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1
Filling, Julia. "Human Urine : can it be applied as fertilizer in agricultural systems?" Thesis, Högskolan Kristianstad, Fakulteten för naturvetenskap, 2018. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hkr:diva-18029.
Abstract:
In cities today, vast amounts of nutrients are being wasted. Improvement in nutrient management within agriculture can contribute to a more sustainable society. Reusing nutrients in agriculture could aid in creating a more circular system, where organic fertilizers can be used instead of chemical fertilizers. Urine is a liquid which has a high nutrient content. According to the Swedish environmental protection agency, human urine can replace mineral fertilizers, by using methods such as source separation, where urine is divided from faeces. This is a cheap, effective and sustainable fertilizer management system that can be easily achieved. In this study, urine fertilizers were compared with ecological and conventional fertilizers (NPK and cow manure). The study examined the effect of different urine fertilizers compared with organic and inorganic ones on plant growth, nutrient content, pH value and microbial growth. The plant growth experiment was carried out in the greenhouse facilities in Alnarp, Sweden. The results from the experiment show that cow manure has a better outcome when it comes to plant growth, but Aurin, one of the urine fertilizers, had the highest uptake of nitrate. Non-diluted urine had a stable result in all analyses. According to this study human urine is a fertilizer which can be used in crop cultivation systems, and can deliver good agricultural results.
2
Zapata, Isain. "Development of High Throughput One Dimensional Proteomics for the Analysis of Meat and Muscle." The Ohio State University, 2011. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1324411963.
3
Clough, Tim J. "Fate of urine nitrogen applied to peat and mineral soils from grazed pastures." Lincoln University, 1994. http://hdl.handle.net/10182/1030.
Abstract:
This study has provided fundamental information on the fate of urine nitrogen (N) when applied to pasture soils. In this work the three pasture soils used were a Bruntwood silt loam (BW), an old well-developed (lime and fertilizer incorporated and farmed for more than 20 years) peat soil (OP) and a young peat (YP) which was less developed (farmed for about 10 years). Initial soil chemical and physical measurements revealed that the peat soils were acidic, had higher cation exchange capacities, had greater carbon:nitrogen ratios and were better buffered against changes in soil pH than the BW soil. However, the BW soil was more fertile with a higher pH. The peat soils had lower bulk densities and higher porosities. Four experiments were performed. In the first experiment ¹⁵N-labelled urine was applied at 500 kg N ha⁻¹ to intact soil cores of the three soils. Treatments imposed were the presence and absence of a water table at two temperatures, 8°C or 23° C, over 11-14 weeks. ¹⁵N budgets were determined. This first experiment showed that the nitrification rate was faster in the BW soil and was retarded with a water table present. Significant leaching of nitrate occurred at 8°C in the BW soil without a water table. This was reduced when a water table was present. Leaching losses of urine-N were lower in the peat soils than in the BW soil. Apparent denitrification losses (i.e. calculated on a total-N recovery basis) ranged from 18 to 48 % of the ¹⁵N-applied with the greatest losses occurring in the peat soils. The second experiment examined denitrification losses, over 30 days, following the application of synthetic urine-N at 420 kg N ha⁻¹ to small soil cores situated in growth cabinets. The effects of temperature (8°C or 18°C) and synthetic urine (presence or absence) were measured on the BW and OP soils. Nitrous oxide (N₂0) measurements were taken from all soil cores and a sub-set of soil cores, at 18°C, had ¹⁵N-labelled synthetic urine-N applied so that ¹⁵N-labelled nitrogen gases could be monitored. This experiment showed that the application of synthetic urine and increased soil temperature enhanced denitrification losses from both soils. Denitrification losses, at 18°C, as ¹⁵N-labelled nitrogen gases accounted for 24 to 39 % of the nitrogen applied. Nitrous oxide comprised less than half of this denitrification loss. Losses of N₂0 in leachate samples from the soil cores accounted for less than 0.1 % of the nitrogen applied. A third experiment, using Iysimeters, was performed over a 150 day period in the field. The six treatments consisted of the 3 soils with applied synthetic urine, with or without a simulated water table; each replicated three times. Lysimeters were installed in the field at ground level and ¹⁵N-labelled synthetic urine-N was applied (500 kg N ha⁻¹) on June 4 1992 (day 1). Nitrification rates differed between the soils following the trend noticed in the first experiment. As in the first experiment, nitrate was only detected in the leachate from the BW soil and the inclusion of a water table reduced the concentration of nitrate. In the BW soil, the leachate nitrate concentrations exceeded the World Health Organisation's recommended limit (< 10 mg N L-1) regardless of water table treatment. No nitrate was detected in the leachates from the peat soils but there was some leaching of organic-N (< 5 % of N added) in all the peat soil treatments. Denitrification losses were monitored for the first 100 days of the experiment. In the BW soil without a water table, N₂0 production peaked at approximately day 20 and accounted for 3 % of the nitrogen applied. In the peat soils the measured denitrification losses accounted for less than 1 % of the nitrogen applied. Apparent denitrification losses in the peats were, however, calculated to be approximately 50 % of the ¹⁵N-labelled synthetic urine-N applied. It is postulated that the difference between apparent denitrification losses and those measured could have been due to; loss of dinitrogen in leachate, protracted production of dinitrogen below detectable limits, production of denitrification gases after measurements ceased (i.e. days 100 to 150) and entrapment of dinitrogen in soil cores. Due to the apparent denitrification losses being so high, further research into this nitrogen loss pathway was performed. The fourth and final experiment measured denitrification directly using highly enriched (50 atom %) ¹⁵N-labelled synthetic urine-N. It was performed in a growth cabinet held initially at 8°C. The ¹⁵N-labelled synthetic urine was applied at 500 kg N ha⁻¹ to small soil cores of each soil type. Fluxes of N₂0 and ¹⁵N-labelled gases were measured daily for 59 days. On day 42 the temperature of the growth cabinet was increased to 12°C in an attempt to simulate the mean soil temperature at the end of the field experiment. Up to this time, production of nitrogenous gases from the YP soil had been very low. Interpretation of gaseous nitrogen loss in the YP soil was difficult due to the possibility of chemodenitrification occurring. However, in the OP and BW soils, gaseous losses of nitrogen (determined as ¹⁵N-labelled gas) represented 16 and 7 % of the nitrogen applied respectively. Nitrous oxide comprised approximately half of this gaseous nitrogen loss, in both the OP and BW soils. This work implies that urine-N applied to the mineral soil (BW) could potentially threaten the quality of ground water due to nitrate contamination through leaching. In contrast, denitrification appears to be the major loss mechanism from the peat soils, with the production of nitrous oxide being the primary focus for any environmental concern. Future work should examine the fate of the nitrate leached from the BW soil and the potential for dilution, plant uptake or denitrification below a 30 cm soil depth. A better understanding of the denitrification mechanisms could help reduce denitrification and thereby improve the efficiency of nitrogen use and reduce the output of nitrous oxide.
4
Jiang, Shuang. "Bacterial leaching from dairy shed effluent applied to a fine sandy loam under flood and spray irrigations." Lincoln University, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10182/668.
Abstract:
Land application of wastes has become increasingly popular, to promote nutrient recycling and environmental protection, with soil functioning as a partial barrier between wastes and groundwater. Dairy shed effluent (DSE), may contain a wide variety of pathogenic micro-organisms, including bacteria (e.g. Salmonella paratyphyi, Escherichia coli. and Campylobacter), protozoa and viruses. Groundwater pathogen contamination resulting from land-applied DSE is drawing more attention with the intensified development of the dairy farm industry in New Zealand. The purpose of this research was to investigate the fate and transport of bacterial indicator-faecal coliform (FC) from land-applied DSE under different irrigation practices via field lysimeter studies, using two water irrigation methods (flood and sprinkler) with contrasting application rates, through the 2005-2006 irrigation season. It was aimed at better understanding, quantifying and modelling of the processes that govern the removal of microbes in intact soil columns, bridging the gap between previous theoretical research and general farm practices, specifically for Templeton soil. This study involved different approaches (leaching experiments, infiltrometer measurements and a dye infiltration study) to understand the processes of transient water flow and bacterial transport; and to extrapolate the relationships between bacterial transport and soil properties (like soil structure, texture), and soil physical status (soil water potential ψ and volumetric water content θ). Factors controlling FC transport are discussed. A contaminant transport model, HYDRUS-1D, was applied to simulate microbial transport through soil on the basis of measured datasets. This study was carried out at Lincoln University’s Centre for Soil and Environmental Quality (CSEQ) lysimeter site. Six lysimeters were employed in two trials. Each trial involved application of DSE, followed by a water irrigation sequence applied in a flux-controlled method. The soil columns were taken from the site of the new Lincoln University Dairy Farm, Lincoln, Canterbury. The soil type is Templeton fine sandy loam (Udic-Ustochrept, coarse loamy, mixed, mesic). Vertical profiles (at four depths) of θ and ψ were measured during leaching experiments. The leaching experiments directly measured concentrations of chemical tracer (Br⁻ or Cl⁻) and FC in drainage. Results showed that bacteria could readily penetrate through 700 mm deep soil columns, when facilitated by water flow. In the first (summer) trial, FC in leachate as high as 1.4×10⁶ cfu 100 mL⁻¹ (similar to the DSE concentration), was detected in one lysimeter that had a higher clay content in the topsoil, immediately after DSE application, and before any water irrigation. This indicates that DSE flowed through preferential flow paths without significant treatment or reduction in concentrations. The highest post-irrigation concentration was 3.4×10³ cfu 100 mL⁻¹ under flood irrigation. Flood irrigation resulted in more bacteria and Br⁻ leaching than spray irrigation. In both trials (summer and autumn) results showed significant differences between irrigation treatments in lysimeters sharing similar drainage class (moderate or moderately rapid). Leaching bacterial concentration was positively correlated with both θ and ψ, and sometimes drainage rate. Greater bacterial leaching was found in the one lysimeter with rapid whole-column effective hydraulic conductivity, Keff, for both flood and spray treatments. Occasionally, the effect of Keff on water movement and bacterial transport overrode the effect of irrigation. The ‘seasonal condition’ of the soil (including variation in initial water content) also influenced bacterial leaching, with less risk of leaching in autumn than in summer. A tension infiltrometer experiment measured hydraulic conductivity of the lysimeters at zero and 40 mm suction. The results showed in most cases a significant correlation between the proportion of bacteria leached and the flow contribution of the macropores. The higher the Ksat, the greater the amount of drainage and bacterial leaching obtained. This research also found that this technique may exclude the activity of some continuous macropores (e.g., cracks) due to the difference of initial wetness which could substantially change the conductivity and result in more serious bacterial leaching in this Templeton soil. A dye infiltration study showed there was great variability in water flow patterns, and most of the flow reaching deeper than 50 cm resulted from macropores, mainly visible cracks. The transient water flow and transport of tracer (Br⁻) and FC were modelled using the HYDRUS-1D software package. The uniform flow van Genuchten model, and the dual-porosity model were used for water flow and the mobile-immobile (MIM) model was used for tracer and FC transport. The hydraulic and solute parameters were optimized during simulation, on the basis of measured datasets from the leaching experiments. There was evidence supporting the presence of macropores, based on the water flow in the post-DSE application stage. The optimised saturated water content (θs) decreased during the post-application process, which could be explained in terms of macropore flow enhanced by irrigation. Moreover, bacterial simulation showed discrepancies in all cases of uniform flow simulations at the very initial stage, indicating that non-equilibrium processes were dominant during those short periods, and suggesting that there were strong dynamic processes involving structure change and subsequently flow paths. It is recommended that management strategies to reduce FC contamination following application of DSE in these soils must aim to decrease preferential flow by adjusting irrigation schemes. Attention needs to be given to a) decreasing irrigation rates at the beginning of each irrigation; b) increasing the number of irrigations, by reducing at the same time the amount of water applied and the irrigation rate at each irrigation; c) applying spray irrigation rather than flood irrigation.
5
Leathwick, D. M. "Applied ecology of the Tasmanian lacewing Micromus tasmaniae Walker (Neuroptera : Hemerodiidae)." Lincoln College, University of Canterbury, 1989. http://hdl.handle.net/10182/1044.
Abstract:
The Tasmanian lacewing (Micromus tasmaniae Walker) is one of the most common aphid predators occurring in lucerne crops in New Zealand. A comparison of sampling techniques, and the output from a simulation model, suggest that the abundance of this lacewing may have been significantly underestimated in the past. Although the occurrence of aphid predators was erratic M. tasmaniae occurred more often and in far greater numbers (up to 100 m⁻²) than any other predator species. A simulation model for lacewing development in the field indicated that the large adult populations which occurred could be accounted for on the basis of reproductive recruitment. Independent evidence that immigration was not involved in the occurrence of these large populations was gathered using directional flight traps around the field perimeter. The major factors influencing lacewing population dynamics were the availability of aphid prey and, in the autumn, parasitism. Otherwise, survival of all life-histoty stages was high with no evidence of egg or larval cannibalism. Several instances of high lacewing mortality were identified by the model and the lack of any obvious cause for these highlights inadequacies in the understanding of lacewing bionomics. The model, which used a linear relationship (day-degrees) between development and temperature, was incapable of accurately predicting lacewing emergence under field temperatures which fluctuated outside the linear region of the development rate curve. Temperature thresholds and thermal requirements estimated under fluctuating temperatures similar to those in the field produced almost identical model output to those estimated under constant temperatures in the laboratory. Prey species was capable of influencing the rate of lacewing development. M. tasmaniae has the attributes necessary to produce large populations in the short time available between lucerne harvests. The asymptote of the functional response curve is low but the efficiency at converting aphids to eggs is high. Therefore, the lacewing is able to attain maximun reproductive output at low prey densities. A low temperature threshold for development (4-5° C), rapid development and short preoviposition period results in a short generation time (49 days at 15° C). Long adult life, high fecundity and the absence of any form of estivation or diapause, results in complete overlap of generations and multiple generations per year. M. tasmaniae's role as an aphid predator is restricted by its low appetite for prey and by the lucerne management regime currently practiced in New Zealand. Because it consumes relatively few aphids per day the lacewing's ability to destroy large aphid populations is limited. However, this may be offset by its ability to attack aphids early in the aphid population growth phase, and by the large numbers of lacewings which may occur. Under the present lucerne management schemes the large lacewing populations which do occur are forced out of the fields, or die, following harvest. A number of management options for increasing the lacewings impact as an aphid predator are briefly discussed.
6
Nguyen, Thanh Le Vi. "Local Binary Pattern based algorithms for the discrimination and detection of crops and weeds with similar morphologies." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2020. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/2359.
