ABSTRACT
Many governments closed their borders in spring 2020 to prevent the spread of Covid, but they also made exceptions to allow farm employers to recruit temporary foreign workers to fill seasonal farm jobs. The pandemic changed many parameters of food systems. Closed restaurants led to widespread layoffs in leisure and hospitality, rates of Covid were high among nonfarm food processing and meatpacking workers, and there was less Covid than expected among the foreign workers who increased their share of employment in production agriculture. The pandemic accelerated three major changes that were already underway, viz., more labor-saving mechanization, more foreign workers, and increased imports of labor-intensive commodities. Mechanization increases the resilience of production agriculture to labor supply shocks.
ABSTRACT
World scenario after pandemic COVID-19 has been drastically changing and researchers more focusing on, to minimize the post-pandemic effects on economy, energy sustainability and food security. Agriculture sector is playing pivotal role in world food security and energy sustain -ability. There is high need to optimize the mechanization technologies to increase the yield in limited energy inputs and operation time to fulfill the world growing food demand. This research is mainly focused on the design development and structural analysis aiding with Finite Element Analysis (FEA) approach for Cotton Stalk Puller and Shredder machine (CSPS) to cut the crop leftovers, soil conditioning (shredding the plant waste into soil) and sowing of next crop in single run by con-serving input resources. The experimental trials revealed that there is high pressure on cutting blades, chocking of shredder section and excessive pulling load on tractor hitches, which affected the machine's performance. To mitigate deficiencies and design optimization to improve the machine safety/reliability, the structure analysis carried out. Six core components of machine including baseplate, blade, gear system, root digger, pulley and shaft has investigated as per field conditions. The results revealed that the material of blade, root digger and teeth of gear system receiving the high stress under the operational conditions which results the edge wear and damage. The carbonization up to one-millimeter thickness can provide the extra strength to bear the exces-sive load on edge layers.(c) 2022 THE AUTHORS. Published by Elsevier BV on behalf of Faculty of Engineering, Alexandria University. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
ABSTRACT
Agrifood sector mechanization service providers (MSP) and mechanization equipment retailers (MER) have increasingly become the providers of mechanical technologies for smallholders in developing countries, including Myanmar. Evidence remains scarce on the effects of COVID-19 on these MSPs and MERs. This study provides insights into the effects of COVID-19 restrictions on MSPs and MERs in Myanmar, using unbalanced panel data from five rounds of phone surveys. Direct responses to COVID-19 involving movement restrictions, market disruptions, and growing financial challenges had significant negative effects on revenue prospects, service delivery, and sales of machines and equipment. Negative revenue prospects during a particular period can further hurt revenue prospects in subsequent periods. This is consistent with the hypotheses that MSPs who had incurred high sunk costs in machines can engage in more desperate and, thus, potentially suboptimal business practices to recover the sunk cost. Overall, policies to minimize movement restrictions and various financial struggles and mitigate any pessimism at the beginning of the production season are all important to make sure MSPs and MERs continue to function effectively under COVID-19.
