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Abstract Contemporary climate change is altering temperature profiles across the globe. Increasing temperatures can reduce the amount of time during which conditions are suitable for animals to engage in essential activities, such as securing food. Behavioural plasticity, the ability to alter behaviour in response to the environment, may provide animals with a tool to adjust to changes in the availability of suitable thermal conditions. The extent to which individuals can alter fitness‐enhancing behaviours, such as food collection, to proximately buffer variation in temperature, however, remains unclear. Even less well understood are the potential performance advantages of flexible strategies among endotherms. We examined the degree to which individuals altered rates of food collection in response to temperature, and two potential benefits, using the American pika (Ochotona princeps), a temperature‐sensitive, food‐hoarding mammal, as a model. From July–September 2013–2015, we used motion‐activated cameras and in situ temperature loggers to examine pika food‐caching activity for 72 individuals across 10 sites in the central Rocky Mountains, USA. We quantified % nitrogen by cache volume as a metric of cache quality, and the number of events during which pikas were active in temperatures ≥25°C as a measure of potential thermoregulatory stress. We found a strong negative effect of temperature on the rate at which pikas cached food. Individual responses to temperature varied substantially in both the level of food‐collecting activity and in the degree to which individuals shifted activity with warming temperature. After accounting for available foraging time, individuals that exhibited greater plasticity collected a comparable amount of nitrogen, while simultaneously experiencing fewer occasions in which temperatures eclipsed estimated thermal tolerances. By varying food‐collection norms of reaction, individuals were able to plastically respond to temperature‐driven reductions in foraging time. Through this increased flexibility, individuals amassed food caches of comparable quality, while minimizing exposure to potentially stressful thermal conditions. Our results suggest that, given sufficient resource quality and availability, plasticity in foraging activity may help temperature‐limited endotherms adjust to climate‐related constraints on foraging time.

The baseline survey for AICCRA Zambia was conducted from August to October 2022. The aim of the baseline survey was to (i) identify gendered perceptions of long-term climate change and weather extremes (droughts, floods, etc.) for smallholder farmers/fishermen/fisherwomen; (ii) identify gendered adaptation options (including CSA practices) that farmers use for long-term climate change and weather extremes; (iii) identify sources of CIS and CSA for smallholder farmers/fishermen/fisherwomen; and (iv) identify gendered entry points for CIS and CSA services to support climate change adaptation across specific value chains in Zambia.

<p>Site-specific watershed analysis requires site-specific meteorological data. Due to high spatial and temporal variability nature, collecting in-situ weather data is essential for modeling biophysical processes and understanding the biophysical condition of watersheds. In addition, site-specific weather information by itself is useful for improving agricultural practices in selected Africa RISING sites. </p> <p>This data study contains weather-related data which was generated to support various analysis in Africa RISING sites. The data included all the weather elements i.e. precipitation, soil moisture (volumetric water content, soil temperature, cation exchange capacity (CEC)), wind (direction, speed, and gusts), air temperature, solar radiation, and relative humidity. These data were collected at two sites (kebeles) for each Africa RISING sites. They were collected at 15 minutes interval since September 2014. The data collection is still ongoing. </p> If you are interested in accessing restricted datasets, kindly fill out this data user agreement form. Experimental Data

The study on Rural Energy and Household Forest Values under Varying Management Regimes was conducted in Ethiopia. The general objective of this survey is to study household behavior regarding sustainable land use. Households were selected from the main four regions of Ethiopia (Amhara, Oromia, SNNP, and Tigray) in 2009. The data was generated by researchers at the Ethiopian Development Research Institute and Gothenburg University. The general objective of this survey is to study household behavior regarding communally managed forest resources. The datasets submitted here consist of different data files in Stata format. Each file corresponds to a section in the questionnaire. The study on Rural Energy and Household Forest Values under Varying Management Regimes was conducted in Ethiopia. The general objective of this survey is to study household behavior regarding sustainable land use. Households were selected from the main four regions of Ethiopia (Amhara, Oromia, SNNP, and Tigray) in 2009. The data was generated by researchers at the Ethiopian Development Research Institute and Gothenburg University. The general objective of this survey is to study household behavior regarding communally managed forest resources. The datasets consist of different data files in Stata format. Each file corresponds to a section in the questionnaire.

