Suchergebnisse

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are highly persistent synthetic organic contaminants that can cause serious human health concerns such as obesity, liver damage, kidney cancer, hypertension, immunotoxicity and other human health issues. Integrated crop–livestock systems combine agricultural crop production with milk and/or meat production and processing. Key sources of PFAS in these systems include firefighting foams near military bases, wastewater sludge and industrial discharge. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances regularly move from soils to nearby surface water and/or groundwater because of their high mobility and persistence. Irrigating crops or managing livestock for milk and meat production using adjacent waters can be detrimental to human health. The presence of PFAS in both groundwater and milk have been reported in dairy production states (e.g., Wisconsin and New Mexico) across the United States. Although there is a limit of 70 parts per trillion of PFAS in drinking water by the U.S. EPA, there are not yet regional screening guidelines for conducting risk assessments of livestock watering as well as the soil and plant matrix. This systematic review includes (i) the sources, impacts and challenges of PFAS in integrated crop–livestock systems, (ii) safety measures and protocols for sampling soil, water and plants for determining PFAS concentration in exposed integrated crop–livestock systems and (iii) the assessment, measurement and evaluation of human health risks related to PFAS exposure.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are highly persistent synthetic organic contaminants that can cause serious human health concerns such as obesity, liver damage, kidney cancer, hypertension, immunotoxicity and other human health issues. Integrated crop–livestock systems combine agricultural crop production with milk and/or meat production and processing. Key sources of PFAS in these systems include firefighting foams near military bases, wastewater sludge and industrial discharge. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances regularly move from soils to nearby surface water and/or groundwater because of their high mobility and persistence. Irrigating crops or managing livestock for milk and meat production using adjacent waters can be detrimental to human health. The presence of PFAS in both groundwater and milk have been reported in dairy production states (e.g., Wisconsin and New Mexico) across the United States. Although there is a limit of 70 parts per trillion of PFAS in drinking water by the U.S. EPA, there are not yet regional screening guidelines for conducting risk assessments of livestock watering as well as the soil and plant matrix. This systematic review includes (i) the sources, impacts and challenges of PFAS in integrated crop–livestock systems, (ii) safety measures and protocols for sampling soil, water and plants for determining PFAS concentration in exposed integrated crop–livestock systems and (iii) the assessment, measurement and evaluation of human health risks related to PFAS exposure.

In a field experiment, the dying off of sanitary-indicative bacteria in grasses when irrigating them with wastewater of a pig breeding complex was assessed. Watering was carried out with norms of 270, 180 and 90 m3/ha. Bacterial contamination of herbs was directly dependent on the rate of irrigation with wastewater. E. coli 10 days after watering with a wastewater norm of 270 m3/ha was preserved in plants, while at a rate of 180 and 90 m3/ha it was absent. After 21 days, this microorganism was absent in plants with all types of irrigation wastewater. For indicators of E. coli, the total microbial count (TBC), enterococci is adequate model of the exponential dying of bacteria in plants, depending on the time after watering wastewater. Microorganisms were distributed according to the rate of dying down as follows (in decreasing direction): E. coli (k = 0.48 day–1), TBC (k = 0.089–0.17 day–1), enterococci (k = 0.086–0.10 day–1). The time of a 10-fold reduction in the number of bacteria was smaller for E. coli – 4.76 days, for enterococci it varied from 22.91 to 26.69, for TBC – from 13.37 to 25.77 days. The obtained equations of multiple regression allowed to identify the most significant factors influencing the number of bacteria, as well as to predict it within the framework of the models created.

