Access to affordable and appropriately scaled agricultural machinery remains a major challenge for smallholder soybean farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. As a result, many farmers continue to rely on labour-intensive and primitive harvesting methods, often requiring up to five people per acre per day. Although grain thresher services exist, they frequently fail to reach all farmers in time, leaving harvested crops exposed to termites, theft, germination, and adverse weather conditions, ultimately diminishing grain quality and value.
While combine harvesters offer a complete solution by integrating harvesting and threshing, their large size and dependency on conventional tractors make them unsuitable for smallholder farming systems. This paper presents the design of a pull-type combine harvester specifically developed for an Alternative Tractor Form (ATF), namely the cargo tricycle, to address this gap. The cargo tricycle was selected for its widespread availability in Ghana, sufficient drawbar capacity and bucket which can be used as a grain bin.
Using an axiomatic design approach, the proposed combine harvester was conceptualised through the reverse engineering of an antique All-Crop 66 pull-type combine harvester. Functional requirements and design parameters were systematically identified and adapted to suit the operational context of small farms. The resulting machine is powered by a 12 hp engine, features a cutting width suitable for harvesting two rows of soybeans at a 10 cm cutting height, and is designed to enable, at most, two operators to work multiple acres in a single day, significantly reducing labour demands.
With dimensions of approximately 3.5 m in length, 2.5 m in width, 1.6 m in height, and a total weight of about 700 kg, the machine is compact and light enough to be towed by cargo tricycles, making it a viable and scalable mechanisation solution for smallholder soybean production in the region.

Foliar fertilization is an agronomic practice commonly used in crop cultivation. The effectiveness of this treatment depends on many factors, including plant species, chemical composition of the preparation, dosage and date of application, and soil and weather conditions. Sunflower has moderate fertilization requirements, but certain elements are crucial for achieving high, good quality seed yield. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the response of oilseed sunflower (variety MAS 81K) to foliar application of micronutrients, zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), molybdenum (Mo), and boron (B), in comparison to the control. A one-factor field experiment was conducted in 2022 and 2023 in a randomized block design. The soil at the experimental site was classified as Haplic Cambisol (Eutric) formed from loess, with moderate levels of Zn, Fe, Cu, and Mn and low levels of B. The results of the present field experiment demonstrated a significant response of sunflower to foliar application of individual micronutrients (Zn, Fe, Cu, Mn, Mo, and B) compared to the control. The most favorable results were obtained following foliar B fertilization, but positive results were also achieved with the application of Mo and Cu. Weather conditions during the study years had a significant impact on the results of foliar fertilization. For these reasons, the results from the first year were not always reproducible in the second year. Seed quality (oil) was mainly affected by the application of Cu, followed by Mn, Fe, and Zn. The results of the current experiment demonstrated that the application of B was most beneficial, while the use of molybdenum (Mo) and copper (Cu) exerted a comparatively smaller effect. The application of the remaining micronutrients yielded results that were below expectations.

Succession planning by farmers ensures the continuity, sustainability, and prosperity of palm oil plantations in Malaysia. However, for farmers, succession planning encompasses a range of challenges that includes legal complexities surrounding farm planning, taxation, and inheritance laws, which can complicate the transfer of farm assets and lead to disputes among family members. Additionally, inadequate communication and clarity regarding succession intentions can create tension and conflict within farm families, hampering the planning process. Financial constraints, such as access to capital for retiring farmers and financing options for successors, pose further obstacles to successful succession. Moreover, the generational divide in agricultural knowledge and practices and the reluctance of older farmers to relinquish control can hinder the development of successors' skills and delay the transfer of management responsibilities. Thus, online education on sustainable agriculture practices could provide future generations of farmers with the necessary knowledge to overcome these challenges. This study employs a cultural-based approach that uses quantitative and qualitative data collection techniques based on the Power Distance Index (PDI) dimension of Hofstede’s cultural model. The approach consists of four phases that focus on the millennial generation as the intended population of successors to the oil palm farmers in Malaysia. The results reveal a high PDI dimension score for the millennial generation in Malaysia. Thus, educator-centered learning practices should be implemented through social media. Apart from this, the results also urge the creation of ‘Agro-Celebrities’ as an agent of change. In conclusion, the study’s contributions are crucial to the development of national and global food security initiatives.

