Traceability systems are key to assuring food safety, creating a benefit for food supply chain components. Currently, the appearance of new technologies such as IoT and Big Data Analysis leads to a new generation of more functional, but complex, traceability systems. Organisational models based on cooperation of multiple small/medium size agents, for example of small/family farming cooperatives, play an important role in high standard agricultural production and commercialization processes. These function as both social and economic networks, with high social and economic impact in the rural areas. The case of Almeria as an example of this model was used to analyze its cooperative model. The actual traceability systems in the Almeria model were studied, taking account of the different networked agents and their interrelation. This study includes two main parts: a) analysis of the net-chains that constitute the food supply chains and their different relationships, and b) actual traceability. The next step studied how the net-chain model, including many diverse agents, may be applied to develop a new generation of traceability systems based of IoT and Big Data. This implies extending the special and functional scope of the actual systems and defining clear rules of exchange of the results of the Big Data Analysis, taking account of the adequate Privacy Rules. This work analyses the current organisation as a base for a new generation of traceability systems considered in the European project IoF2020 (Internet of the Food and Farm 2020). Some parallels between Almeria's model and certain areas in China, mainly in the areas of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and Shandong were detected. Another of the objectives of this work is to deepen the understanding of these similarities and analyze the possible adaptation of the results from Almeria to China.
Cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) in soil or water environment cause the ecological destruction and environmental deterioration when their contents exceed the natural background values. To trace the concentrations of Cd(II) and Pb(II), a sensitive and selective electrode was developed using disposable screen-printed carbon electrode (SPE) immobilized with a composite film of reduced graphene oxide/carboxylation multi-walled carbon nanotubes/gold nanoparticle hybrid (RGO-MWNT-AuNP) through π-π bind. This highly conductive nano-composite layer, "RGO-MWNT-AuNP," was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, UV-visible spectrometer, cyclic voltammetry, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Square wave stripping voltammetry was applied to RGO-MWNT-AuNP/SPE to electroplate bismuth film and monitor the Cd(II) and Pb(II) simultaneously. To obtain high current responses, the detecting parameters were optimized. Under optimized conditions, the current responses showed a linear relationship with the concentrations of Cd(II) and Pb(II) in the range from 1.0 to 80.0 μg/L with a lower detection limit of 0.7 µg/L and 0.3 µg/L (S/N = 3), respectively. Finally, the prepared electrode was further employed to detect Cd(II) and Pb(II) in soil samples with good results.
Previous studies have defined compaction as an important degradation process of agricultural soils. However, there is very little information (under field conditions) on the effects of tractor and grain chaser traffic during harvest operations on soil cropped for 15 years under no‐till cultivation methods. The aim of this study was to quantify the effects of two different total loads of tractor and grain chaser traffic on soil physical properties and sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) yields. The treatments included a control plot with no tractor or grain chaser traffic (T1), a plot with tractor and grain chaser traffic with a total load of 275.8 kN (94.35 kN km−1 ha−1; T2), and a plot with tractor and grain chaser traffic with a load of 332.2 kN (123 kN km−1 ha−1; T3). Soil physical properties and sunflower yields were analysed over three growing seasons in the western part of the Pampa region, Argentina. In the topsoil (0 to 200 mm), the results showed that after one pass of T2 and T3, infiltration decreased significantly compared with that in T1; a similar trend was observed for total topsoil porosity. Cone index values in T3 were >2.5 MPa and between 3.33 and 4.90 MPa in the subsoil (200 to 600 mm). Dry bulk density values in T3 were >1.70 Mg m−3 in the topsoil and in the subsoil. This study also demonstrated that as the wheel load and ground contact pressure increase, sunflower yields decrease and subsoil compaction increases, even in soils with a high bearing capacity.
This paper describes the role of educational programs, institutional settings, and information and communication technology (ICT) tools on the development of integrated production in Almeria, Spain. To consider the necessity of integrated production and the role of above factors, the transfer of integrated production system to other countries is also discussed. Integrated Production (IP) is an agricultural production system that uses natural methods and natural mechanisms of production to manage pests and diseases, taking into account the protection of the environment and the farm economy, with social responsibility. IP not only takes into consideration operations at the farm level but also at packaging, processing, and labeling. IP regulations not only are in line with other certified quality norms such as Naturane, AENOR, and Global-GAP but also include more demanding regulations and provide users tools to assure product quality and production requirements. The availability of ICT tools such as administrative, technical support, and private management and traceability have significantly contributed to control and secure the accrue application of IP rules by the regional government and certification entities. They also facilitate the adoption of IP by farmers through the groups of integrated production (APIs), and to translate huge amounts of information in a comprehensive manner so that consumers are able to verify product quality and production requirements. IP has not only been provided of the normative framework but also of educational programs and institutional settings. Farmers are trained on pest, pesticides, and labor risk management while technicians are capacitated on a wider range including product quality certification norms at both farm and processing center levels. The development of ICT tools, the provision of educational programs along with the cooperation and coordinated work of all the stakeholders and organizations involved in IP is bringing about the successful application and development of this agricultural system.
