Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology
Volume:22 Issue: 2, Mar 2020

Population growth and loss of environmental capacities for food production have rendered the realization of food security a more complicated task as compared to the previous decades. To cope with this crisis, sustainable agricultural development can play a remarkable role in improving food security. The present study aimed to explore the spatial effects of agricultural sustainability on food security of rural households in 30 provinces of Iran over the period of 2006-2016. For this purpose, first, the overall level of agricultural sustainability using a Composite Sustainable Agriculture Index (ICSA) and weighting indicators were calculated based on Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method. The Aggregate Household Food Security Index (AHFSI) was used to determine the food security of households in rural areas. Also, the effectiveness of agricultural sustainability on food security of rural families, as well as other effective factors, was examined using the mixed Spatial Autoregressive (SAR) model with panel data. Results show that the spatial spillovers of the agricultural sustainability influence food security positively and significantly. In fact, 1% increase in the agricultural sustainability index of a certain province directly improves food security of the same province by 0.043%, while its food security is indirectly enhanced by 0.0131% with 1% increase in the agricultural sustainability index of other provinces. It is imperative for policymakers of the agricultural sector to invest in production infrastructure of different provinces in Iran and focus on enhancing sustainable production as a prerequisite for the establishment of sustainable food security.

Adoption of improved rice varieties is important for improving rice yield in Benin. This study employed a double-hurdle model to assess factors influencing the adoption of improved rice varieties using a cross-sectional dataset of 360 farmers randomly selected in the municipality of Malanville in Benin. Estimation of the first hurdle indicates that education, frequency of extension visits, frequency of farmer-based organization meetings, access to credit, participation in market, off-farm activities, fertilizer use, perception of soil fertility, access to media and ownership of mobile phone play significant roles in adoption decision-making process in the municipality of Malanville. The results from the second hurdle show that the land under improved rice is positively associated with education, rice-farming experience, credit, off-farm activities, and soil fertility. These findings suggest a strong institutional support measures for promoting the improved rice varieties in Benin.

The purpose of this descriptive-analytical research was to analyze the advantages and limitations of agricultural land consolidation in the villages of Dehgolan Township, Iran. The statistical population of this study included 190 farmers in the villages of Dehrashid (where the adaptive consolidation plan was implemented between beneficiaries) and Telvar (in which the plan has not yet been implemented among farmers). The samples were selected from 140 people by using the Krejcie and Morgan sample size table and stratified random sampling method. The data gathering instrument was a researcher-made questionnaire, which was presented to the faculty members of the Department of Rural Geography at Kharazmi University to confirm the face and content validity. Further, the reliability of the tested items was confirmed by using the Cronbach's alpha (α= 0.81). To analyze the data obtained from the farmers' opinions, multi-criteria decision making FTOPSIS (Fuzzy TOPSIS) analysis methods and linear regression in SPSS24 were used. The results of regression analysis indicated that the main obstacles of implementing consolidation in the studied area were "economic" (β= 0.416) and "technical" (β= 0.304). Also, there was a significant difference between the two periods before and after consolidation of agricultural lands in terms of crop production and reduction of operating costs. In general, the effects of consolidation indicated a higher level of crops production per unit area, yield per unit area, income from agriculture and its sustainability, job diversification, and a decrease in immigration in the studied villages.

The current empirical research was conducted to investigate the impact of drought on livestock production with the main objective of studying the role of adaptation strategies in the process of changing the farming mode from crop-oriented to livestock-oriented by farmers in Komijan Township, Iran. Komijan has been facing a long period of drought that has affected farming systems of the area. Primary data were collected through interview using a questionnaire. The statistical population of the study consisted of livestock farmers in the area (N= 1,000), out of which 200 people were selected. The participants in research were interviewed using simple random sampling and Descriptive–Correlation research method. Logistic regression was used as the main statistical technique. Logit function with an odds ratio of 70.4% showed that strategies of shifting livestock as well as production management were the main responses of the farmers to drought conditions. Those farmers with a high level of perceived vulnerability were more capable of adapting themselves to drought than the others. Hence, perceived vulnerability is associated with production or farming mode.

