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Reviews the effects of no-till practices on soil health, focussing on its impact on the physical, chemical and biological properties of soils Considers the key concepts of no-tillage agriculture and how soil disturbance can be minimised during particular farming activities Assesses the role of no-till agricultural practices on reducing the risk of soil erosion
While the agricultural production in China has made great achievements, it is also facing challenges affecting the sustainable development of agriculture. Conservation agriculture (CA) is a farming system that promotes minimum soil disturbance (i.e., no-tillage and direct seeding), maintenance of a permanent soil cover (mulch or cover crops), and diversification of plant species (crop rotations that include leguminous species). CA has been adopted in more than 100 countries worldwide and has become one of the most effective and widely used farming systems and technology for dryland agriculture. The adoption of CA can bring agronomic, environmental and economic benefits, and is of great significance to the development of green agriculture in China. This publication focuses on the development path, opportunities and challenges, development suggestions, technology and equipment, experiences, case studies and future scenarios for CA in China aiming to support the extension and adoption of CA in China and globally. This publication is part of the Country Investment Highlights series under the FAO Investment Centre's Knowledge for Investment (K4I) programme.
Provides a comprehensive overview of the key concepts in biodiversity management within agricultural landscapes Considers the role of farmers and rural communities in implementing ecological restoration practices Reviews the importance of habitat and animal rewilding in promoting biodiversity and other key ecosystem services
Provides a comprehensive overview of the interventions available to optimise water management in agriculture, including rainwater harvesting and farm reservoirs Considers the development and application of alternative irrigation techniques which carry a reduced environmental impact, such as solar powered irrigation Addresses the importance of diversification and collaboration in securing water resources for a rapidly growing population
Considers the role of fertiliser use in agriculture as a major contributor to the imbalance of the global nitrogen cycle Reviews the effectiveness of inorganic nitrogen fertilisers and organic sources of nitrogen in optimising nitrogen use efficiency Highlights recent developments in the use of enhanced efficiency nitrogen fertilisers to reduce nitrous oxide emissions
Provides a comprehensive review of the recent advances in agricultural robotics, such as advances in sensing and perception, as well as technologies and actuation Addresses our understanding of the social, ethical and economic aspects of agricultural robotics, including the regulatory frameworks and standards required to authorise their adoption Provides examples of the practical application of agricultural robotics in an array of agricultural settings, from greenhouse and orchard cultivation, to meat/fish processing
Provides a detailed overview of the recent trends in farm information management systems, including their evolution and role in improving farmer decision making Considers the range of data mining techniques used in decision support systems, such as artificial neural networks and support vector machines Includes a selection of case studies which explore the use of decision support systems in optimising farm management and productivity
Provides a comprehensive overview of the challenges facing agri-food supply chains, including the need to be more sustainable in light of the high environmental costs of global distribution Addresses the external factors that can impact the logistics and performance of supply chains, including political developments, international conflicts and pandemics such as COVID-19 Reviews the main agri-food supply chains used in different regions around the world, focussing on those implanted in the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia and the Middle East
Reviews the development of novel feed sources as feed for poultry, focussing on the use of essential oils, macroalgae, microalgae and corn fermented protein Addresses the recent advances in understanding the role of individual nutrients and additives in poultry nutrition Considers the range of methods and techniques implementable to maintain the safety of poultry feed and prevent mycotoxin contamination
Considers a range of techniques used for measuring compliance and improving performance across the agri-food supply chain, including those used to measure on-farm carbon footprints and biodiversity Provides a useful and comprehensive context to the role of governments and other food safety agencies in setting safety, quality and sustainability standards for global agri-food supply chains Reviews the key issues in developing voluntary standards, focussing on those encountered during the development of robust carbon-neutral and biodiversity offsetting certification schemes