ABSTRACT
This project examined traditional gendered discourses surrounding the ends and means of sexuality, the emerging role of digital sexual technologies in purported sexual empowerment, and the socio-material aspects which revolve around these technologies, sexual medias, and sexual discourses. Combining critical feminist insights with media ecology, this project explored happenings within the sociosexually violent pre- and present-COVID-19 United States ecology, documenting novel and rigorous contributions in our increasingly algorithmic world. This study of the U.S. context critiques foundational constructs created by Enlightenment decisionmakers who rationalized colonial rhetorics and logics built into each preceding iteration of capitalisms from industrialism into neoliberalism since national origin. As such, it extends critiques of mechanistic models of the human body and sexual communications and situates them within the vastly uncriminalized sexual violences, as well as insufficient sexual education standards. Theoretically, I argue that a mechanization of humans has occurred, been pushed to its extreme, and is flipping into a humanization of objects. To demonstrate this, I critical feminist rhetorically analyzed 75 biomimetic sextech advertisements from the brand Lora DiCarlo, contextualizing them in salient discourses within 428 present-COVID-19 TikTok videos, investigating: "What rhetorical themes occur within advertisements for biomimetic sexual technologies marketed to vulva-havers in the late-stage present-COVID-19 neoliberal U.S. landscape?" "How have biomimetic sexual technologies marketed to vulva-havers effected how their sexual experiences are created and maintained in the sociosexual U.S. landscape?" and "How are biomimetic sextech changing vulva-havers sexual sense-making, experiences, and relations within the sexually violent late-stage capitalist present-COVID-19 U.S. landscape?" Using a feminist eye, this brings to media ecology a contextualization of biomimetic sextech devices marketed to vulva-havers, situating their socio-political and cultural nuances in conversation with otherwise taken for granted biological components of cisnormative and heteronormative life, among other relevant characteristics. Ergo, this project debuts a brand new liberatory embodied research paradigm. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
World scenario after pandemic COVID-19 has been drastically changing and researchers more focusing on, to minimize the post-pandemic effects on economy, energy sustainability and food security. Agriculture sector is playing pivotal role in world food security and energy sustainability. There is high need to optimize the mechanization technologies to increase the yield in limited energy inputs and operation time to fulfill the world growing food demand. This research is mainly focused on the design development and structural analysis aiding with Finite Element Analysis (FEA) approach for Cotton Stalk Puller and Shredder machine (CSPS) to cut the crop leftovers, soil conditioning (shredding the plant waste into soil) and sowing of next crop in single run by conserving input resources. The experimental trials revealed that there is high pressure on cutting blades, chocking of shredder section and excessive pulling load on tractor hitches, which affected the machine’s performance. To mitigate deficiencies and design optimization to improve the machine safety/reliability, the structure analysis carried out. Six core components of machine including baseplate, blade, gear system, root digger, pulley and shaft has investigated as per field conditions. The results revealed that the material of blade, root digger and teeth of gear system receiving the high stress under the operational conditions which results the edge wear and damage. The carbonization up to one-millimeter thickness can provide the extra strength to bear the excessive load on edge layers.
ABSTRACT
This project was originally envisaged as an 18-month development-oriented project based in Provinces 1 and 2 of the Nepal Terai. It aimed to build solidarity and teamwork around the drive for agri-mechanisation in each of these two provincial governments. Unfortunately, the short time frame paired with intensive efforts to establish new relationships and then the onset of COVID-19 meant that there was limited scope to deeply develop these new relationships and fully build the envisaged roadmap process and plans. Regardless of this, the project has made some essential steps in improving provincial agri-mechanisation planning and implementation, including: (1) substantial capacity developed though placement of engineering experts within the Nepal Agricultural Research Council (NARC), the Ministries of Agriculture, Land Management and Cooperatives (MoLMAC), various cooperatives and agricultural knowledge centres;(2) new and deepened relationships with and between key stakeholders, and particularly between NARC and provincial government, as well as with and between various cooperatives;(3) development of the first quantification of the status of agri-mechanisation on the Nepal Terai - indicating that there is high potential for rapid mechanisation if some key constraints are addressed;(4) publication of the learnings for a review of mechanisation in India and Bangladesh, and what that means for Nepal's agri-mechanisation planning;(5) regional learnings and new collaborations with various stakeholders in Nepal and West Bengal;(6) a national symposium on agri-mechanisation on the Nepal Terai, with a large number of supported individuals attending and learning from the national Agrimechanisation Fair;(7) development of a "roadmap" process that can be used more widely with additional further development;and (8) technical guidance and relationship building to improve the scaling of government supported custom hire centres in Province 1.