This study aimed at evaluating the reasons affecting organic food consumption of consumers in GAP-Şanlıurfa of Turkey. The sample size was determined using a 95% confidence interval and 382 questionnaire interviews were conducted. The participants were selected among the organic food consumers using a simple random sampling method. The Likert attitude scale, Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used for analysis. It was observed that the existing knowledge and publicity about organic foods were insufficient; the main source of information was the internet. The consumers prefer to buy organic foods directly from the producers and there is a need for the organic bazaar. The fresh fruits and vegetables have a consumption frequency of 74.1%, followed by milk and milk products with 56%. The most important reason for consumption is being hormone-free, as shown by 93.7% of respondents, followed by odor-taste and flavor, with 92.7%. Color-appearance-packaging ranked last in terms of importance. The education level, followed by income, occupation, gender, marital status, age, settlement location and number of household members, are reasons that significantly explain the consumption behaviors. This study is one of the first of its kind in the GAP-Şanlıurfa. The results are important for agricultural producers and policymakers concerning agricultural production, marketing, and rural development.

While scholars have recently started to connect organizational factors in preparing a firm for corporate entrepreneurship to organizational outputs such as financial and innovative performance, there is less understanding of the mechanisms explaining these connections and their boundary conditions. In this vein, this study theorizes how and when Organizational Preparedness for Corporate Entrepreneurship (OPCE) enhances corporate financial and innovative performance. Our observation of 256 firms in the food industry of Iran indicates that OPCE promotes financial and innovative performance through the mediating role of entrepreneurial orientation. Moreover, the relationship between OPCE and organizational outputs is stronger when firms perceive their business environment more dynamic. This provides a better understanding of the way firms can enhance their performance, in particular in the novel context of Iran as a developing country.

This paper analyzes the socio-economic determinants of Rainwater Harvesting Systems (RWHS) in Pakistan. The study was based on a survey of 200 farming households selected from two villages in Pakistan. A binary logit model was used to identify determinants of RWHS. The study found that the age of respondents, size of non-irrigated land, and household monthly income were statistically significant and positively related to the adoption of RWHS. On the contrary, variables such as occupation as laborer and membership of any Community-Based Organization (CBO), though significant, had an inverse effect on the adoption of RWHS. The overall model was significant as shown by P< 0.05 which depicts that the socio-economic characteristics of the population are the main factors contributing to the adoption of RWHS. The study recommends that increased public and private investment and active involvement of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and voluntary organizations for social mobilization are essential for the promotion of RWHS in Pakistan.

This study aimed to address analysis and zoning of sustainability of family farming system in Kermanshah province. To achieve this objective, two steps were taken: (1) Identification of a comprehensive framework to measure the sustainability of family farming system, and (2) Evaluation criteria and sub-criterion weight for the proposed framework by conducting Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process (FAHP). In this regard, firstly, 12 agrarian experts who had theoretical and practical experiences were selected by purposed sampling for FAHP. Secondly, descriptive cross-sectional survey was carried out on family farming system. Results of FAHP revealed that management, capitals, vulnerabilities, and stresses were of utmost importance in a context of sustainability of family farming system, respectively. According to the findings, Eslamabad-e Gharb and Harsin with scores of 72.91 and 58.76 have high sustainability. In contrast, Qasr-e Shirin (20.92) showed high unsustainability. Furthermore, Sarpol-e Zahab, Kermanshah, and Javanroud with values of, respectively, 57.95, 57.37, and 52.92 lie in the middle of the spectrum.

