Behavior of private retailers in a regulated input market: An empirical analysis of the fertilizer subsidy policy in Nepal

Shriniwas Gautam Dyutiman Choudhary Dil Bahadur Rahut (2022, [Artículo])

The private sector in Nepal participates in the regulated import and distribution of three types of subsidized fertilizer. However, almost 55% of the agrovets (family-owned microenterprises) that retail agricultural inputs do not comply. Many farmers rely on the fertilizer purchased through these agrovets, including subsidized ones. There is no private sector importer of the three types of fertilizer covered by the subsidy program, which indicates that the agrovets either acquire these through leakage in the government distribution system or through illegal cross-border trade from India, both of which are considered legal noncompliance. We discern the determinants for this noncompliant behavior of agrovets using logistic regression. The results from logistic regression suggest that the agrovets that are more likely to comply are registered, have membership in business associations, and have a higher number of competitors. Those with diversified business portfolios and covering a greater number of districts are less likely to comply. Key informants, consisting of both public and private sector stakeholders, were solicited for their views on solving this noncompliant behavior. The private sector unanimously asserts the need for deregulation of fertilizer imports and the participation of agrovets in the distribution of the subsidized fertilizer. In contrast, the public sector is skeptical of the ability and trustworthiness of the private sector in the import and distribution of quality fertilizer. We propose a middle ground to mitigate private sector noncompliance and suggest a policy revisit to increase the fertilizer supply and distribution efficiency.

Fertilizer Subsidy Policy Input Retailers CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA FERTILIZERS POLICIES MARKET REGULATIONS

Appraisal of complementarity of subsurface drip fertigation and conservation agriculture for physiological performance and water economy of maize

C.M. Parihar Hari Sankar Nayak Dipaka Ranjan Sena Renu Pandey Mahesh Gathala ML JAT (2023, [Artículo])

The Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP) in north-west (NW) India are facing a severe decline in ground water due to prevalent rice-based cropping systems. To combat this issue, conservation agriculture (CA) with an alternative crop/s, such as maize, is being promoted. Recently, surface drip fertigation has also been evaluated as a viable option to address low-nutrient use efficiency and water scarcity problems for cereals. While the individual benefits of CA and sub-surface drip (SSD) irrigation on water economy are well-established, information regarding their combined effect in cereal-based systems is lacking. Therefore, we conducted a two-year field experiment in maize, under an ongoing CA-based maize-wheat system, to evaluate the complementarity of CA with SSD irrigation through two technological interventions–– CA+ (residue retained CA + SSD), PCA+ (partial CA without residue + SSD) – at different N rates (0, 120 and 150 kg N ha-1) in comparison to traditional furrow irrigated (FI) CA and conventional tillage (CT) at 120 kg N ha-1. Our results showed that CA+ had the highest grain yield (8.2 t ha-1), followed by PCA+ (8.1 t ha-1). The grain yield under CA+ at 150 kg N ha-1 was 27% and 30% higher than CA and CT, respectively. Even at the same N level (120 kg N ha-1), CA+ outperformed CA and CT by 16% and 18%, respectively. The physiological performance of maize also revealed that CA+ based plots with 120 kg N ha-1 had 12% and 3% higher photosynthesis rate at knee-high and silking, respectively compared to FI-CA and CT. Overall, compared to the FI-CA and CT, SSD-based CA+ and PCA+ saved 54% irrigation water and increased water productivity (WP) by more than twice. Similarly, a greater number of split N application through fertigation in PCA+ and CA+ increased agronomic nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and recover efficiency by 8–19% and 14–25%, respectively. Net returns from PCA+ and CA+ at 150 kg N ha-1 were significantly higher by US$ 491 and 456, respectively than the FI-CA and CT treatments. Therefore, CA coupled with SSD provided tangible benefits in terms of yield, irrigation water saving, WP, NUE and profitability. Efforts should be directed towards increasing farmers’ awareness of the benefits of such promising technology for the cultivating food grains and commercial crops such as maize. Concurrently, government support and strict policies are required to enhance the system adaptability.

