As the burden of mental health challenges increases globally, delivering mental health education programmes to at-risk groups is critical. Important factors governing the success of health and wellbeing education include the relationships and connections formed between students and those delivering the education. This article reports on the qualitative findings from a mixed-methods study evaluating a mental health wellbeing programme delivered to first-year agricultural students across two universities in New Zealand.

Student and lecturer insights gained on the pedagogical practices used during Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT) for laboratory, field trip and tour practices, should be used to inform and improve in-person and online higher education programs for the traditionally practical-based courses of agriculture, horticulture and food. Qualitative lecturer focus group data was thematically analyzed and used to develop the online student survey. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected in mid-2021 from the online survey of students. Survey qualitative data was thematically analysed and used to validate and expand on the quantitative data descriptive statistics. Findings revealed that agricultural classes with practical components can be transitioned to deliver some material online to provide additional benefits that enhance the practical components, adds to existing material, and provides benefits in the understanding of that material for students. To transition these components well requires time, funding and online pedagogy professional development to be successful.

Adoption of Global Good Agricultural Practices (Global-GAP) improves food quality and safety along fresh produce value chains. However, adoption rates have been low among small‐scale pineapple farmers in Ghana, but with possible heterogeneous responses due to farm size economies. This study estimates the impact of GlobalGAP adoption on net incomes earned by small‐scale pineapple farmers in Ghana's main producing region, and examines size‐induced heterogeneous effects of adoption on income.Household and farm‐level data gathered from 546 small‐scale farmers were analyzed using a two‐stage regression model to estimate the impact of GlobalGAP adoption on per hectare pineapple net income. Robustness of the results was checked by re‐estimating the two‐stage model using a maximum likelihood extended regression model. GlobalGAP adoption reduced net income on small farms growing less than 1 ha of pineapples, but increased net income on small farms growing more than 1 ha of pineapples. We conclude that GlobalGAP adoption and farm size are not independent determinants of profitability,and recommend that extension and other interventions intended to promote GlobalGAP adoption among pineapple farmers in Ghana should be targeted at those who are willing and able to grow more than 1 ha of pineapples.

Innovation and technology are a feature of New Zealand’s dairy sector. To overcome current challenges, dairy farmers require agile and multidimensional innovation, supported by forward-looking and integrated policy from both the sector and government. In this paper, we outline some of the current dairy sector challenges, and potential technologies to address these challenges. We focus on the future for digital agriculture innovation and discuss policy approaches to enable the sector to leverage digitalisation. These approaches include co-innovation, responsible innovation, multi-scale approaches, micro-innovation and poly-innovation and mission-oriented innovation. Digital agriculture and policy may interact in two ways: (1) policy may be used to enhance digital agriculture innovation and, (2) digitalisation itself may act to enhance agricultural policy design and delivery. Overall, innovation policy requires greater directionality, use of policy bundles and a focus on technology as a mediator of new dairy farming practices and institutional configurations.

In established vineyards, node number retention at winter pruning is the first step to achieving and maintaining vine balance. Balanced vines exhibit timely and quasi-uniform 100 percent budburst. To understand how vine capacity and balance are expressed before flowering, mature Sauvignon blanc vines were pruned according to a 5 [total node numbers on canes: 10, 20, 30, 40, 50] x 3 [total node numbers on spurs: 1, 2, 3] factorial design in one site, and in two other sites according to a 5 [total node numbers on canes: 10, 20, 30, 40, 50] x 2 [total node numbers on spurs: 1, 2] factorial design. Two spurs of one, two or three nodes each were retained on either side of the vine. The number of canes laid down per vine was one, two, three and four canes each of 10 nodes for the 10-, 20-, 30-and 40-node treatments, and four canes averaging 12.5 nodes for the 50-node treatment. The budburst percentage was calculated on the whole vine, canes, and spurs. Blind nodes, count shoots, non-count shoots and double shoots were counted and mapped along canes and spurs. Many non-count shoots were measured on the vine head of 10-node vines (29.5 ± 3.0 shoots, p < 0.001), compared to 50-node vines (2.8 ± 1.9 shoots, p < 0.001). 50-node vines had an overall budburst of 100 %, despite having the highest number of blind nodes (7.6 ± 0.3 nodes, p < 0.001). These were mainly located at the canes’ proximal sections relative to the vine head and were likely caused by correlative inhibition and primary bud necrosis. Cane budburst provided a more accurate assessment of the vine response to node loading than vine budburst. The number of double shoots was not associated with the vine node load, as they appeared on both low-node and high-node vines. Three-node spurs developed more blind nodes than one-node and two-node spurs (p < 0.001). Based on the findings of this research, we recommend a composite metric (cane percent budburst, cane blind node count and head shoot count) to assess vine capacity and balance between budburst and flowering, and the practice of retaining one-or two-node spurs at cane pruning is also justified.

