Population pressure in the Mizo Hills, a small mountainous region in northeast India, has shortened fallow periods of slash-and-burn (S&B) plots substantially, making its practice unsustainable. Conventional farming and modern technology cannot be applied in this remote tropical region due to its topography; hence, most farmers continue…

Grant Wood's "American Gothic," intended to represent the Depression Era, Midwestern farmer, has been regarded by many as the stereotypical representation of a true American farmer for decades. While this painting does represent farmers in the early part of the 20th century, the author feels obliged to say that it is time to drop this…

Soilborne pathogens can devastate crops, causing economic losses for farmers due to reduced yields and expensive management practices. Fumigants and fungicides have harmful impacts on the surrounding environment and can be toxic to humans. Therefore, alternative methods of disease management are important. The disease suppressive abilities of…

We piloted an educational model, the Sustainable Agriculture Scholars Program, linking research in organic agriculture to experiential learning activities for summer undergraduate employees in 2007 and 2008. Our objectives were to: (1) further student understanding of sustainable agriculture research, (2) increase student interest in sustainable…

Iraq, formerly known as Mesopotamia, is the birthplace of agriculture. The recent war and instability have significantly impacted the country's agricultural production and knowledge support systems. To support revitalization of the Iraqi agricultural system, the USDA funded a consortium of five U.S. universities (Washington State University,…

Farmer-scientist focus sessions represent a means by which participants exchange ideas for action, identify researchable topics, and enhance long-term farmer-scientist team work. Three examples involving controlling weeds, disposal of cull onion, and food safety concerns are described that illustrate the types of issues treated, the format, and…

Opportunities for farmers to participate in greenhouse gas (GHG) credit markets require that growers, students, extension educators, offset aggregators, and other stakeholders understand the impact of agricultural practices on GHG emissions. The Farming Systems Greenhouse Gas Emissions Calculator, a web-based tool linked to the SOCRATES soil…

Decision cases have been used in the USA for both classroom and extension education within agriculture and natural resources. Use of cases has sometimes been limited by the extensive amount of time that may be required to assign and analyze conventional, text-based cases. Availability of video decision cases, which are visual and do not…

Mr. Nam, the vice chair of a village in Dak Lak province of Vietnam, was keen to protect farmers in his village from the sharp decline in prices of coffee ("Coffea canephora" Pierre ex Froehner). He did this by encouraging farmers in his village to plant cacao ("Theobroma cacao" L. subsp. "cacao"). Cacao was suitable…

Genetically modified (GM) crops such as maize (Zea mays L.), cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.), soybean [Glycine max (L.) Moench], and canola (Brassica rapa L.) have been widely adopted by American farmers. In spite of their use in the United States, the European Union (EU) imposed a 6-year de facto moratorium (1998-2004) on the cultivation/import of…

Cropping systems management requires integration of multiple forms of knowledge, practice, and learning by farmers, extension educators, and researchers. We evaluated the outcomes of participation in collaborative learning groups organized to address cropping systems and, specifically, challenges of integrated weed management. Groups were…

As urbanization increases, the potential for conflict between urban and agricultural interests grows. A case study of a conflict between farming and nonfarming interests provides students an opportunity to consider and discuss varying perceptions about pesticide use by farmers while evaluating data concerning pesticides. (LZ)

Satellite seminars in grain and forage crop production and pest management were conducted for a large, geographically dispersed audience of farmers and agribusiness persons to test the feasibility of an alternative delivery method in extension. Results of a formative evaluation revealed it is feasible to create an alternative model. (LZ)

Whole Farm Nutrient Management is an upper-level, undergraduate course offered through the Department of Animal Science (AS) and Department of Crop and Soil Sciences (CSS) at Cornell University. The course (AS/CSS 412) is designed for students interested in agricultural careers and aims to help them develop a working knowledge of agricultural…

Decision cases have been used in the United States for higher education in agriculture and natural resources, as well as in extension education. Few cases have been developed for secondary education audiences and fewer yet for both secondary and higher education applications. This case was developed for use in both secondary- and university-level…