Not Available ; Executive Summary The project on "Coping strategies for livestock smallholders in the fact of climate change and soaring feed prices: Case study of livestock mobility in the state of Rajasthan, India," was conducted to analyze existing and emerging trends with respect to livestock mobility. Following ICARDA's innovative 'systems' approach, this study was implemented by a multi-disciplinary team of range ecology and management research scientists, socio-economists, and spatial analyst (GIS) scientists from ICARDA, Oregon State University (USA), and the Central Arid Zone Research Institute (CAZRI) in India. The project, funded by the CGIAR research program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), aimed to inform the formulation of policies and government initiatives that could improve the livelihoods of pastoralist communities. The project evaluation was completed taking into consideration the impacts of climate change, a growing demand for livestock products, and the promotion of modernization agendas as a pathway out of poverty. Researchers spent a year collecting geospatial data and recording GPS locations for two selected migratory herds in the region. Existing policies related to pastoralism were also reviewed. Researchers provided the following conclusions and recommendations: • Improving the condition of the common grazing lands and religious trust-owned pastures with community participation could provide better forage resources that fulfill the nutritional requirements of migrating animals. • The interventions of state government through the provision of mobile veterinary services and quality medicines on different migratory routes will help reducing losses to livestock owners. • Control of criminals shall provide a healthy space to livestock owners in different regions and ensure safety of people engaged in this enterprise. • The provision of government services, such as watering camps and post processing facilities could potentially reduce grazing pressure in the present migration routes by dispersing herders to new areas. • Increasing awareness of government provided veterinary services at key points along the migratory route through a promotional campaign would greatly benefit many migratory pastoralists. It was also concluded that migration of animals reduces grazing pressure in herders' home villages and allows for herders to follow forage according to climate variability. This mobility provides resilience in the face of increasing climate variability ; Not Available

Appropriate housing that promotes excellent health and high welfare for different livestock species is an essential aspect of sustainable animal production. The appropriate design of livestock buildings is a fast changing and ever improving professional endeavour. This book is set out to review the 'current best practice management' in relation to all key design elements of livestock buildings. It is important to manage these buildings correctly to generate environmental conditions that will enhance the health and welfare of livestock, the health of farm workers and people living near farming operations. 'Livestock housing' is written for all those who are involved in managing the health and welfare conditions of housed livestock on commercial farms, including farm workers, animal scientists, veterinarians, agricultural engineers and of course students. Contributions have been solicited from highly respected specialists from around the world. All key areas of housing management are reviewed, including feeding, watering, ventilation and waste management systems. Furthermore, issues such as the control of emissions, role of bedding, maintenance of hygiene, the management of thermal and aerial environment as well as the use of modern technological tools in the service of livestock management are discussed. This book provides a unique forum for leading international experts to convey up-to-date information to professionals involved in modern animal production

The history of dam construction in Zimbabwe dates back to the 1920s and since then over 7,000 small dams have been constructed countrywide. Small dams are multipurpose structures used for improving rural livelihoods. The multipurpose nature of these dams has largely gone unquantified in terms of importance of the uses to the community and influence of management practises. The current study made use of a questionnaire among small dam users, key informant interviews, secondary data and observation on four communal dams in the Limpopo basin to establish the uses, volume of water abstracted and water productivity for some uses and the interrelationship between various organisations and the community in the management of small dams. Uses on all dams in order of importance were livestock watering, domestic use, irrigation, fishing, brick making, and collection of reeds used for roofing. Livestock consume on average over 70% of water for consumptive uses. Water productivity in terms of yield per volume unit of water used ranged from 0.025 kg m-3 for vegetables to 7,575 kg m-3 for bricks, and monetary values per volume unit of water used were Z$ 389,434 m-3 for brick making and Z$ 1,874 m-3 for irrigation. Traditional leadership and the community are pivotal in the management of the small dams, with some organisations giving technical, financial and input assistance. The management and conservation of small dams needs to be well coordinated between the communities, NGOs and government if the full benefits of these national resources are to be realised in the long term.

