Vital Signs: An integrated monitoring system for agricultural landscapesafrica-rising
Presented by Roseline Remans, Columbia University at the Africa RISING–CSISA Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Meeting, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 11-13 November 2013
This document discusses approaches to improving soil fertility management and recommendations in Africa. It notes that input use by farmers is risky due to uncertainty in outcomes. It advocates reducing this decision risk by improving soil testing methods and recommendations. The document outlines limitations of current soil testing, including lack of calibration and validation. It proposes using digital soil mapping and soil-plant spectral analysis as low-cost, reproducible methods to generate spatially explicit soil data and recommendations. Establishing a network of soil spectral labs across Africa, with training and standardization, is suggested to scale these approaches. Principles are outlined for taking agronomy recommendations to scale, including defining the problem, sampling rigorously, validating results, and focusing further work to reduce key uncertainties.
Julian R - Evaluating the impact of climate change on global plant biodiversityCIAT
Preliminary results on the assessment of impacts of climate change on global plant diversity. Presented at Tyndall Centre, Norwich, UK, by Julian Ramirez
Extrapolation suitability for improved vegetable technologies in Babati Distr...africa-rising
Presented by Francis Muthoni, Justus Ochieng, Jean-Marc Delore, Phillipo J. Lukumay, and Inviolata Dominic at the Power on Your Plate Summit, Arusha, Tanzania, 25-28 January 2021.
How can ‘Yield gap analysis’ be useful :Global yield gap atlas (gyga)ICRISAT
The Global Yield Gap Atlas provides important information on the capacities of various countries to be self-sufficient in staple food crop production now and in the future. So far the Atlas has been populated for 24 countries for five major staple crops (maize, wheat, rice, sorghum and millet) and analyses for 25 additional countries is in progress.
This document summarizes a workshop on potato yield gap analysis held in Kenya. It discusses the importance of analyzing yield gaps to meet increasing global food demand through closing yield gaps rather than expanding agricultural land. Potato production and yields are increasing in sub-Saharan Africa but remain low on average. The concepts of potential yield, attainable yield, and actual farmer yields are introduced. Yield gaps are defined as the difference between potential and actual yields and can be measured at local or broader scales. Methods for estimating potential and actual yields are described. An example from Rwanda shows a large yield gap between potential and actual potato yields.
Vital Signs: An integrated monitoring system for agricultural landscapesafrica-rising
Presented by Roseline Remans, Columbia University at the Africa RISING–CSISA Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Meeting, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 11-13 November 2013
This document discusses approaches to improving soil fertility management and recommendations in Africa. It notes that input use by farmers is risky due to uncertainty in outcomes. It advocates reducing this decision risk by improving soil testing methods and recommendations. The document outlines limitations of current soil testing, including lack of calibration and validation. It proposes using digital soil mapping and soil-plant spectral analysis as low-cost, reproducible methods to generate spatially explicit soil data and recommendations. Establishing a network of soil spectral labs across Africa, with training and standardization, is suggested to scale these approaches. Principles are outlined for taking agronomy recommendations to scale, including defining the problem, sampling rigorously, validating results, and focusing further work to reduce key uncertainties.
Julian R - Evaluating the impact of climate change on global plant biodiversityCIAT
Preliminary results on the assessment of impacts of climate change on global plant diversity. Presented at Tyndall Centre, Norwich, UK, by Julian Ramirez
Extrapolation suitability for improved vegetable technologies in Babati Distr...africa-rising
Presented by Francis Muthoni, Justus Ochieng, Jean-Marc Delore, Phillipo J. Lukumay, and Inviolata Dominic at the Power on Your Plate Summit, Arusha, Tanzania, 25-28 January 2021.
How can ‘Yield gap analysis’ be useful :Global yield gap atlas (gyga)ICRISAT
The Global Yield Gap Atlas provides important information on the capacities of various countries to be self-sufficient in staple food crop production now and in the future. So far the Atlas has been populated for 24 countries for five major staple crops (maize, wheat, rice, sorghum and millet) and analyses for 25 additional countries is in progress.
This document summarizes a workshop on potato yield gap analysis held in Kenya. It discusses the importance of analyzing yield gaps to meet increasing global food demand through closing yield gaps rather than expanding agricultural land. Potato production and yields are increasing in sub-Saharan Africa but remain low on average. The concepts of potential yield, attainable yield, and actual farmer yields are introduced. Yield gaps are defined as the difference between potential and actual yields and can be measured at local or broader scales. Methods for estimating potential and actual yields are described. An example from Rwanda shows a large yield gap between potential and actual potato yields.
Presentation at the Global Alliance for Climate-Smart Agriculture (GACSA) Annual Forum June 15, 2016 in Rome, Italy.
by Meryl Richards, CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), Todd Rosenstock (ICRAF), Lini Wollenberg (CCAFS), Klaus Butterbach-Bahl (ILRI, KIT), Mariana Rufino (CIFOR, Leeds) and many others
Potential impact of groundnut production technology on welfare of smallholder...africa-rising
Poster prepared by Bekele Hundie Kotu, Abdul Rahman Nurudeen, Francis Muthoni, Irmgard Hoeschle-Zeledon, Fred Kizito at Tropentag 2020 Conference (virtual), Witzenhausen, Germany, 9 - 11 September 2020.
