Dissertations / Theses on the topic '3002 Agriculture, land and farm management'

This research develops a methodology for determining farm scale land managementunits (LMUs) using soil sampling data, high resolution digital multi-spectral imagery (DMSI) and a digital elevation model (DEM). The LMUs are zones within a paddock suitable for precision agriculture which are managed according to their productive capabilities. Soil sampling and analysis are crucial in depicting landscape characteristics, but costly. Data based on DMSI and DEM is available cheaply and at high resolution.The design and implementation of a two-stage methodology using a spatiallyweighted multivariate classification, for delineating LMUs is described. Utilising data on physical and chemical soil properties collected at 250 sampling locations within a 1780ha farm in Western Australia, the methodology initially classifies sampling points into LMUs based on a spatially weighted similarity matrix. The second stage delineates higher resolution LMU boundaries using DMSI and topographic variables derived from a DEM on a 10m grid across the study area. The method groups sample points and pixels with respect to their characteristics and their spatial relationships, thus forming contiguous, homogenous LMUs that can be adopted in precision agricultural applications. The methodology combines readily available and relatively cheap high resolution data sets with soil properties sampled at low resolution. This minimises cost while still forming LMUs at high resolution.The allocation of pixels to LMUs based on their DMSI and topographic variables has been verified. Yield differences between the LMUs have also been analysed. The results indicate the potential of the approach for precision agriculture and the importance of continued research in this area.

This research develops a methodology for determining farm scale land managementunits (LMUs) using soil sampling data, high resolution digital multi-spectral imagery (DMSI) and a digital elevation model (DEM). The LMUs are zones within a paddock suitable for precision agriculture which are managed according to their productive capabilities. Soil sampling and analysis are crucial in depicting landscape characteristics, but costly. Data based on DMSI and DEM is available cheaply and at high resolution.The design and implementation of a two-stage methodology using a spatiallyweighted multivariate classification, for delineating LMUs is described. Utilising data on physical and chemical soil properties collected at 250 sampling locations within a 1780ha farm in Western Australia, the methodology initially classifies sampling points into LMUs based on a spatially weighted similarity matrix. The second stage delineates higher resolution LMU boundaries using DMSI and topographic variables derived from a DEM on a 10m grid across the study area. The method groups sample points and pixels with respect to their characteristics and their spatial relationships, thus forming contiguous, homogenous LMUs that can be adopted in precision agricultural applications. The methodology combines readily available and relatively cheap high resolution data sets with soil properties sampled at low resolution. This minimises cost while still forming LMUs at high resolution.The allocation of pixels to LMUs based on their DMSI and topographic variables has been verified. Yield differences between the LMUs have also been analysed. The results indicate the potential of the approach for precision agriculture and the importance of continued research in this area.

This project investigated the business, environmental and social sustainability of dairy farms that include dairy support land. Seventeen farmers were interviewed using Yin’s case study method (Yin, 2003). The interviewees were selected from a list provided during a series of focus groups done with rural professionals prior to continuing with the main body of the research. Those interviewed saw that the primary role of dairy support land is to protect the dairy farm from external factors. Dairy farms are vulnerable to externalities due to high fixed costs and the relationship between cow condition and milk production. The ability of dairy support land to manage externalities relates to quantity of feed grown, therefore feed grown is perceived as the most appropriate measure of performance. For dairy support land to be sustainable, it must be well resourced. On a fully resourced DSL unit, there will be time to plan and carry out essential tasks and environmentally important developments such as riparian fences and stockwater systems are likely to be in place. If the dairy support land unit is not fully resourced it will become a liability to the overall system as the supply of feed becomes unreliable, cows calve in poor condition and dairy farm staff and management are overextended. Poorly resourced dairy support land is also unlikely to have environmentally friendly developments in place. The case studies also demonstrated that the fundamentals of sustainability and practice remain constant across a variety of soil and climatic conditions in Canterbury and Southland.

The purpose of the study was to investigate how farmers in Quang Bing Province, Vietnam have been making the transition from subsistence farming to commercial agriculture. This process began in 1986 when the Vietnam economy changed from central planning to a market orientation. The research strategy was based on case study analysis of two communes in each of three agro-ecological zones, defined as coastal, plains and mountains. Within each commune there were six embedded household case studies, i.e 36 in total. Case studies were selected purposively to capture diversity of agro-ecological zones, market access and communications, wealth and income status, and ethnic communities. Households were interviewed twice; first in either late 2006 or early 2007, and again in late 2008. The study was approached using a constructivist paradigm and a lens of livelihood analysis, focusing on resources, institutions, interventions and the dynamics of change. Particular attention was given to the development of markets (inputs, outputs, land, labour and credit) and supply chain factors. Separate measures of commercialisation were constructed based on outputs and inputs, and at the level of both individual activities and the overall household. Investigations were informed by existing theory, but no hypotheses were tested. Instead, the research focused on emergent patterns and insights, and the enrichment and modification of existing theory. A review of literature indicated that the transition from subsistence farming to commercial agriculture in Vietnam was different from other countries on account of the specific combination of low technology agriculture, typical of much of developing Asia, combined with the transformation from a centrally planned economy to a market orientation as occurred in Central and Eastern European countries. At commune level, the key determinants of commercialisation were strong physical connections to markets, with good road access being paramount. Once all weather road access for motorised vehicles was available, then rapid commercialisation occurred. Supply chains typically developed faster for outputs than inputs. New technologies that increased the yield of basic food crops, and facilitated by Government and NGO programs, led to the release of land resources no longer required for meeting food security needs. Households retained their production of food crops that provided food security, and added additional cash earning activities. At the level of individual households, the commercialisation process was led by entrepreneurial families who perceived opportunities relating to profitable activities, and combined this with hard work. Often these opportunities were linked to what they had observed or learnt elsewhere. Once first movers took up a new technology, others observed and followed. There were many enabling factors, such as access to land, access to capital, and access to credit. However, none of these could be considered a determinant, in that the absence of any one factor did not by itself preclude successful commercialisation. Absence of an active male worker was a major constraint to commercialisation, as was lack of necessary crop and livestock skills. There was evidence that income disparities were increasing between the wealthy and the poor. Output commerciality across all households averaged 88 % in 2008 and was higher for wealthy households (95 %) than poor households (83 %). All households still produced their own food crops, but these crops had low market values and hence had a low impact on the output commerciality index. Output commerciality measured in percentage terms obscured that wealthy families had net incomes almost 13 times greater than poor households. A major theoretical insight was that key commercialisation factors are multiple and context dependent. Accordingly, there is a need in any investigation for a holistic approach, based on a livelihood framework that incorporates the complexities associated with the development of markets, as well as giving consideration to the range of interventions and institutional policies that impact on livelihood development.