Conservation of streams in Africa cannot be considered separately from their importance as water sources for local people. Humans and livestock interact daily with flowing water and its associated riparian vegetation, giving these landscape features social and economic importance. Despite the destruction that these activities cause, they provide opportunities for imaginative approaches to conservation. Issues focusing on resources other than water itself should be considered; for example, use of riparian vegetation for collection of medicinal herbs, firewood, timber for construction and as sites for spiritual, cultural and recreational activities. To address these concerns, Kenyan streams and their catchments are given as examples in this paper, with the assumption that they are typical of streams and catchments in many parts of Africa. These streams are used extensively for small scale abstraction, washing, livestock watering and exploitation of riparian vegetation. All of these activities occur with little regulation or management, despite the riparian zones nominally being protected government property. Effective management requires an understanding of patterns of supply and demand for water, which is seasonal, and for vegetation resources, which is continuous and increasing. Challenges for effective management are identified as: politically- and tribally-mediated insecurity; ineffective governance, particularly with respect to enforcing protective legislation; different use of resources by different ethnic groups; division of labour along gender and age lines; poverty and the inability to diversify resources; traditions and neglect of traditional ecological knowledge; and inadequate formal education. We propose that effective conservation of water and riparian resources – and therefore of essential ecosystem services – is best achieved by a combination of law enforcement and engagement of local communities with the resource upon which they depend. Understanding the importance of the resource and engendering a spirit of community 'ownership' will help to avoid the current 'tragedy-of-the-commons', in which uncontrolled exploitation is increasing in a totally unsustainable fashion in tropical Africa.

En el norte de la provincia de Santa Fe, especialmente en la Cuña Boscosa, Bajos Submeridionales y Domo Occidental, se encuentran más de tres millones de cabezas de ganado vacuno, donde uno de los principales condicionantes en la producción es la irregular calidad del agua subterránea para el abrevado de la hacienda. La fl uctuación entre escenarios hidrológicos secos y húmedos repercute directamente en la producción, donde no solo varía el nivel freático del acuífero libre, único aprovechable, sino fundamentalmente la calidad química del agua. El INTA, articulando con el INA, con el Gobierno de Santa Fe y con Centros de Estudio de la UNL, ha concretado unidades demostrativas de investigación y transferencia en campos de productores y unidades experimentales de la Institución, diseñando y proponiendo distintas tecnologías consensuadas con los productores en lo que hace al manejo del agua de lluvia complementada con la subterránea. 3 Sistemas de Aguadas se concretaron con diferentes maneras de aprovechar el agua de lluvia con el agua subterránea, sistematizando terrenos para garantizar el acceso y recarga del acuífero libre, con mecanismos de bombeo mediante energía renovable y con sistemas de succión que lo hacen en la parte superfi cial del acuífero, donde todos convergen a un tanque central de mezcla, para garantizar así que todos los animales tomen agua con la misma calidad química, cualquiera sea el lugar de pastaje. Desde el año 2011 se monitorean las variables de interés, donde la premisa es tener controlada la salinidad del agua en el tanque central de mezcla y que sus variaciones a través del año sean graduales, ya que esto maximiza la producción ganadera. Esto se visualiza en cada uno de los 3 sistemas y, fundamentalmente en el tanque central de mezcla, donde la cantidad, calidad y oportunidad durante el año evidencian claramente resultados muy positivos en el lugar estudiado. ; In the north of the province of Santa Fe, especially in the forest wedge, Lower Submeridionals and Occidental Domo, there are more than three million head of cattle, where one of the main determinants of production is the irregular quality of groundwater For the watering of the hacienda. The fl uctuation between dry and wet hydrological scenarios has a direct impact on production, where not only the free water table, which is the only available water, varies, but also the chemical quality of the water. In collaboration with the INA, the Government of Santa Fe and UNL Research Centers, INTA has developed research and transfer demonstration units in the fi elds of producers and experimental units of the Institution, designing and proposing different technologies that are consensual with the Producers in the management of rainwater supplemented with the underground. 3 water systems were implemented with different ways of using rainwater with groundwater, systematizing terrain to guarantee access and recharge of the free aquifer, with pumping mechanisms using renewable energy and with suction systems that do it in the part Surface of the aquifer, where all converge to a central mixing tank, to ensure that all animals take water with the same chemical quality, whatever the place of grazing. Since 2011 the variables of interest are monitored, where the premise is to have controlled the salinity of the water in the central mixing tank and that its variations throughout the year are gradual, since this maximizes livestock production. This is visualized in each of the three systems and, fundamentally in the central mixing tank, where the quantity, quality and opportunity during the year clearly show very positive results in the place studied. ; Fil: Basan Nickisch, Mario. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Reconquista; Argentina ; Fil: Lahitte, Alejandro. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Consejo Directivo; Argentina ; Fil: Sosa, Dora Cecilia. Instituto Nacional del Agua. Centro Regional Litoral; Argentina ; Fil: Sanchez, Luciano Emilio. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Reconquista; Argentina ; Fil: Tosolini, Ruben Americo. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Rafaela; Argentina