Precision Agriculture for smallholder farmers: An option?CIMMYT
Remote sensing –Beyond images
Mexico 14-15 December 2013
The workshop was organized by CIMMYT Global Conservation Agriculture Program (GCAP) and funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), the Mexican Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food (SAGARPA), the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), CGIAR Research Program on Maize, the Cereal System Initiative for South Asia (CSISA) and the Sustainable Modernization of the Traditional Agriculture (MasAgro)
Presentation by Eskender Beza, João Vasco Silva, Pytrik Reidsma, Martin Herold, Lammert Kooistra, Laboratory of Geo-Information Science and Remote Sensing and Plant Production System (PPS)
Session: ICTs/Mobile Apps for Management and Use of Agricultural Data
on 7 Nov 2013
ICT4Ag, Kiali, Rwanda
Soil for Africa - the role of sustainable soil management for restoration of ...World Agroforestry (ICRAF)
Presentation by Leigh Winowiecki at the session on sustainable soil management in Africa at the European Development Days 2017. https://eudevdays.eu/sessions/sustainable-soil-management-foundation-africas-future
5th International Disaster and Risk Conference IDRC 2014 Integrative Risk Management - The role of science, technology & practice 24-28 August 2014 in Davos, Switzerland
Welcome to the Remote Sensing – Beyond Images WorkshopCIMMYT
Remote sensing –Beyond images
Mexico 14-15 December 2013
The workshop was organized by CIMMYT Global Conservation Agriculture Program (GCAP) and funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), the Mexican Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food (SAGARPA), the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), CGIAR Research Program on Maize, the Cereal System Initiative for South Asia (CSISA) and the Sustainable Modernization of the Traditional Agriculture (MasAgro)
Water, land and soil management strategies to intensify cereal-legume farming...africa-rising
Poster prepared by Fred Kizito, Davie Kadyampakeni, Asamoah Larbi, Eliasu Salifu and Abdul Rahman Nurudeen for the AfrIca RISING West Africa Review and Planning Meeting, Accra, 30 March–1 April 2016
CLEANED tool: Live spatial simulation to develop a shared vision for a sustai...ILRI
Presented by Catherine Pfeifer (ILRI) , Joanne Morris (SEI) and Victor Mose (LocateIT) at the Free and Open Source Software for Geospatial (FOSS4G) Conference, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, 28 August–3 September 2018
The document discusses assessments of soil health at large scales for evidence-based decision making. It describes the Land Degradation Surveillance Framework (LDSF), which uses spatially stratified random sampling and a hierarchical structure to assess soil health across a global network of sentinel sites. Earth observation data from satellites can provide information on soil properties and sensitivity to degradation. Assessments need quantifiable metrics that allow for hypothesis testing and be at scales relevant to farmers. They should also integrate social and ecological indicators to understand interactions between systems and resilience.
Remote sensing –Beyond images
Mexico 14-15 December 2013
The workshop was organized by CIMMYT Global Conservation Agriculture Program (GCAP) and funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), the Mexican Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food (SAGARPA), the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), CGIAR Research Program on Maize, the Cereal System Initiative for South Asia (CSISA) and the Sustainable Modernization of the Traditional Agriculture (MasAgro)
Targeting inputs in appropriate landscapes and farming systemsafrica-rising
This document summarizes a study that validated fertilizer recommendations for farmers across landscapes in Ethiopia. Researchers characterized districts by predicted crop response and classified them into response zones. Field experiments were conducted on 648 plots with 216 farmers in 3 regions, testing fertilizer treatments on tef, wheat, and maize. The decision guide predicted responses accurately for 63-78% of footslope, midslope, and hillslope plots. Results showed yield benefits varied by landscape position and introducing zinc and lime could further improve crop response to fertilizer. Plans for 2019 include quantifying yield differences by landscape and introducing lime effects.
The Soil Vulnerability Index (SVI) was developed by the USDA NRCS to identify soils that are inherently vulnerable to nutrient and sediment losses from cultivated cropland. The SVI uses soil properties like drainage class, slope, and erosion factors to classify soils into vulnerability classes for phosphorus, nitrogen, and sediment leaching and runoff. It was originally developed for the Conservation Effects Assessment Project to help target conservation planning. The SVI can help identify fields and watersheds that would most benefit from conservation practices due to high inherent vulnerability. It is meant as a screening tool and does not account for current management practices. The SVI continues to be refined with input from soil scientists and partners.
Oral presentation made at the 19th European Association for Potato Research (EAPR) Conference held in Brussels on 7-11 July 2014. It is about a Potato Yield Gap Analysis study for Sub Saharan Africa through Participatory Modeling being conducted by the International Potato Center (CIP).
43 % of Earth’s terrestrial vegetated surface is degraded with limited capacity to supply benefits to humans.
Degraded landscapes often result in lower Soil Organic Carbon and overall poor soil health.
Understanding drivers of Land Degradation and processes of Soil Organic Carbon loss are key for informing effective interventions .
Climate and crop modeling by Gummadi Sridhar,Gizachew Legesse,Pauline Chiveng...ICRISAT
Climate effects on agriculture are of increasing concern in both the scientific and policy communities because of the growing population and the greater uncertainty in the weather during growing seasons. Changes in production are directly linked to variations in temperature and precipitation during the growing season and often to the offseason changes in weather because of soil water storage to replenish the soil profile. This is not an isolated problem but one of worldwide interest because each country has concerns about their food security.
