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Smart farming (SF) is a relatively new concept referring to the use of information and communication technology in farm management, focusing simultaneously on productivity, profitability, and conservation of natural resources. However, despite the benefits, the adoption rate of some SF technologies has not been uniform in some countries. The aim of this paper was to identify the barriers and determining factors influencing the decisions of grain farmers regarding adopting SF technologies. A sample of farmers in southern Brazil (n=119) was analyzed through descriptive analysis, Logit and Poisson models. The results showed there was no strict pattern in farmers’ profile, especially in terms of socioeconomic characteristics, to explain the adoption of SF technologies as a package. Adoption of some technologies requires more years of education and knowledge about how technology works, other technologies demand more scale. Broadly speaking, SF requires farmers to be open and receptive to this concept of agriculture.

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A partir da concepção da organização industrial e do paradigma estrutura-conduta-desempenho, esta pesquisa objetiva analisar a influência de características específicas (como tamanho e posição geográfica) nos preços praticados pelos estabelecimentos supermercadistas da cidade de Porto Alegre/RS. Foi realizado um levantamento de preços nos estabelecimentos selecionados que considerou 14 produtos de primeira necessidade. Os resultados sugerem que quanto maiores são os estabelecimentos, menores são os preços praticados. Os produtos alimentícios de primeira necessidade apresentaram modelos de regressão mais consistentes.

Objetivou-se com este trabalho avaliar o efeito de diferentes classes de densidade de sementes de canola sobre a sua qualidade fisiológica, bem como utilizar a curva de hidratação como auxiliar na identificação dos lotes de maior qualidade. Foram utilizados sementes de dois híbridos de canola, Hyola 61 e Hyola 401, separados em seis classes de densidade. Cada classe foi submetida aos testes de germinação, primeira contagem do teste de germinação e determinação do comprimento e massa seca de plântula para caracterização do seu potencial fisiológico. Utilizou-se a curva de hidratação como elemento auxiliar na caracterização das classes de melhor qualidade. Para os híbridos Hyola 61 e 401, existe uma associação entre densidade de sementes e os atributos de qualidade fisiológica. A qualidade fisiológica afeta o teor de água alcançado pelas sementes de canola durante a hidratação, para ambos os híbridos, sendo que as sementes de menor vigor apresentam maior velocidade de hidratação e teor de água, até 15 horas, quando comparadas com sementes de maior vigor.

A thriving Mozambican poultry industry could serve a number of roles, facilitating consumers' access to animal protein, reducing the nation's dependence on poultry imports, and providing jobs and associated income to those employed in the industry. The competitiveness of Mozambique's poultry was characterized and analyzed by applying Porter's Five Forces Model. This analysis, of the five strengths that shape business competition indicated a low level of competition within the industry, a limited supply of raw material and a strong foreign competition with national supplies of this commodity. Domestic demand for chicken meat is increasing, but buyers base their decision mainly on price. Challenges include establishing governance structure and policies for the poultry sector which would promote consumer welfare. Alternatively, Mozambique's poultry industry could be improved through greater technical cooperation with other countries (e.g., Brazil), thereby allowing the local industry to acquire specific regulatory and organizational structures for chicken production, along with improved genetic material and poultry feeds.

Geospatial analyses have gained fundamental importance on a global scale following emphasis on sustainability. Here we geospatially analyze images from Landsat 2/5/7/8 satellites captured during 1975 to 2020 in order to determine changes in land use. Sentinel-3B OLCI (Ocean Land Color Instrument) images obtained in 2019 and 2021 were utilized to assess water resources, based on water turbidity levels (TSM_NN), suspended pollution potential (ADG_443_NN) and the presence of chlorophyll-a (CHL_NN) in order to temporally monitor the effectiveness of Brazilian legislation currently in force. This work on sustainability standards was applied to a hydrographic basin dedicated to agricultural production located in southern Brazil. Satellite images from Landsat 2/5/7/8 (1975 to 2020) and Sentinel-3B OLCI (2019 and 2021) revealed that changes in land use, vegetation cover and water in the Capinguí Dam reservoir detected high concentrations of ADG_443_NN (3830 m−1), CHL_NN (20,290 mg m−3) and TSM_NN (100 gm−3). These results can alert the population to the risks to public health and harm to hydrographic preservation, capable of covering large regions.

Gestão de organizações cooperativas: o problema do portfólio em cooperativas agropecuárias do Rio Grande do Sul Management of cooperative organizations: The problem of portfolio in agricultural cooperatives in the state of Rio Grande do Sul Resumo Este trabalho objetivou analisar o problema do portfólio e identificar as estratégias empregadas pelas cooperativas agropecuárias do Rio Grande do Sul (RS), a fim de minimizar esse problema decorrente dos direitos de propriedade difusos. A ferramenta para coleta dos dados consistiu em um roteiro semiestruturado e foram amostradas 10% das cooperativas agropecuárias do RS, estratificadas com base no porte e na atividade produtiva. O problema do portfólio apresentou maior incidência nas cooperativas que processam ou transformam a matéria-prima. Visando à redução do problema do portfólio, identificaram-se diferentes estratégias nas cooperativas analisadas: a escolha dos projetos de investimentos com base no mercado, a avaliação técnica dos projetos e investimentos, a opção pelo não crescimento da cooperativa, a composição do conselho de administração para evitar problemas de portfólio lateral. Palavras-chave: Agronegócios. Economia rural. Cooperativismo agropecuário. Estratégias em cooperativas. AbstractThis paper aimed to analyze the portfolio problem and to identify the strategies employed by the agricultural cooperatives in the state Rio Grande do Sul (RS), to minimize this problem due to the diffuse property rights. The tool for data collection consisted of a semi-structured interviews and it were sampled 10% of agricultural cooperatives from RS, stratified based on the size and productive activity. The portfolio problem presented higher incidence in the cooperatives that process or transform the raw material. In order to reduce the portfolio problem, different strategies were identified in the analyzed cooperatives, including: the choice of investment projects based on the market, the technical evaluation of projects and investments, the option for no growth of the cooperative, the composition of administration council to prevent the lateral portfolio problems.