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Châtenay-Malabry (FR - 92290), 19 May 2014 EFITA newsletter / 648 - European Federation for Information Technology in Agriculture, Food and the Environment 
To correspond with me (GW), please use this address: guy.waksman(a)laposte.net "Mobile Phones for Agricultural Extension: Worldwide mAgri Innovations and Promise for Future" by Saravanan Raj Mobile phones have revolutionised the communication process and have become all-in-one magical devices for communicating at anytime and anywhere. The last decade has seen a flourish in the number of mobile based agro-advisory service initiatives in the developing countries and more are being added regularly in some parts of the world. Services that started with farmers’ help-lines accessed through landlines and messages (SMS) have evolved slowly to multimodal and multimedia based delivery of advisory and to m-agriculture applications for smartphones. In this rapidly changing m-Agriculture scenario, this book is an attempt to document the evolution of mobile phone based agro-advisory services around the world. The content of the book comprises of country chapters on mobile phone applications for agricultural extension from Asia, Africa, Latin America and Europe along with chapters on global review on m-agriculture initiatives, content generation process and socio-economic impact of mobile phone based agro-advisory services. This book delves into the development of mobile phone based agro-advisory and their content, delivery mode, business model and utility and provides an insight into the evolution of mobile phones as an extension tool in different countries across the globe. The book will provide valuable insights on m-agriculture initiatives for agricultural extension around the world to agricultural students, extension professionals, researchers and policy makers both for understanding them and working on them. The lessons from the m-agriculture initiatives can guide the mode of implementation and evolution of mobile based advisory services in agriculture. See: http://www.saravananraj.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=51&Itemid=57 See: http://www.aesa-gfras.net/Resources/file/mAgri_Extension_Saravanan%20Raj.pdf Contact: Dr. R. SARAVANAN Associate Professor (Extension Education & Rural Sociology) Department of Social Sciences College of Horticulture and Forestry Central Agricultural University (CAU) Pasighat- 791 102, Arunachal Pradesh, INDIA E-mail: saravanancau(a)gmail.com
Field event offers drone demos The Precision Aerial Ag Show slated for Decatur, Ill., in July will offer you a chance to see many new tools in action. See: http://farmindustrynews.com/precision-farming/field-event-offers-drone-demos FarmAg Since 1976 Farmscan Ag has developed, acquired and employed industry leading technologies, innovations and innovators to assist farmers to become the world’s most efficient producers. We provide a complete range of electronics to steer, map, monitor and control spraying, spreading, planting and harvesting machinery. See: http://www.farmscanag.com/ Turning ag waste into energy amid stricter CAFO regs Opportunities exist for income potential from agricultural waste. See: http://farmindustrynews.com/energy/turning-ag-waste-energy-amid-stricter-cafo-regs Agricultural trade, biodiversity effects and food price volatility (CNRS) See: http://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/docs/00/96/90/83/PDF/cahier_2014-09.pdf Satellite imagery boom for farming High-flying satellites - not UAVs - may be first to offer actionable in-season crop imagery beginning this year. See: http://farmindustrynews.com/precision-farming/satellite-imagery-boom-farming Kauffman Foundation’s AgTech White Paper in 600 Words You might know that the Kauffman Foundation recently released a study analyzing today’s AgTech opportunities. But, you might not have time to read it. We’ve put together a short summary for you, just in case. The paper opens with some staggering stats: - Farm income nets around $120 billions, and farm assets about $2 trillion. - Agriculture demand for is expected to rise by 70 percent by 2050, as global affluence and therefore, meat and food demand increases. - Biofuel production is estimated to see an 800 percent increase between today and 2050. - The price of food is expected to increase by about 50 percent between now and 2030. - And, when considering the restricting effects of climate change on crops, some estimate that the price of food could be 100 percent higher than present prices. In short, there’s a lot of future demand on an already strained sector. But fear not! With the American heartland producing about 27 percent of the world’s corn, almost 30 percent of the world’s soybeans, and about 7 percent of both beef and pork, there are opportunities in the states for lucrative and sustainable agriculture. The Kauffman study suggests we work towards the “Evergreen Revolution,” a scenario in which we are able to sustainably produce 70 percent more by 2050. The “goals” of the revolution are: - Food Production: increase total food production by 70 percent by 2050. - Climate: turn global agriculture from a net carbon source to a carbon sink. Nitrogen: reduce yearly atmospheric N2 converted to fertilizer by 75 percent. - Water: keep global consumption of freshwater below 4,000 km3/year. Current consumption is 2,600 km3/year, leaving 1,400 km^3 remaining. - Land Use: cropland can only expand from 12 percent to 15 percent of Earth’s surface. - The Main Takeaway: Sustainable higher yields must be achieved by increasing productivity. See: http://agfundernews.com/kauffman-foundations-agtech-white-paper-in-600-words.html
The Lone Ranger and Tonto The Lone Ranger and Tonto went camping in the desert. After they got their tent all set up, both men fell sound asleep. Some hours later, Tonto wakes the Lone Ranger and says, 'Kemo Sabe, look towards sky, what you see? ' 'The Lone Ranger replies, 'I see millions of stars.' What that tell you?' asked Tonto. The Lone Ranger ponders for a minute then says, 'Astronomically speaking, it tells me there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets. Astrologically, it tells me that Saturn is in Leo. Time wise, it appears to be approximately a quarter past three in the morning. Theologically, the Lord is all-powerful and we are small and insignificant. Meteorologically, it seems we will have a beautiful day tomorrow. "What's it tell you, Tonto?" "You dumber than buffalo... It means someone stole the tent." The distribution of this efita newsletter is sponsored by vitisphere.com Please, contribute to the content of your efita newsletter, and advertise your events, new publications, new products and new project in this newsletter. Without your support, it will not survive! Contact: Guy WAKSMAN E-mail: guy.waksman(a)laposte.net To read this newsletter on our web site See: http://www.informatique-agricole.org/gazette/efita/efita_140519_648.htm
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