Proposed contributions of Africa RISING for AICCRA small ruminant value chain...africa-rising
Presented by Kindu Mekonnen, Peter Thorne, Melkamu Bezabih and Aberra Adie at the Accelerating the impacts of CGIAR climate research in Africa (AICCRA) Virtual team meeting, 21 August 2020
A Digitally Integrated Africa Soil Information Service (AfSIS)CIAT
The document summarizes the AfSIS (A Digitally Integrated Africa Soil Information Service) project. The project aims to create a digital soil database covering 42 African countries to help reverse soil degradation and increase crop yields. It will involve soil surveys, fertility trials, capacity building activities, and dissemination of soils information and recommendations to stakeholders like farmers, extension agents, and policymakers. The project is led by CIAT and involves several partners. It has 5 objectives, including creating cyber infrastructure and databases, conducting soil surveys, implementing trials, capacity building, and dissemination.
The document outlines a framework for measuring and monitoring land health and degradation through field measurements and remote sensing. It describes a stratified sampling approach with sentinel sites, clusters, plots and sub-plots to collect biophysical data on vegetation, soils, and trace gases. Remote sensing is used to extrapolate ground measurements and characterize spatial heterogeneity. Soil and carbon models integrate field and remote sensing data for carbon accounting and analysis at local to global scales.
Presentation at the Global Alliance for Climate-Smart Agriculture (GACSA) Annual Forum June 15, 2016 in Rome, Italy.
by Meryl Richards, CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), Todd Rosenstock (ICRAF), Lini Wollenberg (CCAFS), Klaus Butterbach-Bahl (ILRI, KIT), Mariana Rufino (CIFOR, Leeds) and many others
Potential impact of groundnut production technology on welfare of smallholder...africa-rising
Poster prepared by Bekele Hundie Kotu, Abdul Rahman Nurudeen, Francis Muthoni, Irmgard Hoeschle-Zeledon, Fred Kizito at Tropentag 2020 Conference (virtual), Witzenhausen, Germany, 9 - 11 September 2020.
Precision Agriculture for smallholder farmers: An option?CIMMYT
Remote sensing –Beyond images
Mexico 14-15 December 2013
The workshop was organized by CIMMYT Global Conservation Agriculture Program (GCAP) and funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), the Mexican Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food (SAGARPA), the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), CGIAR Research Program on Maize, the Cereal System Initiative for South Asia (CSISA) and the Sustainable Modernization of the Traditional Agriculture (MasAgro)
Presentation by Eskender Beza, João Vasco Silva, Pytrik Reidsma, Martin Herold, Lammert Kooistra, Laboratory of Geo-Information Science and Remote Sensing and Plant Production System (PPS)
Session: ICTs/Mobile Apps for Management and Use of Agricultural Data
on 7 Nov 2013
ICT4Ag, Kiali, Rwanda
Soil for Africa - the role of sustainable soil management for restoration of ...World Agroforestry (ICRAF)
Presentation by Leigh Winowiecki at the session on sustainable soil management in Africa at the European Development Days 2017. https://eudevdays.eu/sessions/sustainable-soil-management-foundation-africas-future
5th International Disaster and Risk Conference IDRC 2014 Integrative Risk Management - The role of science, technology & practice 24-28 August 2014 in Davos, Switzerland
Welcome to the Remote Sensing – Beyond Images WorkshopCIMMYT
Remote sensing –Beyond images
Mexico 14-15 December 2013
The workshop was organized by CIMMYT Global Conservation Agriculture Program (GCAP) and funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), the Mexican Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food (SAGARPA), the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), CGIAR Research Program on Maize, the Cereal System Initiative for South Asia (CSISA) and the Sustainable Modernization of the Traditional Agriculture (MasAgro)
Water, land and soil management strategies to intensify cereal-legume farming...africa-rising
Poster prepared by Fred Kizito, Davie Kadyampakeni, Asamoah Larbi, Eliasu Salifu and Abdul Rahman Nurudeen for the AfrIca RISING West Africa Review and Planning Meeting, Accra, 30 March–1 April 2016
CLEANED tool: Live spatial simulation to develop a shared vision for a sustai...ILRI
Presented by Catherine Pfeifer (ILRI) , Joanne Morris (SEI) and Victor Mose (LocateIT) at the Free and Open Source Software for Geospatial (FOSS4G) Conference, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, 28 August–3 September 2018
The document discusses assessments of soil health at large scales for evidence-based decision making. It describes the Land Degradation Surveillance Framework (LDSF), which uses spatially stratified random sampling and a hierarchical structure to assess soil health across a global network of sentinel sites. Earth observation data from satellites can provide information on soil properties and sensitivity to degradation. Assessments need quantifiable metrics that allow for hypothesis testing and be at scales relevant to farmers. They should also integrate social and ecological indicators to understand interactions between systems and resilience.
