Indicators of sustainability as a tool in agricultural development: partitioning scientific and participatory processes

SUMMARY

Sustainable indicators have become popular tools by which policymakers can assess progress towards a more sustainable agriculture. Varying approaches to defining sustainability lead to disagreement about the value of indicators and yet some form of measurement is required so that society can judge the effects of policy. Environmental and social problems and their causes span national boundaries. An international framework for assessing agricultural activities, their effects and the pressures that drive those activities is therefore required. However, a guiding principle of the UN Agenda for Sustainable Development is that global problems require local action. Thus, indicators must provide information for policymakers as well as guidance for farmers and other practitioners. Many indicator programmes currently proposed do not provide this level of guidance as no evaluation as to what level of activity is sustainable has been agreed. A model is presented, to show how scientific and political or participatory approaches may be combined to meet the multiple objectives of involving people, maintaining scientific integrity and providing guidance for policymakers and practitioners alike.     

Assessing the relative impacts of the factors affecting MIS adoption process

Micro-irrigation systems (MIS) have been at the forefront of policy-making and social research in exploring determinants that could potentially impact the adoption of MIS technologies in the field to fulfil the basic aim of enhanced agricultural productivity and enriched nutritional quality of the produce with optimal adoption of natural resources. Therefore, this study was undertaken to determine why MIS technologies have not been adopted to the extent anticipated, so that suitable policy schemes, promotional schemes and socio-technical frameworks could be formulated for their enhanced adoption to enhance the socio-economic status of the farming community in the Dahod district of Gujarat State, India. A study of 350 non-MIS (NMIS) and 350 MIS farmers was conducted to identify factors affecting the MIS adoption process. The logit model was fitted using XLSTAT software (XLSTAT 2014.1.04) to the explanatory variables (determinants) of the MIS adoption process. Type III analysis and ANOVA were conducted to test the relative significance of the explanatory variables adopted. It was found that total income had the highest weight (or beta coefficient, i.e. 0.625) followed by total land area (0.546), motor horsepower (0.499), dependency ratio (0.397), and education (0.295) and age of household head (0.207). Furthermore, to assess the efficacy of the logit model, the ROC curve was also developed and the AUC was found to be 0.881, and therefore the model was considered to discriminate well in identifying the factors affecting the MIS adoption process. The study found that higher total income and education level increase the likelihood of MIS adoption and agricultural water management, and therefore special training programmes on installation, as well as repair and maintenance, of MIS systems and agricultural water management can be planned at the institutional/organisation level. The total cultivable area is also one of the important determinants in MIS adoption, and therefore the adoption of MIS schemes should not be restricted to large farmers only, but rather should be extended to both small and marginal farmers.     

Facilitating resilient rural-to-urban sustainable agriculture and rural communities

ABSTRACT

This article contributes to efforts to validate a common set of parameters and principles of sustainable agriculture. Comparisons between alternative forms of sustainable agriculture and rural-to-urban community resilience are investigated. Conclusions are drawn between multiple sustainable/alternative agriculture systems and evaluated. A set of common baseline parameters and principles is proposed as a method of evolving a common structural framework for strengthening sustainability of agriculture and rural contexts. Concepts of rural-to-urban community sustainability are proposed, supporting sustainable agriculture contexts as rural and urban. In the twenty-first century, agriculture is becoming more diversified and less typified as a rural occupation. Urban agriculture is expanding as the need for fresh, affordable, accessible agriculture produce increases in urban areas. Evidence supports symbiotic relationships between sustainable agriculture and rural/urban communities, although some claim this relationship has not been clearly defined.

This article investigates sustainable agriculture from two perspectives. We ask ‘what are common parameters and principles of the various forms of sustainable agriculture,’ and ‘why urban-to-rural context.’ Organic agriculture parameters and principles are proposed as a conceptual framework toward establishing baseline parameters and principles for sustainable agriculture. Best management parameters of urban and rural sustainable agriculture in the United States and the United Kingdom are examined for their potential to develop a strengthening framework of parameters and principles of agriculture and rural-to-urban sustainability. These results are compared and evaluated for their effectiveness in redefining current sustainable agriculture practices, and their value in strengthening sustainable agriculture symbiosis with rural-to-urban community systems.     

低碳农业评价指标体系的构建及对广东的评价

本文对低碳农业评价指标体系的构建进行深入探讨,主要从农业生产要素产出效率、能源利用低碳化水平、农业生产方式低碳化水平、农业碳汇效应4个维度构建指标体系,并运用德尔菲法、加乘混合合成法确立综合指标评价值及设定低碳农业发展水平的等级评价标准,以此为科学量化评价农业低碳发展水平提供一个简便工具,实现对低碳农业评价由定性描述向定量分析的转变。在此基础上,将该评价指标体系应用于对广东省低碳农业发展综合评价的实证研究,以期为农业决策者制定和实施科学的低碳发展政策提供依据。研究结果显示,2006-2010年广东省低碳农业发展水平与低碳农业发展要求尚有较大差距,处于从较高碳发展水平向中碳发展水平迈进的阶段;“农业生产方式低碳化水平”成为广东农业低碳发展的最大制约性因素;与全国其他9省区比较,广东省低碳农业发展综合指数属于中等偏下的位次。由此可见,当前广东省高碳化的现代农业发展模式,成为阻碍低碳农业发展的最大因素;而坚持现有耕地的有效保护与合理拓展有效耕地面积,并因地制宜地提高农地的复种指数,对增强广东种植业的碳汇效应,保护和改善生态环境具有关键性的作用。     