The current study was conducted to determine chemical constituents present in M. pulegium L and A. graveolens L. essential oils and investigate dietary effects of the herbal powders on some biochemical, hematological and oxidative stress parameters. A 42-day fully randomized trial was conducted using 240 broilers (Ross 308) divided into 4 main groups with three replicates, supplemented with the aerial parts of the plant materials as follows: (I) Control (corn-soybean meal only); (II) 1% pennyroyal; (III) 1% dill; (Ⅳ) the combination (0.5% pennyroyal+0.5% dill). Numerous active compounds were detected in the essential oils of both plants. 1,8-cineole was found to be the major constituent in pennyroyal's essential oil and Carvone in dill. The serum cholesterol, triglyceride as well as High and Low Density Lipoprotein (HDL and LDL) levels were significantly different among treatments (P< 0.05). However, the combination of both plants had more pronounced effects on the aforementioned parameters. A significant increase in total protein content also was observed in the groups supplemented with herbal powders. Nevertheless, dill powder had no significant effect on glucose levels. Heterophil and lymphocyte counts also were different between groups (P< 0.05). Moreover, activities of glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase and catalase were significantly changed following the herbal supplementation. A significant decrease in malondialdehyde content and increase in total antioxidant capacity were recorded in all supplemented groups. Conclusively, supplementation with the dried powders can improve serum biochemistry and enhance the antioxidant status. However, it seems like the combinatorial supplementation is more effective.

The study of soil particles displacement through the passage of a tillage blade can lead to an appropriate geometrical design of soil-engaging tools, which can reduce the energy consumption required for tillage. In this study, soil displacement by a conventional sweep was measured and modelled. The sweep had a cutting width equal to 150 mm, and it was tested in an indoor soil bin containing a loam soil with 5.5% moisture content (dry basis) at a working depth of 50 mm and a travel speed of 0.133 m s-1. Five pins with different colors were placed at the soil surface with a certain order in front of the sweep to model the interaction of soil and the soil-engaging part of the sweep. The pins movements were tracked for 10 seconds from the moment they were in touch with the sweep using a CCTV camera installed above the sweep. Experimental results showed a general trend of the highest displacements around the center of the path of sweep, reducing at further distance away from the center. The measured lateral displacement ranged from -167 to +71 mm due to the displacements of the pins. Furthermore, a polynomial equation was fitted to the path of each pin. The extremum of these equations indicated the highest soil displacement in the paths. The method presented in this study can be used in designing problems where agricultural engineers can study the effects of sweeps with different geometries on the trend of soil translocations during the tillage.

Microwave combined drying is an alternative technique that can be applied to dry foodstuffs, especially fruits and vegetables, due to shorter drying time and higher energy efficiency. In this regard, the effect of hybrid (microwave-conventional) drying conditions on drying kinetics, modeling, temperature profile, moisture and thermal diffusivities and activation energy of red pepper was investigated in a specially designed hybrid domestic oven. Three levels of microwave powers (120, 150, and 180W) and air temperatures (50, 60, and 70°C) were used. Both energy sources were applied simultaneously during the whole drying process. The drying process continued until the moisture content of the red pepper reached 10% on wet basis. Drying time decreased with increasing microwave power and air temperature. Temperature of red pepper slices sharply increased within the first 60 minutes, then reached equilibrium with drying medium and finally increased at the end of the drying process. Nine semi-theoretical models were applied to determine the drying behavior of the samples. Modified Logistic model was determined as the best model because it had the lowest RMSE and χ2 and the highest R2 values. Effective moisture and thermal diffusivity values increased with increasing microwave power and air temperature and ranged from 8.86×10-10 to 4.23×10-9 m2 s-1 and 4.57×10-10 to 1.81×10-9 m2 s-1, respectively. The activation energy of the dried red pepper slices was between 29.30 and 56.61 kJ mol-1. The hybrid drying can be used as an alternative drying method for red pepper drying.

In this study, the combined effects of various experimental parameters (solvent concentration, extraction temperature, pH, extraction time, and light conditions) on the recovery of phytochemical compounds from the jujube (Ziziphus jujuba var vulgaris) fruit were investigated in a batch system using a 25 full-factorial design. The independent variables were coded at two levels and their actual values were selected based on the results of single-factor experiments. Total Phenolic Content (TPC), Total Monomeric Anthocyanin Content (TMAC), and vitamin C content values were used for the determination of phytochemical compound content in jujube extract. The results showed that pH, extraction temperature, and solvent concentration were the most significant (P< 0.05) factors affecting the TPC, TMAC, and vitamin C content. The optimal extraction conditions of phytochemical compounds were found to be as follows: ethanol concentration of 60%, pH of 3, extraction time of 180 min, extraction temperature of 25°C, and absence of light. In the optimized conditions, the maximum experimental values for TPC, TMAC, and vitamin C content were 164.51 mg gallic-acid equivalents per gram of dry weight (mg GAE g-1 DW), 52.94 mg cy-3-glu 100 g-1 DW, and 137.12 mg L-AA 100 g-1 DW, respectively. The high content of phytochemical compounds in the jujube extract indicates that jujube extract might be considered as a potential source of nutraceuticals in the future.