Environmental sustainability and economic challenges are requiring significant change in the agricultural sector, and this is driving an increased focus on farmer and farm business resilience. Participatory extension programmes (PEPs) are a well-known approach for supporting farmer change. The objective of this article is to explore how a PEP based on peer-to-peer learning can support farmers in increasing resilience. Our study examines the interaction of wellbeing, environmental change and profitability through the applications of an institutional logics evaluation framework. We interviewed 24 participants in a PEP based in Northland, New Zealand. Findings show that PEPs can provide a safe space to discuss wellbeing challenges and link farmers with networks to support them on their wellbeing journey. We found that farmer wellbeing is intrinsically linked to other pressures that farmers face around profitability and sustainability, and therefore PEPs need to balance these three pillars. This article adds to the current literature by expanding an institutional logics evaluation framework and identifying the role of different actors in change mechanisms.

Communities, scientists, policy-makers and industries are requiring farmers to address environmental and wellbeing challenges in their on-farm management, transitioning away from a productivity dominated focus towards a multi-faceted system focus that includes environmental and social values. This paper analyses how Miraka Ltd., an Aotearoa-New Zealand indigenous owned and operated milk company, has taken on the role of institutional entrepreneur to enable and support change towards a multi-faceted system amongst its supply farmers. Observations and interviews were carried out to: (i) identify farmers’ changes in practices, beliefs and values over the last ten years; and (ii) identify how Miraka functions as an indigenous entrepreneur in the agricultural sector. Findings show that interviewees were initially guided by business and family-oriented values, beliefs and practices, but in response to the institutional entrepreneurship by Miraka, approximately half of the interviewees changed these values, beliefs and practices, by internalising people and environmental values. The main strategies employed by Miraka were mobilisation of material resources such as incentives and awards, creation of a rationale addressing environmental and social concerns in the dairy sector, and proactive connection with new actors. The research shows an indigenous owned small-medium enterprise can make changes in values, beliefs and practices amongst its supply farmers, but requires a stronger shared base of values to contribute to a wider economic change. The discussion connects these fndings to wider literature on diverse economies and indigenous entrepreneurship to identify to what extent an indigenous small-medium enterprise can contribute to a system change.

In recent years, Ghanaian agriculture has witnessed a surge in the use of agrochemicals, with the likely consequence that nonoptimal levels of application could cause environmental damage and economic losses. We identify the factors that affect the adoption of agrochemicals and the intensity of use in Ghanaian rice farming. We estimate the average treatment effects of chemical fertilizer and herbicide adoption using a Dose–Response Model (DRM). Our results show that a wide range of socioeconomic factors, including education, asset ownership, extension service, off-farm income, and land ownership affect adoption and use intensity of agrochemicals. On average, chemical fertilizer usage is associated with a 10% increase in the average treatment effect; low levels of chemical fertilizer have a negative impact on rice yield, and the result turns positive with more intensive use. Similarly, herbicide treatment generates a 7% increase in the average treatment effect, but higher herbicide levels will have negative causal effects on rice yield, and the result worsens with more herbicide treatment. Both agricultural technologies were designed to be used together, hence the appropriate mix of levels and intensity is crucial to achieve greater benefits. The DRM accounts for heterogeneity in the sample and is a useful tool to develop guidance on optimal levels of agrochemicals.

UV-B radiation and water availability can affect amino acids(AAs) concentration in berries, resulting in the evolution of aroma compounds during alcoholic fermentation. This study investigated the effects of UV-B exposure and water availability onwine aroma compounds in Pinot noir, focusing on the role of AAs in the process.Enhanced UV-B radiation significantly decreased total AA concentrations and most individual AAs inberries and wines, while water deficitincreased some individual AAsin wines. Higher alcohols, fatty acids, esters, monoterpenes, and C13-norisoprenoids were affected by UV-B interaction with water deficit in wines. These results suggested individual or combined UV-B exposure and water deficit had direct effects on fruit AAs, leading to significant differences in some wine aroma compounds