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 epidemic and the Russian–Ukrainian conflict have led to a global food and energy crisis, making the world aware of the importance of agroforestry development for a country. Modern agriculture mechanization leads to massive energy consumption and increased CO2 emissions. At the same time, China is facing serious demographic problems and a lack of consumption in the domestic market. The Chinese government is faced with the dilemma of balancing environmental protection with economic development in the context of the “double carbon” strategy. This article uses annual World Bank statistics from 1990 to 2020 to study the asymmetric relationships between agroforestry development, energy consumption, population size, and economic development on CO2 emissions in China using the partial least squares path model (PLS-PM), the autoregressive VAR vector time series model, and the Granger causality test. The results are as follows: (1) The relationship between economic development and carbon dioxide emissions, agroforestry development and carbon dioxide emissions, energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions, and population size and carbon dioxide emissions are both direct and indirect, with an overall significant positive effect. There is a direct negative relationship between population size and carbon dioxide emissions. (2) The results of the Granger causality test show that economic development, energy consumption, and CO2 emissions are the causes of the development of agroforestry;economic development, agroforestry development, population size, and CO2 emissions are the causes of energy consumption;energy consumption is the cause of economic development and CO2 emissions;and agroforestry development is the cause of population size and energy consumption. (3) In the next three years, China’s agroforestry development will be influenced by the impulse response of economic development, energy consumption, and CO2 emission factors, showing a decreasing development trend. China’s energy consumption will be influenced by the impulse response of economic development, agroforestry development, population size, and CO2 emission factors, showing a decreasing development trend, followed by an increasing development trend. China’s CO2 emission will be influenced by the impulse response of energy consumption and agroforestry development. China’s CO2 emissions will be influenced by the impulse response of energy consumption and agroforestry development factors, showing a downward and then an upward development trend.
ABSTRACT
In the Amazon, the quick spread of COVID-19 coincides with the high level of air pollution released during the "burning season", when thousands of square kilometres are prepared for agriculture. Mitigating health consequences by constraining fire use and social interaction is hindered by the dependence of local food security on fires, of enforcement on on-the-ground surveillance and of primary care on home visits. Based on fieldwork experience, alternatives to test potential solutions to the policy puzzles are proposed, highlighting the role of smallholder mechanization and of community health workers (CHWs). It is argued that randomized control trials could be designed to assess the effectiveness of tractor scheduling workshops, grassroots-based tractor administration, mobile-health-aided data collection by CHWs and data-driven algorithms to plan their home visits. The need for researcher-practitioner collaboration for optimized targeting of on-the-ground illegal fire deterrence is also stressed. The trials and the potential solutions to be trialled are more likely to be successful whether integrated into a broader and perennial process of research and development of interventions for sustainable development of the Amazon, whose need was widely revealed by the ongoing pandemic.
ABSTRACT
Eco-efficiency of arable land utilization (EALU) emphasizes efficient coordination between land use systems and ecosystems. It is therefore of great significance for agricultural sustainability based on the systematic assessment of EALU. This study took carbon emissions and non-point source pollution resulting from arable land utilization into the measurement system of EALU, and a super-SBM model, kernel density estimation and Tobit regression model were used to analyze regional differences and influencing factors of EALU for 31 provinces in China from 2000 to 2019. The results showed that there was an upward trend in EALU in China from 0.4393 in 2000 to 0.8929 in 2019, with an average annual growth rate of 4.01%. At the regional level, the EALU of three categories of grain functional areas generally maintains an increasing trend, with the highest average value of EALU in main grain marketing areas (MGMAs), followed by grain producing and marketing balance areas (GPMBAs) and main grain producing areas (MGPAs). There are obvious differences in EALU among provinces, and the number of provinces with high eco-efficiency has increased significantly, showing a spatial distribution pattern of “block” clustering. In terms of dynamic evolution, kernel density curves reflect the evolution of EALU in China and grain functional areas with different degrees of polarization characteristics. The results of Tobit regression show that natural conditions, financial support for agriculture, science and technology inputs, level of industrialization, agricultural mechanization, and the living standards of farmers are significant factors resulting in regional disparities of EALU. Therefore, this study proposes the implementation of differentiated arable land use/agricultural management strategies to improve the sustainable utilization of arable land.
ABSTRACT
Modern science, acclaiming the success of the creative human brain as 'progressive changes' in the 21st century continues to prosper through prominent images of scientism, ingestion, cartelized capitalism, chemistry and rocket technology to name a few. Introspecting the 21st century from the given nexus, we are quite likely to conclude that it has remained a century when the human destructiveness has reached its creative pinnacle. 'Creative progression' disguised under the garb of SARS COVID-19 is currently ransacking mankind, resulting in mass genocide, destruction of cultures and worldviews. The creative human self now remains predisposed with the activation of low-grade mental illness. depression, anxiety and trauma. Tagore's 'creative self' with a magisterial rebuke had always protested the prevalent dominant theories of violence and counter- violence down the time line. His philosophical vision intertwined with the humane self of 'being' instead of 'becoming' counterpoises this 'creative enigma' of scientific and material human progression even to this day. Standing on the threshold of the 21st century we earnestly look forward to reminiscence Tagore's vision of Concord (milan) nurturing the "living bonds in a society" and brewing Harmony (samanjaysya) as the "wholeness and wholesomeness of human ideals" to provide a remedy for re-thinking the possibilities of "One World" (my italics) defined in terms of `becoming' instead of `humane -being'.