Paper presented at the International Conference on Fresh Water Governance for Sustainable Development, Central Drakensberg, South Africa, 5-7 November 2012 ; Participatory approaches in the water sector tend to come with many implicit strings and financing earmarks that reflect the compartmentalization of the public water sector administration. Even 'participatory' water projects still prioritize one single water use, either domestic uses, or irrigation, or livestock watering, or fisheries, and, related to this, only one dimension of livelihood benefits: either health, or food security, or income, or women's empowerment. Other projects take the resource as entry point, for example Integrated Water Resource Management, or ecosystem services, or the river. These approaches tend to ignore and undermine the ways in which communities integrate social, economic, and political aspects in their management of local resources. On the ground, communities and local government struggle to match their holistic, locally specific needs, constraints and opportunities with these top-down defined, technocratic public silos. Moreover, fragmented public institutions miss two 'best practices' in water development and management, which have been obvious for communities' own water governance since time immemorial. First, communities construct infrastructure to serve as many uses as possible, in order to meet their multiple needs. Second, communities combine multiple water sources for enhanced resilience and coping with natural variability. In the past decade, a new approach to water services developed that builds on people's holistic management of the local water cycle: multiple use water services (MUS). MUS takes people's multiple water needs from multiple sources as the starting point for community-driven participatory planning. The paper presents progress in innovation and impacts of the MUS approach, from the angle of the WASH sub-sector, the irrigation sector, and, increasingly, participatory development and employment generation projects in general. The latter is important because communities often prioritize water asset creation if they are given the choice. This appeared to be the case, for example, in India's National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. Global experiences will be compared with approaches in South Africa.

People living in arid areas with highly variable rainfall, experience droughts and floods and often have insecure livelihoods. Small multi-purpose reservoirs are a widely used form of infrastructure for the provision of water. They supply water for domestic use, livestock watering, small scale irrigation, and other beneficial uses. The reservoirs are hydrologically linked by the streams that have been dammed. Although reservoirs store a large quantity of water and have a significant effect on downstream flows, they have rarely been considered as systems, with synergies and tradeoffs resulting from the number and density of their structures. Often reservoirs were constructed in a series of projects funded by different agencies, at different times, with little or no coordination among the implementing partners. A significant number are functioning sub-optimally and/or are falling into disrepair. This indicates that there is room for improvement in the planning, operation, and maintenance of small reservoirs. The water management institutions in Volta, Limpopo, and Sao Francisco Basins are being revamped to better serve their constituencies. We have an opportunity to collaborate with government officials, stakeholders, and farmers who are actively looking for ways to improve the planning process. The Small Reservoir Project team developed a tool kit to support the planning, development, and management of small reservoir ensembles on the basin level and the use of small multi-purpose reservoirs that are properly located, well designed, operated and maintained in sustainable fashion, and economically viable on the local/community level. There are tools to improve intervention planning, storage estimation and the analysis of the hydrology, ecology and health of small reservoirs. There ara also tools for the analysis of institutional and economic aspects of the reservoirs. The toolkit not only includes the necessary analytical instruments, but also a set of process oriented tools for improved participatory decision making. The Tool Kit is meant to be a living "document" with additional tools and experiences to be added as they are developed.

This is a conference paper. ; The pre-independence government in Zimbabwe initiated a borehole drilling programme for the provision of domestic water to rural populations. Dams and sandabstraction systems were put in place for the watering of livestock. A centralised maintenance and repair system was provided at a District level by skilled technicians funded from local taxation of rural people and from quasicommercial projects.