Analysis of plant viruses in the greenhouse production of vegetable crops in Russia shows that the introduction of new species with seeds and agricultural products from other regions and countries poses a significant risk to tomato and cucumber. The main challenge in detecting viral infections is the long incubation period and the need for technically advanced diagnostic methods. The successful development of immunological and molecular analysis techniques allows us to detect a wide range of new viruses, but the economic feasibility of these methods must be considered. To determine the minimum number of viruses that need to be diagnosed, we assessed all varieties of viruses that infect vegetables and the risk of their spread in greenhouses in Russia. We analyzed 56 samples of symptomless plants collected in routine assays of commercial greenhouses in the four regions of the Russian Federation in 2022-24 to identify the viruses that can cause potential damage to crop production. Plant samples were used to isolate RNA using the phenolic method. After DNase treatment, the quality and quantity of the RNA were tested using an Agilent 2100 bioanalyzer (Agilent). The preparation of the Illumina library and RNA sequencing was carried out at the Russian Plant Quarantine Center (VNIIKR, Moscow region), using TruSeq RNA. The Illumina libraries were quantified using the qPCR method, and the samples were sequenced using the Illumina HiSeq 2000. The analysis of the data from RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) was conducted using the Taxonomer software. The following latent viruses were identified in most of the locations with a number of reads ranging from 0.01 to 0.11%: Pepper chlorotic spot virus, Zucchini lethal chlorosis virus, Physalis rugose mosaic virus, Chenopodium quinoa mitovirus 1, Tobacco vein-clearing virus, Dahlia mosaic virus, Pelargonium vein-banding virus and Longan witches’ broom-associated virus. While these detected plant viruses may not pose a significant risk to plants, their presence indicates that a viral infection is currently spreading from Latin America and Southeast Asia. These viruses can infect plants and remain active over a number of years, posing a potential threat to plant health. Climate change may contribute to the further spread of these viruses and their vectors in open field ecosystems. The increase in international trade of plant products has led to a greater risk of new viruses entering plant ecosystems.

Introduction: While agricultural data is widely seen as a driver of innovation and sustainability, its value is often treated as self-evident and narrowly defined in technical terms. Yet, the ways in which agricultural stakeholders perceive and interpret data value remain underexplored (Uyar et al., 2024). This gap in understanding can hinder inclusive and trusted data-sharing practices, particularly as agri-food systems become increasingly digitized.

Methods: This qualitative study draws on 24 semi-structured interviews with key actors in the agricultural data ecosystem, including farmers, advisors, technology providers and public sector representatives. The interviews examined how participants make sense of agricultural data, what they consider valuable and how their perspectives are shaped by their professional roles and lived experiences. An abductive coding process was applied to analyze recurring themes, divergences and underlying assumptions.

Results: Findings reveal a diversity of perceptions that reflect both instrumental and symbolic understandings of data value. Farmers tend to focus on data’s practical relevance and its ability to support immediate decision-making, while advisors emphasize reliability and contextual fit. Technology providers frame value in terms of scalability and integration potential, whereas public actors link value to accountability, transparency, and public good considerations. Across groups, trust in the origin and intent behind data emerged as a central but variably defined condition for assigning value. These differences influence not only what kinds of data are used or shared, but also under what terms and expectations.

Conclusion: This study highlights that agricultural data value is not a fixed attribute but a negotiated and context-dependent construct. Understanding how different stakeholders perceive and prioritize value can inform the development of more inclusive, responsive and trust-sensitive data ecosystems. These insights offer a basis for rethinking data governance frameworks and digital tool design beyond purely technical criteria.

References : Uyar, H., Karvelas, I., Rizou, S., & Fountas, S. (2024). Data value creation in agriculture: A review. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, 227, 109602.

Acknowledgments: This work was funded by the European Commission under the Doctoral
Networks Programme (MSCA-DN-101073381–EnTrust) within the Horizon Europe (HORIZON)
Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions.