This study contains data based on investigations on technologies being used by farmers in Malawi as part of sustainable intensification. <p><h4>About the project </h4></p> <p><b>Project title: Africa Rising Malawi-Nutrition</b></p> <p><b> Project abstract </b></p> <p>The project focuses on profiling farmer innovations around legume technologies</p> <p> <b>Project start date</b>: 01/03/2014</p> <p> <b>Project end date</b>:12/30/2016</p> Household- and Community-level Surveys EXCEL, null

Excel files: - Gas experiment phase 1 and phase 2 + calculation of total emissions - Separation of slurry into solid and liquid fractions - Properties of solid and liquid fractions - Gas experiment soil addition of solid fractions - Soil properties before and after soil application experiment - Calculation of total N losses (gaseous losses + N mineralization) R-scripts: - Gas measurements phase 1 and 2 and soil application experiment => raw data further processed in excel files - Statistics on characteristics and separation efficiency of solid and liquid fraction - Digestaat2022_Significanties: statistics on effect of biochar/application method on emissions and digestate properties The Research Foundation - Flanders (FWO) has (co-)financed the research (BASTA, S000119N). {"references": ["10.1016/j.wasman.2023.0"]}

Giant reed (Arundo Donax L.) is a perennial, non-food and low-input energy crop representing a promising solution to produce renewable energy at low cost, especially in marginal areas - i.e. low profitable areas which are prone to land abandonment. This research investigates the effect of two levels of irrigation (100% ETm and rainfed) on a 20-year old plantation of 40 genotypes of giant reed (Arundo donax L.) collected around Southern Italy. The experimental methanogenic potential of the biomass was defined trough the BMP test (Biochemical Methane Potential). The trial shows that several genotypes maintain high biomass yield and thus high biomethane potential yield even from old plantations. The variability of biomass yield and biomethane potential yield among genotypes is high. Giant reed genotypes show a positive response to the irrigation, which represent the main limiting factor in Mediterranean environments. Proceedings of the 28th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition, 6-9 July 2020, Virtual, pp. 234-237

Coconut coir dust is finding broad application in the ornamental sector as peat substitute. However, deeper investigations are needed since its performances are variable and not always optimal for different plant species and growing conditions. The use of non-thermal plasma (NTP) in re-circulating nutrient solution appears a promising and sustainable strategy to enhance crop protection, decrease the use of sanitizers and pesticides, and increase yield and quality of ornamental productions. Nevertheless, only a few examples of NTP application on containerized crops under operational growing conditions are available, particularly in combination with different substrates and fertigation regimes. In this work the application of NTP was tested on the nutrient solution used for the production of Ranunculus asiaticus potted plants. The effect was assessed in growing plants using two substrates (both 50:50 v v-1): 1) peat:perlite, and 2) coconut coir dust:perlite, and with two levels of fertilization. Plants grown on coconut coir dust had lower total biomass and flower number. On the other hand, in terms of biomass and tissue nutrient content, R. asiaticus plants developeded better at lower nutrient concentration than at the standard nutrient solution. NTP treatment increased the green biomass while did not improve the flower production. NTP-based sanitizing effects on the root zone, where the number of colony-forming units of fungi was significantly reduced, were observed only in presence of the standard nutrient solution.

It can be easily guessed that food issue will be the next upcoming global issue for humans considering the current situation of drastic increase of world human population. Asia is one of the regions which is specifically famous and popular for agricultural production, therefore the important role of Asia to play to the world may be the increase of food production and the supply for feeding the people facing to hunger and poverty. The author proposed the project named Asia Food Project attached with Asia Techno Farm Initiative, practical OJT (On the Job Training) program to achieve the final goal of making Asia as the world food pantry and to create the original Asia food brand. In this paper the importance of applying high technology based smart agriculture consisting of mainly precision agriculture, robotics and green factory is discussed as the important program content including the achievement process how to follow the steps of proposed procedure,.