Alderson Creek (AC) is a small stream, approximately 2.4 km long, located about 100 kilometers from Kelowna, British Columbia. It passes through seven private properties that produce alfalfa-grass hay, raise cattle, horses and poultry. The creek and riparian corridor is substantially degraded, with sinking stream banks, siltation of the watercourse, loss of native riparian vegetation, and loss of fish habitat (Alderson Creek Remediation Plan, 2014). Channelization of the stream, lack of maintenance, as well as other inadequate management practices, have resulted in permanently flooded farmland (10.4 acre), cases of animals drowning in one part of the creek (due to unrestricted access for cattle) and disease problems such as foot rot for animals that are frequently in wet conditions. In 2014, landowners along the creek formed a non-profit society called the "Alderson Creek Restoration Environmental Society" (ACRES) to cooperatively address issues resulting from the state of the creek. In the same year, the proposal for a Group Environmental Farm Plan (GEFP) was submitted to BC Government. The plan proposed a set of solutions including fencing to keep cattle out of the creek, installing off-stream livestock watering and/or controlled livestock access to the stream, installing additional drainage infrastructure and planting natural vegetation to support the stream bank and provide shading and habitat. This document presents an accounting of the costs and benefits of the project. Some of these costs and benefits are experienced by the land owners themselves, while others impact the larger community. Riparian corridors in particular provide extensive environmental services which include water flow regulation, attractive visual aesthetics, and habitat for terrestrial and aquatic flora and fauna. This study relies on the Benefit Transfer methodology to attach values to the expected ecosystem services after the restoration. The analysis was conducted for two possible project scenarios, a three meter and a five meter riparian buffer on either side of the creek. The lifetime of the project was taken to be 20 years and the net benefits (Benefits – Costs) were discounted using a 3% and 5% discount rate. Results showed positive net benefits for both scenarios when cash flows are discounted at 3%. Results suggest that a five meter riparian buffer results in the largest net benefit, calculated as Net Present Value (NPV= $53,422). With a three meter riparian buffer and using a 5% discount rate, net benefits are negative (NPV= - $5,865). The internal rate of return (IRR) for the three and five meter buffer scenarios was 4.64% and 5.41% respectively. ; Irving K. Barber School of Arts and Sciences (Okanagan) ; Land and Food Systems, Faculty of ; Economics, Philosophy and Political Science, Department of (Okanagan) ; Unreviewed ; Faculty ; Graduate

Possession of an Ag Pass during a wildfire or similar disaster allows farmers and ranchers access to areas that may otherwise be restricted to the public so that they can protect or care for agricultural assets (such as by irrigating crops or feeding, watering, and transporting livestock) or provide auxiliary support to emergency personnel (such as identification of access roads and water points). It is crucial that those who may seek access to an evacuation zone establish communication—before a crisis—with all relevant local agencies so that authorities understand and support the process. This publication describes how communities across California might approach such a program, recognizing that the structure and organization of any such program will ultimately depend upon the specific resources, politics, and relationships within any one community.

In Pakistan, livestock is playing a considerable role in the country's economy, agricultural development and fulfilling the domestic dairy needs of households. We cannot negate the prominence of females' participation in this sector. This study is organized to identify the involvement of rural women in managing dairy farm practices. Data was collected from 120 rural women who were participating in dairy farm activities in District Okara through purposive sampling technique with the help of a well-structured interview schedule. The results showed that mostly young women in the age group of 19 to 38 were involved in dairy farm practices. 60.0% of the respondents were illiterate and almost 65.0% family's occupation was agriculture. 32.5% respondents were involved in dairy farm practice from 6 to 10 years while half of the respondents were spending their 8 to 10 hours in these activities. Their involvement in on-farm activities was unpaid and considered as their domestic duty. Mostly, they were involved in managing on-farm sustainable dairy practices that includes; fodder cutting, watering, cleaning Chad and taking care of animals. Their participation and management of on-farm activities should be documented and acknowledged. The government should focus on female's education and paid participation in agricultural activities. Keywords: Women participation, On-farm livestock management practices, District Okara, Punjab, Pakistan