Abstract:
In cultivated agricultural fields, weeds are unwanted species that compete with the crop plants for nutrients, water, sunlight and soil, thus constraining their growth. Applying new real-time weed detection and spraying technologies to agriculture would enhance current farming practices, leading to higher crop yields and lower production costs. Various weed detection methods have been developed for Site-Specific Weed Management (SSWM) aimed at maximising the crop yield through efficient control of weeds. Blanket application of herbicide chemicals is currently the most popular weed eradication practice in weed management and weed invasion. However, the excessive use of herbicides has a detrimental impact on the human health, economy and environment. Before weeds are resistant to herbicides and respond better to weed control strategies, it is necessary to control them in the fallow, pre-sowing, early post-emergent and in pasture phases. Moreover, the development of herbicide resistance in weeds is the driving force for inventing precision and automation weed treatments. Various weed detection techniques have been developed to identify weed species in crop fields, aimed at improving the crop quality, reducing herbicide and water usage and minimising environmental impacts.
In this thesis, Local Binary Pattern (LBP)-based algorithms are developed and tested experimentally, which are based on extracting dominant plant features from camera images to precisely detecting weeds from crops in real time. Based on the efficient computation and robustness of the first LBP method, an improved LBP-based method is developed based on using three different LBP operators for plant feature extraction in conjunction with a Support Vector Machine (SVM) method for multiclass plant classification. A 24,000-image dataset, collected using a testing facility under simulated field conditions (Testbed system), is used for algorithm training, validation and testing. The dataset, which is published online under the name “bccr-segset”, consists of four subclasses: background, Canola (Brassica napus), Corn (Zea mays), and Wild radish (Raphanus raphanistrum). In addition, the dataset comprises plant images collected at four crop growth stages, for each subclass. The computer-controlled Testbed is designed to rapidly label plant images and generate the “bccr-segset” dataset. Experimental results show that the classification accuracy of the improved LBP-based algorithm is 91.85%, for the four classes.
Due to the similarity of the morphologies of the canola (crop) and wild radish (weed) leaves, the conventional LBP-based method has limited ability to discriminate broadleaf crops from weeds. To overcome this limitation and complex field conditions (illumination variation, poses, viewpoints, and occlusions), a novel LBP-based method (denoted k-FLBPCM) is developed to enhance the classification accuracy of crops and weeds with similar morphologies. Our contributions include (i) the use of opening and closing morphological operators in pre-processing of plant images, (ii) the development of the k-FLBPCM method by combining two methods, namely, the filtered local binary pattern (LBP) method and the contour-based masking method with a coefficient k, and (iii) the optimal use of SVM with the radial basis function (RBF) kernel to precisely identify broadleaf plants based on their distinctive features. The high performance of this k-FLBPCM method is demonstrated by experimentally attaining up to 98.63% classification accuracy at four different growth stages for all classes of the “bccr-segset” dataset.
To evaluate performance of the k-FLBPCM algorithm in real-time, a comparison analysis between our novel method (k-FLBPCM) and deep convolutional neural networks (DCNNs) is conducted on morphologically similar crops and weeds. Various DCNN models, namely VGG-16, VGG-19, ResNet50 and InceptionV3, are optimised, by fine-tuning their hyper-parameters, and tested. Based on the experimental results on the “bccr-segset” dataset collected from the laboratory and the “fieldtrip_can_weeds” dataset collected from the field under practical environments, the classification accuracies of the DCNN models and the k-FLBPCM method are almost similar. Another experiment is conducted by training the algorithms with plant images obtained at mature stages and testing them at early stages. In this case, the new k-FLBPCM method outperformed the state-of-the-art CNN models in identifying small leaf shapes of canola-radish (crop-weed) at early growth stages, with an order of magnitude lower error rates in comparison with DCNN models. Furthermore, the execution time of the k-FLBPCM method during the training and test phases was faster than the DCNN counterparts, with an identification time difference of approximately 0.224ms per image for the laboratory dataset and 0.346ms per image for the field dataset. These results demonstrate the ability of the k-FLBPCM method to rapidly detect weeds from crops of similar appearance in real time with less data, and generalize to different size plants better than the CNN-based methods.
7
O'Connor, Katrina Marie. "The ecological footprint of international tourists in New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment for the degree of Master of Applied Science in Natural Resource Management at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand." Massey University, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10179/1124.
Abstract:
Ecological Footprint Analysis (EFA) is a technique that was first developed by Wackernagel as a Ph.D. thesis in 1994, then further developed in combination with Rees and published (Rees & Wackernagel, 1995). EFA is employed in this study to assess the resource utilisation of international tourists visiting New Zealand. Tourism is one of the fastest growing industries in the world and the ecological sustainability of tourism is becoming more important term for managing tourism. This is becoming increasingly important with tourism identified as particularly as a significant contributor to carbon emissions. This study uses EFA to assess whether international tourists visiting New Zealand behave in a sustainable manner. Tourists are surveyed and classed into high, mid and low budget tourist types to gain a detailed account of their behaviour with particular reference to food, accommodation, transport, services, activities attractions, goods and waste. The EFA helps to identify areas of a tourist’s trip that have the greatest impact on the environment, thereby identifying ways to improve the sustainability of tourism in New Zealand. It was found that tourists generally consume more whilst on holiday than they do at home and more than New Zealand residents. The results show that international tourists’ behaviour is sustainable and New Zealand has the ecological carrying capacity to allow the number of international tourists to increase without incurring any significant ecological costs to the country. It was found that there is a positive relationship between ‘high’ income tourists and their ecological footprint and that independent travellers have a larger ecological footprint than the package travellers; however, package travellers have a larger food and housing ecological footprint than independent travellers. The energy footprint was the largest out of the six land types of a tourist’s ecological footprint. Food is the consumption category that is the largest contributor to a tourist’s ecological footprint.
8
Steiner, Laure D. "A Study of the fate and transport of estrogenic hormones in dairy effluent applied to pasture soils." Diss., Lincoln University, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10182/1306.
Abstract:
The disposal of waste from agricultural activities has been recognised as a source of environmental contamination by endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). The New Zealand dairy industry produces a large volume of dairy farm effluent, which contains EDCs in the form of estrogens. Most of this dairy farm effluent is applied onto the land for disposal. Groundwater and soil contamination by estrogens following waste application on the land have been reported overseas, but our understanding of the processes and factors governing the fate of estrogens in the soil is poor. Therefore the main goal of the present study was to better understand the fate and transport of estrogens, in particular 17β-estradiol (E2) and estrone (E1) in soil. In order to quantify E1 and E2 in drainage water and soil samples, chemical analysis by gas-chromatography mass-spectrometry (GC-MS) was carried out. This included sample extraction, sample clean-up through silica gel and gel permeation chromatography, and sample extract derivatisation prior to analysis. In order to develop a reliable method to extract estrogens from soil, research was conducted to optimise E1 and E2 extraction conditions by adjusting the number of sonication and shaking events, as well as the volume and type of solvent. Among five solvents and solvent mixtures tested, the best recovery on spiked and aged soil was obtained using an isopropanol/water (1:1) mix. A microcosm experiment was carried out to determine the dissipation rates of E2 and E1, at 8°C and at field capacity, in the Templeton soil sampled at two different depths (5-10 cm and 30-35 cm). The dissipation rates decreased with time and half-life values of 0.6-0.8 d for E1 and 0.3-0.4 d for E2 were found for the two depths studied. A field transport experiment was also carried out in winter, over three months, by applying dairy farm effluent spiked with estrogens onto undisturbed Templeton soil lysimeters (50 cm in diameter and 70 cm deep). The hormones were applied in dairy farm effluent at 120 mg m⁻² for E2 and 137 mg m⁻² for E1. The results of the transport experiment showed that in the presence of preferential/macropore flow pathways 0.3-0.7% of E2 and 8-13% of E1 was recovered in the leachate at the bottom of the lysimeters after 3 months, and 1-7% of the recovered E2 and 3-54% of the recovered E1 was leached within 2 days of application. These results suggest that leaching of estrogens via preferential/macropore flow pathways is the greatest concern for groundwater contamination. In the absence of preferential/macropore flow pathways, a significant amount (> 99.94%) of both hormones dissipated in the top 70 cm of soil, due to sorption and rapid biodegradation. Surprisingly, in all cases, estrogen breakthrough occurred before that of an inert tracer (bromide). This could not be explained by the advection-dispersion transport of estrogens, nor by their presence as antecedent concentrations in the soil. It was therefore suggested that colloidal enhanced transport of estrogens was responsible for the earlier breakthrough of estrogens and caused the leaching of a fraction of the applied estrogens to a soil depth of 70 cm. A two-phase model, adapted from a state-space mixing cell model, was built to describe the observed estrogen transport processes under transient flow. The model takes into account 3 transport processes namely, advection-dispersion, preferential/macropore flow and colloidal enhanced transport. This model was able to successfully describe the estrogen transport observed from the lysimeters.
9
Powae, Wayne Ishmael. "Fair trade coffee supply chains in the highlands of Papua New Guinea : do they give higher returns to smallholders? : a thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Applied Science at Lincoln University /." Diss., Lincoln University, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10182/1413.
Abstract:
This research focussed on Fair Trade (FT) coffee supply chains in Papua New Guinea. Three research questions were asked. First, do small holders in the FT chains receive higher returns than the smallholders in the conventional chains? Secondly, if smallholders in the FT coffee chains receive higher returns from their coffee than the smallholders in the conventional chains, what are the sources of these higher returns? Finally, if smallholders in the FT chains don't receive higher returns than in the conventional chains, what are the constraints to smallholders receiving higher returns from the FT coffee chains than the conventional chains? A conceptual framework for agribusiness supply chain was developed that was used to guide the field work. A comparative case study methodology was selcted as an appropriate method for eliciting the required information. Four case study chains were selected. A paired FT and conventional coffee chains from Okapa and another paired FT and conventional chains from Kainantu districts, Eastern Highlands Province were selected for the study. The research found that smallholders in the FT chains and vonventional chains receive very similar prices for their coffee (parchment price equivalent). Hence, there was no evidence that smallholders in the FT chains received higher prices or returns from their coffee production than smallholders in conventional chains. This study also found that there was no evidence of FLO certification improving returns to smallholders in the FT chains over those returns received in the conventional chains, but the community that the FT smallholder producers come from did benefit. The sources of these community benefits lies in the shorter FT chains and the distributions of the margin that would have been otherwise made by processors to producers, exporters and the community. In addition, this study found that constraints associated with value creation are similar in all the four chains studies. However, there are some added hurdles for the FT chains in adhering to FT and organic coffee standards. Moreover, FT co-oeratives lacked capacity to trade and their only functions were to help with FLO certification and distribute the FT premium to the community. The findings of this research support some aspects of the literature, but not others. The research contribution is the finding that in this period of high conventional coffee prices, returns to smallholders from FT chains were no bettter than the returns gained in conventional chains, which leads to oppotunism and lack of loyalty by smallholders in the FT chains. The other contribution of this research is in identifying a particular type of free rider who is not a member of the FT co-operative but has right to the community benefits generated by the FT chain.
10
Tungale, Rose. "Livelihoods and customary marine resource management under customary marine tenure : case studies in the Solomon Islands : a thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Applied Science in International Rural Development at Lincoln University /." Diss., Lincoln University, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10182/861.
Abstract:
In many ways, coastal marine resources have provided an important source of protein, income and even employment for coastal rural Solomon Islands communities. Fishing, for instance, has always played a very important role in these communities' culture and tradition. Subsistence fishing is traditional in most rural coastal communities. Small-scale fishing is also wide-spread. Traditionally marine areas and resources were managed by the custodians of the adjacent land and the traditional leaders in some local communities. While small-scale fisheries are managed by the Government, much of the enforcement responsibility is in the hands of the community leaders, given the realities of what that Government can provide. This research has explored the interaction between rural coastal livelihoods and marine resource management under Customary Marine Tenure (CMT) in one area of Temotu Province, Solomon Islands. Specifically the research seeks to explore, explain and describe how the livelihoods of the rural coastal villagers influence the use, access and management of marine resources and vice versa. Particular attention has been given to: first exploring the traditional marine resource management under CMT and livelihoods in the three villages; second, how the changes in the villagers' livelihoods system affects the customary marine resource management in the three case study villages; third, how changes in customary marine resource management influences the livelihoods of the villagers and finally the nature of the relationship between livelihoods and customary marine resource management is described for the first time for this part of the Solomon Islands. The research results showed that villagers' livelihoods have changed over the past decade and much of these changes have affected the customary marine resource management in the three case study villages. Consequently, customary marine resource management under CMT is no longer effective. The changes in customary marine resource also have implications on the villagers' livelihoods. For this reason the study argues that when trying to understand the factors affecting customary marine resource, the entire livelihoods system of the people should be considered. The study states that the nature of the interactions between livelihoods and customary marine resource management is a two-way relationship, dynamic and very complex. Should there be further marine resource development, the study suggests that understanding the livelihoods of the people concerned is important for better management.
11
Ducourant, Sam. "Bien-être en cage : normes juridiques, disciplines scientifiques et système technique." Electronic Thesis or Diss., Université Paris sciences et lettres, 2023. http://www.theses.fr/2023UPSLE007.
Abstract:
Le bien-être animal est le nom d’une tension entre production de normes et production de connaissances. En étudiant ses mobilisations dans les interactions entre science, politique et élevage industriel, cette thèse met en lumière les opérateurs concrets du dispositif de pouvoir qu’est l’exploitation des non-humain·es. Pour écrire l’histoire des cages de batterie, du début du XXe siècle aux années 1980, elle présente des archives inédites et variées, toujours aux points de contact entre la science et son monde (archives institutionnelles, rapports techniques, publications scientifiques, journaux à grands tirages, textes de lois, brevets, réglementations industrielles). Elle décrit la constitution des disciplines du bien-être animal, c’est-à-dire à la fois leur histoire, les éléments et relations qui les constituent, et les règles qui les régissent. La distinction entre production de normes, de connaissances et de marchandises est remise en question : elles fonctionnent ensemble comme opérateurs de l’exploitation des non-humain·es, et leurs points de contact sont autant de possibles contre-pouvoirsAnimal welfare is the name of a tension between the production of norms and the production of knowledge. Through the study of the interactions between science, politics and factory farming, this dissertation sheds light on the concrete operators of non-human exploitation, conceptualized as a power system (dispositif). To write the history of battery cages from the early 20th century to the 1980s, I go through a wide range of unpublished archives, hubs between science and its world (institutional archives, technical reports, scientific publications, masscirculation newspapers, legal texts, patents, industrial regulations). I describe the constitution of animal welfare disciplines, i.e. their history, the elements and relationships that make them up, and the rules that govern them. I question the distinction between norm, knowledge and commodities production : they work together as operators of animal exploitation, but could possibly act as counterweights against it
12
Yeeting, Agnes David. "An economic analysis of the domestication of the tuna fishery - the case of Kiribati." Lincoln University, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10182/1493.
