Abstract: SummaryE-waste has one of the greatest impacts on the environment and is the fastest-growing waste stream globally. The ever-ongoing growth in our economy and unsustainable consumption patterns ask for a change. Use-oriented product-service systems (u-PSS) are a promising business model to address this change by acting toward a circular economy. However, the implementation of u-PSS can face various challenges because it requires a fundamental shift in how companies interact with consumers as well as consumers’ preferences. Therefore, this study aims to identify factors of acceptance for adopting u-PSS for electronic devices in Austria. To gather specific data, an online survey was conducted with 287 participants. The hypotheses were tested using multiple regression analysis. The results reveal that out of the tested factors, environmental awareness and information are the most important factors of acceptance. For a successful implementation, key determinants include service provision, device durability, and comprehensive information about u-PSS. PubDate: Thu, 08 Aug 2024 00:00:00 GMT
Abstract: In 2018, a survey (n = 565) was conducted at vocational high schools in rural Lower Austria to contribute to research into young people’s attitudes towards organic products and their shopping behaviour. High school students were asked to rank items that are important in their lives. These were bundled into cultural preferences. The analysis of the correlation between cultural preferences, attitudes and shopping behaviour revealed that the cultural preferences „health and environment” with the items “health”, “nutrition”, “nature and environmental protection” and „classical” with the items “theatre” and “classical music” are particularly associated with a positive attitude towards and a more frequent purchase of organic products. Generally, there is a high level of approval of organic products among young people. Nevertheless, female high school students hold a significantly higher attitude towards organic products and buy them more frequently than their male colleagues. PubDate: Thu, 08 Aug 2024 00:00:00 GMT
Abstract: SummaryThis study aimed at determining the diversity of forage plants utilized for small ruminant feeding in rural and peri-urban sites in Imo state, Nigeria. The survey was carried out at rural and peri-urban sites in Aboh Mbaise and Mbaitoli Local Government Areas (LGAs), respectively. Ten small ruminant farmers were purposively selected from each LGA across the study communities. Data on fodder diversity, proximate composition, and mineral concentration were collected and analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequency counts, percentages, means, and standard deviation. It was observed that a higher diversity of fodder plants existed at the rural sites compared to the peri-urban sites and 43.4% of the fodder plants were common to both sites. Respondents identified 60.8% of the fodder plants also as food-bearing plants, with 55.6% and 80% of these found at the rural and peri-urban sites, respectively. There were no significant differences (p > 0.05) between the relative proximate or mineral supplies to the animals at the two sites. It was, therefore, concluded that despite the diversity and differences in forage selection at the two sites, the relative nutrient supplies to small ruminants will be similar if the cafeteria system of forage provision practiced at the sites is adhered to. PubDate: Thu, 08 Aug 2024 00:00:00 GMT
Abstract: SummaryIn recent years, the agriculture practices have seen a growing interest in innovative technologies aimed at enhancing productivity while promoting sustainability. Nano-biofertilizers, a novel approach to crop nutrition, have emerged as a potential game-changer. This study is aimed comprehensively to uncover the potential and current utilization status of nano-biofertilizers in soil health improvement and sustainable enhancement of crop productivity. The methodology used in this study involved the application of systematic literature review (SLR) methods in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The review focused on scientific literature published from 2013 to 2023, utilizing databases such as ScienceDirect, Scopus, and PubMed. A total of 631 articles were identified through this process. Out of this pool, 10 articles were chosen based on their relevance and topic and they underwent a comprehensive and detailed review. The results showed that use of nano-biofertilizers improves the soil health, plant growth, and productivity significantly. The biological selenium nanoparticles (100 mg/mL) significantly increased the length and weight of spike, root, and shoot, grain quantity in spike, and 1000 grain weight by 5%–40% compared to control. Comamonas testosteroni biofertilizer combined with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) could alleviate the salinity threatening plant growth. Nano-biofertilizers enhance plant growth, elevate their nutritional value, improve productivity, extend shelf life, and bolster their defenses against biotic and abiotic stress factors. PubDate: Thu, 08 Aug 2024 00:00:00 GMT
Abstract: SummaryWe present data from producers in the upper Great Plains of the US for whom at least one Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) contract expired in the last seven years. The survey covered two groups, one with a retired CRP contract and a second with a retired CRP contract who then enrolled in the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) program. Most respondents at least tried to re-enroll into CRP, many unsuccessfully. The CRP group primarily moved to crops on the former CRP land, while EQIP respondents focused on cattle and grazing. Awareness of the EQIP program on the part of the CRP group was only 58%. We compared groups regarding what they considered doing with the land at the end of their respective programs, CRP and EQIP. We examined group differences in motivations and attitudes and found evidence of convergence. We also evaluated these differences using effect size statistics to determine their importance to our overall questions. Our overall conclusion is that the groups have a long history of program participation and there is little difference between them in both their motivation to participate and willingness to do so in the future. PubDate: Wed, 26 Jun 2024 00:00:00 GMT