ABSTRACT
In Nigeria, agriculture plays a critical role in the economy and remains the key to the country's economic diversification plan. However, the agricultural sector is facing numerous challenges such as climate change, widespread insecurity, price volatility, poor government policies and the emergence of COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated the already existing problems. This paper reviews the state of the COVID 19 pandemic in Nigeria and its effects on the agricultural sector and outlines the role of commissioners of agriculture in mitigating the effects of the pandemic on farmers with a view to catalyzing sustainable agricultural development in Nigeria. When the first case of COVID-19 was reported in February, 2020, the Federal government of Nigeria took some measures to help curb the spread of the virus. Although, these measures were critical to saving lives, they also significantly caused a disruption in agricultural activities and food systems in several ways such as decline in availability of farm labour and mechanization, limited availability of agricultural inputs, decline in food imports and exports, reduction in food supply, decline in household income and food consumption, increased food insecurity, panic buying and sharp price spikes. This paper suggests that commissioners of agriculture have important roles to play to help mitigate these negative impacts on agricultural livelihoods and food systems. These include a push for a bill to integrate social protection mechanisms into the Nigerian legal framework, lobby for increased budgetary allocation to the agricultural sector, formulation of good agricultural policies and provision of adequate infrastructures, organization of these farmers into farming clusters to help stimulate agglomeration economies by integrating agricultural value chains and development strategies, and frameworks and initiatives that will ensure a seamless transition from emergency response to resilience building.
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(The 3rd ICATES 2021) “Innovative Agricultural and Biosystem Engineering for Sustainable Food, Water, Energy, and Environment” Banda Aceh, 21 September 2021 Extended Preface The ICATES is annual conference organized primary by the Department of Agricultural Engineering, Universitas Syiah Kuala. This year, in the 3rd consecutive year 2021, ICATES conducted the 3rd conference with co-hosted by University Malaysia, Pahang (UMP), Agricultural Mechanization Research Center (PUSMEPTAN) Syiah Kuala University, South Aceh Poly-technique (Poltas Aceh Selatan) and LPPM Winaya Mukti. Surely, we plan to conduct this conference physically just like previous ICATES in August 2019. However, due to the unforseen circumstances of global pandemic COVID-19, the 3rd ICATES 2021 conference was carried out virtually as same as ICATES 2020 by zoom meeting platform. We took this option because this conference was already designated and funded. Keynote and invited speakers were also scheduled for this event. Many delegations and authors requested for this conference to be performed, even virtually, since they need it to cover their publication and sharing knowledge requirements. The conference itself was run as planned on 21st September 2021 with the support from virtual event organizer started from 8.00 am to 19.00 pm. The ICATES committee members were managed this event in a particular room as a studio along with two appointed MCs. The conference was officially opened by the Rector of Syiah Kuala University, Prof. Samsul Rizal and it is broadcast lively via YouTube platform with recorded participants reach 447 were joined. The main event was started by video presentation from the Keynote speaker Prof. Okke Batelaan from Flinders University, Australia, followed by invited speaker from UMP Malaysia Assoc. Prof. Ramadhansyah Putra Jaya. The discussion session was performed directly once the second speaker was completed his presentation. Then, the second session of keynote speaker was started after 20 minutes break with the speaker from University Technology Mara (UiTM) Dr.rer.nat Shahril Anuar Bahari, followed by the last invited speaker Dr. Joko Pitoyo from Indonesian Center for Agricultural Engineering Research and Development (ICAERD). Moreover, parallel sessions were started after all keynote speaker session and participants were divided into 8 breakout rooms in zoom platform based on their related sub-topics. The operator acted as virtual Host and Co-host to manage and ensure all presenters and participants were put in the right place. Each participant and presenter was identified by renaming their name to room number and author full name. Presenter was given about 10 minutes for power point presentation via Screen Sharing and 5 minutes for discussion and shifted to next presenter. During the conference, video capabilities were turned on to ensure dynamic conference. As the conference chair, I firmly believe that the success of a virtual conference like this event can be achieved by arranging a stimulating program. We sincerely hope that next forthcoming ICATES conference will be conducted lively in touch as previously ICATES event in 2019. Thus, everyone finds the conference is stimulating and enjoying. Cordially yours Conference Chair Dr. Safrizal, ST., M. Si List of International Scientific Committees, Steering Committees, Organizing Committees, Keynote Speaker , Waste Plastic: Recycle And Reuse For Sustainable Road Construction, Bamboo, A Great Plant for Green Plan, Review of Rice Transplanter and Direct Seeder to be Applied in Indonesia Paddy Field are available in this pdf.