With the global population projected to reach 11.2 billion by 2100, enhancing maize yields through efficient irrigation and nutrient management is crucial for reducing yield gaps and ensuring food security. Subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) offers a promising alternative to traditional, less efficient methods. This three-year study (2022-2024) employed a split-split-plot design to evaluate optimal SDI strategies, including six dripline spacings (0.91-meter dripline, 1.82-meter dripline, and 0.91-meter + volumetric water content (VWC) sensors; 0.91-meter + fertigation, 1.82-meter + fertigation (2022), and 0.91-meter + Pivot Bio® (2023 and 2024); and non-irrigated (control)), four seeding rates (59,280 to 103,740 plants ha^-1), and four nitrogen (N) rates (133 to 333 kg N ha^-1). Data analysis revealed significant irrigation, N application, and seeding rates on grain yield, and irrigation by N rates interactions each year. Yearly irrigation impact on yield was 102%, 13%, and 51% over non-irrigated in 2022, 2023, and 2024, respectively. The 0.91-meter dripline averaged the greatest revenue ($985 ha^-1) over non-irrigated. The 0.91-meter dripline + VWC Sensor showed the strongest relationship between N rates and grain yield in 2022 (R² = 0.997), while the 0.91-meter dripline + Pivot Bio had the greatest effect in 2023 (R² = 0.998) and 2024 (R² = 1.000). These findings highlight SDI's effectiveness in increasing maize yield and profitability, reducing production risks in Virginia and the Mid-Atlantic region. The study shows the potential of targeted irrigation and nutrient management to maximize maize yields.

This study explores the integration of agricultural cultivation and solar energy generation through agrophotovoltaic (APV) systems, focusing on a case from the canton of Vaud, Switzerland. By mounting photovoltaic panels above arable land, APV enables the simultaneous use of sunlight for crop growth and electricity production, offering a strategic response to global challenges such as rising energy demand, climate stress, and rural economic vulnerability. While APV’s environmental potential has been widely recognized in previous studies, this paper provides a distinctive contribution by examining how a real-world project transitioned from near failure to long-term viability through the alignment of technical design, local engagement, and regulatory adaptation.

Using a single-case study analysis method based on official government reports, the scientific literature, and media documentation, this research distills six practical lessons for successful APV deployment: (1) allow energy producers to share electricity locally to avoid grid access barriers; (2) ensure feed-in tariffs are predictable and fair to reduce investor risk; (3) involve local communities in funding and ownership to build long-term support; (4) design infrastructure that allows easy access for farm equipment and does not hinder cultivation; (5) choose crops that grow well in partial shade to maintain or improve yields; and (6) engage early with regulators to adapt legal frameworks and avoid project delays.

The findings show that APV can significantly enhance land-use efficiency and promote climate-smart agriculture, but its success depends on coherent policy alignment, cost-effective infrastructure, and active local stakeholder involvement. The Swiss case exemplifies both the risks and transformative potential of APV when deployed in resource-constrained rural settings. By consolidating these insights, this study offers practical guidance for policymakers, investors, and planners seeking to scale APV as a socially inclusive, economically viable, and environmentally resilient model for integrated land use and renewable energy generation.

This paper investigates the socio-economic aspects of Hilsa fish conservation in the Chandpur district of Bangladesh through three riverine villages—Baghadi, Ibrahimpur, and Sakhua. Combining data from both primary and secondary sources collected from 255 fishing households through structured interviews and questionnaires during the Hilsa fishing ban in 2022, we used a mixed-methods approach. The participants were randomly selected in proportion to the distribution of the population for representative coverage. This study uses two-stage least squares (2SLS input-space) methods to control for endogeneity and to examine WTA estimation for fishers to comply with a conservation programme. This study estimates the mean WTA compensation according to household perception, willingness to work, and conservation purposes. The average WTA is 13,372.51 per month, while the highest numbers favour Tk. at 15,000–20,000. Notable positive factors influencing WTA are head-of-household age, fishing experience, and non-fishing income, which suggests that experience and various sources of income affect the value of compensation. By contrast, the negative coefficient of secondary education and access to credit in WTA suggests socio-economic difficulties, such as being indebted and poor economic incomes of formal education in fishing communities. Clearly, the findings elsewhere suggest a high level of uncertainty on the part of the fishing community towards conservation: just 2.75% strongly agreed that conservation helps fish stocks and livelihoods, while more than 30% were neutral and 14.11% strongly disagreed. These findings reinforce the importance of capacity-raising and community engagement. This study emphasizes inclusive policies and suggests a sustainable environmental payment scheme with suitable fishing-related non-fishing activities during the banning period, as well as ensuring easy access to extension services and focusing on the diversification of income. These initiatives could make the journey towards achieving the SDGs easier.