Abstract:
The Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO) is home to the largest tuna fishery stock in the world. However, Pacific Island members of the Western and Central Pacific Tuna Commission (WCPTC) argue that their share of the economic rent from the tuna catches taken out of the Pacific region is very small, being on average only about 6% of the total net benefit, when compared to the share earned by Distant Water Fishing Nations (DWFNs). Kiribati is one of the Pacific Island Countries (PICs), which relies heavily on its fishery for its economic development and sustainability. Kiribati earns 40% - 50 % of its government revenue from fisheries access fees paid by DWFNs for tuna caught in the the Kiribati EEZ. The Government of Kiribati (GoK) believes that Kiribati could get greater benefit if they develop their own domestic tuna fishery. This study uses Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) and SWOT Analysis to investigate whether domestication of the tuna fishery is the right move for Kiribati or not. The CBA reported in this thesis adapted a model developed by Campbell (2004) to investigate and evaluate fisheries policy in Papua New Guinea (PNG). However the model in this thesis is reflective of the situation and case of Kiribati. In analyzing the different options identified in this study, the CBA indicated negative (-) NPV(s) for the medium-sized vessel option and positive (+) NPV(s) for the large-sized vessel option. The SWOT analysis however, complemented the CBA by further investigating the tuna domestication options in the economic, social and business and business environment of Kiribati. The SWOT analysis indicated that the existing situation and business conditions in Kiribati appears to favor the small to medium sized vessel options which are less risky than the large purse seine vessel option.
13
Dennis, S. J. "Nitrate leaching and nitrous oxide emission from grazed grassland: upscaling from lysimeters to farm." Lincoln University, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10182/1269.
Abstract:
Irish agriculture is becoming increasingly regulated, with restrictions on fertiliser application rates and stocking rates to reduce nitrate (NO₀⁻) leaching losses. However these regulations have been, to date, based on minimal field research. The purpose of this study was to determine the actual leaching losses of nitrate from Irish dairy pasture at a range of stocking rates, and to investigate the effectiveness of the nitrification inhibitor DCD at reducing nitrate leaching losses where these are deemed excessive. In grazed pastures, a major source of leached nitrate is the urine patch, where a high rate of N is applied in one application. This trial recorded the losses from urine and non-urine areas of pasture separately. Nitrate leaching losses from three soils were recorded using lysimeters at Johnstown Castle, Co. Wexford, over two years. Total nitrate losses were higher from the freely drained Clonakilty and Elton soils than from the heavy Rathangan soil. Mean nitrate losses from urine patches ranged from 16 - 233 kg nitrate-N / ha⁻¹, and were reduced by up to 53% when DCD was applied. DCD also reduced peak and mean nitrate-N concentrations in many cases. In addition, DCD halved the nitrous oxide (N₂O) emission factor on the Rathangan soil, caused increases in pasture N content, and increased herbage yield in some treatments. The distribution of urine patches under dairy grazing was recorded using GPS at Kilworth, Co. Cork. Cows were also found to deposit 0.359 urine patches per grazing hour. A model was produced to predict field-scale nitrate leaching losses from dairy pasture at a range of stocking rates. At 2.94 cows per hectare, the highest stocking rate, annual field N loss was below 34 kg nitrate-N ha⁻¹, mean drainage N concentrations were below 5.65 mg nitrate-N L⁻¹ (the EU drinking water guideline value), and the worst-case-scenario autumn peak concentration did not exceed 21.55 mg nitrate-N L⁻¹ (above the EU Maximum Allowable Concentration (MAC) but below the World Health Organisation (WHO) drinking water limit). DCD reduced total annual field N loss by 21% (a conservative estimate), and also reduced mean and peak nitrate concentrations. Provided fertiliser application rates are at or below 291 kg N ha⁻¹, and based on current legislative values for drinking water quality, this trial does not support any blanket restrictions on the stocking rate of Irish dairy farms. However where particularly high water quality is required, DCD shows potential as a useful tool to achieve low nitrate concentrations.
14
Carrick, Sam. "The dynamic interplay of mechanisms governing infiltration into structured and layered soil columns." Lincoln University, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10182/1328.
Abstract:
Worldwide there is considerable concern over the effects of human activities on the quantity and quality of freshwater. Measurement of infiltration behaviour will be important for improving freshwater management. This study identifies that New Zealand has a sporadic history of measuring soil water movement attributes on a limited number of soil types, although the current practical demand should be large for management of irrigation, dairy farm effluent disposal, as well as municipal / domestic waste- and storm-water disposal. Previous research has demonstrated that infiltration behaviour is governed by the interplay between numerous mechanisms including hydrophobicity and preferential flow, the latter being an important mechanism of contaminant leaching for many NZ soils. Future characterisation will need to recognise the dynamic nature of these interactions, and be able to reliably characterise the key infiltration mechanisms. Since macropores are responsible for preferential flow, it is critical that infiltration studies use a representative sample of the macropore network. The aim of this project was to study the mechanisms governing the infiltration behaviour of a layered soil in large (50 x 70 cm) monolith lysimeters, where the connectivity of the macropore network remains undisturbed. Four lysimeters of the Gorge silt loam were collected, a structured soil with four distinct layers. On each lysimeter there were four separate infiltration experiments, with water applied under suctions of 0, 0.5, 1, and 1.5 kPa by a custom-built tension infiltrometer. Each lysimeter was instrumented with 30 tensiometers, located in arrays at the layer boundaries. There was also a field experiment using ponded dye infiltration to visually define preferential flowpaths. Analysis of dye patterns, temporal variability in soil matric potential (Ψm), and solute breakthrough curves all show that preferential flow is an important infiltration mechanism. Preferential flowpaths were activated when Ψm was above -1.5 kPa. During saturated infiltration, at least 97% of drainage was through the ‘mobile’ pore volume of the lysimeter (θm), estimated among the lysimeters at 5.4 – 8.7 % of the lysimeter volume. Early-time infiltration behaviour did not show the classical square-root of time behaviour, indicating sorptivity was not the governing mechanism. This was consistent across the four lysimeters, and during infiltration under different surface imposed suctions. The most likely mechanism restricting sorptivity is weak hydrophobicity, which appears to restrict infiltration for the first 5 – 10 mm of infiltration. Overall, the Gorge soil’s early-time infiltration behaviour is governed by the dynamic interaction between sorptivity, hydrophobicity, the network of air-filled pores, preferential flow and air encapsulation. Long-time infiltration behaviour was intimately linked to the temporal dynamics of Ψm, which was in turn controlled by preferential flow and soil layer interactions. Preferential flowpaths created strong inter-layer connectivity by allowing an irregular wetting front to reach lower layers within 2 – 15 mm of infiltration. Thereafter, layer interactions dominate infiltration for long-time periods, as Ψm in soil layers with different K(Ψm) relationships self-adjusts to try to maintain a constant Darcy velocity. An important finding was that Ψm rarely attained the value set by the tension infiltrometer during unsaturated infiltration. The results show that ‘true’ steady-state infiltration is unlikely to occur in layered soils. A quasi-steady state was identified once the whole column had fully wet and layer interactions had settled to where Ψm changes occurred in unison through each soil layer. Quasi-steady state was difficult to identify from just the cumulative infiltration curve, but more robustly identified as when infiltration matched drainage, and Ψm measurements showed each layer had a stable hydraulic gradient. I conclude that the in-situ hydraulic conductivity, K(Ψm), of individual soil layers can be accurately and meaningfully determined from lysimeter-scale infiltration experiments. My results show that K(Ψm) is different for each soil layer, and that differences are consistent among the four lysimeters. Under saturated flow the subsoil had the lowest conductivity, and was the restricting layer. Most interestingly this pattern reversed during unsaturated flow. As Ψm decreased below -0.5 to -1 kPa, the subsoil was markedly more conductive, and the topsoil layers became the restricting layers. All four soil layers demonstrate a sharp decline in K(Ψm) as Ψm decreases, with a break in slope at ~ -1 kPa indicating the dual-permeability nature of all layers.
15
Stum, Alexander Knell. "Random Forests Applied as a Soil Spatial Predictive Model in Arid Utah." DigitalCommons@USU, 2010. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/736.
Abstract:
Initial soil surveys are incomplete for large tracts of public land in the western USA. Digital soil mapping offers a quantitative approach as an alternative to traditional soil mapping. I sought to predict soil classes across an arid to semiarid watershed of western Utah by applying random forests (RF) and using environmental covariates derived from Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) and digital elevation models (DEM). Random forests are similar to classification and regression trees (CART). However, RF is doubly random. Many (e.g., 500) weak trees are grown (trained) independently because each tree is trained with a new randomly selected bootstrap sample, and a random subset of variables is used to split each node. To train and validate the RF trees, 561 soil descriptions were made in the field. An additional 111 points were added by case-based reasoning using aerial photo interpretation. As RF makes classification decisions from the mode of many independently grown trees, model uncertainty can be derived. The overall out of the bag (OOB) error was lower without weighting of classes; weighting increased the overall OOB error and the resulting output did not reflect soil-landscape relationships observed in the field. The final RF model had an OOB error of 55.2% and predicted soils on landforms consistent with soil-landscape relationships. The OOB error for individual classes typically decreased with increasing class size. In addition to the final classification, I determined the second and third most likely classification, model confidence, and the hypothetical extent of individual classes. Pixels that had high possibility of belonging to multiple soil classes were aggregated using a minimum confidence value based on limiting soil features, which is an effective and objective method of determining membership in soil map unit associations and complexes mapped at the 1:24,000 scale. Variables derived from both DEM and Landsat 7 ETM+ sources were important for predicting soil classes based on Gini and standard measures of variable importance and OOB errors from groves grown with exclusively DEM- or Landsat-derived data. Random forests was a powerful predictor of soil classes and produced outputs that facilitated further understanding of soil-landscape relationships.
16
Routson, Kanin Josif. "Malus Diversity in Wild and Agricultural Ecosystems." Diss., The University of Arizona, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/223381.
Abstract:
Human-induced land degradation and climate change can reduce agricultural productivity and increase susceptibility to food shortages at local and global scales. Planting perennial crop species, such as fruit and nut crops, may be an intervention strategy because of their beneficial contributions to sustainable agriculture and human nutrition. Many perennial temperate fruit and nut species are however, particularly vulnerable to frost events, drought, insufficient chill hours, and disease and insect outbreaks. Modifying these species to yield harvests under a wider range of biotic and abiotic conditions may increase the value and long-term viability of perennials in agroecosystems. This dissertation examines adaptation and ecogeography in temperate perennial fruit crops, using apple (Malus sensu lato) as an example for case studies. The resilience of feral domestic apple trees in abandoned farmstead orchards throughout the southwestern U.S. indicates plasticity in adapting to local environmental conditions. Dendrochronology reveals these trees tend to persist where they have access to supplemental water, either as shallow groundwater or irrigation. While domestic apples are cultivated under a range of growing conditions, wild relatives of agricultural crops may further expand the cultivable range of the species. Crop wild relatives are species closely related to agricultural species, including progenitors that may contribute beneficial traits to crops. Sampling the genetic variation in crop wild relatives may benefit from ecological genetics and GIS theory to reveal genetic structure. The Pacific crabapple is an example of a wild apple relative that may contain genetic variation useful in apple breeding. Species distribution modeling of the Pacific crabapple identifies a narrow climatic window of suitable habitat along the northern Pacific coast, and genetic fingerprinting reveals a highly admixed genetic structure with little evidence of natural or cultural selection. While the moist coastal Pacific Northwest is not necessarily characteristic of many apple-growing regions, the species may have useful adaptations transferable to domestic apples. Genetic resources offer a promising source of raw material for adapting crops to future agricultural environments; their characterization, conservation, and use may offer important contributions to adaptation and use of perennial crops in agro-ecosystems.
17
Ekanayake, Jagath C. "Soil water movement through swelling soils." Lincoln University, 1990. http://hdl.handle.net/10182/1761.
Abstract:
The present work is a contribution to description and understanding of the distribution and movement of water in swelling soils. In order to investigate the moisture distribution in swelling soils a detailed knowledge of volume change properties, flow characteristics and total potential of water in the soil is essential. Therefore, a possible volume change mechanism is first described by dividing the swelling soils into four categories and volume change of a swelling soil is measured under different overburden pressures. The measured and calculated (from volume change data) overburden potential components are used to check the validity of the derivation of a load factor, ∝. Moisture diffusivity in swelling soil under different overburden pressures is measured using Gardner's (1956) outflow method. Behaviour of equilibrium moisture profiles in swelling soils is theoretically explained, solving the differential equation by considering the physical variation of individual soil properties with moisture content and overburden pressure. Using the measured volume change data and moisture potentials under various overburden pressures, the behaviour of possible moisture profiles are described at equilibrium and under steady vertical flows in swelling soils. It is shown that high overburden pressures lead to soil water behaviour quite different from any previously reported.
18
Zou, Ze-Yuan. "Determination of flow and transport properties in a deep unsaturated soil profile." Diss., The University of Arizona, 1999. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/284526.
Abstract:
Three goals of this research were: (1) to study the movement of a non-reactive tracer (bromide) and of water through non-aggregated fine sand, with low clay (1.2%) and organic matter content (<1%); 2) to develop an inverse method for estimating the hydraulic properties of unsaturated soil from intermediate- and field-scale infiltration data; and (3) to develop a transient in-situ method for calibrating the neutron probe. All three goals of this research are crucial for understanding and determining water and solute transport at the intermediate to field scale. The field research was conducted in a field-scale research facility--the University of Arizona Superfund lysimeter (400-cm deep and 250-cm in diameter). We found equilibrium conditions, as evidenced by symmetrical bromide breakthrough curves (BTCs), from data collected during an unsaturated infiltration experiment in the lysimeter. Breakthrough of bromide, however, occurred sooner than was expected based on water arrival, and this observation is inconsistent with previous observations of other investigators. About 21% of the pore water (corresponding to approximately 0.03 cm³ cm⁻³) was found to be isolated from the bromide transport. We postulate that this inaccessible water partly existed as very thin films, adsorbed onto soil particle surfaces, and did not participate in anion transport. The combined effect of these films and of anion exclusion caused the bromide tracer to travel faster than the wetting front in this initially dry soil, because the excluded water fraction was larger than the initial water content. The soil hydraulic properties were estimated by an inverse method using in-situ data collected from this deep infiltration experiment. Soil hydraulic properties determined from laboratory experiments often are non-representative of field conditions. The inverse method developed in this study uses transient tension data during wetting of the profile, and the steady state water content found behind the wetting front. The results indicate that the method is fast and yields a unique estimate of the in-situ hydraulic properties at the field scale, without the need to collect excessive amounts of data. The neutron moisture meter used to determine the soil water content was calibrated using a newly developed transient mass balance method. The method was tested in the field scale lysimeter, and at a field site at the Agriculture Center, Maricopa, AZ. Water content errors using this method were less than 0.01 cm³ cm⁻³ for both sites. Application of the method to the lysimeter data showed excellent agreement between the soil water storage obtained using the calibration curve, and the actual volume of soil water added into the system.