Net Returns Subsurface Drip Irrigation Subsurface Drip Fertigation CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA EFFICIENCY GRAIN NITROGEN PHOTOSYNTHESIS PHYSIOLOGY WATER SUPPLY CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE CONVENTIONAL TILLAGE FERTIGATION GROUNDWATER NITROGEN-USE EFFICIENCY WATER PRODUCTIVITY

Nitrogen fertilizer application alters the root endophyte bacterial microbiome in maize plants, but not in the stem or rhizosphere soil

Alejandra Miranda Carrazco Yendi Navarro-Noya Bram Govaerts Nele Verhulst Luc Dendooven (2022, [Artículo])

Plant-associated microorganisms that affect plant development, their composition, and their functionality are determined by the host, soil conditions, and agricultural practices. How agricultural practices affect the rhizosphere microbiome has been well studied, but less is known about how they might affect plant endophytes. In this study, the metagenomic DNA from the rhizosphere and endophyte communities of root and stem of maize plants was extracted and sequenced with the “diversity arrays technology sequencing,” while the bacterial community and functionality (organized by subsystems from general to specific functions) were investigated in crops cultivated with or without tillage and with or without N fertilizer application. Tillage had a small significant effect on the bacterial community in the rhizosphere, but N fertilizer had a highly significant effect on the roots, but not on the rhizosphere or stem. The relative abundance of many bacterial species was significantly different in the roots and stem of fertilized maize plants, but not in the unfertilized ones. The abundance of N cycle genes was affected by N fertilization application, most accentuated in the roots. How these changes in bacterial composition and N genes composition might affect plant development or crop yields has still to be unraveled.

Bacterial Community Structure DArT-Seq Bacterial Community Functionality Genes Involved in N Cycling CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES MAIZE RHIZOSPHERE STEMS NITROGEN FERTILIZERS

Carbon sequestration potential, challenges, and strategies towards climate action in smallholder agricultural systems of South Asia

ML JAT Debashis Chakraborty Jagdish Ladha C.M. Parihar Ashim Datta Hari Sankar Nayak Dharamvir Singh Rana Bruno Gerard (2022, [Artículo])

Carbon Stock Global Warming Potential CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA BALANCED FERTILIZATION CARBON SEQUESTRATION CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE GLOBAL WARMING

Soil analysis and integrated nutrient management

Isaiah Nyagumbo (2021, [Objeto de congreso])

CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA SOIL ANALYSIS NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT SOIL FERTILITY

Alternative cropping and feeding options to enhance sustainability of mixed crop-livestock farms in Bangladesh

Timothy Joseph Krupnik Jeroen Groot (2024, [Artículo])

We investigated alternative cropping and feeding options for large (>10 cows), medium (5–10 cows) and small (≤4 cows) mixed crop – livestock farm types, to enhance economic and environmental performance in Jhenaidha and Meherpur districts – locations with increasing dairy production – in south western Bangladesh. Following focus group discussions with farmers on constraints and opportunities, we collected baseline data from one representative farm from each farm size class per district (six in total) to parameterize the whole-farm model FarmDESIGN. The six modelled farms were subjected to Pareto-based multi-objective (differential evolution algorithm) optimization to generate alternative dairy farm and fodder configurations. The objectives were to maximize farm profit, soil organic matter balance, and feed self-reliance, in addition to minimizing feed costs and soil nitrogen losses as indicators of sustainability. The cropped areas of the six baseline farms ranged from 0.6 to 4.0 ha and milk production per cow was between 1,640 and 3,560 kg year−1. Feed self-reliance was low (17%–57%) and soil N losses were high (74–342 kg ha−1 year−1). Subsequent trade-off analysis showed that increasing profit and soil organic matter balance was associated with higher risks of N losses. However, we found opportunities to improve economic and environmental performance simultaneously. Feed self-reliance could be increased by intensifying cropping and substituting fallow periods with appropriate fodder crops. For the farm type with the largest opportunity space and room to manoeuvre, we identified four strategies. Three strategies could be economically and environmentally benign, showing different opportunities for farm development with locally available resources.

Ruminant Feed Pareto-Based Optimization Farm Bioeconomic Model CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA RUMINANT FEEDING BIOECONOMIC MODELS MIXED CROPPING FARMS LIVESTOCK

Variation of the ferulic acid concentration and kernel weight in CIMMYT bread wheat germplasm and selection of lines for functional food production

Wenfei Tian Maria Itria Ibba Govindan Velu Shuanghe Cao Zhonghu He (2024, [Artículo])

CIMMYT Germplasm CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA GERMPLASM FERULIC ACID FUNCTIONAL FOODS PHYTOCHEMICALS YIELD POTENTIAL WHEAT FOOD PRODUCTION

Sustainable urban mobility: An alternative for air pollution in the Guadalajara Metropolitan Area

José Antonio Olivares Mendoza Clemente Hernandez-Rodriguez Luz Alicia Jimenez Portugal (2023, [Artículo, Artículo])