植被根系及其土壤理化特征在高寒小嵩草草甸退化演替过程中的变化

以野外样地调查和室内分析法研究了不同退化演替阶段高寒小嵩草草甸的植被根系空间变化和土壤环境因子间的关系。结果表明,不同退化演替阶段高寒小嵩草草甸群落植被根系和蕴育植被根系的土壤量发生了明显的变化。特别是0~10 cm土层的植被根系在重度退化阶段显著高于其它退化演替阶段（P〈0.05）,而蕴育植被根系的＂载体＂量在重度退化阶段显著低于其它退化演替阶段（P〈0.05）,根土比（根和土的重量比）明显高于其它退化演替阶段（P〈0.05）;随着退化演替阶段的进行,高寒小嵩草草甸群落物种数、地上部分、植被根系锐减,群落结构和功能明显发生变化;不同退化演替阶段,植被根系（0~40 cm）的垂直分布、根土比与土壤容重、土壤含水量以及土壤中N、P含量存在一定的相关性;不同退化演替阶段高寒小嵩草草甸土壤理化特性的变化影响草地群落地上部分和植被根系;土壤的稳定性是草地生产稳定和恢复的重要因素,在评价与改良退化草地时,要充分了解土壤的退化程度。在高寒草甸地下根系取样方法难以统一,而且土壤表层根系和土壤很难难以分离,加之根系采样破坏性大、工作量大,根土比可能是指示高寒草甸退化程度相对可靠的量化指标。     

秸秆还田配施化肥及微生物菌剂对水田土壤酶活性和微生物数量的影响

土壤微生物学特性是表征土壤质量的重要生物学指标。通过田间试验研究了秸秆还田配施不同配比化肥及微生物菌剂对水田土壤酶活性和微生物数量的影响。结果表明,与单施秸秆相比,秸秆还田配施N、P、K及微生物菌剂后,土壤过氧化氢酶、转化酶和尿酶活性分别提高了37.5%~68.8%、32.3%~61.5%和48.8%~102%,细菌和真菌数量分别提高了95.3%~174%、286%~351%,放线菌数量减少了34.5%~39.4%,差异显著。统计分析显示,土壤过氧化氢酶与尿酶活性之间及其酶活性与微生物数量之间关系密切。氨化细菌和硝化细菌数量主要控制土壤过氧化氢酶活性,真菌数量是转化酶活性的主要影响因素,而尿酶活性主要受细菌数量影响。秸秆还田配施微生物菌剂及平衡施肥可以促进酶活性的增强,使土壤微生物群落物种个体数增加更多,分布更为均匀。过量施用氮肥会抑制土壤酶活性和微生物的生长和繁殖。     

长江三角洲城市内河环境治理的居民支付意愿比较研究 ——上海、南京与杭州实例调查

应用意愿价值评估法(CVM)的技术调查上海、南京和杭州城市内河环境治理的居民支付意愿,并探讨研究结果是否在城市间保持稳定.基于1258份问卷的统计分析,结果显示:上海、南京和杭州居民的支付意愿均值分别为20.5,25.4,20.3元/(户×月);进一步的线性对数模型分析结果表明,收入、环境意识等变量在3城市都呈现显著影响,而户籍、教育等因素在各城市模型中存在显著性差异;3城市混合数据模型显示,南京样本支付意愿显著高于其他2城市样本,杭州与上海调查样本无显著性差异.上述结果揭示了不同城市居民对城市内河治理的支付意愿呈现稳定性,为意愿价值评估法在我国不同区域间的“效益转移”研究提供了实证支持.但另一方面,参数模型表现出一定的差异,需要对模型作进一步的优化.     

农业发展与环境协调性评价及其影响因素分析

利用中国1997~2009年间省际面板数据,在方向性距离函数模型的框架下测度农业环境技术效率,评价农业发展与环境的协调程度,并考察其演变的时空特征和驱动机制.结果表明:农业发展与环境协调性整体偏低,并且研究期内呈现波动状态;不同省(市)环境与农业发展协调性差异较大,其空间分布与经济发展水平、农业生产条件存在着对应关系;经济发展水平、农业结构变动、农业基础设施投资、农业资源禀赋和农业环境管理政策等因素对农业发展-环境协调性产生重要影响,这应是农业环境管理政策创新的重点.     

改性木质素磺酸盐煤炭抑尘剂的制备与研究

以木质素磺酸盐为主要原料,在50℃的反应条件下,与丙烯酸、氯化钙、四硼酸钠、甲基硅酸钠等发生化学反应,制备了一种铁路煤炭运输抑尘剂,并分别对抑尘剂的部分性能进行评价。结果表明:该产品所能承受的平均压力为7.105 N,2 min的水蚀率为2.1%,初始侵蚀风速为130 km/h,完全能够满足铁路煤炭运输的需求,避免煤炭在运输过程中的扬尘污染和损失;且制作过程简单便捷、无刺激性、无毒副作用。     

基于PCA-ELM模型的露采爆破振动对民房破坏的预测分析

针对露天采矿爆破振动对民房破坏的预测问题,采用主成分分析(PCA)和极限学习机(ELM)方法,选取爆破振幅、主频率、主频率持续时间、灰缝强度、砖墙面积率、房屋高度、屋盖形式、圈梁立柱、施工质量、场地条件10个主要影响因素。引入相关性分析在主成分分析过程中,对相关性高的指标进行降维,把得到的3个综合因子和爆破振幅、主频率、主频率持续时间、砖墙面积率作为输入变量,构建露天煤矿PCA-ELM预测模型。选取露天矿实际爆破过程中测量的100组数据作为模型训练样本,用另外20组数据作为测试样本进行预测。结果表明:对民房破坏影响因素中灰缝强度、房屋高度、屋盖形式、圈梁立柱、施工质量、场地条件之间具有较高的关联度。该模型处理高维数据时较传统的ELM算法具有预测精度高、稳定性好等特点,可准确预测爆破振动对民房的破坏程度,误判率为1/20。