Remote sensing –Beyond images
Mexico 14-15 December 2013
The workshop was organized by CIMMYT Global Conservation Agriculture Program (GCAP) and funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), the Mexican Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food (SAGARPA), the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), CGIAR Research Program on Maize, the Cereal System Initiative for South Asia (CSISA) and the Sustainable Modernization of the Traditional Agriculture (MasAgro)
Targeting inputs in appropriate landscapes and farming systemsafrica-rising
This document summarizes a study that validated fertilizer recommendations for farmers across landscapes in Ethiopia. Researchers characterized districts by predicted crop response and classified them into response zones. Field experiments were conducted on 648 plots with 216 farmers in 3 regions, testing fertilizer treatments on tef, wheat, and maize. The decision guide predicted responses accurately for 63-78% of footslope, midslope, and hillslope plots. Results showed yield benefits varied by landscape position and introducing zinc and lime could further improve crop response to fertilizer. Plans for 2019 include quantifying yield differences by landscape and introducing lime effects.
The Soil Vulnerability Index (SVI) was developed by the USDA NRCS to identify soils that are inherently vulnerable to nutrient and sediment losses from cultivated cropland. The SVI uses soil properties like drainage class, slope, and erosion factors to classify soils into vulnerability classes for phosphorus, nitrogen, and sediment leaching and runoff. It was originally developed for the Conservation Effects Assessment Project to help target conservation planning. The SVI can help identify fields and watersheds that would most benefit from conservation practices due to high inherent vulnerability. It is meant as a screening tool and does not account for current management practices. The SVI continues to be refined with input from soil scientists and partners.
Oral presentation made at the 19th European Association for Potato Research (EAPR) Conference held in Brussels on 7-11 July 2014. It is about a Potato Yield Gap Analysis study for Sub Saharan Africa through Participatory Modeling being conducted by the International Potato Center (CIP).
43 % of Earth’s terrestrial vegetated surface is degraded with limited capacity to supply benefits to humans.
Degraded landscapes often result in lower Soil Organic Carbon and overall poor soil health.
Understanding drivers of Land Degradation and processes of Soil Organic Carbon loss are key for informing effective interventions .
Climate and crop modeling by Gummadi Sridhar,Gizachew Legesse,Pauline Chiveng...ICRISAT
Climate effects on agriculture are of increasing concern in both the scientific and policy communities because of the growing population and the greater uncertainty in the weather during growing seasons. Changes in production are directly linked to variations in temperature and precipitation during the growing season and often to the offseason changes in weather because of soil water storage to replenish the soil profile. This is not an isolated problem but one of worldwide interest because each country has concerns about their food security.
Proposed contributions of Africa RISING for AICCRA small ruminant value chain...africa-rising
Presented by Kindu Mekonnen, Peter Thorne, Melkamu Bezabih and Aberra Adie at the Accelerating the impacts of CGIAR climate research in Africa (AICCRA) Virtual team meeting, 21 August 2020
A Digitally Integrated Africa Soil Information Service (AfSIS)CIAT
The document summarizes the AfSIS (A Digitally Integrated Africa Soil Information Service) project. The project aims to create a digital soil database covering 42 African countries to help reverse soil degradation and increase crop yields. It will involve soil surveys, fertility trials, capacity building activities, and dissemination of soils information and recommendations to stakeholders like farmers, extension agents, and policymakers. The project is led by CIAT and involves several partners. It has 5 objectives, including creating cyber infrastructure and databases, conducting soil surveys, implementing trials, capacity building, and dissemination.
The document outlines a framework for measuring and monitoring land health and degradation through field measurements and remote sensing. It describes a stratified sampling approach with sentinel sites, clusters, plots and sub-plots to collect biophysical data on vegetation, soils, and trace gases. Remote sensing is used to extrapolate ground measurements and characterize spatial heterogeneity. Soil and carbon models integrate field and remote sensing data for carbon accounting and analysis at local to global scales.
- Land degradation is a serious problem across Eastern Africa, with over 20% of land degraded in Kenya and Ethiopia, over 40% in Malawi, and over 50% in Tanzania according to NDVI decline measures. Major drivers of degradation include expansion of cropland and unsustainable agricultural practices.
- Adoption of sustainable land management practices is low, ranging from 68% of plots in Malawi to 85% in Ethiopia and Tanzania. Use of multiple practices is also limited.
- Logit, multivariate probit, and Poisson regression models find that factors like temperature, rainfall, elevation, soil type, household demographics, education, land tenure, extension access, and credit access influence adoption and intensity
Spectroscopy - A new paradigm for Evidence-based Land &Soil Management recomm...Stankovic G
AfriLAB: Regional Soil Laboratory Network for Africa | First meeting. 21 - 24 May 2019 | Nairobi, Kenya
Ermias Betemariam, Erick Towett & Andrew Sila World Agroforestry (ICRAF), Kenya
This document summarizes a study exploring the interplay between forest conservation, food security, and commodity production in tropical forest landscapes. The study uses a nested, three-level design to examine three land use zones - forest, rubber agroforestry, and oil palm plantation - in Kapuas Hulu, Indonesia. Field methods include household surveys, biodiversity surveys, and assessments of ecosystem services, agriculture, livelihoods, and nutrition. The goal is to provide empirical evidence to inform debates around land sparing versus land sharing, and advance understanding of agricultural landscapes as socio-ecological systems. Preliminary results suggest that increasing agricultural production alone may not ensure food security or livelihoods.
Virtual world technologies & new tools for supporting climate risk decision m...Helen Farley
Digital technologies already serve an important role in the delivery and communication of agricultural information, complementing and expanding the reach of conventional extension services. However, sophisticated digital platforms and their applications in learning environments offer new opportunities which may significantly enhance agricultural knowledge exchange.
