| Records |
| Author |
Christen, B.; Kjeldsen, C.; Dalgaard, T.; Martin-Ortega, J. |
| Title |
Can fuzzy cognitive mapping help in agricultural policy design and communication? |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
2015 |
Publication |
Land Use Policy |
Abbreviated Journal |
Land Use Policy |
| Volume |
45 |
Issue |
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Pages |
64-75 |
| Keywords |
Agricultural policy; Agro-environmental measures; Fuzzy cognitive mapping (FCM); General Binding Rules; Stakeholder communication; Scottish agriculture |
| Abstract |
Highlights •Fuzzy cognitive mapping (FCM)can help to improve agricultural policy design. •We analyse the views on regulation between farmers and non-farmers. •We demonstrate the utility of FCM in disentangling reasons for non-compliance. •Non-compliance is a result of dis-alignment of views rather than unwillingness. •FCM offers a critical, reflexive approach to how a regulatory process is conceived. Agricultural environmental regulation often fails to deliver the desired effects because of farmers adopting the related measures incorrectly or not at all. This is due to several barriers to the uptake of the prescribed environmentally beneficial farm management practices, most of which have been well established by social science research. Yet it is unclear why these barriers remain so difficult to overcome despite numerous and persistent attempts at the design, communication and enforcement of related agricultural policies. This paper examines the potential of fuzzy cognitive mapping (FCM) as a tool to disentangle the underlying reasons of this persistent problem. We present the FCM methodology as adapted to the application in a Scottish case study on how environmental regulation affects farmers and farming practice and what factors are important for compliance or non-compliance with this regulation. The study compares the views of two different stakeholder groups on this matter using FCM network visualizations that were validated by interviews and a workshop session. There was a farmers group representing a typical mix of Scottish farming systems and a non-farmers group, the latter comprising professionals from the fields of design, implementation, administration, consulting on and enforcement of agricultural policies. Between the two groups, the FCM process reveals a very different perception of importance and interaction of factors and strongly suggests that the problem lies in an institutional failure rather than in a simple unwillingness of farmers to obey the rules. FCM allows for a structured process of identifying areas of conflicting perceptions, but also areas where strongly differing groups of stakeholders might be able to gain common ground. In this way, FCM can help to identify anchoring points for targeted policy development and has the potential of becoming a useful tool in agricultural policy design and communication. Our results show the utility of FCM by pointing out how Scottish environmental regulation could be altered to increase compliance with the rules and where the reasons for the identified institutional failure might be sought. |
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English |
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LiveM, ftnotmacsur |
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no |
| Call Number |
MA @ admin @ |
Serial |
4620 |
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| Author |
Bertocchi, L.; Vitali, A.; Lacetera, N.; Nardone, A.; Varisco, G.; Bernabucci, U. |
| Title |
Seasonal variations in the composition of Holstein cow’s milk and temperature-humidity index relationship |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
2014 |
Publication |
Animal |
Abbreviated Journal |
Animal |
| Volume |
8 |
Issue |
4 |
Pages |
667-674 |
| Keywords |
Animal Husbandry/*methods; Animals; Cattle/*physiology; Cell Count/veterinary; Dairying; Female; Hot Temperature; Humidity; Italy; Lactation/*physiology; Milk/cytology/*physiology; Retrospective Studies; Seasons |
| Abstract |
A retrospective study on seasonal variations in the characteristics of cow’s milk and temperature-humidity index (THI) relationship was conducted on bulk milk data collected from 2003 to 2009. The THI relationship study was carried out on 508 613 bulk milk data items recorded in 3328 dairy farms form the Lombardy region, Italy. Temperature and relative humidity data from 40 weather stations were used to calculate THI. Milk characteristics data referred to somatic cell count (SCC), total bacterial count (TBC), fat percentage (FA%) and protein percentage (PR%). Annual, seasonal and monthly variations in milk composition were evaluated on 656 064 data items recorded in 3727 dairy farms. The model highlighted a significant association between the year, season and month, and the parameters analysed (SCC, TBC, FA%, PR%). The summer season emerged as the most critical season. Of the summer months, July presented the most