analysis results designate 148 counties in BSR-NEC as highly suitable areas,predominantly located in the Changbai Mountains region,Liaodong Peninsula,Hulun Buir Plateau,and the north and south regions of the Da Hinggan Mountains.The zoning of suitable areas for contour farming in BSR-NEC informs the strategic de-velopment of policies and measures,allowing for the implementation of targeted policies in distinct areas suitable for contour farming.This provides a valuable reference for promoting contour farming technology more effectively and efficiently.re effectively and effi-ciently.

GNN Representation Learning and Multi-Objective Variable Neighborhood Search Algorithm for Wind Farm Layout Optimization

With the increasing demand for electrical services,wind farm layout optimization has been one of the biggest challenges that we have to deal with.Despite the promising performance of the heuristic algorithm on the route network design problem,the expressive capability and search performance of the algorithm on multi-objective problems remain unexplored.In this paper,the wind farm layout optimization problem is defined.Then,a multi-objective algorithm based on Graph Neural Network(GNN)and Variable Neighborhood Search(VNS)algorithm is proposed.GNN provides the basis representations for the following search algorithm so that the expressiveness and search accuracy of the algorithm can be improved.The multi-objective VNS algorithm is put forward by combining it with the multi-objective optimization algorithm to solve the problem with multiple objectives.The proposed algorithm is applied to the 18-node simulation example to evaluate the feasibility and practicality of the developed optimization strategy.The experiment on the simulation example shows that the proposed algorithm yields a reduction of 6.1% in Point of Common Coupling(PCC)over the current state-of-the-art algorithm,which means that the proposed algorithm designs a layout that improves the quality of the power supply by 6.1%at the same cost.The ablation experiments show that the proposed algorithm improves the power quality by more than 8.6% and 7.8% compared to both the original VNS algorithm and the multi-objective VNS algorithm.

Identification of Microorganisms in Poultry Farms in N’djamena and the Border Areas of Hadjer-Lamis and Chari-Baguirmi Chad

Introduction: On the outskirts of Ndjamena, semi-industrial poultry farming and traditional poultry farming are practised informally on almost all poultry farms in Chad. This type of poultry farming is faced with real health problems attributable to a lack of monitoring of the vaccination schedule, inadequate compliance with biosecurity measures and poor application of the Ichikawa rule based on the 5 M’s. Objective: The aim of this article is to identify the microorganisms responsible for contamination of poultry farms in the study area. Method: The study was carried out from 28/04/2022 to 31/01/2023 on the basis of 300 samples taken from feed, drinking water, droppings and scrapings from poultry housing surfaces in the 30 farms that served as a framework for our research. Sampling was of the simple random type, and farms were selected on the basis of the farmers’ consent. The data were recorded on pre-established survey forms. Our study was cross-sectional, descriptive and prospective. Bacteria were isolated using the reference method NF EN ISO 6579 for Salmonella spp. and cultured on the specific medium eosin methylene blue (EMB) for Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas and Citrobacter freundii. Results: The following results emerged from this study: Escherichia coli (5.33%), Pseudomonas (1.33%), Citrobacter freundii (12%) and Salmonella paratyphi (21.68%). Conclusion: Of the 300 samples analysed, 121 (40.33%) were contaminated with pathogens. This high level of contamination is a health problem. The study shows that biosecurity is less satisfactory on the farms visited. Nevertheless, farms with a very satisfactory level of biosafety ensure food safety and variety for the population.

Progress in Analytical Methods of Halogenated Disinfection By-Products

Ensuring the health and safety of drinking water is crucial for both nations and their citizens.Since the 20th century,the disinfection of drinking water,effectively controlling pathogens in water sources,has become one of the significant advances in public health.However,the disinfectants used in the process,such as chlorine and chlorine dioxide,react with natural organic matter in the water to produce disinfection by-products(DBPs).Most of these DBPs contain chlorine,and if the source water contains bromine or iodine,brominated or iodinated DBPs,collectively referred to as Halogenated disinfection byproducts(X-DBPs),are formed.Numerous studies have found that X-DBPs pose potential risks to human health and the environment,leading to widespread concern.Mass spectrometry has become an important means of discovering new types of X-DBPs.This paper focuses on the study of methods for analyzing X-DBPs in drinking water using mass spectrometry.

Impact of Land Requisition for Military Training during World War II on Farming and the South Downs Landscape,England

The impact of WorldWar II on the physical landscape of British towns and cities as a result of airborne assault is well known.However,less newsworthy but arguably no less significant is the impact of the war on agriculture and the countryside,especially in South-East England.This paper outlines the building of an historical Geographical Information System(GIS)from different data sources including the National Farm Survey(NFS),Luftwaffe and Royal Air Force(RAF)aerial photographs and basic topographic mapping for the South Downs in East and West Sussex.It explores the impact and legacy ofWorldWar II on the agricultural landscape of this area through both the‘plough-up’campaigns aimed at increasing agricultural production and the occupation of farm land for military training purposes.Farms surrounding an area where extensive tracts of land were taken over for military training and defensive purposes on the Downs close to Brighton and the county town of Lewes in East Sussex are the focus of attention illuminating the beneficial and disruptive impacts of the government’s drive to increase food output by bringing land into more productive use by means of a‘plough-up’campaign and using formerly agricultural land for military training.These changes contributed to the transformation of the region into“an arable monoculture”and the virtual disappearance of traditional sheep rearing in the post-war decades.