This paper reports on a project that uses cutting-edge advances in virtual world technologies to develop web-based virtual ‘discussion-support’ tools for the rapid sharing of targeted climate information. These tools are designed to provide a stimulus for discussion, enhanced decision-making and improved climate risk management on farms. The project uses the Second Life virtual world environment to create customized scripted video clips (machinima). These feature real world settings and lifelike avatar actors who model conversations about climate risk and key farm operational decisions relevant to the lives and practices of specific groups of farmers. The system has been trialed with Indian cotton farmers and Australian sugarcane farmers. Further large scale evaluation in a range of agricultural systems will inform continual improvement of the approach.
With improved internet access and uptake of mobile technologies, these tools have potential to provide new cost-effective options for real-time information exchange at local, regional, national and even global scales. Such tools may enhance rapid and effective needs-based knowledge sharing, capacity building and online learning opportunities within the agricultural sector; provide increasing opportunity for discussion around risk, decision-making and implementation of sustainable farming practices; and enable agricultural industries to become lead innovators in blended digital and ‘in person’ extension and outreach. Improved climate risk decision-making and management in agriculture is critical to the well-being and long-term sustainability of farming communities and future global food security.
Africa RISING R4D approach towards agricultural intensification and climate c...africa-rising
The document summarizes the Africa RISING R4D program in Ethiopia, which aims to promote agricultural intensification and climate change adaptation. It operates in 8 research sites across 4 regions, working with various partners. The program conducts research on key issues like soil fertility and water management. It implements farm-level interventions like fodder production and soil amendments. It also carries out landscape-level activities such as watershed management. The program provides capacity building and establishes innovation platforms to facilitate knowledge sharing. Monitoring evaluates impacts on soil erosion, runoff and yields. The conclusion emphasizes partnerships, tailored technologies and stepwise watershed approaches.
Precision Agriculture for smallholder farmers: Are we dreaming?CIMMYT
Presentation delivered by Dr. Bruno Gerard (Global Conservation Agriculture Program, CIMMYT) at Borlaug Summit on Wheat for Food Security. March 25 - 28, 2014, Ciudad Obregon, Mexico.
http://www.borlaug100.org
The online start-up workshop presented the "Building a COVID-19 Rapid Response and Ag-Foresight Department in Egypt" project’s activities and future plans, including collaborative discussion and brainstorming with stakeholders on the most relevant issues and policies in the agricultural sector’s resilience during COVID-19.
Land Health Surveillance Information for decision makingCIMMYT
Remote sensing –Beyond images
Mexico 14-15 December 2013
The workshop was organized by CIMMYT Global Conservation Agriculture Program (GCAP) and funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), the Mexican Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food (SAGARPA), the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), CGIAR Research Program on Maize, the Cereal System Initiative for South Asia (CSISA) and the Sustainable Modernization of the Traditional Agriculture (MasAgro)
NAP-Ag Webinar - Climate Change Adaptation and Key Issues in the Livestock Se...UNDP Climate
The NAP-Ag Webinar on 'Addressing agriculture, forestry and fisheries in National Adaptation Plans' provided insight on climate change adaptation in the livestock and forestry sector, also highlighting key elements in addressing the agriculture sectors in National Adaptation Plans, and looking forward to how these plans will contribute to NDCs, SDGs and links to other global accords such as the Sendai Framework.
E Cognition User Summit2009 R Lucas University Wales National Vegetation MappingTrimble Geospatial Munich
The document summarizes a project using object-based image analysis to revise national vegetation mapping in Wales. High-resolution satellite imagery from multiple sensors was segmented and classified using a rule-based approach in Definiens software to map habitats at multiple scales, achieving over 80% accuracy compared to existing maps. The project established a baseline habitat map for 2006 and is developing a rolling program to regularly update the maps using new imagery and refine the classification system.
During last year’s partnership meeting, partners asked whether GFW should monitor land and forest values beyond trees. Since then, several GFW partners have been developing new approaches for monitoring land cover, land use, and values such as biodiversity, carbon, and water. Discussion topics include: what are needs for a monitoring system beyond forest area (e.g. for climate and biodiversity)? What role should GFW play in advancing new monitoring approaches? Which monitoring needs should we prioritize first?
This document summarizes a study that used a geographic information systems (GIS) model to evaluate how climate change may impact agricultural land suitability in Hawaii. The study analyzed climate projections for temperature and rainfall and assessed their effects on the suitability of lands for growing several key Hawaiian crops. The results indicated some areas may experience reduced suitability for crops like coffee due to higher temperatures and rainfall, though production could continue in most existing locations. The GIS model allows comparing current and projected future land suitability to help farmers and planners prepare for climate change impacts.
Livelihood diversifying potential of livestock based carbon sequestration opt...ILRI
An online presentation by Mohammed Y Said, Augustine Ayantunde, Shem Kifugo, Zipporah Musymi, Jan de Leeuw, Keith Shepard, Ermias, Jonas Koala, Didier Zida, Louis Savadogo, Briggite Kaufman, Hussein Tadiche Wario, Hassan Roba, Uwe Richter, Jan Pfister and Asch Folkard, Kenea Feyisa and Ayana Angasa
Collaborators: ILRI, ICRAF, INERA, DISTL, Hawassa University, University of Hohenheim
This document proposes developing a framework to assess the performance of biodiversity-enhancing agricultural practices. The framework would evaluate practices across environmental, economic, and social pillars and spatial scales from on-farm to regional. It would include indicators such as soil health, water availability, and farmers' well-being. A report card would quantitatively assess practices and engage stakeholders to inform policy recommendations promoting sustainability.