19
Gill, Navpreet Kaur. "Process evaluation and quality optimization of apple snack." Thesis, McGill University, 2014. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=121497.
Abstract:
The decline of formal lunchtime eating is creating a new market segments and strong growth in the snack food market. Busy modern life with lunch at desks and night in front of computers is for snack food consumption. The unhealthy snacks are composed of sugars and fats and considered as "junk" increasing body weight whereas if these unhealthy snacks are supplemented or enriched with well-balanced nutrients, we can have healthy life with enhanced health benefits and consumer satisfaction. Such enrichments can be accomplished by naturally supplementing these foods with proteins, fiber and antioxidants. My thesis research aims to enhance the value of apple fruit snacks by adding soy protein, orange fiber and grape juice concentrate.The two methods were employed for preparing the fruit snack - direct sheet drying and extrusion-drying. Experimental procedure includes drying (fruit leather) and extrusion process (apple extrudates) of apple fruit to obtain apple fruit snack. This was further enhanced with (0-10%) fibre, (0-10%) antioxidant and (0-20%) protein. These three were varied within the range using a CCRD design and the balance was supplemented by applesauce to make it 100%. Nutritional assessment of snack bars was based on the total antioxidant, protein, water activity, Hunter L∗ a∗ b∗ colour, hardness, phenolic composition and sensory quality. The water activity values (<0.75) suggested that the resultant snack bars would possess a good shelf life.Le déclin actuel du dîner formel est en train de créer des nouveaux secteurs de marché autant qu'une forte croissance dans le marché des collations. La vie modern occupée, avec ses dîners devant le bureau et ses nuits devant l'ordinateur, est devenue propice à la consommation des collations. Ces collations malsaines contiennent des sucres et du gras et sont considérées comme de la « malbouffe ». En revanche, si ces mêmes aliments étaient supplémentés ou enrichis avec des éléments nutritifs bien équilibrés, nous pourrions jouir d'une vie saine avec plus de bénéfices pour la santé et une meilleure satisfaction du consommateur. De tels enrichissements peuvent être obtenus en enrichissant ces aliments naturellement avec des protéines, de la fibre et des antioxydants. Ma recherche de thèse vise à améliorer la valeur des barres aux fruits aux pommes en y ajoutant des protéines de soya, de la fibre d'orange et du concentré de jus de raisin.Le processus expérimental inclut le séchage (pour produire une pâte de fruits) et l'extrusion du fruit pour obtenir une barre aux fruits aux pommes. Le produit est ensuite enrichi avec de la fibre (0 à 10 %), des antioxydants (0 à 10 %) et des protéines (0 à 20 %). L'analyse nutritionnelle des barres aux fruits est basée sur la teneur totale en antioxydants, en protéines et en humidité, autant que sur la couleur (Hunter L*a*b*), la dureté, la composition phénolique et la qualité sensorielle. L'activité de l'eau suggère que les barres aux fruits produites ainsi seront munies d'une durée de conservation adéquate. Les résultats de l'analyse spectrophotométrique donnèrent des résultats comparables et fortement corrélés (p < 0,05). Les barres aux fruits enrichies avec des éléments nutritifs peuvent donc être des aliments fonctionnels qui offrent une bonne source de protéines, d'antioxydants et de polyphénols.
20
Wade, Richard Peter. "A systematics for interpreting past structures with possible cosmic references in Sub-Saharan Africa." Diss., Pretoria : [s.n.], 2009. http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-05052009-174557/.
21
Chiotis, Thomas. "Farmers, Intermediaries and ICTs in an Agricultural Community in Greece- an ethnographic study." Thesis, Linnéuniversitetet, Institutionen för informatik (IK), 2017. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:lnu:diva-66837.
Abstract:
The purpose of this thesis is to assess the implications of Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) on the agricultural supply chain in Greece by examining the relationships between farmers and their intermediaries, and their interactions during the buying and selling process. More specifically, the focus of the research takes place in Pouri, a small village in central Greece whose economy centers around Apple Farming, where we can observe the exchange of locally grown goods between farmers and intermediaries. The thesis consists of two parts; the first part examines how Greek farmers perceive the process of buying and selling agricultural products and how they respond to problems within their current structure; through observing processes, conducting interviews and collecting narrative stories to identify the issues, we assess whether it would be advantageous for farmers to implement ICTs as part of the solution. The second part consists of a review of the academic literature to examine the same or similar situations in the agricultural supply chain of other global regions and their economic contexts. Lastly, a thorough thematic analysis of the research data provides a better understanding of the issues facing farmers and their needs as they pertain to ICTs, to improve the agricultural supply chain and the entire rural sector.
22
Peng, Hai Hong. "Evaluation of different methods to improve the utilization of roughage fed to sheep : a thesis submitted to the University of Adelaide for the degree of Master of Applied Science (Agriculture)." Title page, contents and summary only, 1995. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09A/09ap398.pdf.
Abstract:
Includes bibliographical references (leaves 95-118). The effects of different supplements on digestibility and N balance of sheep fed an oaten chaff based diet were studied including, the effect of yeast culture supplementation on in vivo, in vitro digestibility and ammonia concentration; the effect of Avoparcin supplementation on body weight, plasma glucose, plasma urea N and ruminal protozoa; and, the contribution of Clostridium chartatabidum, a highly cellulolytic rumen bacterium, to fibre digestion.
23
Williams, Rachael M. "Do geographical indications promote sustainable rural development? : two UK case studies and implications for New Zealand rural development policy." Lincoln University, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10182/585.
Abstract:
Geographical indications (GIs) are one form of protective labelling used to indicate the origin of food and alcohol products. The role of protected geographical indicators as a promising sustainable rural development tool is the basis for this research. The protection of geographical indications is a rather controversial subject and much research is still required for both sides of the debate. The research method employed for this study is qualitative critical social science. Two Case studies are used to investigate the benefits brought to rural areas through the protection of GIs. The case studies include the GIs Jersey Royal and Welsh Lamb both from the United Kingdom a member of the European Union (the EU is in favour of extended protection of GIs for all agro-food products under the 1994 WTO/TRIPS agreement on geographical indications). Twenty-five indepth interviews were conducted for this study the duration of the interviews was approximately one hour. The study identifies predominantly indirect links between GIs and sustainable rural development, through economic and social benefits bought to rural areas by the GIs investigated - less of a connection was found to ecological elements. No considerable cost for GI protection was discovered. This finding suggests that GIs are worthwhile for implementation in New Zealand as a rural development tool.
24
Azarpazhooh, Elham. "Microwave osmotic dehydration of apples («Red Gala») under continuous flow medium spray conditions (MWODS) for improving moisture transport rate and product quality." Thesis, McGill University, 2011. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=96935.
Abstract:
Microwave osmotic dehydration (MWOD) is a novel technique with a good potential for more efficient osmotic drying of fruits and vegetables. It combines the microwave heating with osmotic dehydration for enhancing moisture transfer rate in the osmotic dehydration process and product quality. Preliminary studies were carried out to compare the osmotic dehydration kinetics of apple (Red Gala) cylinders in microwave osmotic dehydration under continuous flow medium spray conditions (MWODS) with microwave osmotic dehydration under continuous flow medium immersion conditions (MWODI), as well as conventional osmotic drying (COD) in immersion (CODI) and spray (CODS) modes. The results showed that the MWODS process considerably enhanced the moisture transfer rate from the fruit, and limited the solids gain at the same time. In the second part, the two-parameter Azuara model and the conventional diffusion model were evaluated for describing the mass transfer kinetics of apple (Red Gala) cylinders during MWODS, MWODI, CODS and CODI. The results showed that both models adequately described the transient mass transfer kinetics during the OD process; however the Azuara model was superior. MWODS was further studied to evaluate the effect of various process variables (sucrose concentration, medium temperature, flow rate and contact time) by using response surface methodology and a central composite rotatable design. Predictive models were developed relate the response variables to process parameters. Finally optimization studies were carried out to elucidate optimal processing conditions under MWODS. The study demonstrated that moisture loss (ML), solids gain (SG) and weight reduction (WR) were predictably higher at higher sucrose concentrations, higher medium temperatures, longer contact times and higher flow rates. Since OD only results in partial dehydration, a second stage drying was evaluated employing conventional air drying and compared with freeze drying to identify cost effective systems for preserving the quality of the osmotically dehydrated shelf-stable fruits. The effect of MWODS pretreatment on air-drying kinetics and quality parameters (color, texture, and rehydration characteristics) of apple (Red Gala) cylinders was evaluated. The results revealed that drying time decreased with increasing concentrations and medium temperature of the MWODS treatment. Compared with untreated control samples, MWODS air-dried samples had higher coefficient of moisture diffusivity (Dm). In terms of quality parameters, the MWODS air-drying combination process resulted in a product with lower color change and a more chewy structure. The air dried product without MWODS had the least desirable quality characteristics. While the color was better preserved in the freeze dried product, it was much more brittle than MWODS – air-dried product. The rehydration capacity of MWODS air-dried products was lower than freeze-dried products and higher than air-dried. Overall, the thesis research contributes to a better understanding of the moisture transfer behavior during microwave osmotic dehydration under continuous flow medium spray processing conditions. Together with a simple second stage air-drying it can produce high quality dehydrated apple products.La déshydratation osmotique à l'aide des micro-ondes (MWOD) est une nouvelle technique avec un bon potentiel pour plus d'efficacité de séchage osmotique des fruits et légumes. Il combine le chauffage micro-onde avec la déshydratation osmotique pour améliorer le taux de transfert de l'humidité dans le procédé de déshydratation osmotique et la qualité du produit. Des études préliminaires ont été effectuées pour comparer la cinétique de déshydratation osmotique des cylindres de pommes (Rouge Gala) à déshydratation osmotique sous conditions de flux continu de pulvérisation (MWODS) avec déshydratation osmotique à l'aide des micro-ondes sous flux continu d'immersion (MWODI), ainsi que séchage osmotique le conventionnel (COD) en mode d'immersion (CODI) et en mode de pulvérisation (CODS). Les résultats ont montré que le processus de MWODS a considérablement amélioré le taux de transfert d'humidité à partir du fruit et a limité le gain des solides en même temps. Dans la deuxième partie, le modèle d'Azuara à deux paramètres et le modèle de diffusion classique ont été évalués pour décrire la cinétique de transfert de masse des cylindres de la pomme (Rouge Gala) pendant MWODS, MWODI, COD et CODI. Les résultats ont montré que les deux modèles décrivent adéquatement la cinétique transitoire de transfert de masse pendant le processus d'OD, mais le modèle Azuara était supérieur. MWODS a aussi été étudié pour évaluer l'effet des différentes variables de processus (concentration en saccharose, la température du moyen, le taux de flux et le temps de contact) en utilisant la méthodologie de surface de réponse et la décomposition rotative du programme global. Les modèles prédictifs ont été développés pour relier les variables de réponse aux paramètres du procédé. Enfin, des études d'optimisation ont été menées pour élucider les conditions optimales de transformation sous MWODS. L'étude a démontré que la perte d'humidité (ML), les gains de solides (SG) et les pertes de poids (WR) ont été plus prévisibles à des concentrations de saccharose, températures de moyen, temps de contact et taux de flux plus élevés. Une deuxième étape de séchage a été évaluée employant l'air de séchage conventionnel par rapport à la lyophilisation pour identifier les systèmes efficaces pouvant préserver la qualité des fruits osmotiquement déshydratés. L'effet du prétraitement du MWODS sur la cinétique du séchage à l'air et l'effet des paramètres de qualité (couleur, texture, et caractéristiques de réhydratation) des cylindres de pomme (Rouge Gala) ont été évalués. Les résultats ont révélé que le temps de séchage diminue avec l'augmentation des concentrations et de la température du moyen du traitement MWODS. Par rapport aux échantillons témoins non traités, les MWODS échantillons séchés à l'air était ont un coefficient de diffusivité de l'humidité (Dm) plus entée. En termes de paramètres de qualité, le processus de MWODS avec séchage à l'air arrive à un produit avec un changement de couleur inférieur et une structure plus tendre. Le produit séché à l'air sans MWODS avait les caractéristiques de qualité le moins souhaitable. Bien que la couleur a été mieux préservé dans le produit lyophilisé, le produit était beaucoup plus fragile que le produit MWODS avec séchage à l'air. La capacité de réhydratation des produits de MWODS séchés à l'air est supérieure de celle des produits séchés à l'air et celle des produits lyophilisés.En général, cette recherche contribue à une meilleure compréhension du comportement de transfert d'humidité à micro-ondes pendant la déshydratation osmotique sous flux continu du moyen avec de la pulvérisation. Avec une deuxième simple étape du séchage à l'air, le processus peut produire des produits de pomme avec une haute qualité.
25
Ng, Sin Joe. "The Effect of Mid-season Foliar Fungicide and Insecticide, Applied Alone or in Combination, on Soybean Yield in Ohio." The Ohio State University, 2017. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1491986629962156.
26
Benitez, Maria Soledad. "Applied T-RFLP Analyses for the Identification and Characterization of Microbial Populations Associated With Damping-Off Incidence in a Transitional Organic Cropping System." The Ohio State University, 2008. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1218471106.
27
Bell, Brandon Eugene. "The effects of spice blends in an apple-based extruded cereal-like product : maximizing flavor and health." Thesis, Manhattan, Kan. : Kansas State University, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/2097/2277.
28
Dvorjak, Daniela Sarti. "FUSARIUM HEAD BLIGHT RESISTANCE AND AGRONOMIC PERFORMANCE IN SOFT RED WINTER WHEAT POPULATIONS." UKnowledge, 2014. http://uknowledge.uky.edu/pss_etds/38.