The yield of a pasture is directly proportional to the amount of light plants intercept and allocate to different organs. When plants are carbon (C) limited, due to defoliation, they allocate more C preferentially to shoots to restore leaf area. In contrast, water and nitrogen (N) limitations lead to a greater allocation of C to roots. Changes in the root:shoot ratio therefore reflect changes in C and N partitioning and indicate their relative priority. A major factor that influences plant responses to stress is their ability to store and remobilise reserves to restore leaf area. Species with tap roots, like lucerne, have a large potential C and N storage capacity that is utilised seasonally for storage and remobilisation. This has been used to develop seasonally based grazing management rules. Similarly, recommendations to graze perennial ryegrass at the 2- or 3-leaf stage are based on the balance between maximizing growth rates and the need to replenish water-soluble carbohydrate reserves. However, perennial ryegrass has lower levels of perennial reserves than other grass species. This reduces its resilience to concurrent water deficits or N deficiency. Under these conditions maintaining the recommended 3-leaf grazing intervals and/or leaving higher post-grazing pasture masses are recommended to assist canopy recovery. Other grass species, such as cocksfoot and tall fescue, provide more resilience, particularly in response to water deficits.

Increasing metropolitan solid waste and absence of concrete information sources is a developing worry in urban areas of developing countries like in Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) in Nepal. Two goals of this study were: (1) to estimate household solid waste generation and its composition; and (2) to assess the socioeconomic factors impacting on household waste generation. Using stratified sampling, 288 families were chosen from the 32 wards of KMC for household survey. The quantification of total waste and its composition was undertaken for each household using digital weighing scales. Socioeconomic variables affecting household waste generation were analysis by using regression model. The rate of household waste generation in KMC was found 0.3 kg/capita/day and total household waste generation was found 413 tonnes/day. Household waste comprised of 51% organic and 49% recyclable comprising 5% paper and paper products, 3% glass, 1% metal, 19% plastic, 13% textiles, 4% rubber and leather and 4% other waste. As organic waste constitutes more than half proportion of total solid waste, it should deal appropriately, if not it will create serious health and environmental hazards. Household size and income had a positive impact on waste generation; both were statistically significant and thus are important indicators in forecasting solid waste generation trends. Finding from this study will help concerning authority to formulate sustainable solid waste management plan in KMC and beyond.

Organic mulches are a traditional method of groundcover management in temperate commercial orchards, now largely replaced by herbicides and synthetic fertilisers. As a potential contribution to improving orchard sustainability, we hypothesised that the addition of organic mulches would: (H1) improve soil fertility and lead to greater tree growth and yields; (H2) support a larger and more biologically active community of soil organisms, assessed as increased soil respiration and greater earthworm numbers and biomass; and (H3) increase leaf litter decomposition and burial, potentially reducing the risk of apple scab disease (Venturia inaequalis). Cuttings from two legume-based cover crop mixtures grown in the alleyway spaces between tree rows and two traditional mulch materials, straw and compost, were trialled alongside a bare soil business-as-usual control for two years, using a randomized complete block design in a conventionally managed commercial ‘Gala’ apple orchard in the UK.

Compared to the control, the compost mulch significantly increased both soil carbon and nitrogen by over 50 %. The straw mulch effectively suppressed weeds by about 90 % and increased soil moisture by about 5 %. Cover crop cuttings increased moisture levels and increased earthworm numbers and mass by 1.7 and 1.8 times greater respectively in the double-rate ‘legume-grass’ cuttings treatment. Increasing the quantity of cover crop cuttings produced more positive effects; the cumulative addition of cuttings can benefit several soil-derived ecosystem services. This study took place in a commercial apple orchard, the findings may therefore be applicable to other orchard and row-grown perennial crops.

Adoption of Global Good Agricultural Practices (Global-GAP) improves food quality and safety along fresh produce value chains. However, adoption rates have been low among small‐scale pineapple farmers in Ghana, but with possible heterogeneous responses due to farm size economies. This study estimates the impact of GlobalGAP adoption on net incomes earned by small‐scale pineapple farmers in Ghana's main producing region, and examines size‐induced heterogeneous effects of adoption on income.Household and farm‐level data gathered from 546 small‐scale farmers were analyzed using a two‐stage regression model to estimate the impact of GlobalGAP adoption on per hectare pineapple net income. Robustness of the results was checked by re‐estimating the two‐stage model using a maximum likelihood extended regression model. GlobalGAP adoption reduced net income on small farms growing less than 1 ha of pineapples, but increased net income on small farms growing more than 1 ha of pineapples. We conclude that GlobalGAP adoption and farm size are not independent determinants of profitability,and recommend that extension and other interventions intended to promote GlobalGAP adoption among pineapple farmers in Ghana should be targeted at those who are willing and able to grow more than 1 ha of pineapples.

This research plays a part in understanding, supporting and encouraging land-use change, specifically to ‘next generation systems’. Next generation farm systems (such as redesigned or redeveloped systems and enterprises, new or novel enterprises, and new technologies) aim to reduce food production’s environmental footprint and maintain or increase profit.