The document discusses the challenges of agricultural development due to fine-grained variations in soil, climate, farming practices, household characteristics, market opportunities, social capital, and policy implementation. It notes that greater soil biological activity from earthworms was found near some tree species compared to others. It advocates for research that characterizes these contextual variations and influences development projects to offer farmers a sufficient range of intensification and resilience options adapted to different contexts.
Similar to Spatial frame work and land characterizing in Africa RISING and Vital Signs (20)
Africa RISING project implementation and contribution in Ethiopia. Presented at Africa RISING close-out event.
24-25 January 2023
ILRI campus- Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
The document summarizes a field visit by Africa RISING CGIAR partners to sites in Ethiopia where they are implementing their new SI-MFS initiative. It describes some innovative farmers in the Lemo and Doyogena districts who have adopted integrated crop-livestock-NRM practices promoted by Africa RISING, including using protein-rich legume fodder trees, energy-rich grasses, and soil and water conservation practices. It also highlights the challenges of water shortage and disease, and the potential for the new SI-MFS initiative to build on the success stories and learning from Africa RISING farmers.
This document summarizes planned and ongoing agricultural research activities and studies in the Ethiopian highlands for 2022. It discusses field activities related to livestock feed and forage development as well as crop varietal selection. It also outlines planned, ongoing, and completed studies on topics like gender and scaling assessments. The document notes legacy products to be developed and capacity building efforts. It describes plans to broadcast livestock innovations through local radio and concludes with noting the planned closure of the Africa Research project in Ethiopia in early 2023.
Haimanot Seifu provided a communications update on the Africa RISING program in the Ethiopian Highlands. Key activities before the program ends this year include producing extension manuals, policy briefs, a special journal issue, and a photo book. Surveys are also ongoing regarding gender, monitoring impacts, spillover effects, and scaling. Africa RISING is partnering with AICCRA on workshops, surveys, training modules, and broadcasting feed and forage technologies on local radio stations. A new initiative called SI-MFS involving mixed farming systems in 6 countries was also launched in May to run initially for 3 years from 2022-2024. Support is needed from CKM for legacy products, facilitating
Technique de compostage des tiges de cotonnier au Mali-Sudafrica-rising
Poster prepared by Moumini Guindo, Bouba Traoré, Birhanu Zemadim Birhanu, and Alou Coulibaly for the 13th Symposium of the Malian Society of Applied Sciences (MSAS), 01 July – 05 August 2022.
Flux des nutriments (N, P, K) des resources organiques dans les exploitations...africa-rising
Poster prepared by Moumini Guindo, Bouba Traoré, Birhanu Zemadim Birhanu, and Alou Coulibaly for the 13th Symposium of the Malian Society of Applied Sciences (MSAS), 01 July 1 – 05 August 2022.
The Africa RISING project in Ethiopia's highlands had the goals of improving food security, gender equality, nutrition, income, and capacity building through sustainable intensification research from 2012-2022. It worked in four regions, implementing tested interventions like improved crops, fertilizers, and mechanization. Over 360,000 households directly benefited from validated technologies in phase two, while over 30,000 people participated in training. The project supported graduate students, published research, and faced challenges like COVID-19 and funding issues before planning its exit strategies.
Eliciting willingness to pay for quality maize and beans: Evidence from exper...africa-rising
Poster prepared by Julius Manda, Adane Tufa, Christopher Mutungi, Arega Alene, Victor Manyong and Tahirou Abdoulaye for the IITA Social Science Group Virtual Meeting, 7 December 2021.
The woman has no right to sell livestock: The role of gender norms in Norther...africa-rising
Presented by Kipo Jimah and Gundula Fischer (IITA) at the virtual conference on Cultivating Equality: Advancing Gender Research in Agriculture and Food Systems, 12-15 October 2021
This document summarizes two assessments conducted by Africa RISING on sustainable intensification and return on investment from 2011-2020. It finds that:
1) The total value of direct benefits to farmers was $74.6 million, while the total project cost was $15.9 million, resulting in a return on investment of 469%.
2) An assessment of progress towards sustainable intensification analyzed households by total production per hectare and compared indicators across five domains. It found that more intensified households showed improved scores in agricultural production, economics, environment, human welfare, and social indicators.
3) A focus on assessments at the woreda (district) level provided insights into differences between communities and guidance for
The document summarizes the results of a nutrition assessment study and lessons learned from it. The study aimed to identify how Africa RISING interventions contributed to household nutrition. It used a qualitative research approach with key informant interviews and focus group discussions in Ethiopia. The results showed that the interventions helped to produce and consume a more diverse and nutritious diet, generate income, and improve knowledge of food production and preparation. However, diet diversity remained low and certain nutrient-rich foods were still limited. Key lessons were that technical nutrition support needs frequent follow-ups, and engaging community leaders and husbands is important for influencing mothers' nutrition practices.