The aim of this study was to check whether honey bee drones are also injured. We also compared the degree of injury to drones in own and stranger colonies. Drones were stored in mailing cages in their own colonies and stranger colonies. The number of injuries and the death rate were checked twice, after 3 and 7 days of storage. In total, over 4,608 drones were examined. Nine different types of injuries were observed for the drones, with leg injuries being the most common – lack of segments of tarsus (ca. 70-75% of all injuries). Other types of injuries included black arolia, missing arolia, wing and antenna injuries. The research showed that drones stored in bee colonies suffer injuries just like queens and worker bees do, though to a significantly lesser extent.This study also showed that storage of drones in mailing cages resulted in very high mortality of 62 to 75%.

The Egyptian cotton leafworm, Spodoptera littoralis (Boisduval) , is known as an important and highly polyphagous pest species worldwide. The objective of the present study was to evaluate synergistic effects of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki and NucleoPolyhedroVirus (SpliMNPV) on the 5-day-old larvae (2nd instars) of S. littoralis under laboratory conditions. To do this, the larvae of S. littoralis were fed on the treated artificial diet containing only one or combination of Bt (8.31×105, 2.78×107, 9.69×108 spore mL-1) and SpliMNPV (5.26×10, 7.03×102, 9.39×103 OB mL-1). According to the results, the mortality rate for most of the Bt-SpliMNPV combinations (different concentrations) was higher than that in the treatments containing only one of the studied biocontrol agents. The Bt-SpliMNPV combinations showed different types of interactions, including synergistic, additive, or antagonistic effects. The treatment containing 8.31×105 spore mL-1 of Bt and 5.26×10 OB mL-1 of the SpliMNPV was interpreted as synergism effect, as the real mortality (72.41±12.43%) was significantly more than the expected (48.28%). In addition, application of the Bt-SpliMNPV combinations could significantly increase larval and pupal periods, and reduce pupation, pupal weight and the adult emergence rate compared to the control and treatments containing only one of Bt or SpliMNPV. Finally, it could be concluded that co-application of Bt and SpliMNPV can enhance economic and efficient control of S. littoralis.

Intraguild predation and cannibalism (conspecific predation) of two generalist phytoseiid mites were determined in this study. Adult females and protonymphs of Neoseiulus californicus (McGregor) and Amblyseius andersoni Chant were considered as intraguild and cannibalistic predators, provided with eggs, eggs+larvae and protonymphs as intraguild or conspecific prey. A side from predator species and prey type (IG prey versus conspecific prey), females exhibited lowest predation rates on eggs. Not including prey type, the highest predation rate was recorded in A. andersoni and N. californicus when provided with eggs+ larvae. Female predators were not interested in the first nymphal stage of prey and there was no significant difference in consumption rates and oviposition when provided with conspecific or intraguild prey. Feeding on intraguild larval prey did not only increase mortality of A. andersoni immatures, but also decreased their consumption rates. For N. californicus immatures, predation on IG larval prey was higher than on conspecific larvae. Therefore, it seems that the predator species are able to survive on both con- and heterospecific prey.