Efficient spraying is essential for modern agricultural production to ensure biological efficacy and high-quality and abundant harvests. At the same time, it is crucial to minimise the negative impact of plant protection products on the environment. Hence, it is necessary to implement the appropriate technical and technological factors for the treatment and consider the conditions under which the spray application is carried out (Cieniawska et al., 2024). The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of alternative application techniques, i.e., the reduction in application volume, the use of an electrostatic charger and air injection nozzles, in comparison to a standard cannon sprayer application in high-tunnel cultivation in Trentino (Northern Italy). To do this, paper collectors were placed along strawberry rows at different distances from the front openings of the tunnels, and the tunnels were sprayed with a tracer dye (tartrazine) using the mentioned application techniques to evaluate spray deposition. Moreover, some Petri dishes were placed at different distances outside the tunnel to estimate the ground deposit due to spray drift.
Deposits were similar for all the application techniques for the external part of the canopy. Inside the canopy, slight significant differences were found only for the deposits retrieved in the central part of the tunnel (Kruskal–Wallis test, p<0.05). In this case, the electrostatic charged spray showed the highest average value of deposit, and the air injection nozzles marked the lowest. However, the ground deposit retrieved outside the tunnel for the electrostatic configuration was not different from most of the other equipment arrangements. The sprayer equipped with air injection nozzles showed significantly higher losses close to the tunnel and significantly lower losses starting from 3.5 m from the tunnel opening in comparison to the other sprayer configurations.
In general, these spray techniques, singularly or combined with one another, could be considered as alternatives to the reference spray practise in strawberries, and when put together, they may ensure better efficiency of applications and a reduction in negative environmental impacts.

Introduction: The push for sustainable agriculture in the Mediterranean region has positioned biopesticides as a vital alternative to conventional chemical inputs. Despite their ecological benefits, the adoption of biopesticides remains limited, confined to a small market segment. This presentation synthesizes the findings of a narrative literary review and a comparative qualitative field study to provide a multi-layered analysis of the challenges and opportunities for biopesticide implementation. It focuses on the key agricultural nations of Spain, Tunisia, and Turkey to understand the factors shaping farmers' decisions.

Methods: The research employed a two-phase methodology. The first phase consisted of a narrative review of the academic and grey literature to identify the overarching structural, legislative, economic, and cultural barriers to biopesticide adoption in the Euro-Mediterranean region. The second phase involved a comparative qualitative case study in three key agricultural sites: the Ebro Delta (Spain), the Nabeul region (Tunisia), and Adana province (Turkey). This phase utilized two rounds of semi-structured interviews with farmers to investigate the on-the-ground push and pull factors influencing their pest management choices.

Results: The analysis reveals a "vicious circle" where interactions among farmers, producers, and regulators impede widespread adoption. Key barriers consistently identified include high costs, limited market availability, and significant skepticism among farmers regarding the efficacy of biopesticides compared to conventional products. These are compounded by structural issues such as complex and slow registration processes, a lack of local manufacturing plants, and insufficient technical training for farmers. Conversely, adoption is driven by stringent regulations like the EU's "Farm to Fork" strategy, growing consumer demand for sustainable products, and the presence of supportive cooperatives and agricultural education networks.

Conclusions: The transition to biopesticides is not merely a technical substitution but a complex socio-economic challenge shaped by farmers' economic fragility and risk aversion. Overcoming the current impasse requires a coordinated approach that moves beyond top-down mandates. Priority should be given to providing direct economic support and incentives to farmers, simplifying regulatory pathways for new products, investing in research to improve efficacy and reduce costs, and strengthening farmer training and knowledge-sharing networks to build confidence and technical competency.