Selecting the appropriate tyre configuration and settings for heavy farm vehicles is important to ensure that soil compaction and power loss in rolling resistance are minimised and traction is optimised. This study investigated the effect of front-wheel assist (FWA, ≈75 kN) and four-wheel drive (4 WD, ≈100 kN) tractors fitted with different tyre configurations (single, dual), tyre sizes and inflation pressures on soil strength (a proxy for soil compaction), and rolling resistance. Single-pass tests were performed on a Typic Argiudoll (≈23% clay, bulk density: 1305 kg m−3) managed under permanent no-tillage. Results showed that average power losses in rolling resistance were 7.5 kN and 5 kN for the 4 WD and FWA tractors, respectively. The average rut depth increased by approximately 1.4 times after a pass of the 4 WD compared with the FWA tractor. The soil cone index (0–600 mm depth) increased from 2023 kPa (before traffic) to 2188 and 2435 kPa after single passes of the FWA and 4WD tractors, respectively (p < 0.05). At the centreline of the tyre rut, dual tyres reduced the soil cone index a little compared with single tyres, but they significantly increased the volume of soil over which soil strength, and therefore soil compaction, was increased. For both tractors (regardless of tyre configuration or settings), soil strength increased to the full measured depth (600 mm), but relative changes before vs. after traffic became progressively smaller with increased soil depth. The power loss in rolling resistance was consistently greater with the heavier tractor, and rut depth was directly related to tyre inflation pressure.
Deep tillage is often performed to alleviate traffic-induced subsoil compaction, but how long do the benefits of this technique last for in intensively-managed arable soils? Heavy traffic on loose soil significantly increases the risk of soil re-compaction at depth. Chiselling and subsoiling are techniques commonly used in Argentina to remediate soil/subsoil compaction. Controlled traffic farming (CTF) through the exclusion of heavy vehicles from the field and axle load reduction (e.g., ≤ 6 Mg per axle) is a strategy occasionally used to mitigate compaction impacts. The objectives of this work were to: (a) quantify changes in the physical properties of a medium-textured soil as a result of tillage operations (subsoiling, chiselling) conducted over two consecutive crop seasons, (b) determine the effect of deep tillage on sunflower yield, and (c) quantify fuel consumption and draft requirements of deep tillage on soil affected by compaction. The experiment was conducted at a site located in the western region of the Argentinean Rolling Pampas, which has a loamy Entic haplustoll soil. Experimental treatments consisted of two tillage operations and a control plot, which had been under zero-tillage for more than 8 years. Deep soil loosening was conducted with a 117 kW, FWA tractor as follows: (1) a V-frame 7-shank subsoiler with 35-mm wide and 550-mm long tines. Shanks were spaced at 500 mm apart, and operated at 450 mm deep at 5.20 km•h-1 (2) a chisel plow with 11 rigidly-mounted, curved shanks, spaced at 285-mm apart, and operated at 280-mm deep and 6.12 km h-1. The tillage treatments were applied to plots, which were laid-out in a completely randomized block design. This work showed that: (a) the beneficial effects of subsoiling and chiselling on removing soil/subsoil compaction lasted for 2 years, (b) these effects became negligible after that time when traffic intensity was greater than about 95 Mg•km-1 •ha-1 due to re-compaction/re-consolidation of the soil profile, particularly in the 300-600 mm depth interval, and (c) the frequency of subsoiling should be therefore every two years if CTF was not practiced. From agronomic and economic perspectives, the results showed that: (a) sunflower yields were sufficiently high to recover the cost of subsoiling, which cost between 18 and 52 USD•ha-1 , (b) in the second year, the yields increases represented a net profit of 12 USD•ha-1 , (c) the chisel plow had lower fuel consumption and draft per shank than the subsoiler because of the relative depths at which tines were operated in both units, and (d) the total cross-sectional area loosened by the chisel plow was 14 % higher than that of the subsoiler, but its overall efficiency was about 85 % less compared with the subsoiler.
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