Drought stress is one of the environmental factors influencing crops growth, development, and production. Two field experiments were performed in Karaj, Iran, to evaluate the drought tolerance indices of 17 winter rapeseed genotypes in 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 growing seasons. The factorial arrangement of treatments was set up as RCBD with three replications. To identify drought tolerant genotypes, several indices were used based on grain yield under normal and deficit irrigation conditions. Yield results showed that cultivars Artist (504.325 g m-2) and L72 (391.525 g m-2) were the superior treatments under normal and deficit irrigation conditions, respectively. According to correlation results, 3-D graphs were drawn based on Geometric Mean Productivity (GMP) and grain yield under normal irrigation and deficit irrigation to categorize the winter rapeseed genotypes in both years. In the first year, Zorica and Lauren were in group A, while in the second year; Mercure, SW102, L72, and HL3721 were in group A. Therefore, they had superior performance and stable grain yield under both irrigation conditions. Biplot diagram showed Lauren (first year) and Mercure (second year) were superior regardless of stress conditions. Altogether, under normal irrigation, Artist genotype, and under stress condition, Mercure, L72 and HL3721 genotypes could be used for cultivation.

The flavonoid and phenolic compounds are among the main pharmaceutical components of medicinal plants. These compounds are considered as effective anti-oxidant sources. Five cyanobacterial extracts were used to stimulate the plant growth and increase production of specific secondary metabolites in Plantago major as a medicinal plant. These cyanobacteria were isolated from the growth bed of the plant in its natural habitats. Nitrate-free BG11 medium was used for preparing axenic monoalgal cultures. Pot experiments were performed by spraying cyanobacterial extracts on the soil of treated plants every 20 days from the time of planting. Growth of plants was evaluated by measuring growth parameters such as plant height, root length, dry and fresh weight of plant, leaf number, leaf area, as well as inflorescence characteristics 60 days after planting. In addition to growth factors, the total amount of phenol and flavonoid of plants was also assessed. Statistical analysis showed that there was a significant difference in the vegetative and reproductive characteristics compared to the control plants. Also, the methanolic extraction of treated and control plants displayed the highest total phenolic and flavonoid content 77.23±3.21 µg of GA mg-1 and 389.67±34.43 µg of RU mg-1 in plants treated with Cylindrospermum michailovskoence. Based on the obtained results, cyanobacterial fertilizers are suggested as the biological elicitors to improve the quantity and quality of medicinal plants products. As a result of this study, chemical content of cyanobacterial extracts and the production of plant growth stimulating substances such as phytohormones can be proposed as factors affecting plant growth parameters and metabolites production.

Effects of salinity (0, 2, 6, and 8 dS m-1) on some photosynthetic parameters and morphological characteristics of 3 almond cultivars (‘Tuono’, ‘Shoukofeh’ and ‘Sahand’), with or without Salicylic Acid (SA) treatment (at 0, 1 and 2 mM), were studied in a factorial experiment using the completely randomized design with 3 replications, in a greenhouse experiment. Results revealed that while SA at 1 mM significantly improved morphological and photosynthetic properties of salinized plants, its relatively higher concentration (2 mM) impaired growth and photosynthetic attributes. Of the tested cultivars, Shokoufeh grafted on the GF677 rootstock showed higher salt tolerance than the others. This study provides convincing evidence with regard to the potential of SA in improving almond plant growth under salt stress; suitable concentrations of SA when added to saline situations helped the plants in osmotic adjustment for alleviating the harmful effects of salinity. Efficacy of SA may be tested under field conditions before recommending it as a practical tool to enhance almond plant performance in saline soils.

The effects of drought and salinity stresses on morpho-physiological characteristics of three Iris (Iris spp.) cultivars (‘Purple Blue Magic’, ‘White Madonna’ and ‘Blue Deep River’) were investigated. Drought stress experiment included three drought levels (60, 75, and 90% of field capacity), and the salinity stress experiment included four concentration of NaCl (0, 50, 100 and 150 mM). Different drought and salt treatments had significant effects on the morphological characteristics (leaf surface, main root diameter, number of branched roots and corm dry weight) and the physiological characteristics (Relative Water Content= RWC, Carotenoid, Lipid Peroxidation= MDA, and Electrolyte Leakage= EL) of the three iris cultivars. The best vegetative growth characteristics and physiological conditions were recorded under the control treatments [most favorable moisture conditions (90% FC) and without using salt in irrigation water] and the poorest were under the most severe stress conditions (60% FC and 150 mM NaCl in irrigation water). With increasing drought stress in 60% FC level and increasing NaCl salt treatments in 100 and 150 mM, no flower appeared in the ‘Madonna’ and ‘Blue Magic’ cultivar, respectively. In this aspect, only ‘Deep River’ cultivar could reach flowering phase and complete life cycle in both drought and salinity stresses. We concluded that the process of flowering in some iris cultivars were sensitive to drought stress and salinity. However, by selection, resistant or tolerant cultivars or genotypes could be identified and promoted under these abiotic stress conditions.

