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2. Blueberry producers' attitudes towards harvest mechanization for fresh market
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Gallardo, Karina R. (author), Stafne, Eric T. (author), Devetter, Lisa Wasko (author), Zhang, Qi (author), Li, Charlie (author), Takeda, Fumiomi (author), Williamson, Jeffrey (author), Yang, Wei Qiang (author), Cline, William O. (author), Beaudry, Randy (author), Allen, Renee (author), and Washington State University Mississippi State University University of Georgia University of Florida Oregon State University Michigan State University
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2018-02
- Published:
- United States: American Society for Horticultural Science
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 11 Document Number: D10337
- Journal Title:
- HortTechnology
- Journal Title Details:
- 28(1) : 10-16
- Notes:
- 7 pages., Via online journal., The availability and cost of agricultural labor is constraining the specialty crop industry throughout the United States. Most soft fruits destined for the fresh market are fragile and are usually hand harvested to maintain optimal quality and postharvest longevity. However, because of labor shortages, machine harvest options are being explored out of necessity. A survey on machine harvest of blueberries (Vaccinium sp.) for fresh market was conducted in 2015 and 2016 in seven U.S. states and one Canadian province. Survey respondents totaled 223 blueberry producers of various production sizes and scope. A majority (61%) indicated that their berries were destined for fresh markets with 33% machine harvested for this purpose. Eighty percent said that they thought fruit quality was the limiting factor for machine-harvested blueberries destined for fresh markets. Many producers had used mechanized harvesters, but their experience varied greatly. Just less than half (47%) used mechanical harvesters for fewer than 5 years. Most respondents indicated that labor was a primary concern, as well as competing markets and weather. New technologies that reduce harvesting constraints, such as improvements to harvest machinery and packing lines, were of interest to most respondents. Forty-five percent stated they would be interested in using a modified harvest-aid platform with handheld shaking devices if it is viable (i.e., fruit quality and picking efficiency is maintained and the practice is cost effective). Overall, the survey showed that blueberry producers have great concerns with labor costs and availability and are open to exploring mechanization as a way to mitigate the need for hand-harvest labor.
3. Constraints to the utilisation of conservation agriculture in Africa as perceived by agricultural extension service providers
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Brown, Brendan (author), Nuberg, Ian (author), Llewellyn, Rick (author), and School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, The University of Adelaide CSIRO Agriculture
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2018
- Published:
- Elsevier
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 16 Document Number: D10460
- Journal Title:
- Land Use Policy
- Journal Title Details:
- 73: 331-340
- Notes:
- 10 pages., Via online journal., Conservation Agriculture (CA) is a knowledge-intensive set of practices which requires substantial access to functional agricultural extension services to enable utilisation. Despite this importance, the perspectives of those providing extension services to smallholder farmers have not been fully investigated. To address this, we qualitatively explore the perspectives of agricultural extension providers across six African countries to understand why uptake of CA has been limited, as well as the institutional changes that may be required to facilitate greater utilisation. Across the diversity of geographical, political and institutional contexts between countries, we find multiple commonalities in the constrained utilisation of CA by smallholder farmers, highlighting the difficulties non-mechanised subsistence farmers face in transitioning to market-oriented farming systems such as CA. The primary constraint relates to the economic viability of market-oriented farming where farmers remain in low input and low output systems with limited exit points. The assumed exit point used by CA programs appears to have led to a culture of financial expectancy and reflects a continuation of top-down extension approaches with inadequate modification of CA to the contextual realities of subsistence farmers. If African agricultural systems are to be sustainably intensified, we find a need for greater flexibility within extension systems in the pursuit of sustainable intensification. If extension systems are to persist with CA, it will need to be promoted through more transitional pathways that disaggregate the CA package, and with that there is a need for the provision of a mandate to, and necessary funding for, more participatory extension services.
4. Factors affecting paddy farmers' perception of utilizing agricultural machines in Indonesia
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Pullaila, Ani (author), Amrullah, Eka Rastiyanto (author), Astuti, Yati (author), and Ishida, Akira (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2018-08
- Published:
- Indonesia
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 202 Document Number: D12002
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development
- Journal Title Details:
- 10(8) : 150-157
- Notes:
- 8 pages, Online via UI Library electronic subscription., Research identified factors farmers' negative perception on utilizing rice transplanters and combine harvesters. Findings suggested that government agricultural extension services play a significant role in lessening farmers' negative perceptions.
5. Farmer perceptions of tunnels for berry production: management and marketing implications
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Conner, David S. (author) and Demchak, Kathleen (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2018-12
- Published:
- United States: American Society for Horticultural Science
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 11 Document Number: D10323
- Journal Title:
- HortTechnology
- Journal Title Details:
- 28(6) : 706-710
- Notes:
- 6 pages., Via online journal., Strawberry (Fragaria ×ananassa) and caneberries (Rubus sp.) are popular crops that can bring revenue to farms and may improve farm profitability. High and low tunnels can bring a number of benefits to growers, including season extension and improved berry yield and quality, as well as management challenges. Few studies in the literature report directly on grower experiences using tunnels. We report the results of interviews of 10 independent growers who use tunnels to produce strawberries and caneberries. The results echo previous studies finding improved yield and quality, and highlight benefits and challenges around pest, weed, and nutrient management. One novel finding is the role of season extension in creating marketing opportunities. Interviewed growers caution of a learning curve and the need to start on a small scale and grow gradually. Future focus for research should include improved ventilation and mechanization.