基于改进深度Q网络的无预测风电场日前拓扑优化

风电场受风速变化等因素影响,出力易产生大幅波动,从而造成电压波动和网损增加等问题,影响风电场的安全高效运行。目前的风电场日前调控方案多基于传统的数学优化模型展开,且需要风机的日前出力预测数据,故无法完全避免的日前预测误差的引入造成日前优化调控方案有效性的降低,增加了日内风机调控的难度。因此,文中充分发挥强化学习模型的决策能力,提出了一种基于改进深度Q网络(DQN)的无预测风电场拓扑重构决策方案,并以DQN为框架展开。首先,构建基于历史数据的状态空间;然后,提出基于生成树的动作价值对解耦的动作空间优化方法,以最小化电压偏差和网损为目标建立优化评价体系,完成由历史实际出力数据到决策的映射关系构建,在避免引入预测误差的情况下实现风电场日前优化调控;最后,设计一种基于多层次经验指导的经验回放策略,提升算法的训练性能,保证算法的适用性。根据实际的风电运行数据进行仿真,通过对比分析改进技术对DQN算法的影响和优化调控前后风电场的运行状态,验证了所提方法的创新性和有效性。

新能源电场典型植被生物量及碳密度估算

为掌握新能源电场植被碳密度分配特征及其影响因素,揭示风电场运行对局地生态系统碳循环过程的驱动机制,以民勤红砂岗新能源风电场典型植物为研究对象,对风电场5个不同监测区域(上风向、中心、下风向、边缘及外部对照)开展植被调查及采样。并基于各样品生物量实测数据及碳含量测定数据,估算了风电场运行对区域典型植物群落生物量积累及碳密度的影响。结果表明:研究区植物生物量为10.24~554.93 gm^(-2),差异明显,且地上生物量>地下生物量;研究区植物碳密度差异明显,不同监测区域植物碳密度为风电场外部对照(1.63 thm^(-2))>下风向(1.34 thm^(-2))>中心(0.95 thm^(-2))>上风向(0.43 thm^(-2))>边缘区域(0.03 thm^(-2))。

非农就业、家庭代际与农户“两闲”盘活利用行为——基于江西省实证

基于江西省乡村振兴“双百双千”农户调研数据,采用二元Probit模型实证分析非农就业对农户“两闲”盘活利用行为的影响机制,检验家庭代际的调节效应。结果表明:初始参与非农就业对农户“两闲”盘活利用行为具有显著负向影响,未参与非农就业的农户更愿意盘活利用“两闲”资源,为改善生产和生活条件积累经济资本;非农就业收入会显著促进农户“两闲”盘活利用行为,非农就业收入较低的农户对“两闲”资源的依赖程度更高,进而更倾向于保留宅基地;家庭代际在初始非农就业参与对农户“两闲”盘活利用行为的显著负向影响以及非农就业收入对农户“两闲”盘活利用行为的显著正向影响中均具有负向调节作用。据此,建议加强农村宅基地制度改革政策宣传,促进农户有效就业,多渠道保障闲置宅基地流转有序进行,多措并举推进农村“两闲”盘活利用制度革新。

中国鱼类养殖的崛起、特色和发展方向

【背景】鱼类作为重要的水产品,具有高蛋白质、低糖、低盐、低脂肪等营养学特点,在保障人类食物和营养安全中发挥了重要作用。【进展】中国鱼类养殖历史悠久,著有世界最早的养鱼著作−《养鱼经》,形成最古老的生态养殖方式−桑基鱼塘,攻克了青鱼(Mylopharyngodon piceus)、草鱼(Ctenoparygodon idellus)、鲢(Hypophthalmichthys molitrix)、鳙(Aristichthys nobilis)等养殖鱼类的人工繁殖技术,拥有完善的鱼类生态养殖理论−“八字精养法”及丰富的渔文化。自20世纪80年代初以来,中国鱼类养殖技术不断创新、养殖模式绿色转型升级,养殖品种、面积和产量不断突破,形成了草鱼养殖产量独占鳌头、池塘养殖模式占据重要地位的特色渔业,以及“品种研究-集成技术-产业开发”的特色发展模式;完成了从“吃鱼难”到“吃鱼多”,再到“吃好鱼”的结构调整,海水养殖实现了从近岸到深远海鱼类养殖的跨越发展。目前,以鱼类养殖为主的中国水产养殖产量占世界养殖总产量的2/3,是世界水产养殖大国。【意义】随着中国水产绿色健康养殖技术“五大行动”的推进,中国鱼类养殖业“高效、优质、生态、健康、持续、安全”绿色发展,对提高人民生活水平和促进乡村振兴等具有重要意义。

基于遗传Data Farming的公共政策优化仿真模型

为了解决公共政策优化仿真时考察点不全面及耗费时间大的问题,提出了基于遗传Data Farming的公共政策优化仿真模型。所提出的模型中,Data Farming被用于全面地考察输入参数空间中各输入参数水平对应的输出响应,通过把仿真过程的输出过程看作适应度的计算,遗传算法被用于优化仿真过程,提高优化效率。分析了公共政策作用效果的影响因素,并介绍了传统的Data Farming技术,然后从仿真目标、模型框架、算法等三方面介绍了所提出的优化仿真模型。最后进行了实验,证明了所提出模型的有效性。