Abstract:
Fusarium head blight (FHB), caused by Fusarium graminearum Schwabe [telomorph: Gibberella zeae Schwein.(Petch)], is recognized as one of the most destructive diseases of wheat (Triticum aestivum L. and T. durum L.) and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) worldwide. Breeding for FHB resistance must be accompanied by selection for desirable agronomic traits. Donor parents with two FHB resistance quantitative trait loci (QTL) Fhb1 (chromosome 3BS) and QFhs.nau-2DL (chromosome 2DL) were crossed to four adapted SRW wheat lines to generate backcross and forward cross progeny. F2 individuals were genotyped and assigned to 4 different groups according to presence/ absence of one or both QTL. The effectiveness of these QTL in reducing FHB in F2 derived lines was assessed in a misted, inoculated scab nursery. Resistance alleles and the interaction among FHB resistance QTL have distinct behavior in different genetic backgrounds in wheat. Fhb1 showed an average disease reduction of 12%, however it did not result in significant improvement of FHB resistance in all populations. In general, for the four backgrounds studied, the QFhs.nau-2DL QTL as more effective reducing FHB (19% average reduction). The combination of Fhb1 and QFhs.nau-2DL is not necessary, but recommended and it improved resistance in all populations. Backcross derived (BC) progeny from four genetic backgrounds were planted in replicated plots (2011 and 2012) and in the scab nursery in 2012. Population 2 had its progeny characterized by 961 DArT markers distributed throughout the genome. Several high-quality polymorphic markers were identified and listed as good predictors of phenotypic traits like disease resistance, and improved agronomic and quality characteristics. Backcross and forward cross derived progenies were tested for FHB resistance and agronomic and baking quality performance for 4 different populations sharing the same donor parent for resistance QTL. The results confirmed that F2 populations were effective indicators of expression levels of QTL prior to extensive backcrossing. The QTL Fhb1 and QFhs.nau-2DL increased FHB resistance without detriments on agronomic and quality traits on wheat populations investigated. BC populations were assessed as breeding populations and established as being rewarding tools for derivation of inbred lines in a breeding program, being BC2 the most recommended from our results.
29
Hackmann, Timothy John. "Responses of Rumen Microbes to Excess Carbohydrate." The Ohio State University, 2013. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1364922613.
30
van, Hooijdonk Benedict Michael. "The physiological basis of vigour control by apple rootstocks - an unresolved paradigm : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Plant Physiology at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand." Massey University, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10179/1137.
Abstract:
For millennia, scions have been grafted onto dwarfing apple rootstocks to reduce final tree size. However, it is unclear how scion architecture is first modified by the dwarfing apple rootstock, the time from grafting when this occurs and the endogenous hormonal signalling mechanisms that may cause the initial modifications in growth that then define the future architecture of the scion. In this study, the dwarfing (M.9) rootstock significantly decreased the mean total shoot length and node number of ‘Royal Gala’ apple scions by the end of the first year of growth from grafting when compared with rootstock(s) of greater vigour (MM.106, M.793 and a ‘Royal Gala’ rootstock control). Similarly, the auxin transport inhibitor 1-N-naphthylphthalamic acid (NPA) applied to the stem of vigorous rootstocks significantly decreased mean total shoot length and node number of the scion, and the architectural changes imposed were generally similar to those imposed by M.9. For example, both treatments decreased the mean length and node number of the primary shoot, reduced the formation of secondary axes on the primary shoot and caused a greater proportion of primary and secondary shoots (if present) to terminate growth early. Decreased formation of secondary axes imposed by both treatments was reversed by applying the cytokinin benzylaminopurine (BAP) repeatedly to the scion, whilst applications of gibberellins (GA4+7) reduced the proportion of primary and secondary shoots that terminated growth early, therefore increasing the final mean length and node number of these shoot types. Both M.9 and NPA also significantly decreased the final mean dry mass and length of the root system. Given these general similarities, it is proposed that the basipetal IAA signal is of central importance in rootstock-induced scion dwarfing, and that a shoot/root/shoot signalling mechanism may exist whereby the stem tissue of the M.9 rootstock decreases the basipetal transport of IAA to the root during summer, thereby decreasing root growth and the amount of rootproduced cytokinin and gibberellin transported to scion. Reduced amounts of cytokinin transported to the scion may decrease branching, whilst reduced amounts of gibberellins may decrease the duration for which a large proportion of primary and secondary shoots grow. Analysis of endogenous hormones for newly grafted composite ‘Royal Gala’ apple trees on rootstocks of different vigour provided some additional support for these ideas. It is recommended that future studies elucidate what unique properties of the M.9 bark act to restrict IAA transport, whilst it is concluded that gene(s) regulating rootstock-induced scion dwarfing are likely to control processes within the rootstock that modify the metabolism of IAA, its basipetal transport and the subsequent synthesis of root-produced vigour-inducing hormones including cytokinins and gibberellins.
31
Cornille, Amandine. "Diversification dans le genre Malus." Phd thesis, Université Paris Sud - Paris XI, 2012. http://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-00923150.
Abstract:
Malgré son importance économique, culturelle et historique, l'histoire évolutive du pommier cultivé (Malus domestica) ainsi que celle de ses apparentés sauvages supposés, restaient encore très peu connues. En s'appuyant sur les nouvelles approches de génétique des populations (approximate Bayesian computation) avec l'utilisation de marqueurs microsatellites et de séquences nucléaires, cette thèse a eu pour objectif d'étudier, à différentes échelles évolutives (phylogéographie, spéciation, domestication), les mécanismes de diversification naturelle et artificielle dans le genre Malus. Mes travaux ont porté sur quatre espèces de pommiers sauvages distribuées à travers l'Eurasie (Malus orientalis (Caucase), Malus sieversii (Asie Centrale), Malus sylvestris (Europe), et Malus baccata (Sibérie)) et sur la seule espèce domestiquée du genre, Malus domestica. Cette thèse s'est articulée en quatre parties visant respectivement à inférer : (i) l'histoire de la domestication du pommier cultivé depuis son centre d'origine en Asie Centrale, (ii) l'histoire de la recolonisation post-glaciaire du pommier sauvage Européen (M. sylvestris), (iii) les histoires de spéciation entre les cinq espèces de Malus, (iv) les hybridations interspécifiques et les capacités de dispersion des trois principaux contributeurs (M. sylvestris, M. sieversii et M. orientalis) au génome du pommier cultivé. L'étude des mécanismes de diversification artificielle montre que les processus de domestication sont originaux chez cet arbre fruitier, de par l'absence de goulet d'étranglement et l'existence d'introgressions post-domestication fréquentes par une autre espèce sauvage (M. sylvestris) que l'espèce ancestrale (M. sieversii). L'étude des processus de diversification naturelle (phylogéographie, spéciation et structure des populations) révèlent de grandes tailles de populations, de forts flux de gènes et de faibles structures génétiques spatiales chez chacune des espèces. Cette thèse a aussi révélé de forts taux d'hybridations interspécifiques, en particulier de fortes introgressions des espèces de pommiers sauvages par le pommier cultivé en Europe et en Asie Centrale. Cette étude a permis l'amélioration des connaissances de la structuration des populations de pommiers sauvages ayant contribué au génome du pommier cultivé ainsi que de l'étendue des hybridations du pommier cultivé avec les espèces sauvages. Ces travaux revêtent une grande importance autant pour la conservation des pommiers sauvages, pour le maintien de leur intégrité dans des habitats fragmentés que pour l'amélioration variétale du pommier domestiqué.
32
Irvin, N. A. "Understorey management for the enhancement of populations of a leafroller (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) parasitoid (Dolichogenidea tasmanica (Cameron)) in Canterbury, New Zealand apple orchards." Lincoln University, 1999. http://hdl.handle.net/10182/1111.
Abstract:
This study investigated understorey management in Canterbury, New Zealand, apple orchards for the enhancement of populations of Dolichogenidea tasmanica (Cameron) (Braconidae) for leafroller (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) biological control. The first objective was to determine the influence of understorey plants on the abundance of D. tasmanica and leafroller parasitism, and to investigate the mechanisms behind this influence. The second was to determine the most suitable understorey plants in terms of their ability to enhance parasitoid abundance, leafroller parasitism, parasitoid longevity, parasitoid fecundity and its ability to not benefit leafroller. Results from three consecutive field trials showed that buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench), coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.), alyssum (Lobularia maritima (L.) Desv), and, to a lesser extent, broad bean (Vicia faba L.), enhanced parasitoid abundance and leafroller parasitism. The mechanisms behind the effects of understorey plants had previously been unexplored. However, results here showed that it was the flowers or the buckwheat that 'attracted' the parasitoid to the plant and not the shelter, aphids or microclimate that the plant may also provide. Providing flowering plants in the orchard understorey also increased immigration of parasitoids and enhanced parasitoids and enhanced parasitoid longevity and fecundity in the laboratory. In contrast, the understorey plants had no influence on the female:male ratio of D. tasmanica. Although coriander enhanced leafroller parasitism three-fold in field experiments compared with controls, it failed to enhance the longevity of both sexes of D. tasmanica in the laboratory compared with water-only. Broad bean significantly enhanced parasitoid abundance three-fold and significantly increased parasitism from 0% to 75% compared with the controls on one leafroller release date. However, laboratory trials showed that of male D. tasmancia but it did not enhance female longevity. Also, female D. tasmanica foraging on broad bean produced a total of only three parasitoid cocoons, but this result was based on an overall 6.5% survival of larvae to pupae or to parasitoid cocoon. Furthermore, results suggested that extrafloral nectar secretion decreased as the plants matured. Phacelia (Phacelia tanacetifolia Benth.) did not significantly enhance parasitism rate in the field compared with controls, and numbers of D. tasmanica captured by suction sampling were significantly lower in phacelia treatments compared with alyssum, buckwheat and control plots. Also, laboratory experiments showed that survival of D. tasmanica on phacelia flowers was equivalent to that on water-only and significantly lower than on buckwheat. These results suggest that phacelia does not provide nectar to D. tasmanica, only pollen, and therefore is not a suitable understorey plant for D. tasmanica enhancement in orchards. Buckwheat and alyssum showed the most potential as understorey plants for the enhancement of natural enemies. Buckwheat not only increased numbers of D. tasmanica seven-fold, but also increased numbers of beneficial lacewings (Micromus tasmaniae (Walker)) and hover flies (Syrphidae) captured on yellow sticky traps compared with the controls. It significantly increased leafroller parasitism by D. tasmanica from 0% to 86% compared with the controls (on one date only), and in the laboratory enhanced D. tasmanica longevity and increased fecundity compared with water-only. Similarly, alyssum significantly increased parasitism rate compared with controls, and two-fold more D. tasmanica were suction sampled in these plots compared with controls. It also enhanced longevity of both sexes of D. tasmanica compared with water, and showed the most favourable characteristics in terms of being of no benefit to leafrollers. This is because it was not preferred over apple by leafroller larvae and when they were forced to feed on it, it caused high mortality (94.3%) and low pupal weight (15 mg). Furthermore, alyssum did not enhance the number of fertile eggs produced by adult leafrollers compared with water only. However, further research is required to address the overall effect of buckwheat and alyssum on crop production and orchard management, including effects on fruit yield and quality, frost risk, disease incidence, soil quality, weeds and other pests. Also, research into the ability of these plants to survive in the orchard with little maintenance, and into the optimal sowing rates, would be useful. Sampling natural populations of leafroller within each treatment showed that damage from leafrollers and the number of leafroller larvae were respectively 20.3% and 29.3% lower in the flowering treatments compared with the controls. Furthermore, field trials showed up to a six-fold increase in leafroller pupae in controls compared with buckwheat and alyssum. This suggests that increasing leafroller parasitism rate from understorey management in orchards will translate into lower pest populations, although neither larval numbers/damage nor pupal numbers differed significantly between treatments. Trapping D. tasmanica at a gradient of distances showed that this parasitoid travels into rows adjacent to buckwheat plots, indicating that growers may be able to sow flowering plants in every second or third row of the orchard, and still enhance leafroller biocontrol while minimising the adverse effects of a cover crop. Sowing buckwheat and alyssum in orchard understoreys may enhance biological control of apple pests in organic apple production and reduce the number of insect growth regulators applied in IFP programmes. However, the challenge still remains to investigate whether conservation biological control can reduce leafroller populations below economic thresholds.
33
Grigoraş, Cristina-Gabriela. "Valorisation des fruits et des sous-produits de l'industrie de transformation des fruits par extraction des composés bioactifs." Phd thesis, Université d'Orléans, 2012. http://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-00772304.
Abstract:
Les fruits et les sous-produits de l'industrie de transformation des fruits sont obtenus chaque année en quantités importantes partout dans le monde. Les cerises et les résidus de pommes sont parmi les sources végétales les plus riches en composés bioactifs qui sont reconnus pour leurs effets bénéfiques sur l'organisme humain. Des méthodes appropriées d'extraction (macération, extraction par solvant pressurisé, extraction assistée par ultrasons, extraction assistée par microondes), d'analyse (HPTLC, HPLC-UV-DEDL, HPLC-MS, SFC) et de fractionnement (CPC, HPLC semi-préparative, extraction liquide-liquide) ont été mises au point pour la récupération, l'identification et la purification des composés bioactifs de cerises (Prunus avium) et de résidus de différentes variétés de pommes (Royal Gala, Golden, Granny Smith, Pink Lady). Les résultats obtenus au cours des travaux de recherches indiquent le fait que ces sources végétales contiennent des composés phénoliques (cerises, résidus de pommes) et des composés triterpéniques (résidus de pommes) qui peuvent être valorisés par incorporation dans différentes formulations alimentaires, pharmaceutiques, cosmétiques etc.
34
Prasad, Kamal Kishor. "Revegetation of recent soil slips in Manawatu : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master in Applied Science at Massey University." 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10179/1435.
Abstract:
Trifolium repens, Lotus pedunculatus and Holcus lanatus were oversown on two recent soil slip surfaces at AgResearch’s Ballantrae pastoral hill‐country farm near Woodville. The two slip surfaces were located on (Manamahu steepland soil) sedimentary mudstone. One slip had a north aspect and the other had a south aspect. Both slips were located on a land class 6 with slope 28‐330. The pasture species were oversown during early spring and the percentage seedling emergence and early establishment from viable seeds oversown was analysed at early spring (Day 15), late spring (Day 45), early summer (Day 90), and late summer (Day 120). The slip surfaces showed micro‐climatic extremes in terms of both soil moisture and surface temperatures during the summer period. Significant differences (P < 0.05) were found in soil moisture between north and south facing slip surfaces. Higher soil moisture and lower soil mean temperature were recorded on the south aspect slip surface. Significant differences (P < 0.05) were found between the three pasture species in terms of seedling emergence and early establishment. Significant differences (P < 0.05) were also found with aspect. The south aspect slip surface had a higher percentage of seedling emergence and earlier establishment for all the species. Interaction between species by aspect became significantly different (P < 0.05) at Day 90 and Day 120. The main effects of time and species were also significantly different (P < 0.05) illustrating seedling emergence and establishment as a race against time. Trifolium repens was a more successful pasture specie, than L. pedunculatus and H. lanatus due to its higher consistency on both north and south slip surfaces. Oversowing T. repens during early spring is a viable option for rehabilitation of recent soil slips in Manawatu.