The document discusses plans for scaling assessment of Africa RISING interventions. It notes that Africa RISING's second phase focused on scaling approaches through recruiting scaling partners, training of trainers, multi-stakeholder meetings, and research backstopping. The assessment aims to document scaling practices, identify areas for increased support, and develop an exit strategy as the program period concludes. It will use ILRI's scaling framework over six months to provide a technical report and scientific paper.
This document summarizes a presentation on conducting on-farm trials at scale using crowdsourcing. It discusses the benefits and challenges of traditional on-farm trials, and proposes a solution using digital platforms and farmer participation. Farmers would receive random combinations of varieties to test on their own farms and provide rankings. Data would be collected and analyzed to provide feedback to farmers. The approach aims to increase representation while reducing costs compared to traditional on-farm trials. It outlines 10 steps for implementation, including defining varieties, designing projects, recruiting farmers, preparing packages, data collection, analysis and discussion.
Contribution of Africa RISING validated technologies, nutrition-education interventions to household nutrition and participatory nutrition-education need assessment with seasonal food availability in Amhara, Oromia and SNNP regions of Ethiopia
Ocean lotus Threat actors project by John Sitima 2024 (1).pptxSitimaJohn
Ocean Lotus cyber threat actors represent a sophisticated, persistent, and politically motivated group that poses a significant risk to organizations and individuals in the Southeast Asian region. Their continuous evolution and adaptability underscore the need for robust cybersecurity measures and international cooperation to identify and mitigate the threats posed by such advanced persistent threat groups.
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This talk will focus on how to collect data from a variety of sources, leveraging this data for RAG and other GenAI use cases, and finally charting your course to productionalization.
CAKE: Sharing Slices of Confidential Data on BlockchainClaudio Di Ciccio
Presented at the CAiSE 2024 Forum, Intelligent Information Systems, June 6th, Limassol, Cyprus.
Synopsis: Cooperative information systems typically involve various entities in a collaborative process within a distributed environment. Blockchain technology offers a mechanism for automating such processes, even when only partial trust exists among participants. The data stored on the blockchain is replicated across all nodes in the network, ensuring accessibility to all participants. While this aspect facilitates traceability, integrity, and persistence, it poses challenges for adopting public blockchains in enterprise settings due to confidentiality issues. In this paper, we present a software tool named Control Access via Key Encryption (CAKE), designed to ensure data confidentiality in scenarios involving public blockchains. After outlining its core components and functionalities, we showcase the application of CAKE in the context of a real-world cyber-security project within the logistics domain.
Paper: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-61000-4_16
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During Identiverse 2024 and EIC 2024, members of the OpenID AuthZEN WG got together and demoed their authorization endpoints conforming to the AuthZEN API
Best 20 SEO Techniques To Improve Website Visibility In SERPPixlogix Infotech
Boost your website's visibility with proven SEO techniques! Our latest blog dives into essential strategies to enhance your online presence, increase traffic, and rank higher on search engines. From keyword optimization to quality content creation, learn how to make your site stand out in the crowded digital landscape. Discover actionable tips and expert insights to elevate your SEO game.
Generating privacy-protected synthetic data using Secludy and MilvusZilliz
During this demo, the founders of Secludy will demonstrate how their system utilizes Milvus to store and manipulate embeddings for generating privacy-protected synthetic data. Their approach not only maintains the confidentiality of the original data but also enhances the utility and scalability of LLMs under privacy constraints. Attendees, including machine learning engineers, data scientists, and data managers, will witness first-hand how Secludy's integration with Milvus empowers organizations to harness the power of LLMs securely and efficiently.
Unlocking Productivity: Leveraging the Potential of Copilot in Microsoft 365, a presentation by Christoforos Vlachos, Senior Solutions Manager – Modern Workplace, Uni Systems
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GraphRAG for Life Science to increase LLM accuracyTomaz Bratanic
GraphRAG for life science domain, where you retriever information from biomedical knowledge graphs using LLMs to increase the accuracy and performance of generated answers
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Building Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) systems with open-source and custom AI models is a complex task. This talk explores the challenges in productionizing RAG systems, including retrieval performance, response synthesis, and evaluation. We’ll discuss how to leverage open-source models like text embeddings, language models, and custom fine-tuned models to enhance RAG performance. Additionally, we’ll cover how BentoML can help orchestrate and scale these AI components efficiently, ensuring seamless deployment and management of RAG systems in the cloud.
Threats to mobile devices are more prevalent and increasing in scope and complexity. Users of mobile devices desire to take full advantage of the features
available on those devices, but many of the features provide convenience and capability but sacrifice security. This best practices guide outlines steps the users can take to better protect personal devices and information.
UiPath Test Automation using UiPath Test Suite series, part 6DianaGray10
Welcome to UiPath Test Automation using UiPath Test Suite series part 6. In this session, we will cover Test Automation with generative AI and Open AI.
UiPath Test Automation with generative AI and Open AI webinar offers an in-depth exploration of leveraging cutting-edge technologies for test automation within the UiPath platform. Attendees will delve into the integration of generative AI, a test automation solution, with Open AI advanced natural language processing capabilities.
Throughout the session, participants will discover how this synergy empowers testers to automate repetitive tasks, enhance testing accuracy, and expedite the software testing life cycle. Topics covered include the seamless integration process, practical use cases, and the benefits of harnessing AI-driven automation for UiPath testing initiatives. By attending this webinar, testers, and automation professionals can gain valuable insights into harnessing the power of AI to optimize their test automation workflows within the UiPath ecosystem, ultimately driving efficiency and quality in software development processes.