Converting feedstock into biochar is a popular approach to overcome the disposal problem, yet the role of waste type and pyrolysis temperature on biochar properties is not understood well. In this study, biochars were produced from various feedstock such as tea waste, apple wood, wheat straw and walnut shell at 300, 400, 500 and 600°C with 1-hour residence time. The results showed that increase in pyrolysis temperature significantly decreased biochar mass yield. The maximum and minimum mass yields were observed in walnut shell at 300˚C and apple-wood-derived biochars at 600˚C by 69 and 20%, respectively. The produced biochar had pH range between 5.3 to 9.7, and its pH value and ash content increased significantly with increasing pyrolysis temperature, except for walnut shell. Total concentrations of P, Ca, K, Na, Fe, Zn, Cu, and Mn and available concentrations of K, Ca, Mg, and P increased with pyrolysis temperature increasing in all samples, except at walnut shell-derived biochar. According to CHN analysis, by increasing pyrolysis temperature, the total carbon concentration increased but total nitrogen and hydrogen concentrations decreased. The pH value decreased with time until 72 hours, beyond which a near steady-state condition was attained. Relationships between pH and CaCO3-eq content of biochars were close and linear. The FT-IR spectra showed that aromatic C increased by increment in heating. Also, by increasing pyrolysis temperature, the mean pore diameter decreased but micropores volume increased and led to increase in the specific surface area of biochars. The results of this study suggest that biochars produced at 300 and 400˚C may have potential as fertilizer in calcareous soils because of low pH and EC, with high mass yield.

Accurate precipitation forecasts are much attractive due to their complexity. This study aimed to use the hybrid Seasonal Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (SARIMA) model and machine learning techniques such as Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) and Support Vector Machines (SVM) to improve precipitation forecasts. Time variation analysis and time series decomposition were the two concepts applied to construct the hybrid models. The performance of the two concepts was evaluated with monthly precipitation time series of two stations in northern Iran. Time variation analysis of time series was conducted with the clustering analysis, which increased the accuracy of forecasting with 20.99% decrease in the geometric mean error ratio for the two stations. SVM model decreased the forecasted error compared to ANN in the internal process of time variation analysis. Average of Mean Relative Error (MRE) were MRESVM= 0.72, MREANN= 0.89, and Mean Absolute Error (MAE) in the two stations were MAESVM= 18.02 and MAEANN= 23.88. Therefore, SVM outperformed the ANN model. Comparison of the two hybrid models indicated that more accurate results belonged to the concept of time series decomposition (the decrease in root mean square error from time variation to time series decomposition concepts was 13.35%). Extracting the pattern of data with SARIMA-based hybrid model with time series decomposition improved the precipitation forecasting. Configurations related to nonlinear components of time series with time steps of residual had good performance (the average of agreement index was 0.9). The results suggest that the hybrid model can be a valuable and effective tool for decision processes, and time series decomposition to linear and nonlinear components has a better performance.

Water is considered as the most important component, but a limiting input, for agricultural production in Iran. In the context of water resources management, due to the limited availability of water and high cost of supplying it to the users, improvement of water use productivity has been regarded as one of the most appropriate approaches to manage water demand. Various tools have been applied for water management policy in the context of preventing high levels of water deficit. In the present study, different policy scenarios related to water supply management are assessed. These include estimation of the impacts of each policy scenario on physical and economic productivity indices and employment, using positive mathematical programming methods and maximum entropy. This methodology was applied to water use in the Qazvin Plain, Iran. Results suggested that application of these policy scenarios not only decreased water consumption but also generated desirable social and economic effects. Results of the ranking showed that the policy of imposing tax on input generated the best results for the study area. However, it is admitted that selection of the best policy scenario is dependent on the weight that policy makers would select for various indicators.