35
Castendyk, Devin N. "An interdisciplinary approach to the prediction of pit lake water quality, Martha Mine pit lake, New Zealand." 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/2292/2217.
Abstract:
Lakes resulting from open pit mining may be potential water resources or potential environmental problems, depending on their water quality. As the global abundance of pit mines and pit lakes increases, there is increasing pressure on the mining industry to create pit lakes that have environmental, social, and/or economical utility. This thesis uses an interdisciplinary approach involving mineralogy, physical limnology, and geochemistry to predict and improve the water quality of a proposed pit lake at the Martha gold mine, New Zealand. A mineral quantification method developed for this study measured the distributions and concentrations of wall rock minerals, and identified 8 relatively homogeneous wall rock regions, called mineral associations. Acid-base accounting using calcite and pyrite quantities identified 3 associations with acid-generating potential. Three physical limnology tools (relative depth, wedderburn number, and numerical modeling with DYRESM), predicted that the upper 2/3 of the lake will circulate annually during the winter turnover period, whereas the lower 1/3 will remain permanently isolated. Permanent stratification resulted from density differences between groundwater and river water inputs during lake filling, plus lake morphology. The geochemical model used the distribution of mineral associations to characterize the composition of pit wall runoff, and used the limnologic prediction to define the mixing frequency, mixing depth, and layer volumes. Initial modeling with the geochemical program PHREEQC indicated the lake will have a pH of 5, and Cu and Zn concentrations that exceed aquatic life protection guidelines. Sensitivity analyses showed that subaqueous water-rock reactions did not have a significant affect on lake pH, suggesting these reactions are less important geochemical factors in pyrite-bearing pit lakes. Surface adsorption onto ferrihydrite reduced concentrations of As, Pb, and Cu, suggesting these reactions are important geochemical factors in pit lakes. By covering the acid-generating mineral associations, lake pH increased above 6.5, allowing for future recreational use. Concentrations of Cu complied with aquatic life protection guidelines, however, Zn concentrations remained above these guidelines. This study demonstrates the value of interdisciplinary pit lake predictions in the design of closure plans for open pit mines. Such studies improve the ability of mining companies to sustainably develop mineral resources.
36
Ros, Bandeth. "Participatory irrigation management and the factors that influence the success of farmer water use communities : a case study in Cambodia : a dissertation presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Applied Science in Environmental Management at Massey University, New Zealand." 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10179/1649.
Abstract:
The Participatory Irrigation Management approach was introduced into Cambodia in 2000, which was called the Participatory Irrigation Management and Development (PIMD). The goal of PIMD is to establish Farmer Water User Communities (FWUCs) to take over the management of irrigation schemes in their district in order to improve the performance of irrigation schemes and farmers’ livelihoods. The implementation of FWUCs has resulted in both failure and success. Several studies have identified factors that influence the failure of FWUCs, but little research has focused on their success. By employing a single embedded case study approach, this research selected the most successful scheme in Cambodia to identify factors that influenced the success of the FWUC in irrigation management. The findings of this research could provide concrete assistance to the government, donors, and non-governmental organisations in improving the performance of less successful FWUCs in Cambodia. The result of this research showed that the success of the O-treing FWUC was influenced by five internal and two external factors. The internal factors were: 1) the level of local participation, 2) the governance and management of the scheme, 3) the value of the benefits that flow from the irrigation scheme, 4) the quality of the irrigation infrastructure, and 5) the characteristics of the farmer members within the scheme. The external factors were: 1) the level of external support provided to the scheme, and 2) market access. The success of the FWUC required farmer participation and this participation was enhanced when farmers obtained benefits from it. This research also found that access to markets was critical to make the benefits that flowed from the irrigation scheme more profitable to farmers, leading to farmer participation. Similarly, it was also important to make sure that the irrigation infrastructure was of a high quality to ensure the delivery of an adequate and timely supply of water to farmers so that they could grow crops that provided them with the benefits. This required external support from the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology, NGOs, and local authorities to help rehabilitate the scheme. External support was also critical for enhancing the governance and management of the scheme through assistance with the formation process, provision of financial resources, capacity building, rule enforcement, and conflict resolution. The governance and management of the scheme, in particular the leadership capacity of the FWUC was another critical factor because it ensured the maintenance and development of the irrigation infrastructure, the timely and adequate supply of water to farmers, farmers’ trust and respect for leaders, and farmer participation. Finally, the success of the FWUC could not be viewed independently from farmer characteristics within the scheme. Farmers tended to participate in irrigation management when they had a history of self-organisation, when they were relatively homogenous, and when they were dependent upon farming for their livelihoods. This research suggests that the successful implementation of FWUCs requires a focus on the seven factors and the interactions that occur between these factors. Irrigation stakeholders such as the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology, donors, NGOs, local authorities, local leaders, and farmers should work together to enhance these factors in order to ensure the success of FWUCs.
37
Germano, Sandra Isabel Lopes. "Molecular biology techniques – A brief correlation between applied techniques in translational science and plant agriculture." Master's thesis, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/10400.1/12216.
Abstract:
This report aims to describe, how through my academic and professional life, I have developed a set of skills that allow me to apply for a “Hortofruticultura” Master’s degree. After finishing my 5 years degree in 2005, I worked for Jardim Vista SA as an Agronomist, afterwards I went to the UK where I worked as a Research Technician/Research Assistant for 9 years. In September 2016 I started working as a lab technician in Universidade do Algarve for 6 months. More recently, in April 2017, I joined the Syngenta team in Moncarapacho as a Senior Grower and Quality Management Designate. In the UK, I took part in several scientific projects, mainly related to molecular biology. Considering that I have been involved in completely different scientific subjects in these 9 years, I decided to talk about some of the molecular biology techniques that I have learnt throughout these years and that are also used in Molecular Farming. With an increase in the world population, the impact of climate change and its effect on plant pathogens and plant diseases there is a need for healthy plants with a high production and better yields to fulfil those needs. Development of modified plants has progress through plant breeding and biotechnology that plays a major role in understanding how to modify plant genome or plant physiology to respond to those needs. By sequencing and studying the plants genome it is possible to understand and manipulate the characteristics of plants. Molecular farming, produces valuable proteins, peptides and small molecules through the use of both these techniques, plant molecular breeding and biotechnology.
Some routine molecular biology techniques used in plant biotechnology are common to the projects where I participated and are described in this report, namely DNA extraction, PCR, colony PCR, agarose gel electrophoresis, bacterial genetic transformation, protein expression, SDS-PAGE and Western Blot. These techniques are the base for the study of better ways to improve plants, preparing agriculture for the actual and future challenges.
Keywords: Molecular biology, biotechnology, agriculture, plant breeding, molecular farming.O objetivo deste trabalho é descrever a minha formação e aptidões adquiridas ao longo do meu percurso profissional, e como estas contribuíram para o desenvolvimento das minhas competências, as quais me permitem requerer o grau de Mestre. Após concluir o meu curso de 5 anos letivos em 2005 fui trabalhar como Engenheira Agrónoma para a empresa Jardim Vista SA. Posteriormente fui para o Reino Unido onde trabalhei como Técnica de Laboratório/Assistente de Laboratório durante 9 anos. Em Setembro de 2016 comecei a trabalhar como técnica de laboratório na Universidade do Algarve. Mais recentemente, em Abril de 2017 integrei a equipa da Syngenta em Moncarapacho como Senior Grower e Quality Management Designate. No Reino Unido, fui colaboradora de vários projetos científicos, os quais estavam maioritariamente relacionados com a área da biologia molecular. Considerando que durante estes 9 anos fiz parte de projetos que abordavam temas completamente diferentes, decidi abordar algumas das técnicas de biologia molecular que aprendi ao longo destes anos e que também são usadas na área da Agricultura Molecular e Melhoramento de Plantas. Com o nível de população a aumentar e o impacto das alterações climáticas, a necessidade de produzir plantas sem elementos patogénicos e destas serem mais produtivas e atingir elevadas produções, e eventualmente apresentarem resistência a herbicidas, assim como a produção de proteínas de interesse específico (Agricultura Molecular) também aumentou. O melhoramento de plantas em conjunto com a Biotecnologia têm um papel extremamente importante na compreensão e na descodificação da informação do DNA associado a estas necessidades, pois através da manipulação genética é possível alterar o genoma das plantas de modo a satisfazer as exigências atuais. Com o estudo do genoma das plantas é possível perceber e manipular as características que pretendemos alterar e melhorar. “Molecular farming” produz proteínas, péptidos e pequenas moléculas bastante valiosas, resultado dos estudos de melhoramento de plantas acoplado aos progressos na área da biotecnologia. Algumas das técnicas utilizadas em biotecnologia descritas nesta tese são a extração de DNA, o PCR, o colony PCR, a eletroforese, a transformação genética, a expressão proteíca, SDS-PAGE e Western Blot. Estas técnicas permitem-nos estudar métodos mais eficazes de melhorar as plantas para que a agricultura esteja melhor preparada para os desafios atuais e futuros. Palavras-chave: Biologia molecular, biotecnologia, agricultura, melhoramento de plantas, agricultura molecular.
38
Lazzarini, Maria Belen. "Milk production and nitrogen partitioning in dairy cows grazing standard and high sugar perennial ryegrass with and without white clover, during spring and autumn : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of requirements for the degree of Master of Applied Science in Animal Production at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand." 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10179/1658.
Abstract:
Two field grazing experiments were conducted in New Zealand (NZ) in spring (Experiment 1; November 2008) and autumn (Experiment 2; April 2009) to evaluate the effects of feeding a high sugar perennial ryegrass (HSG; cv. AberDart; derived in the United Kingdom; UK) versus a NZ- derived control grass (cv. Impact) on milk production and estimated nitrogen (N) partitioning within the cow. Areas of both ryegrasses were replicated and sown with or without white clover (cl) (HSG+cl, control+cl, HSG and control). A cross-over design with four 10-day periods was used in each experiment, using 15 Friesian cows per treatment per period in Experiment 1 and 5 cows per treatment per period in Experiment 2. Treatment effects upon pasture botanical and chemical composition, cows’ milk yield and composition, and estimated N partitioning were studied. Nitrogen partitioning was calculated using indirect methods. Herbage concentrations of water soluble carbohydrates (WSC) were lower in autumn than in spring whilst crude protein (CP) concentrations were higher in autumn. Organic matter digestibility (OMD) and metabolisable energy (ME) concentration was similar in both seasons. There were no differences in the concentration of CP, WSC and dry matter (DM) among treatments in Experiment 1. The HSG+cl treatment had the lowest concentrations of neutral detergent fibre (NDF, 417 g/kg DM) and the highest content of ME (12.6 MJ/kg DM) and tended to have the lowest sward dead matter content compared with the other three treatments. In Experiment 2 both HSG treatments showed higher concentrations of WSC (15 g/kg DM) compared with the control, both with and without clover; the concentrations of NDF and acid detergent fibre (ADF) were the lowest for both HSG treatments. In Experiment 1, cows grazing treatments with white clover produced more milk (1.6 kg/day) and more milk solids (MS; 0.16 kg/day) than cows grazing pure ryegrass swards ( P< 0.01), with highest milk yields being from cows grazing the HSG+cl treatment (ryegrass cultivar x white clover interaction P<0.05). No differences in milk production were found in Experiment 2. Estimated urinary N excretion (g/day) was similar for all treatments in both seasons, although N intake differed among treatments. The proportion of N intake excreted in urine or secreted in milk was similar for all treatments in both experiments. Nitrogen output (g/day) in milk was the highest for the HSG+cl treatment in Experiment 1 but no differences were found in Experiment 2. Data were combined from both experiments to study the effects of the herbage CP:WSC ratio upon estimated N partitioning between milk and urine. Mean ratios were 0.72 for spring herbage and 2.27 for autumn herbage. As the amount of WSC increased in the diet relative to the amount of CP (thus a lower CP:WSC ratio) there was a significant increase in the amount of milk N secreted per unit of N intake in spring but not in autumn. The breakpoint in the relationship between the herbage CP:WSC ratio and the nitrogen utilisation efficiency for milk production (NUEm) was 1.32, and the NUEm for that breakpoint was 14 g milk N per 100 g N intake. Ratios below this point were associated with improved efficiency of converting pasture N to milk N; ratios above this point were not correlated with changes in N conversion efficiency. It is concluded that the CP:WSC ratio in perennial ryegrass may be important in the partition of absorbed N into milk or urine. A NZ-selected HSG with a lower CP:WSC ratio is likely to have major benefits for pastoral farming in NZ. In order to be effective, a NZ-derived HSG should substantially increase WSC concentration in autumn pasture (from approximately 100 to 200 g/kg DM) whilst reducing CP content simultaneously (from 240 to 190 g/kg DM). The lower structural fibre and higher milk production for the HSG+cl treatment in both experiments suggest that under NZ conditions, best productive responses to HSG may be obtained in management systems that include white clover.
39
Houlbrooke, David John. "A study of the quality of artificial drainage under intensive dairy farming and the improved management of farm dairy effluent using 'deferred irrigation' : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Soil Science, Institute of Natural Resources, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand." 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/10179/1665.