Abstract: SummaryThis study reports the first official record of a golden jackal (Canis aureus) in the capital city of Austria, Vienna. The specimen, a young male individual, was discovered as a roadkill in the northern part of the city on January 25th, 2023. It suffered from notable endoparasite and ectoparasite infestations, as well as bacterial pneumonia. Additional field studies with bioacoustic stimulation and the use of a scat detection dog to search for further indications of presence in the area of the accident revealed no further proof of other golden jackals, indicating a high probability of this animal being a disperser in search of a mating partner. This event exemplifies the species' range expansion, driven by a combination of factors. The significance of this discovery and the challenges within the context of mammal research and urban ecology are discussed. PubDate: Wed, 26 Jun 2024 00:00:00 GMT
Abstract: SummaryThe Russian invasion of Ukraine represents an unforeseen and significant market disruption for global trade with wide-ranging effects on global trade, particularly on the economies of the major import countries of Ukrainian agricultural commodities. The general impact and consequences of the war on the global economy are described, and key components of the market disruptions are identified and put into a historical and geographical context. The degree of interconnectedness between the war in Ukraine and world trade and global gross domestic product (GDP) indices is highlighted. Changes in production and export volumes of the main Ukrainian agricultural commodities and their impact on major import countries are described. Actual and future measures to stabilise and soften the volatility of affected agricultural markets are presented. PubDate: Tue, 27 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMT
Abstract: SummaryMacrozoobenthos is a sedentary aquatic biota and is often used as a bioindicator for assessing water conditions. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the species diversity of the macrozoobenthos and to analyze the heavy metal contamination in Faunus ater in the Rasian and Asahan estuaries in Aceh Province, Indonesia. The sampling was carried out in July 2022 on a squared transect of 1 m × 1 m for the collection of macrozoobenthos samples at random locations. The results showed that there were 17 macrozoobenthos species from both locations, of which 14 species were found in the Rasian River estuary and seven species in the Asahan River estuary. The diversity index of macrozoobenthos was in a moderate category. Terebralia sulcata had a higher density in the Asahan River, while F. ater had a higher density in the Rasian River. The results of the heavy metal analysis in the F. ater sample showed that this macrozoobenthos was contaminated by mercury, cadmium, and lead, of which the concentration of mercury exceeded the threshold limit, and they are, therefore, not safe for consumption. PubDate: Tue, 27 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMT
Abstract: SummaryProlonged and/or intense drought leads to the deterioration of plant water balance, inducing embolism formation in the water conducting system, the xylem. The consequent loss of water transport capacity from roots to leaves (hydraulic failure) has been proposed as a main driver of plant mortality. Substantial inter- and intraspecific variation of resistance to embolism formation has been reported in plants. Hence, screening of different species/individuals is key to project the impact of future climate on ecosystems, while supporting breeding and reforestation. This review seeks to explain the mechanisms of water transport in plants and the phenomenon of embolism formation under drought stress by using concise and straightforward scholarly language. The main aim is to introduce non-expert readers (students, nonacademics, and academics from different scientific fields) to plant hydraulics and the controversial world of methods for measuring the vulnerability to embolism formation. To convey the message in full, we provide ranges of water potential values and widely used drought resistance indexes characterizing plants from different biomes. Various established methods used worldwide to monitor hydraulic efficiency under stress and measure hydraulic vulnerability by means of curves of different plant organs are introduced. Both classical widely used destructive methods and current non-destructive techniques, which have been gaining momentum in the last decade, are described. The main advantages and disadvantages of each method are briefly discussed to support decisions and selection of the most suitable method in experimental practice. PubDate: Mon, 04 Dec 2023 00:00:00 GMT
Abstract: SummaryLake Chad, situated in the semi-arid region of African Sahel, plays a vital role in hydrogeological balance of regional ecosystems. It presents an essential water source and provides a habitat for rare wildlife species including migrating waterbirds. However, the lake has shrunk significantly since the 1960s and has continued to reduce in size and extent during recent decades. Trends in drying and shrinking of Lake Chad are caused by environmental factors and changed climate. The desiccation of the lake is threatening environmental sustainability. This study focused on identification of changes in the Chad Lake area, wetland extent, and associated land cover types. The methods include the Geographic Resources Analysis Support System (GRASS) Geographic Information System (GIS) for remote sensing data classification. The maximum likelihood discriminant analysis classifier was applied for analysis of multispectral Landsat 8–9 OLI/TIRS images in 2013, 2017, and 2022. Detected changes in land cover types reflect variations in water balance and wetland area and extent around Lake Chad over recent decades. Cartographic scripting tools of GRASS GIS provide an efficient method of digital image processing for monitoring endorheic lakes of Central Africa. GRASS GIS methods provide an opportunity to automatically classify Earth observation data with cartographic scripts for environmental monitoring. PubDate: Wed, 15 Nov 2023 00:00:00 GMT
