The transfer of agricultural technology and the development of small-scale farming in rural Africa: Case studies from Ghana, Sudan, Uganda, Zambia and South Africa

In many developing countries, research institutions or centres have been established to develop and/or adapt technologies that would help agricultural development. This is particularly true in Africa where national efforts have been supplemented with international research institutes. Although some modest progress has been achieved in improving agricultural technology, on the whole, the improvement record is not quite encouraging among the small-scale farmers. In many areas, either there are no improved technologies, or where they exist, are unacceptable by farmers. However, where useful technologies exist, their spread has been very limited and where they have been adapted, the benefits only accrue to a small segment of the community. The logical question posed is: why and how do we find ourselves in the current situation? This paper considers the view that to understand fully why the available technologies have remained largely at the research centres, there is need to examine the whole process of research, development, dissemination and utilization of agricultural technology. It is significant to investigate the structural constraints and prospects under which those involved in the process work, their motivations and the interactions between different groups. The traditional ‘top-down’ of development strategy should be supplemented with farmers' indigenous knowledge, and programmes encouraging transfer of agricultural technology should include institutional support. Only by the identification of farmers' environmental and resource utilisation, preferences, socio-economic circumstances and constraints can a development programme of optimum meaning to farmers be devised and implemented with success.     

Landscape eco planning and design: concepts, a framework approach and case study

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On the agricultural growth and structural changes in Suzhou Wuxi Changzhou region

ＳｕｚｈｏｕＷｕｘｉＣｈａｎｇｚｈｏｕ(ＳｕＸｉＣｈａｎｇ)ｒｅｇｉｏｎｉｎＪｉａｎｇｓｕＰｒｏｖｉｎｃｅｏｆＣｈｉｎａｃｏｖｅｒｓａｌａｎｄａｒｅａｏｆ17153ｋｍ2ｗｉｔｈａｐｏｐｕｌａｔｉｏｎｏｆ13.4ｍｉｌｌｉｏｎ,ｂｅｉｎｇ17.1ａｎｄ18.9ｐｅｒｃｅｎｔｒｅｓｐｅｃｔｉｖｅｌｙｏｆｔｈｅｔｏｔａｌＪｉａｎｇｓｕＰｒｏｖｉｎｃｅ.ＬｏｃａｔｅｄｉｎｔｈｅｆｅｒｔｉｌｅＣｈａｎｇｊｉａｎｇＤｅｌｔａｉｃＰｌａｉｎａｎｄｉｎｈｕｇｅｕｒｂａｎａｇｇｌｏｍｅｒａｔｉｏｎｗｉｔｈｃｅｎｔｒａｌｉｔｙｏｆＳｈ…     

利用遥感与GIS对农田损失的监测及定量评价方法—以东莞市为例

珠江三角洲近年来经济呈现调整增长，但同时也存在着一系列环境问题，其中相数量的农田被推平当成城市用地。本文以珠江三角洲发展最快的城市为例，利用多时相遥感图像分类方法，发现该市１９８８年－１９９３年之间共损失２１２８５．７ｈｍ＾２农田。最后得到了利用空间指标和属性指标来评价农田损失的综合指标Ｉｌｏｓｓ。     

利用遥感监测和分析珠江三角洲的城市扩张过程——以东莞市为例

伴随着经济的快速增长，珠江三角洲近年来出现了迅速的城市化以及乡村城市化的过程。沿着城镇边缘和公路两旁，大片的农田被侵占来单方面地满足城市开发的需要，忽略了粮食产量减少以及环境质量恶化等问题。利用遥感可以有效地监测珠江三角洲的城市扩张过程。在遥感多时相监测的基础上通过熵的计算，可以定量地描述城市扩张的空间规律及扩散过程。     

气候变化与农业——最新的研究成果与政策考虑

全球气候变化将严重地限制农业生产，并引起广泛的饥荒，这种预计的灾害情景已经引起世界的关注和这样的争论，即是否要大幅度地削减温室气体到大气中的排放量。未来气候变化对农业的可能影响现在已经进行了一些详细的研究，虽然可以想象还有很多不确定性，但已进行的所有研究还都没有发现全球的食物供应会受到严重的威胁。采取适应对策在一些国家可以产生节省成本的后果，但采取适应对策所需的新增成本会给发展中国家的发展造成严重的障碍。农业减缓对策的顺利实施，也取决于能否减少技术转让与扩散的障碍，是否能获取可用资金以支持发展中国家的能力建设和其它帮助全球所有地区落实行为转变和技术机遇的措施     

中国生态系统研究网络(CERN)台站数据文档文件编码——以湖泊生态系统研究站为例

实现数据文档系统的有效管理必须对数据文档文件进行编码。本文结合湖泊生态系统研究站探讨了数据文档文件编码的若干原则:面向研究对象和目标、唯一性、简单适用性、合理性、可扩充性和规范性,并给出湖泊生态站的分类体系和编码方案。     

A PRELIMINARY STUDY ON THE VARIATION FEATURES OF GRAIN YIELD OF CHINA IN RECENT 40 YEARS

ThespatialdistriblltionofcropcultivatedinChina,especiallyofcroptyPes,vanetiesandcroppingsystems,lspnnclpallydeterm1nedbyclimaticcondltions,andarelatlvestableconcentratedroponaldistributionpattemhasbeenformedinrecat4Oyears.Temporally,cropWeldshowsanincrementaltrendandanoscillationpattenlonlargeandmesialtimescalesbecauseoftheianuenceofagnculturaltechnologyandsoclalfaCtors,respeCtively.ThesharPvariationofaghculturalproduCtsinquantityandqualityfromyeartoyearispnnc1pallycausedbyclimate.This,onth…     

持续农业及其中国态势

农业是发生在生物－自然、社会－政治、经济－技术这三重环境内各种过程的综合体，因此农业的持续性也可归纳为生态、经济、社会三重定义。持续农业在不同的空间尺度上具有不同的意义，在地方和区域尺度上就是生态农业，在国家和全球尺度上，则更注意食物及其分配问题，据此，本文分析了中国持续农业面临的挑战与具有的潜力。     

In Situ Agrobiodiversity Conservation in the Swiss Inner Alpine Zone

This paper considers Swiss experiences of in situ agrobiodiversity conservation. The Swiss recognise the multifunctionality of agriculture, particularly within the marginal, mountainous areas of the country and are spending public and private funds to maintain crop landraces, agroecosystems, landscapes, agricultural practices, and rural communities. State programs in marginal agricultural regions tie economic assistance to biodiversity conservation practices, through the use of direct payment systems. With the removal of many import restrictions and state-led marketing, alternative innovative programs linked to local values of diversity provide opportunities for conservation. In situ agrobiodiversity conservation ideas being pursued include awareness-raising schemes, scientific initiatives, the establishment of diversity gardens and community-based programs. Any extension of the in situ conservation programs could have substantial implications for regional development. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.