Abstract:
The last decade has been a period of great expansion and land use intensification for the New Zealand dairy farming industry with a 44% increase in national dairy cow numbers. Intensive dairy farming is now considered to be a major contributor to the deterioration in the quality of surface and ground water resources in some regions of New Zealand. Previous research has demonstrated intensive dairy farming is responsible for accelerated contamination of wateways by nutrients, suspended solids, pathogenic organisms and faecal material. A number of common dairy farming practices increase the risk of nutrient leaching. In particular, farm dairy effluent (FDE) has been implicated as a major contributor to the degradation of water quality. With the introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991, the preferred treatment for FDE shifted away from traditional two-pond systems to land application. However, on most farms, irrigation of FDE has occurred on a daily basis, often without regard for soil moisture status. Therefore, it has been commonplace for partially treated effluent to drain through and/or runoff soils and contaminate fresh water bodies. The objectives of this thesis were to design and implement a sustainable land application system for FDE on difficult to manage, mole and pipe drained soils, and to assess the impacts of FDE application, urea application and cattle grazing events on nutrient losses via artificial drainage and surface runoff from dairy cattle grazed pasture. To meet these objectives a research field site was established on Massey University's No.4 Dairy farm near Palmerston North. The soil type was Tokomaru silt loam, a Fragiaqualf with poor natural drainage. Eight experimental plots (each 40 x 40 m) were established with two treatments. Four of the plots represented standard farm practice including grazing and fertiliser regimes. Another four plots were subjected to the same farm practices but without the fertiliser application and they were also irrigated with FDE. Each plot had an isolated mole and pipe drainage system. Four surface runoff plots (each 5 m x 10 m) were established as subplots (two on the fertilised plots and two on the plots irrigated with FDE) in the final year of the study. Plots were instrumented to allow the continuous monitoring of drainage and surface runoff and the collection of water samples for nutrient analyses. An application of 25 mm of FDE to a soil with limited soil water deficit - simulating a 'daily' irrigation regime - resulted in considerable drainage of partially treated FDE. Approximately 70% of the applied FDE left the experimental plots with 10 mm of drainage and 8 mm of surface runoff. The resulting concentrations of N and P in drainage and runoff were approximately 45% and 80% of the original concentrations in the applied FDE, respectively. From this single irrigation event, a total of 12.1 kg N ha-1 and 1.9 kg P ha-1 was lost to surface water representing 45% of expected annual N loss and 100% of expected annual P loss. An improved system for applying farm dairy effluent to land called 'deferred irrigation' was successfully developed and implemented at the research site. Deferred irrigation involves the storage of effluent in a two-pond system during periods of small soil moisture deficits and the scheduling of irrigation at times of suitable soil water deficits. Deferred irrigation of FDE all but eliminated direct drainage losses with on average <1 % of the volume of effluent and nutrients applied leaving the experimental plots. Adopting an approach of applying 'little and often' resulted in no drainage and, therefore, zero direct loss of nutrients applied. A modelling exercise, using the APSlM simulation model, was conducted to study the feasibility of practising deferred irrigation at the farm scale on No 4 Dairy farm. Using climate data for the past 30 years, this simulation exercise demonstrated that applying small application depths of FDE, such as 15 mm or less, provided the ability to schedule irrigations earlier in spring and decreased the required effluent storage capacity. A travelling irrigator, commonly used to apply FDE (a rotating irrigator), was found to have 2-3 fold differences in application depth and increased the risk of generating FDE contaminated drainage. New irrigator technology (an oscillating travelling irrigator) provided a more uniform application pattern allowing greater confidence that an irrigation depth less than the soil water deficit could be applied. This allowed a greater volume to be irrigated, whilst avoiding direct drainage of FDE when the soil moisture deficit is low in early spring and late autumn. A recommendation arising from this work is that during this period of low soil water deficits, all irrigators should be set to travel at their fastest speed (lowest application depth) to minimise the potential for direct drainage of partially treated FDE and associated nutrient losses. The average concentrations of N and P in both 2002 and 2003 winter mole and pipe drainage water from grazed dairy pastures were all well above the levels required to prevent aquatic weed growth in fresh water bodies. Total N losses from plots representing standard farm practice were 28 kg N ha-1 and 34 kg N ha-1 for 2003 and 2004, respectively. Total P losses in 2003 and 2004 were 0.35 kg P ha-1 and 0.7 kg P ha-1, respectively. Surface runoff was measured in 2003 and contributed a further 3.0 kg N ha-1and 0.6 kg P ha-1. A number of common dairy farm practices immediately increased the losses of N and P in the artificial drainage water. Recent grazing events increased NO3--N and DIP concentrations in drainage by approximately 5 mg litre-1 and 0.1 mg litre-1, respectively. The duration between the grazing and drainage events influenced the form of N loss due to a likely urine contribution when grazing and drainage coincide, but had little impact on the total quantity of N lost. Nitrogen loss from an early spring application of urea in 2002 was minimal, whilst a mid June application in 2003 resulted in an increased loss of NO3--N throughout 80 mm of cumulative drainage suggesting that careful timing of urea applications in winter is required to prevent unnecessary N leaching. Storage and deferred irrigation of FDE during the lactation season caused no real increase in either the total-N concentrations or total N losses in the winter drainage water of 2002 and 2003. In contrast, land application of FDE using the deferred irrigation system resulted in a gradual increase in total P losses over the 2002 and 2003 winter drainage seasons. However, this increase represents less than 4% of the P applied in FDE during the lactation season. An assessment of likely losses of nutrients at a whole-farm scale suggests that it is standard dairy farming practice (particularly intensive cattle grazing) that is responsible for the great majority of N and P loss at a farm scale. When expressed as a proportion of whole-farm losses, only a very small quantity of N is lost under an improved land treatment technique for FDE such as deferred irrigation. The management of FDE plays a greater role in the likely P loss at a farm scale with a 5% contribution to wholefarm P losses from deferred irrigation.
40
Garofalo, Elizabeth W. "Apple Disease Forecasting Models: When Climate Changes the Rules." 2019. https://scholarworks.umass.edu/masters_theses_2/740.
Abstract:
With a changing global climate, plant pathologists must understand the impact aberrant weather events may have on the development of plant diseases. Fungal plant infections are largely dependent on temperature and precipitation, climate parameters that are predicted to change more in this century. Venturia inaequalis causes apple scab, one of the most destructive apple diseases of temperate growing regions. Temperature and precipitation drive apple scab infections and forecast models, which guide growers in efficient, effective fungicide applications. In some recent years in the Northeast, these models have failed to accurately predict when ascospores of this fungus are available to cause primary infections, prompting more fungicide intensive management. Identifying cause(s) of model failures will restore confidence in them, enabling growers to reduce fungicide use. As technology becomes an increasingly important component of on farm decision-making, so does educating new farmers and agricultural students in the benefits of Integrated Pest Management and challenges associated with models early on in their college educational experience. This research attempts to identify reasons for ascospore maturity model failures, determine to what degree critical ascospore maturity parameters have changed and create a tool that educators may use to engage undergraduate students in the complexities of Integrated Pest Management research and modern farming. It will more specifically do the following: 1) Dry periods will be analyzed to determine if frequency and duration are increasing, causing the fungus to mature over a longer period of time than models currently estimate. 2) Degree-days during fall and winter will be examined to estimate what effect a warming climate may have on ascospore and tree development, and ultimately apple scab occurrence. The research will use lab and field observations to track the development of V. inaequalis ascospores, the source of primary apple scab infections. These observations will be compared to infection events and spore maturation forecasts from models currently used by apple growers in the Northeast. 3) A case study developed for publication in American Phytopathological Societies’ Plant Health Instructor will provide early career college students with an introduction to forecasting models, Integrated Pest Management and the challenges associated with climate variability.
41
Chen, Jiun-Liang, and 陳俊良. "A technical report on animation production for new media popular science short films--Using the fields of agriculture, environmental protection, applied science, e-learning and arts as examples." Thesis, 2014. http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/gz6q3p.
Abstract:
碩士世新大學
廣播電視電影學研究所(含碩專班)
102
Over the past few years, scientific issues such as global warming, ecological destruction, food safety issues, and digital technology, among others, have consistently dominated news headlines and received intense scrutiny. A lack of scientific knowledge is the reason why many such issues have been misunderstood and maligned. Therefore, raising the awareness and practical scientific literacy of the general population is at present an important topic. “Popular Science” not only lays the foundations for national development but is also the catalyst for general social advancement. The proliferation of popular science education is the objective of science communication and media, and the works created in this study aim to effectively accomplish this through limited available resources. Science communication can be generally categorized into popular science and science education. This study utilizes the outstanding forms of expression brought about by animation to convey scientific knowledge to users, and also creates a popular science mass communication platform through the internet and new media channels. With mobile phones or tablet PCs, information can be accessed in real-time, anywhere and anytime. This is undoubtedly the best medium for the proliferation of science knowledge, not to mention the fact that the internet is an inexpensive and convenient mode of information transmission and sharing. Science is intimately connected and intertwined with daily life, so scientific knowledge should be something that is relevant and easily understood, instead of hard-to-understand and unattainable. The researchers in this study compiled 9 different presentable forms of computer graphics that conform to animation design principles as prescribed in previous studies, and with it created a new media short film. Popular science topics in this study are derived from news reports that are highly relevant to the general population. Through interviews with scientific professionals in relevant fields for the topic in question, the researchers created an animated content to supplement hard-to-understand scientific issues and concepts, or to replace real-life footage that would have been difficult and costly to film or reproduce. The highlight of new media popular science short film created for this study is the utilization of computer graphics, results of which can be considered a new page for popular science short films in Taiwan. Through the use of interesting, lively and vivid animations to attract the attention of viewers, scientific knowledge and information can be spread and learned with enhanced effect. This will allow for the better understanding and appreciation of science to ultimately realize the popularization of science by the general population.
42
Campbell-Nelson, Katie. "Assesment of Ammonia Volatility from Fall Surface-Applied Liquid Dairy Manure." 2009. https://scholarworks.umass.edu/theses/273.
Abstract:
Ammonia emissions from dairy and livestock operations are of significant environmental and human health concern in the United States. Conservation of ammonia from fall surface-applied manure could benefit farmers by retaining nitrogen for use by crops in the spring growing season. The primary goal of this research was to investigate a management strategy for mitigating ammonia volatility from cow manure at the time of field application with no incorporation in the fall before snow fall. The hypothesis is that application of manure in cooler fall temperatures will slow the rate of ammonia volatilization. The objective was achieved by measuring temperature and rates of ammonia volatility from surface-applied liquid dairy manure every month over a period of four months from September to December, 2008. Manure was surface-applied to a field cover-cropped with winter rye (Secale cerealeL.) in September. Ammonia emissions were measured using a dynamic chamber method. Colder temperatures significantly reduced rates of volatility and amounts of nitrate found in the soil. However, N-accumulation in the cover crop fluctuated and was not significantly different from month to month. The greatest spring nitrogen retention and lowest rates of ammonia volatility in the fall were from December plots. Surface application of liquid dairy manure should be conducted as late as possible in the fall before snow fall for the least amount of nitrogen loss due to ammonia volatilization. Planting a cover crop at the time of fall harvest in conjunction with a late fall (November or December) manure application is a nutrient management strategy which deserves further investigation.
43
Poliquit, Lolita Y. "Accessibility of rural credit among small farmers in the Philippines : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Applied Science in Rural Development, Institute of Natural Resources, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand." 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/10179/1687.
Abstract:
Credit plays an important role in agricultural development and it is believed that expansion of credit programmes will have beneficial effects on agricultural production and incomes of small farmers. It is also a key to poverty alleviation, livelihood diversification, and increasing the business skills of small farmers. In the Philippines, small-scale and subsistence agriculture source their loans mostly from informal lenders, thus access to formal credit remains low. There is a need to examine further small farmers’ access to credit and investigate their preferences and perceptions regarding credit in order that their access can be improved and their needs through credit can be more effectively met. Determining the problems and the credit needs of small farmers are important considerations in designing appropriate credit systems for them. Accessibility of rural credit in the Philippines was examined, with the primary objective of exploring the use of and access to rural credit by small farmers. This research attempts to explore and understand the perceptions of small farmers toward rural credit, and to collect information in proposing an appropriate credit system for them. Two types of respondents were interviewed for the research; 45 individual farmers, and four key informants in New Corella, Davao del Norte. The research focused on how the farmers perceived the rural credit facilities, their preferences, their reasons for borrowing, and their problems in accessing credit. Qualitative data analysis was done for the information gathered. Access to credit by farmers was limited to the available credit services in the research area, thus farmers’ choices and preferences were not well served which led to borrowing from informal lenders. Credit restrictions such as commodity specific credit programmes, credit that requires collateral, and lengthy and complicated procedures restricted the farmers from accessing formal credit. It is recommended that accessibility to credit by small farmers could be improved by providing innovative financing schemes that address problems of farmers who lack collateral, and minimise long processing of documents and other requirements. In this way, farmers may be encouraged to better utilise formal credit and decrease their reliance on informal lenders, thus avoiding higher interest rates and thereby increasing their farm productivity and household incomes.
44
Hung, Ling-Hsi, and 洪翎晳. "A technical report on digital incidental music editing for new media popular science short films--Using the fields of agriculture, environmental protection, applied science, e-learning and arts as examples." Thesis, 2014. http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/e446nz.
Abstract:
碩士世新大學
廣播電視電影學研究所(含碩專班)
102
Abstract With the rapid development of high-tech digitized, we enter an era of up-to-dated all the time. New information and concepts are spreading through the computer and internet portable device. New media is becoming the major way to gain living intelligence, new information, communication and entertainment. In response to this new media trend, NSC introduce new digital media popular science film production program in regard to the innovation and development on agriculture, environmental protection, ecology, applied science, digital learning, art and other five areas. By the production team were planning to produce five sections of science and digital video, uploaded on the Internet, so that the audience can carry through a computer or network device to enjoy, to easily absorb popular science knowledge. The researcher is responsible for editing the soundtrack in this digital video production project. The report will be produced based on the principles of four music editor integrated from the literature review and production purpose. There are five short movies with total eleven soundtracks editing process which from the pre-production's preparation and planning, the considerations and design during the production to the post-production's adjustment and test are detailed in the report. The report focuses on assisting swing smoothly communicate popular scientific knowledge and create a relaxed atmosphere, so that the audience willing to read popular science topics sustained attention. Another focus of this technical report is to assist non-professional music arranger with simple concepts and methods, the use of digital music technology to edit out the effect of a good movie soundtrack, so that more people willing to put in the ranks of musical creation. Due to the popularity of high-speed Internet and high-performance digital portable device, everyone can create their own audio-visual works, the creator of such investment was also found exponential growth. Although portable device can pick up the video, but the film soundtrack music was often considered to be non-professional and easy to make your own, it is not the case. This technical report attempts to basic concepts of computer music, editing and music theory integration implementations, methods and procedures to non-music professionals can perform to demonstrate, hoping to popularize the concept of digital music, so music can be the same as the image creation more easily.
45
Matlou, Mmakgabo Cordelia. "A comparison of soil and foliar-applied silicon on nutrient availability and plant growth and soil-applied silicon on phosphorus availability." Thesis, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/10413/3468.