6. Farmers’ perceptions of coexistence between agriculture and a large scale coal seam gas development
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Huth, Neil I. (author), Cocks, Brett (author), Dalgliesh, Neal (author), Poulton, Perry L. (author), Marinoni, Oswald (author), and Navarro Garcia, Javier (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2018-03
- Published:
- Australia: Springer
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 6 Document Number: D10211
- Journal Title:
- Agriculture and Human Values
- Journal Title Details:
- 35(1) : 99-115
- Notes:
- Article first online 13 June 2017, Via online journal., The Coal Seam Gas (CSG) extraction industry is developing rapidly within the Surat Basin in southern Queensland, Australia, with licenses already approved for tenements covering more than 24,000 km2. Much of this land is used for a broad range of agricultural purposes and the need for coexistence between the farm and gas industries has been the source of much conflict. Whilst much research has been undertaken into the environmental and economic impacts of CSG, little research has looked into the issues of coexistence between farmers and the CSG industry in the shared space that is a farm business, a home and a resource extraction network. We conducted three workshops with farmers from across a broad region undergoing CSG development to explore farmers’ perceptions of some of the issues arising from large scale land use change. Workshops explored the importance of place identity and landscape aesthetics for farmers, farmers’ acceptance and coping with change, and possible benefits from off-farm income. We found that farmers believed that place identity was not well understood by CSG staff from non-rural backgrounds and that farmers struggled to explain some concerns because of the different way they interpreted their landscape. Furthermore, high staff turnover, and the extensive use of contractors also impacted on communications. These factors were the cause of much frustration and farmers felt that this has led to severe impacts on mental health and wellbeing. Farmers felt that a change in culture within the CSG companies will be required if engagement with farmers is to improve and that efforts to employ local people in these communications was helping this. The workshops also identified a range of issues perceived by farmers arising from increased traffic volumes, impacts to mental health and wellbeing, place identity and loss of water resources for farmers. Finally, it was suggested that scientists and agricultural industry groups will need to work closely with farmers to develop understanding of these emerging issues and to develop solutions that are timely and relevant.
7. Herd dynamics reflect constraint for pig production and farmer attitudes in smallholder systems in Lao PDR
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Tiemann, Tassilo T. (author), Phengvilaysouk, Ammaly (author), and Keonouchanh, Soukanh (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2018
- Published:
- Laos
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 5 Document Number: D10191
- Journal Title:
- Animal Production Science
- Journal Title Details:
- 58 : 2158-2166
- Notes:
- Via UI online subscription.
8. Soil conservation practices and stakeholder’s participation in research projects—empirical evidence from Southern Italy
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Salvia, Rosanna (author), Simone, Rosaria (author), Salvati, Luca (author), and Quaranta, Giovanni (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2018-06-14
- Published:
- MDPI
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 11 Document Number: D10333
- Journal Title:
- Agriculture
- Journal Title Details:
- 8(6) : 85
- Notes:
- 20 pages., Via open source journal., Adoption of soil conservation practices is promoted by increased engagement between researchers and stakeholders. By reporting a case study from southern Italy where farmers have been involved in research projects dealing with soil conservation over several years, we demonstrated that the rate of adoption of conservative technologies is positively linked to the degree of stakeholder participation in the project and that farmers (and other stakeholders) have been driven toward more conscious perception of the complex link between agricultural practices, environmental impacts and socioeconomic effects. The results of this study reinforce the pivotal role of effective participatory processes in soil conservation—evidencing the importance of (i) time required to build relationships and (ii) intensity (and persistence) of collaboration among similar initiatives. Empirical evidence highlights the need to combine different approaches to deal with soil degradation. As well as the participatory time length, the synergies between the methods utilized, and the range of interacting mind sets are also very important.
9. The extent that certain dairy farmer attitudes and behaviors are associated with farm business profitability
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- O'Leary, N.W. (author), Bennett, R.M. (author), Tranter, R.B. (author), and Jones, P.J. (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2018-12
- Published:
- Great Britain: Science Direct
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Document Number: D10187
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Dairy Science
- Journal Title Details:
- 101(12): 1-18
- Notes:
- pgs. 11275-11284, Via online journal, The way in which farm managers' attitudes, personality, behavior, values, and sociodemographic characteristics influence farm business performance is, at best, only partially understood. The study reported here expands on this understanding by analyzing the attitudes and personal attributes of 80 dairy farmers in Great Britain in relation to the profitability over 3 yr of their farm businesses. Business goals, temperament, purchasing behavior, and having a growth mindset toward the business were found to be associated with profitability. A linear regression model consisting of 5 variables related to the above was presented that predicts 34% of the observed variation in profitability. Each of these variables were questions related to the participants' personal attitudes or beliefs. Other assessed variables, such as specific husbandry behaviors or practices, or management practices and sociodemographic characteristics, did not warrant inclusion in the final model. These results uniquely contribute to understanding how the attitudes, personality, behaviors, and attributes of dairy farmers are associated with, and thus likely to influence, the profitability of their farm businesses.
10. The tweeting of the lambs: A day in the life of a modern shepherd
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Knight, Sam (author) and The New Yorker
- Format:
- Online article
- Publication Date:
- 2018-04-27
- Published:
- United States: Condé Nast
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 131 Document Number: D11315
- Notes:
- 11 pages., via online magazine publication