Abstract: SummaryClimate change scenarios predict more frequent and intense drought periods for 2071–2100 in the most important and intensively used agricultural region of Austria, the Marchfeld. Current and predicted lower precipitation scenarios were simulated at a lysimeter station for 9 years. Plant biomass, nitrogen (N) and carbon (C) content, and δ13C and δ15N values of plant compartments were monitored in years 7–9. Aboveground biomass of cereals and grain yield decreased under the predicted scenario, while the quality of grain (% N) was unaffected. Weed and catch crops grown in winter were not affected or were even positively affected, possibly due to the accumulation of nutrients in the soil following the lower plant uptake in summer. Accordingly, low plant δ15N values were mainly attributed to the presence of higher proportion of mineral fertilizer in the predicted precipitation scenario. As expected, water stress significantly increased δ13C values in plants grown over summer, while this was not seen for plants growing over winter. Fertile agricultural soil might ameliorate but cannot outbalance the negative impact of more frequent and intense drought periods. PubDate: Tue, 31 Oct 2023 00:00:00 GMT
Abstract: SummaryGlobally, coastal cultivation regions (CCRs) are facing irrigation water shortages due to the impacts of climate change (ICV). CCRs have repeatedly suffered from saline irrigation water, increases in temperature, and reduced rainfall, resulting in irrigation water shortages. The aim of this study was, therefore, to evaluate the impacts of weather variables on the rice water requirement (RWR) in CCRs in Kien Giang Province. The response of rice grain yield to weather variables was estimated by simulating the AquaCrop model under different crop cultivation schedules (CCSs). These schedules involved advancing or delaying the sowing date by 30 days compared to the current common sowing date (baseline) for winter-spring (WS) and summer-fall (SF) vegetation seasons. The AquaCrop model demonstrated accurate simulation capabilities, as indicated by the high correlation values of statistical error indexes during the validation and calibration procedures. The findings revealed that rice grain yields would enhance up to 7.8% and 5.6% compared to the baseline when CCSs involve sowing 20 days earlier for WS vegetation season and are advanced by 20 days for SF vegetation season. Overall, modifying CCSs for coastal rice paddies in the study area, while considering weather variables, would have a positive contribution by mitigating the adverse effects of ICV. PubDate: Mon, 16 Oct 2023 00:00:00 GMT
Abstract: SummaryThe multifunctional services of agriculture and forestry represent indispensable goods for society. To sustain them for the future, the government of Upper Austria initiated the strategic process “Future of Agriculture 2030”.The mix of methods aimed at developing a desirable vision for farmers and foresters, along-side the required implementation steps, comprised 5 dialogue platforms, 2 world cafés and 9 focus group discussions. More than 1000 people were involved in the participative process, among them farmers, officials, media agents and civic representatives.Qualitative content analysis of the material resulted in a characterization of the self-conception and the aspired development of participants, and in a compendium of missions, goals and measures. The strategy identifies four “partners” as crucial cooperative actors to implement the “Future of Agriculture 2030”. Besides farmers and foresters, those are the media, politicians, and consumers, whose mutual engagement was perceived to be decisive for the future development of agriculture by the participants.The discussion shows that the missions, goals and measures are widely conforming with recent publications addressing the same topic. Concluding, the results inspire actors to communicate the missions to the mentioned partners of the “Future of Agriculture 2030”, and to assess, improve and put them into practice in mutual efforts. PubDate: Fri, 01 Sep 2023 00:00:00 GMT
Abstract: SummaryOne of the key factors influencing agricultural development and farm performance is access to finance. There are several factors that influence access to finance, including financial management capacity, which is linked to financial literacy. The paper analyzes the factors which determine farmers’ financial management behavior, in the case of Kosovo, based on a structured farm survey focusing on the vineyard sector. The findings suggest that half of the interviewed farmers did not keep records regarding costs and incomes. The likelihood to keep financial records is linked to several household and farm attributes. Market-oriented farmers who had contracts were more likely to keep financial records than those who did not. Policymakers through public advisory services as well as financial institutions should address the need to improve financial literacy among farmers. PubDate: Fri, 01 Sep 2023 00:00:00 GMT
Abstract: SummaryScientific facts about the relationships between the goals are indispensable for the rational social discourse on solving the various conflicting goals on the way to sustainable crop production. Therefore, the German Society for Agronomy has compiled scientific findings on the topics of biodiversity, climate relevance and climate resilience, nutrient management, crop protection, soil protection and production of renewable raw materials, and identified the existing need for research. After an executive summary that highlights the findings, the subject areas are explained in detail. The purpose of this paper is not to make recommendations for policy-making, but to support the public debate by providing factual information. PubDate: Wed, 15 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMT
Abstract: SummaryThe grapevine represents a natural reservoir of resident microbial resources embedded in a complex microecosystem. The aim of this study was to find out which germs are present in the bleeding sap. The bleeding juice was obtained using a clean with alcohol sterilized PET bottle. After enrichment, DNA extraction followed by analysis of an Illumina MiSeq v3 with target region V1V3 was examined. The sequences obtained were aligned with the NCBI database. The most dominant genera in the grapevines were Pseudomonas and Massilia followed by the genera Zoogloea, Bacillus, Idonella, Sphingomonas and Paenibacillus. Sporadically, other bacterial genera appeared in the vines. In addition, the yeast-like microorganism Aureobasidium pullulans was determined in two vines and the described inhibitory interaction between Pseudomonas and Aureobasidium was confirmed as described in the literature. In general, all microorganisms determined in the bleeding sap have a plant-strengthening influence and provide a basis for colonization into tissue-specific plant parts. PubDate: Thu, 09 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMT
Abstract: SummaryEuropean forest ecosystems are increasingly exposed to stressors such as storm, drought episodes and mass attack of forest insect pests. Sustainable forest management requires a fundamental understanding of causal relationships between forest structures and the occurrence of disturbance events, as well as a well-functioning transfer of scientific knowledge into practice. Risk or predisposition assessment, phenological models or prediction of deficits in stand water supply can serve as decision support for prophylactic and protective measures in forestry. This overview addresses the theoretical approaches to insect pest-related mortality in forests that form the basis for such models. Many insect herbivore species benefit from increased temperatures and drought. For example, there is a clear correlation between bark beetle infestation and summer temperatures, storm damage and precipitation deficits. Drought stress is one of the main factors predisposing conifer forests to bark beetle infestation and significantly impacts interactions among Picea abies, Ips typographus and its associated ophiostomatoid fungi. A multi-year study focused on the effects of drought on the defence capacity and attractiveness of Norway spruce to I. typographus. The empirical dataset gained in field and laboratory experiments provides new insights into defence responses of this important tree species against biotic infestations under drought. PubDate: Thu, 09 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMT
Abstract: SummaryCurrent sewage sludge management in Austria is in transition. In the future, phosphorus recovery will increase and agricultural reuse is becoming less important. Current (political) concepts focus primarily on the (few) larger wastewater treatment plants, but also the (many) small plants require viable solutions for the future. In order to provide an overview of the current practice of sewage sludge management with special consideration of smaller wastewater treatment plants, this article uses the example of Upper Austria to create an inventory of all wastewater treatment plants in the province and, based on this, to derive the plant specific amount and to highlight and discuss the common sewage sludge disposal paths. The findings presented are intended to help sensitize experts and political decision-makers to the needs of the “smaller” wastewater treatment plants, so that they will also be addressed in the development of future concepts for sewage sludge management. PubDate: Thu, 02 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMT
Abstract: SummaryEnvironmental awareness is affected by fluctuations, which occur when other social events are prioritized. This paper investigates how environmental awareness of persons between the age of 20 and 30 living in Austria has changed during the period of the Covid-19 crisis compared to the period directly before. To answer this question a literature review and a quantitative survey (n = 210) on the affective and cognitive component of environmental awareness have been conducted. The results show a slight increase in the affective/cognitive component. This correlates with some socio-demographic characteristics and the change in certain behaviors but not with the impact of the Covid-19 crisis on one's life. However, the high topicality of the Covid-19 crisis, as well as the dynamic of the crisis, should be highlighted. Therefore, no assessment of the long-term development of environmental awareness can be made and further research is necessary. PubDate: Thu, 02 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMT
Abstract: SummaryMeasures taken to contain the COVID-19 pandemic in addition to changes in consumer attitudes and behavior have impacted food supply chains globally. In order to examine the effects of COVID-19 on Austrian agriculture, interviews with 34 farmers were conducted in early 2021. The results of a qualitative content analysis show that the diverse and heterogeneous impacts of COVID-19 on farms create opportunities as well as challenges. Negative impacts include sales difficulties due to the closure of restaurants and markets, the ban on non-agricultural activities, the disrupted availability of workers and agricultural inputs, and burdens on farmers. Mitigation of negative effects through political measures and interest groups showed limited effectiveness. Nevertheless, the functionality of agricultural production was maintained as direct impacts were minimal and adjustments adequate. Positive effects result from the increased demand in direct marketing and food retailing, the improved perception of agriculture in society and advantages in the farmers' private lives. Long-term changes of farms are mainly driven by digitization, investments and adjustments concerning marketing. PubDate: Thu, 02 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMT
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