Abstract:
A greenhouse study was carried out to investigate the effectiveness of soil-applied
silicon (Si) with that of foliar applications for sorghum growth. Silicon sources were
soil-applied as calmasil (calcium silicate) at two rates (4 and 8t/ha) and foliar applied
Si including pure K-silicate, K-humate and K-fulvate (all three foliar treatments at
rates of 300 and 600 ppm). Another treatment included soil applied calmasil plus low
rate of foliar applied K-humate. The soils used for the greenhouse trial were Cartref,
Glenrosa, Nomanci and Fernwood. Results indicated that application of calcium
silicate to the soil before planting increased sorghum yield and Si uptake in three of
the four soils. Silicon uptake from different experimental treatments followed the
order: Calmasil 8t/ha > calmasil 4t/ha ~ calmasil + 300 ppm K-humate> K-humate =
K-fulvate = pure-K silicate = control. Foliar sprays were ineffective at increasing
yield, Si content of the plant tissues or Si uptake. The concentrations of
exchangeable Ca, Mg as well as soil pH were significantly increased by calmasil
treatments. Extractable AI concentrations were also reduced due to the Iiming effect
of calcium silicate and also possibly formation of insoluble aluminosilicates. The yield
response to applied calmasil seemed to be primarily related to its Iiming effect and
reductions in extractable AI in the Cartref, Glenrosa and Nomanci soils. The dry
matter yield was highest in Fernwood and lowest in Cartref soil. However, there was
no significant yield response to calmasil in Fernwood soil which had an initial pH of
5.8 and insignificant extractable AI concentrations. Therefore application of calcium
silicate had no significant effect on extractable AI concentration in this soil. Yield
response to calmasil may also have been partly due to direct positive effects of
applied Si on crop growth through mechanisms such as increased photosynthetic
rate and reduced transpiration rate, Addition of calmasil increased the concentrations
of Si in the plant tissues and reduced those of N, P and Kin Nomanci and Fernwood
soils respectively. This indicates that nutrient interactions were occurring in the plant. It was concluded that foliar-application is not an effective way of applying Si to a Siresponsive
crop such as sorghum when growing in soils low in extractable soil Si.
This is because Si is accumulated in plant tissues in similar amounts to
macronutrients. It was also concluded that in future, studies of crop response to
applied Si should include the use of non-Iiming source of Si (e.g. silicic acid) so as to
separate a liming effect of calcium silicate from effect of applied Si.
In a laboratory study, the effects of applied silicic acid, calcium silicate and calcium
hydroxide on levels of extractable P in two Si-deficient soils were investigated. Two
soils (Fernwood and Nomanci soils) were treated with two rates of P and three soil
amendments (calcium silicate, calcium hydroxide and silicic acid) and incubated for
six weeks at room temperature. Phosphorus was extracted using Truog, AMBIC and
resin methods, and levels of exchangeable and solution AI and extractable and
solution Si were also measured. Application of calcium silicate and calcium
hydroxide increased soil pH in both soils while silicic acid additions had no significant
effect compared with the control. The pH increase was much greater in the
Fernwood than Nomanci soil because of the low buffering capacity of the sandy
Fernwood soil. Exchangeable AI and concentrations of monomeric and total AI in soil
solution generally followed the order: control ~ silicic acid> calcium silicate> calcium
hydroxide. The lowering of soluble AI concentrations in the silicic acid treatments
was attributed to formation of insoluble aluminosilicate compounds while that in the
calcium silicate and calcium hydroxide treatments was attributed to their Iiming
effects causing a rise in pH.
Concentrations of Si in soil solution were lower in the calcium hydroxide than the
control treatment suggesting the solubility of Si decreased with increased pH.
Additions of both Si sources increased Si concentrations in solution and the effect
was more marked for the calcium silicate treatment. This was attributed to formation
of insoluble aluminosilicates in the silicic acid treatment. Concentrations of H2S04extractable
Si with treatment did not closely follow the same trends as those for Si
concentrations in soil solution. That is, levels of extractable Si were very much higher
in the calcium silicate than silicic acid treatment in both soils. In addition, concentrations of extractable Si in the calcium hydroxide treatment were similar to
control in the Nomanci soil, while for the Fernwood soil, concentrations in the
calcium hydroxide treatment were exceptionally high. It was suggested that liming
with calcium silicate or calcium hydroxide had rendered some Si-containing
compounds in the soil acid-extractable and that the nature of acid-extractable Si
fraction need further study in future.
The quantities of P extracted from the two soils by the various extractants followed
the order: Truog> AMBle> resin. The greatest increase in extractable P induced by
additions of P was recorded for Truog P and the least for resin P. The effects of
Iiming (addition of calcium silicate or calcium hydroxide) on extractable P levels
differed depending on the soil and extractant used with increase, decrease or no
effect being recorded. Such results confirm the complexity of lime and P interactions
which occur in acid soils. Additions of silicic acid had no effect on levels of
extractable P, compared to control. It was suggested that the reason for this was that
phosphate is adsorbed to AI and Fe oxide surfaces much more strongly than silicate.
As a result, additions of Si are ineffective at increasing extractable P levels.Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2006.
46
"The Coupling of the Carbon and Nitrogen Cycles in Agriculture: Crop Ecosystem Oxidative Ratio and the Effects of Fertilization on Biofuel Feedstock Quality." Thesis, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/1911/70243.
Abstract:
Agriculture significantly impacts the global carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycles through land use change, soil C loss, greenhouse gas emissions, and increased fixed-N availability. Agriculture occupies a third of the terrestrial biosphere, making understanding its impacts on the C and N cycles critical. I used a novel analytical tool (solid-state 13 C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy) to characterize properties of the C and N cycles in agriculture, including biochemical responses to N fertilizer and agriculture gas fluxes. A central component of the C cycle is the rapid exchange of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and oxygen (O 2 ) between the terrestrial biosphere and the atmosphere. Gas flux O 2 /CO 2 ratios (oxidative ratio-OR) vary depending on ecosystem type, plant species, and nutrient status. It is necessary to constrain OR to assess the uptake of anthropogenic CO 2 by the terrestrial biosphere and ocean. I measured the OR of the top three crops in the United States (soybean, corn, and wheat) and found significant variability. I additionally tested the effect of N fertilizer application on corn ecosystem OR and on the difference between respiration and photosynthesis OR and observed no detectable changes. Conversely, soil organic matter OR is different from gas flux OR values, likely due to the influence of past land use and fractionation of OR during decomposition. I also analyzed how anthropogenic inputs to the N cycle (N fertilizer) and sustainable agriculture practices (cover crop) change plant biochemistry. This work has immediate implications for the biofuel industry. A central challenge to cropping for cellulosic ethanol feedstocks is the potential environmental damage from increased fertilizer use. I showed that yield increases in response to fertilization are not uniform across biochemical classes (carbohydrate, protein, lipid, lignin) or tissues (leaf and stem, grain, reproductive support). Heavy fertilizer application yields minimal grain benefits and almost no benefits in residue carbohydrates, while degrading the cellulosic ethanol feedstock quality and soil C sequestration capacity. Further cost analysis of these results showed that it is not cost-effective for farmers to apply high levels of N fertilizer, whether the crop is intended for food or fuel.
47
"Crossroads of Enlightenment 1685-1850 : exploring education, science, and industry across the Delessert network." Thesis, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10388/ETD-2015-03-2022.
Abstract:
The Enlightenment did not end with the French Revolution but extended into the
nineteenth century, effecting a transformation to modernity. By 1850, science became increasingly institutionalized and technology hastened transmission of cultural exchange. Restricting Enlightenment to solitary movements, philosophic text, or national contexts ultimately creates insular interpretations. The Enlightenment was instead a transnational phenomenon, of interconnected communities, from diverse geographical and cultural spaces. A revealing example is the Delessert family. Their British-Franco-Swiss network demonstrates the uniqueness, extent, and duration of the Enlightenment.
This network’s origins lie in the 1680s. French and British desires for stability resulted in contrasting policies. Toleration, through partial rights, let British Dissenters become leading educators, manufacturers, and natural philosophers by 1760. Conversely, Huguenots were stripped of rights. Thousands fled persecution, and France’s rivals profited by welcoming waves of industrious Huguenots. French refugee communities became vital printing centres, specializing in Enlightenment attacks on the Ancien régime, and facilitated the expansion of the Delessert network. The Delessert banking family made a generational progression from Geneva to Lyon to Paris, linking them to Jean-Jacques Rousseau. His friendship fostered passions for botany and education. The Delesserts parlayed this into participation in Enlightenment science and industry, connecting them to the Lunar Society, Genevan radicals, and British reformers.
By 1780, a transition toward modernity began. Grand Tours shifted from places of erudition to practical sites of production. Lunar men sent sons to the Continent for practical education, as Franco-Swiss visited English manufactories and Scottish universities to expand knowledge.
Moderates greeted the French Revolution with enthusiasm. In the early 1790s this changed significantly. Royalist mobs threatened Lunar men, destroying property, in Birmingham. In France, moderates tried to defend the monarchy from republican mobs. Even so, the network, fragmented both by revolution and war, continued espousing reform and assisting members who were jailed, endangered, or escaping to America.
The Delessert network reconnected in 1801. Franco-Swiss toured Britain as Britons visited Paris, gathering at the hôtel Delessert, a crossroads of the Enlightenment. New societies encouraged science, industry, and philanthropy. Enlightenment exchange continued, despite warfare, into the nineteenth century. Industrial partnerships and scientific collaborations, formed during the peace, circumvented trade barriers. Over three generations (1760-1850) cosmopolitanism helped usher in a transition to modernity. Ultimately, the Delessert network’s endurance challenges traditional interpretations of the Enlightenment, and the Industrial Revolution.
48
Bennett, Jason Patrick. "Blossoms and borders: Cultivating apples and a modern countryside in the Pacific Northwest, 1890-2001." Thesis, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/1828/876.
Abstract:
At the turn of the twentieth century, apples served as a catalyst for far-reaching social and environmental change in the North American West. As people debated the future of North American society as a rural or urban civilization, rural advocates found their answer in horticulture. Steadfast in their conviction that urban environments were corrupt, immoral, and disordered, people on both sides of the international boundary engaged in a boisterous promotional campaign that culminated with the creation of an orcharding landscape that spanned British Columbia, Washington State, and Oregon. Consequently, countless communities found new purpose or came into existence organized around the cultivation of apples and other assorted fruits. Fully aware of negative stereotypes that depicted farming as backwards and unfulfilling, horticulturists argued that fruit farming would lead to the creation of a modern countryside. Guided by scientific agriculture, refined and intelligent settlers would transform rural life by uniting in partnership with “Dame Nature,” leading to bountiful harvests as nature was finished to its “intended end.” As a result, the orcharding landscape would organize an alternative modernity that stood in juxtaposition to the urban-industrial axis of development. Despite their location in different political projects, fruit farmers on either side of the International Boundary bore striking affinities that were affirmed and reinforced through publications, associations, exhibitions, and educational initiatives, underlining the significance of the border as a vantage to appreciate divisions as well as continuities. While the creation of a modern countryside was sustained by high hopes, growers did not anticipate that nature’s bounty would in many instances stand as a curse rather than a blessing. Through two world wars, growers wrestled with the changing contours of rural life, particularly as it related to rural growth. While orcharding endured, its original conception as the nucleus of a progressive and middle class rural society did not.
49
East, Andrew Richard. "The influence of breaks in optimal storage conditions on "Cripps Pink" apple physiology and quality : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Food Technology at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand." 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/10179/727.
Abstract:
Apples stored onshore in Australia and New Zealand, are maintained at optimal storage conditions with the aid of low temperatures; controlled atmospheres (CA) and new technologies that retard the production or effect of ethylene (AVG and 1-MCP respectively). These technologies allow distribution of the highest quality apples to local and export markets on a year round basis. However, during distribution, maintenance of optimal storage conditions may be lost due to refrigeration system breakdown, operational constraints or management decisions. This thesis quantifies the influence of commercially realistic breaks in optimal storage conditions (temperature and CA) on fruit physiology and quality, both at the time of the break and in subsequent optimal storage conditions. The ‘Cripps Pink’ (‘Pink Lady™’) apple cultivar was chosen for consideration in this thesis because it is a high value cultivar that is of considerable importance to the Australian apple industry. The knowledge of the behaviour of ‘Cripps Pink’ apples in coolstorage conditions (in air and CA) was confirmed through comparison of physiological and quality change behaviour of fruit from three harvests collected in this research and those reported recently by other authors. The investigation of the influence of breaks in temperature control during storage in air at 0°C, revealed that preclimacteric apples exposed to a break in temperature control, were advanced towards the establishment of the climacteric. Postclimacteric apple, responded by doubling ethylene production a short time after return to coolstorage. Harvest maturity, timing of break during coolstorage, length of break of temperature control and multiple breaks in temperature control, had little influence on the increase ethylene production response. Quality factors (firmness, background hue angle, and titratable acidity) were all reduced as a result of exposure to warmer temperatures, but on return to coolstorage temperatures rates of loss in these quality factors were not influenced by the increased ethylene production. Short-term (3-day) breaks in CA while fruit remained at refrigerated temperatures were shown to have no substantial effect on fruit physiology or quality, either during the period of the break in CA or in subsequent CA storage. Breaks in temperature control in combination with breaks in CA were observed to cause a doubling of ethylene production on CA stored apples regardless of being returned to 0°C in air or CA. Those apples that were exposed to a break in temperature control and returned to air storage at refrigerated temperature lost quality (firmness and background hue angle) more rapidly than apples not exposed to breaks in temperature control and transferred to air storage. This result strengthened the knowledge of the influence of ethylene on changes in apple quality, as found for many other apple cultivars. The influence of the decision to transport fruit in CA or air atmosphere shipping containers was initially investigated with a laboratory simulation. Physiology (respiration rate and ethylene production) of air shipped fruit was found not only to be more rapid, but more variable between fruit, than for apples shipped in CA. This more rapid and larger variation of possible fruit physiologies, suggests that in addition to losing quality at a faster rate, the variation in the quality of fruit shipped in air will also enlarge during shipment. This hypothesis was confirmed with data pooled from treatments subjected to 0°C and 3°C, simulating the likely temperature variability within a shipping container. Validation of the influence of shipping atmosphere on delivered fruit quality, was conducted in the commercial environment. This trial found that the length of time to ship fruit from Australia and New Zealand to European markets was not sufficient to induce commercially significant differences between ‘Cripps Pink’ apples shipped in the two atmospheres. Finally, as ethylene production was influenced by fluctuations in temperature control and subsequently affected quality of apples previously stored in CA, an investigative attempt to model ethylene production in temperature variable scenarios was conducted. Published models of ethylene production in apples were adapted to the variable temperature storage scenario and a new model was proposed. Unfortunately, none of the models investigated were able to predict all of the consistent behaviours of ethylene production observed during the experimental work, indicating that more knowledge of the ethylene production pathway is required, before modelling of ethylene production and subsequently apple quality can be conducted successfully.
50
Chawa, Anif Fatma. "Mining and Community Development in Indonesia: a Case Study." Thesis, 2014. https://vuir.vu.edu.au/25076/.
Abstract:
Mining industries are widely perceived as damaging the environment and local communities. The Indonesian government requires mining industries to undertake Corporate Social Responsibility including community development activities. This study investigated the implementation of community development by a mining company on Sumbawa Island, West Nusa Tenggara Province, Indonesia. It focussed on the participation of the local community in decision making processes for the implementation of the mining company’s community development programs. The study also examined how the mining company has involved other parties, including NGOs and local government in its community development program implementation.