The objective of this paper is to evaluate whether the low-carbon transport strategy (subway, rapid transit bus system -Macrobús-, trolleybus, and shared bicycles) implemented in the Guadalajara Metropolitan Area (AMG) from 2000 to 2019 improves air quality. Sustainable urban mobility is the movement of people in cities in a way that generates the least impact on the environment. We analyze three actions of government intervention in the same sense. This is the first study for Guadalajara, the third-largest city in Mexico. We use robust Newey-West estimators and endogenously model pollution disruptions using the Bai Perron approach. Our results suggest that this type of public transport reduces SO2, NO2, O3, and CO, though we find an increase in PM10. We also identified that when the service of the first line of the Bus Rapid Transit was consolidated CO, O3 and PM10 decreased. In addition, the improvement in the connectivity of the bus network with the subway means that only NO2 diminished. Finally, the entry into operation of the shared bicycle program reduced PM10, while increasing O3 and in SO2. In short, sustainable urban mobility is an alternative to making the transit of people efficient, while mitigating air pollution in the AMG.

Contaminación del aire Transporte urbano Bicicletas compartidas Autobuses de tránsito rápido Metro CIENCIAS SOCIALES CIENCIAS SOCIALES Air pollution Urban transport Bus Rapid Transit

José Revueltas, entre la realidad y la ficción: una lectura historiográfica de Los muros de agua

MELISSA MARCELA MARTINEZ LEMUS (2010, [Tesis de maestría])

157 páginas. Maestría en Historiografía.

En este trabajo se plantea un acercamiento historiográfico con una obra de ficción: Los muros de agua, de José Revueltas, para analizar la medida en que ésta puede ser susceptible a un análisis que recupere y dé cuenta de la historicidad inscrita en el entramado literario. Son varios los elementos que contribuyen a este fin, particularmente, el carácter testimonial de la obra que nos ocupa, así como el ser la primera novela publicada por el autor, convirtiéndola en su primer experimento literario formal. Se trata de acercarnos al autor, pero más que nada al contexto que éste vivió usando como principal objeto de estudio su obra, dejando al margen, — aunque no por ello ignorados— lo que otros autores dicen de él, pues “(Ése es) el problema de los escritores que están sobre todo en sus libros y ahí hay que ir a buscarlos antes que a ninguna otra parte”. El trabajo es un análisis interpretativo que se basa en la visión de Gadamer, sobre el círculo hermenéutico, así como en la visión de Geertz sobre la descripción densa, desde una perspectiva historiográfica donde, a partir del análisis de una novela, se demuestren las posibilidades del relato de ficción para un estudio historiográfico.

Historiography--Mexico. Literature and history. Revueltas, José, 1914-1976--Criticism and interpretation. Historiografía. Literatura e historia. Autores mexicanos. F1224 CIENCIAS SOCIALES HISTORIA HISTORIA GENERAL HISTORIOGRAFÍA

Estudio de persistencia de la sequía en el norte y centro de México

ISRAEL VELASCO VELASCO Eduardo Alexis Cervantes Carretero DAVID ORTEGA GAUCIN (2013, [Documento de trabajo])

Tabla de contenido: Introducción – Antecedentes – Conceptos y enfoques de la proyección hidrológica a futuro: modelo autorregresivo, modelo de medias móviles, modelo autorregresivo de media móvil – Índices de estado – Índice hidrológico de sequía – Resultados – Conclusiones y recomendaciones.

En el acontecer natural hidrometeorológico, la estimación de eventos futuros tiene un elevado nivel de incertidumbre, tanto más grande en cuanto más a futuro. Sin embargo, algunos de estos fenómenos –la lluvia y el escurrimiento superficial-, pueden mostrar un cierto nivel de persistencia, entendido el término como la continuación de condiciones iguales o similares o del mismo tipo, lo cual se puede tratar con algunas técnicas estadístico-matemáticas, para intentar estimar su comportamiento futuro. Este trabajo incursiona sobre la estimación de la persistencia hidrológica, como un elemento de posible aplicación para apoyar la formulación de escenarios de sequía. Dicho trabajo tiene como fin estudiar, bajo diversos enfoques (Hurst, índices de severidad...), el fenómeno de la persistencia de las sequías y aplicarla a series hidrometeorológicas en alguna cuenca del norte y centro de México.

Introducción – Antecedentes – Conceptos y enfoques de la proyección hidrológica a futuro: modelo autorregresivo, modelo de medias móviles, modelo autorregresivo de media móvil – Índices de estado – Índice hidrológico de sequía – Resultados – Conclusiones y recomendaciones.

Sequía Fenómeno de El Niño Corrientes cálidas Corrientes frías Series hidrometeorológicas Informes de proyectos Presa Lázaro Cárdenas, Durango CIENCIAS FÍSICO MATEMÁTICAS Y CIENCIAS DE LA TIERRA