critical conditions for TBC, FA% and PR%, (52 054 ± 183 655, 3.73% ± 0.35% and 3.30% ± 0.15%, respectively), and August presented higher values of SCC (369 503 ± 228 377). Each milk record was linked to THI data calculated at the nearest weather station. The analysis demonstrated a positive correlation between THI and SCC and TBC, and indicated a significant change in the slope at 57.3 and 72.8 maximum THI, respectively. The model demonstrated a negative correlation between THI and FA% and PR% and provided breakpoints in the pattern at 50.2 and 65.2 maximum THI, respectively. The results of this study indicate the presence of critical climatic thresholds for bulk tank milk composition in dairy cows. Such indications could facilitate the adoption of heat management strategies, which may ensure the health and production of dairy cows and limit related economic losses. |
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1751-7311 |
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Article |
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LiveM, ft_macsur |
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no |
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MA @ admin @ |
Serial |
4618 |
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Bernabucci, U.; Biffani, S.; Buggiotti, L.; Vitali, A.; Lacetera, N.; Nardone, A. |
| Title |
The effects of heat stress in Italian Holstein dairy cattle |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
2014 |
Publication |
Journal of Dairy Science |
Abbreviated Journal |
J. Dairy Sci. |
| Volume |
97 |
Issue |
1 |
Pages |
471-486 |
| Keywords |
Animals; Breeding; Cattle; Dietary Fats/analysis; Dietary Proteins/analysis; Female; Genetic Variation; Heat Stress Disorders/*veterinary; *Hot Temperature; Humans; Humidity; *Lactation; Linear Models; Milk/chemistry; Parity; Phenotype; Weather; dairy cow; heritability; production trait; temperature-humidity index breaking point |
| Abstract |
The data set for this study comprised 1,488,474 test-day records for milk, fat, and protein yields and fat and protein percentages from 191,012 first-, second-, and third-parity Holstein cows from 484 farms. Data were collected from 2001 through 2007 and merged with meteorological data from 35 weather stations. A linear model (M1) was used to estimate the effects of the temperature-humidity index (THI) on production traits. Least squares means from M1 were used to detect the THI thresholds for milk production in all parities by using a 2-phase linear regression procedure (M2). A multiple-trait repeatability test-model (M3) was used to estimate variance components for all traits and a dummy regression variable (t) was defined to estimate the production decline caused by heat stress. Additionally, the estimated variance components and M3 were used to estimate traditional and heat-tolerance breeding values (estimated breeding values, EBV) for milk yield and protein percentages at parity 1. An analysis of data (M2) indicated that the daily THI at which milk production started to decline for the 3 parities and traits ranged from 65 to 76. These THI values can be achieved with different temperature/humidity combinations with a range of temperatures from 21 to 36°C and relative humidity values from 5 to 95%. The highest negative effect of THI was observed 4 d before test day over the 3 parities for all traits. The negative effect of THI on production traits indicates that first-parity cows are less sensitive to heat stress than multiparous cows. Over the parities, the general additive genetic variance decreased for protein content and increased for milk yield and fat and protein yield. Additive genetic variance for heat tolerance showed an increase from the first to third parity for milk, protein, and fat yield, and for protein percentage. Genetic correlations between general and heat stress effects were all unfavorable (from -0.24 to -0.56). Three EBV per trait were calculated for each cow and bull (traditional EBV, traditional EBV estimated with the inclusion of THI covariate effect, and heat tolerance EBV) and the rankings of EBV for 283 bulls born after 1985 with at least 50 daughters were compared. When THI was included in the model, the ranking for 17 and 32 bulls changed for milk yield and protein percentage, respectively. The heat tolerance genetic component is not negligible, suggesting that heat tolerance selection should be included in the selection objectives. |
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English |
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1525-3198 (Electronic) 0022-0302 (Linking) |
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Article |
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LiveM, ft_macsur |
Approved |
no |
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MA @ admin @ |
Serial |
4617 |
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Van Oosten, M.J.; Sharkhuu, A.; Batelli, G.; Bressan, R.A.; Maggio, A. |
| Title |