What will you get from this session?
1. Insights into integrating generative AI.
2. Understanding how this integration enhances test automation within the UiPath platform
3. Practical demonstrations
4. Exploration of real-world use cases illustrating the benefits of AI-driven test automation for UiPath
Topics covered:
What is generative AI
Test Automation with generative AI and Open AI.
UiPath integration with generative AI
Speaker:
Deepak Rai, Automation Practice Lead, Boundaryless Group and UiPath MVP
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Discover how MongoDB Atlas and vector search technology can revolutionize your application's search capabilities. This comprehensive presentation covers:
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* Importance and benefits of vector search
* Practical use cases across various industries
* Step-by-step implementation guide
* Live demos with code snippets
* Enhancing LLM capabilities with vector search
* Best practices and optimization strategies
Perfect for developers, AI enthusiasts, and tech leaders. Learn how to leverage MongoDB Atlas to deliver highly relevant, context-aware search results, transforming your data retrieval process. Stay ahead in tech innovation and maximize the potential of your applications.
#MongoDB #VectorSearch #AI #SemanticSearch #TechInnovation #DataScience #LLM #MachineLearning #SearchTechnology
“An Outlook of the Ongoing and Future Relationship between Blockchain Technologies and Process-aware Information Systems.” Invited talk at the joint workshop on Blockchain for Information Systems (BC4IS) and Blockchain for Trusted Data Sharing (B4TDS), co-located with with the 36th International Conference on Advanced Information Systems Engineering (CAiSE), 3 June 2024, Limassol, Cyprus.
HCL Notes and Domino License Cost Reduction in the World of DLAUpanagenda
Webinar Recording: https://www.panagenda.com/webinars/hcl-notes-and-domino-license-cost-reduction-in-the-world-of-dlau/
The introduction of DLAU and the CCB & CCX licensing model caused quite a stir in the HCL community. As a Notes and Domino customer, you may have faced challenges with unexpected user counts and license costs. You probably have questions on how this new licensing approach works and how to benefit from it. Most importantly, you likely have budget constraints and want to save money where possible. Don’t worry, we can help with all of this!
We’ll show you how to fix common misconfigurations that cause higher-than-expected user counts, and how to identify accounts which you can deactivate to save money. There are also frequent patterns that can cause unnecessary cost, like using a person document instead of a mail-in for shared mailboxes. We’ll provide examples and solutions for those as well. And naturally we’ll explain the new licensing model.
Join HCL Ambassador Marc Thomas in this webinar with a special guest appearance from Franz Walder. It will give you the tools and know-how to stay on top of what is going on with Domino licensing. You will be able lower your cost through an optimized configuration and keep it low going forward.
These topics will be covered
- Reducing license cost by finding and fixing misconfigurations and superfluous accounts
- How do CCB and CCX licenses really work?
- Understanding the DLAU tool and how to best utilize it
- Tips for common problem areas, like team mailboxes, functional/test users, etc
- Practical examples and best practices to implement right away
HCL Notes and Domino License Cost Reduction in the World of DLAU
Spatial frame work and land characterizing in Africa RISING and Vital Signs
1. Spatial frame work and land characterizing in
Africa RISING and Vital Signs
Zhe Guo, IFPRI
Africa RISING–CSISA Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Meeting,
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 11-13 November 2013
2. Current Stratification process
Biophysical variables
Rainfall (1km, 5km, 50km)
Temperature (1km)
Elevation (90m)
Slope (1km)
Length of growth period (5km,
10km)
Land cover (30m, 300m, 1km)
Farming systems
Ago-Ecological zones (1km)
Targeted crop distribution
(10km)
Socioeconomic variables
Travel time to major market (1km)
Population density (100m, 1km)
Household variables
Crop types
Cropping system
Individual crop share
Livestock type and density
Expertise knowledge and regional
database
Weather station
3. Ghana and Mali
• Cropping systems
• Length of growth
period
• Market access
7. Similarity between AR and VS
Target countries (Ghana, Tanzania, Ethiopia)
Both adopt LSMS instruments and modules
Soil sampling (nutrients, PH)
Biophysical variables
Socioeconomic variables
Agriculture production
Indicators
8. Difference approaches in land
stratification between AR and VS
Vital Signs:
4 Tiers: from coarse to fine spatial resolution.
Tier 1: Continental and regional satellite products
Tier 2: Quick ground choosing plot + existing HH
Tier 3: Water station
Tier 4: Very high resolution imageries + HH
Africa Rising:
Land cover is considered but does not play a key role
Using best available and reliable biophysical and socioeconomic
variables
HH and communities
9. Difference between AR and VS
Utilization of satellite products on land
monitoring
Adopting existing land cover product (1 tier)
Groundtruthing on crop types on the ground
Develop project oriented land cover and land use
product at at multi scale
Monitoring changes and evaluating impacts using very
high resolution images
Feature extraction and identify the homogeneous units
Scale up
10. Knowing land cover /cropping
system pattern is important
Climate forcing
Wood fuels
Livestock's
Water security
Monitoring
Scale up
Validation
Sustainable Agricultural
Intensification
Soil health
Resilience
Biodiversity
11. Difference between AR and VS
Ecosystem services
Developing biodiversity security indicators
Water security