ABSTRACT
The 2nd International Conference on Energetics, Civil and Agricultural Engineering is an international event that has been successfully held in a hybrid mode (online and onsite) organized by the Tashkent Institute of Irrigation and Agricultural Mechanization Engineers (TIIAME), Tashkent, Uzbekistan. ICECAE is a privileged space to discuss current issues related to Energetics, Civil and Agricultural Engineering. This international event aims to explore emerging technologies and concepts in a collaborative way, bringing together scientists, researchers, engineers, students and professionals from different areas. ICECAE 2021 proceedings collected the latest research and results in the field of energetics, civil and agricultural engineering. All manuscripts published in the proceeding have been through rigorous review and process to meet the requirements of international publication standard. In the honorable and keynote speeches sessions, honorable speakers were each allocated 40 minutes and keynote speakers were each allocated 20-25 minutes to hold their speeches. We were honored to invite 3 honorable speakers (Professor Josep M. Guerrero, Professor Saifur Rahman, and Professor Mohammad Shahidehpour) and 10 distinguished experts as keynote speakers to present their insightful speeches. As honorable speakers, Professor Josep M. Guerrero (from Aalborg University – Denmark) talked about Space Microgrids – NanoSats, Lunar Bases and Closed Ecosystems, Professor Saifur Rahman (from Virginia Tech Advanced Research Institute - USA) delivered a speech on Global Electric Power Sector: Engaging with Environmental Issues, and Professor Mohammad Shahidehpour (from Illinois Institute of Technology - USA) held a speech on Blockchain for Transactive Energy Management in Renewable Energy Systems. As keynote speakers, Prof. Dr. Jan Wincenty Dobrowolski (AGH University of Science and Technology - Poland) shared his experiences related to his 50 years contribution to global cooperation on Sustainable Development 1971-2021 and innovative proposals for adaptation to climate change, COVID-19 and outer-space missions;Professor emeritus Dr. Davidas Belsare (from Bhopal University - India) made a speech about the effect of laser diode on oranges to other fruit crops like guava and papaya;Professor Justyna Kobylarczyk and Professor Michal Krupa (from Cracow University of Technology – Poland) held a speech on the topic of high quality of residential environment;Professor Jose Osvaldo B. Carioca (from Federal University of Ceara - Brazil) expressed his keynote address about synthesis of chitosan membranes to be used in dual system of dark fermentation and MEC-electrolyzers to produce high quality hydrogen;Professor Dominika Kusnierz-Krupa and Dr. Malgorzata Hryniewicz (from Cracow University of Technology -Poland) made their talk about a new functions in a historic buildings;Professor Alirza Mamedov (from Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture - Ukraine) delivered his talk about historical city analysis;Professor Manoj Stephen Paul and Dr. Ritu Chaturvedi (from St. Johns College - India) made their speech on human health risk assessment associated with consumption of food containing heavy metals;Associate professor Pavel Navitski (from Oral Roberts University – USA) delivered his talk about drift control during field spraying;and Dr. Ulrich Berk (president of the German Association of Homatherapy - Germany) made his keynote speech about agnihotra and homa farming -tools for a sustainable development on planet Earth. List of ICECAE 2021 Committee are available in this pdf.