The Arabidopsis thaliana mutant air1 implicates SOS3 in the regulation of anthocyanins under salt stress |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
2013 |
Publication |
Plant Molecular Biology |
Abbreviated Journal |
Plant Mol. Biol. |
| Volume |
83 |
Issue |
4-5 |
Pages |
405-415 |
| Keywords |
Anthocyanins/analysis/*metabolism; Arabidopsis/drug effects/*genetics/physiology/radiation effects; Arabidopsis Proteins/*genetics/metabolism; Basic-Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors/*genetics/metabolism; Flavonoids/metabolism; *Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Light; Mutagenesis, Insertional; Phenotype; Plant Roots/drug effects/genetics/physiology/radiation effects; Plant Shoots/drug effects/genetics/physiology/radiation effects; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; Sodium Chloride/pharmacology; Stress, Physiological |
| Abstract |
The accumulation of anthocyanins in plants exposed to salt stress has been largely documented. However, the functional link and regulatory components underlying the biosynthesis of these molecules during exposure to stress are largely unknown. In a screen of second site suppressors of the salt overly sensitive3-1 (sos3-1) mutant, we isolated the anthocyanin-impaired-response-1 (air1) mutant. air1 is unable to accumulate anthocyanins under salt stress, a key phenotype of sos3-1 under high NaCl levels (120 mM). The air1 mutant showed a defect in anthocyanin production in response to salt stress but not to other stresses such as high light, low phosphorous, high temperature or drought stress. This specificity indicated that air1 mutation did not affect anthocyanin biosynthesis but rather its regulation in response to salt stress. Analysis of this mutant revealed a T-DNA insertion at the first exon of an Arabidopsis thaliana gene encoding for a basic region-leucine zipper transcription factor. air1 mutants displayed higher survival rates compared to wild-type in oxidative stress conditions, and presented an altered expression of anthocyanin biosynthetic genes such as F3H, F3’H and LDOX in salt stress conditions. The results presented here indicate that AIR1 is involved in the regulation of various steps of the flavonoid and anthocyanin accumulation pathways and is itself regulated by the salt-stress response signalling machinery. The discovery and characterization of AIR1 opens avenues to dissect the connections between abiotic stress and accumulation of antioxidants in the form of flavonoids and anthocyanins. |
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0167-4412 1573-5028 |
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CropM |
Approved |
no |
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MA @ admin @ |
Serial |
4616 |
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Rusu, T.; Moraru, P.I.; Bogdan, I.; Pop, A.; Coste, C.; Marin, D.I.; Mihalache, M. |
| Title |
Impacts of climate change on agricultural technology management in the Transylvanian Plain, Romania |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
2013 |
Publication |
Scientific Papers, Series A. Agronomy |
Abbreviated Journal |
Scientific Papers, Series A. Agronomy |
| Volume |
Lvi |
Issue |
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Pages |
113-118 |
| Keywords |
climate monitoring; agricultural technology management; Transylvanian Plain |
| Abstract |
The Transylvanian Plain, Romania is an important region for agronomic productivity. However, limited soils data and adoption of best management practices hinder land productivity. Soil temperatures of the Transylvanian Plain were evaluated using a set of twenty datalogging stations positioned throughout the plain. Each station stores electronic data of ground temperature on 3 different levels of depth (10, 30 and 50 cm), of soil humidity at a depth of 10 cm, of the air temperature at 1 meter and of precipitation. Monitoring the thermal and hydric regime of the area is essential in order to identify and implement sets of measures of adjustment to the impact of climatic changes. After analyzing the recorded data, thermic and hydric, in the Transylvanian Plain, we recommend as optimal sowing period, advancing those known in the literature, with 5 days for corn and soybeans, and maintaining the same optimum period for sunflower and sugar beet. Water requirements are provided in an optimum, of 58.8 to 62.1% for the spring weeding crops during the growing season, thus irrigation is necessary to ensure optimum production potential. The amount of biological active degrees registered in Transylvanian Plain shows the necessity to reconstruct crop zoning, known in the literature, for the analyzed crops: wheat, corn, soy, sunflower and sugar beet. |
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CropM, ftnotmacsur |
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no |
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MA @ admin @ |
Serial |
4614 |
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