The construction of Grain Production Functional Zone and Modern Agicultural Zone （Two Zones for short） plays a key role in the development of modern agriculture and solving the quantity and quality problems of agric...The construction of Grain Production Functional Zone and Modern Agicultural Zone （Two Zones for short） plays a key role in the development of modern agriculture and solving the quantity and quality problems of agricultural products. The Two Zones serves as the important form and carrier of agricultural standardization and the agricultural standardization provides means and ways for it. The paper puts forward the suggestions and solutions for agricultural standardization in Two Zones in the aspects of boosting standards innovation projects, management and so forth.展开更多
Swine rearing and pork production has recently attracted the growing interest of Ghanaian farmers who seek diversification of enterprises and existing farmers looking for alternatives following a period of low profita...Swine rearing and pork production has recently attracted the growing interest of Ghanaian farmers who seek diversification of enterprises and existing farmers looking for alternatives following a period of low profitability. Piggery was established to combine science and technology to generate innovations for anyone seeking to establish a new pig production enterprise. Results show that since 2008 to 2013, pork prices in Ghana rose rapidly between 115-120%. Also the rate of returns was higher at 43.62% compared to bank interested rate. Feed, as a percentage of total costs, were minimised from 70% to 55% with integrated lactobacillus brewer spent malt as supplement to formulated feed. The piggery project was highly successful and invested capital was recouped within two years of project take-off. Collaborating with other farms, organisations and entrepreneurs, a lot of research innovations in the area of improving feed cost, animal nutrition, waste management practices, and breeding have been generated and shared with both small and large-holder pig farmers. In all aspect of the farm management, results achieved so far especially with pork carcass quality and profit margins are encouraging which have led to the expansion of the piggery project.展开更多
Addition of biochar produced through thermal decomposition of biomass has been seen as a strategy to improve soils and to sequester carbon （C）, but wide scale implementation of the technology requires to devise inno...Addition of biochar produced through thermal decomposition of biomass has been seen as a strategy to improve soils and to sequester carbon （C）, but wide scale implementation of the technology requires to devise innovative profitable solutions. To develop biochar utilisation with an integrated system approach, an innovative program was implemented in 2012 on a 53-ha farm in Western Australia to determine the costs and benefits of integrating biochar with animal husbandry and improvement of pastures. Biochar was mixed with molasses and fed directly to cows. The dung-biochar mixture was incorporated into the soft profile by dung beetles. We studied the changes in soil properties over 3 years. Biochar extracted from fresh dung and from the soil to a depth of 40 cm was characterised. A preliminary financial analysis of the costs and benefits of this integrated approach was also undertaken. The preliminary investigation results suggested that this strategy was effective in improving soil properties and increasing returns to the farmer. It was also concluded that the biochar adsorbed nutrients from the cow＇s gut and from the dung. Dung beetles could transport this nutrient-rich biochar into the soil profile. There was little evidence that the recalcitrant component of the biochar was reduced through reactions inside the gut or on/in the soil. Further research is required to quantify the long-term impact of integrating biochar and dung beetles into the rearing of cows.展开更多
文摘The construction of Grain Production Functional Zone and Modern Agicultural Zone （Two Zones for short） plays a key role in the development of modern agriculture and solving the quantity and quality problems of agricultural products. The Two Zones serves as the important form and carrier of agricultural standardization and the agricultural standardization provides means and ways for it. The paper puts forward the suggestions and solutions for agricultural standardization in Two Zones in the aspects of boosting standards innovation projects, management and so forth.
文摘Swine rearing and pork production has recently attracted the growing interest of Ghanaian farmers who seek diversification of enterprises and existing farmers looking for alternatives following a period of low profitability. Piggery was established to combine science and technology to generate innovations for anyone seeking to establish a new pig production enterprise. Results show that since 2008 to 2013, pork prices in Ghana rose rapidly between 115-120%. Also the rate of returns was higher at 43.62% compared to bank interested rate. Feed, as a percentage of total costs, were minimised from 70% to 55% with integrated lactobacillus brewer spent malt as supplement to formulated feed. The piggery project was highly successful and invested capital was recouped within two years of project take-off. Collaborating with other farms, organisations and entrepreneurs, a lot of research innovations in the area of improving feed cost, animal nutrition, waste management practices, and breeding have been generated and shared with both small and large-holder pig farmers. In all aspect of the farm management, results achieved so far especially with pork carcass quality and profit margins are encouraging which have led to the expansion of the piggery project.
基金funded by the Linkage,Infrastructure,Equipment and Facilities (LIEF) grant from the Australian Research Council (ARC) (No.LE120100104)supported by the ARC (No.LP120200418),Renewed Carbon Pty Ltd.of Australiathe Department of Agriculture,Australian Government’s Carbon Farming Futures Filling the Research Gap (No.RG134978)
文摘Addition of biochar produced through thermal decomposition of biomass has been seen as a strategy to improve soils and to sequester carbon （C）, but wide scale implementation of the technology requires to devise innovative profitable solutions. To develop biochar utilisation with an integrated system approach, an innovative program was implemented in 2012 on a 53-ha farm in Western Australia to determine the costs and benefits of integrating biochar with animal husbandry and improvement of pastures. Biochar was mixed with molasses and fed directly to cows. The dung-biochar mixture was incorporated into the soft profile by dung beetles. We studied the changes in soil properties over 3 years. Biochar extracted from fresh dung and from the soil to a depth of 40 cm was characterised. A preliminary financial analysis of the costs and benefits of this integrated approach was also undertaken. The preliminary investigation results suggested that this strategy was effective in improving soil properties and increasing returns to the farmer. It was also concluded that the biochar adsorbed nutrients from the cow＇s gut and from the dung. Dung beetles could transport this nutrient-rich biochar into the soil profile. There was little evidence that the recalcitrant component of the biochar was reduced through reactions inside the gut or on/in the soil. Further research is required to quantify the long-term impact of integrating biochar and dung beetles into the rearing of cows.
