Abstract Background Inadequate antenatal care (ANC) in low-income countries has been identified as a risk factor for poor pregnancy outcome. While many countries, including Rwanda, have near universal ANC coverage, significant proportion of pregnant women do not achieve the recommended regimen four visits. The present study aimed to explore factors associated with achieving recommendation, an emphasis on distance from household health facilities. Methods A geo-referenced cross-sectional was...

Summary Given the increasing environmental impacts associated with global agri‐food systems, operating and developing these systems within so‐called absolute boundaries has become crucial, hence sustainability concept is particularly relevant. This study introduces an approach called sustainability‐based life cycle assessment (ASLCA) that informs climate of system (on any economic level) in terms. First, a carbon budget was calculated sufficient to limit warming below 2°C. Next, share...

Abstract Mobile phone applications (apps) designed to assist smallholder farmers improve decision‐making have been revolutionizing the agriculture sector. These apps offer solutions farmer information needs by providing weather information, crop market trends, pest and disease damage identification, advice on pesticide fertilizer use. They also facilitate interaction with fellow farmers, extension workers other stakeholders in value chain who are interested exchange. Much previous research...

SUMMARY A warmer and potentially drier future climate is likely to influence the production of forage crops on dairy farms in southeast regions Australia. Biophysical modelling was undertaken explore resilience individual scalar increases temperature, atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) concentration changes daily rainfall. The model APSIM adapted reflect species specific responses growth under elevated CO concentrations. It then used simulate 40 years wheat, oats, annual ryegrass, maize...

Wine grape quality heavily influences the price received for a product. Hyperspectral imaging has potential to provide non-destructive technique predicting various enological parameters. This study aims explore feasibility of applying hyperspectral measure total soluble solids (TSS) and titratable acidity (TA) in wine berries. A normalized difference spectral index (NDSI) preprocessing method was built compared with conventional method: multiplicative scatter correction Savitzky–Golay...

Abstract This paper assesses the impact of level cooperatives’ vertical integration on financial performance smallholder rice farmers in North Central province, Sri Lanka. A sample 309 was surveyed using a structured questionnaire. The represented 152 partially and 157 fully integrated who are members vertically cooperatives, respectively. propensity score matching technique applied to correct for potential selection biases. Three indicators: cost production, operating profit sales revenue...

Reliable evidence of species composition or habitat distribution is essential to advance pasture management and decision making, including the definition fertiliser rates for aerial top dressing. This more difficult in a diverse environment such as New Zealand hill country farms. The simplification landscape character using plant functional types dominance has proven useful ecological studies modelling grasslands. study used hyperspectral imagery map into groups (PFGs) proxy quality. We...

The COVID-19 pandemic and its handling in Sri Lanka has affected vegetable farmers numerous ways these impacts will constrain the country's move towards sustainable development. A field level study with key informants was carried out using exploratory research to understand, describe analyze impact of on livelihoods relevance achieving SDG 1. Data were supplemented by an extensive literature review. analysis showed that pandemic's is multidimensional increase vulnerability among farmers, for...

Pasture-based dairy farms are a complex system involving interactions between soils, pastures, forage crops, and livestock as well the economic social aspects of business. Consequently, biophysical farm systems models becoming important tools to study pasture-based systems. However, there is currently paucity modelling available for simulation one key component system—forage crops. This evaluated accuracy Agricultural Production Systems Simulator (APSIM) in simulating dry matter (DM) yield,...

The vast majority of farmers in the drylands are resource-poor smallholders, whose livelihoods depend heavily on their farming systems. Therefore, increasing resilience these smallholders is vital for prosperity. This study quantified household and identified influence semiarid tropics India by analysing 684 households. A capacity index was devised based composition food non-food expenditure, cash savings, feed reserves. ranged from 8.4 reflecting highly resilient households with access to...

The traditional method for determining wine grape total soluble solid (TSS) is destructive laboratory analysis, which time consuming and expensive. In this study, we explore the potential of using different predictor variables from various advanced techniques to predict TSS in a non-destructive rapid way. Calculating Pearson’s correlation coefficient between vegetation indices (VIs) obtained UAV multispectral imagery resulted strong OSAVI with 0.64. Additionally, seven machine learning...

Adoption of improved pastures coupled with intensified management provide quality in adequate quantities and thus improve livestock productivity. While pasture modelling is imperative for exploring the performance newer pastures, models are little used long-term simulations multiple tropical (genotype), under varying soil, climate (environment) production systems (management). We applied DairyMod, a biophysical model to simulate Brachiaria ruziziensis x B. decumbens brizantha 'Brachiaria...