Tiriamajame darbe apžvelgiami kaimo plėtros žemėtvarkos projektų ūkininko sodybos formavimui rengimo ypatumai: teisinė bazė, rengimo darbai, dažniausiai pasitaikančios problemos. Ūkininkų ūkio sodybų formavimas – supaprastintas ir vienintelis būdas (nekeičiant žemės paskirties) statyti statinius žemės ūkio paskirties žemėje. Nuodugnus kaimo plėtros žemėtvarkos projektų ūkininko sodybos formavimui proceso ištyrimas leistų būsimiems ūkininko sodybų įkūrėjams tiksliai suplanuoti išlaidas, bei laiko sąnaudas iki ūkininko sodybos galutinio įregistravimo. Analizei pasirinktas Trakų rajonas, todėl atlikta Vilniaus apskrityje, Trakų rajone, Grinapolio kaime esančio žemės ūkio paskirties sklypo kaimo plėtros žemėtvarkos projekto (ūkininko sodybos formavimui) rengimo analizė. Pateikiama informacija apie žemės sklypą, jo geografinė padėtis, išanalizuoti kaimo plėtros žemėtvarkos projektų parengiamieji bei planavimo darbai, sprendinių brėžinio braižymo ir bylos sudarymo ypatumai.
Peculiarities of land management projects (for farmer‘s farm formation) are beeing overviewed in this study. Analysis of law basis, arrangement proceedings, frequently arised problems are chosen as the main course. Country planning project (for farmer‘s farm formation) is the simplified and the only one way (inconverting the land purpose) to build buildings on the land for agricultural purpose. In-depth analisis of country planning project as a process and presentation of it‘s results for the future farmers would allow them to precisely calculate the amount of time and money expences from the beginning of the process till the final registration of the farmer‘s farm. Trakai district is beeing analysed in this article - for this reason land managment project (for farmer‘s farm formation) of rural land area in Grinapolis country, Trakai district, Vilnius region is chosen for the in-depth analysis. Information about land area, it‘s geographical position is beeing overwieved. All the preparational and planning proceedings, drawing of the solutions scheme and peculiarities of the full file formation are beeing investigated and presented in this study.

An exploration of the creation and use of farmers' commonly used "rules of thumb" is required to conceptualize farmers' decision making processes. While farmers face complex situations, particularly when subsistence is an issue, they do appear to use simple rules in their decision making. To date inadequate attention has been given to understanding their reasoning processes in creating the rules, so this study traces the origins of farmers' beliefs, and extracts the decisive and dynamic elements in their decision making systems to provide this understanding. The analysis was structured by using a model based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB). Modifications included recognizing a bargaining process (BP) and other decision stimuli to represent socio-cultural influences and sources of perception, respectively. Two analyses based on the Personal Construct Theory (PCT) and the Ethnographic Decision Tree Modelling (EDTM) were also applied to help elaborate the farmers' cognitive process and actual decision criteria. The method involved interviews in two villages in Lamongan Regency in East Java Province of Indonesia, where the farmers adopted an improved paddy-prawn system ("pandu"). The results highlighted that farmers use rational strategies, and that socio-cultural factors influence decision making. This was represented by interactions between the farmers' perceptions, their bargaining effort, and various background factors. The TPB model revealed that the farmers' perceptions about the potential of "pandu", and the interaction with their "significant others", influenced their intention to adopt "pandu". The farmers appeared to prefer a steady income and familiar practices at the same time as obtaining new information, mainly from their peers. When "pandu" failed to show sufficiently profitable results, most farmers decided to ignore or discontinue "pandu". This became the biggest disincentive to a wide and sustainable adoption. However, the PCT analysis showed that part of this problem also stemmed from the farmers' lack of resources and knowledge. The farmers' restrictive conditions also led them to seek socio-cultural and practical support for their actions. This was highlighted by a bargaining process (BP) that integrated what the farmers had learned, and believed, into their adoption behaviour. The BP also captured the farmers' communication strategies when dealing with "pandu" as its adoption affected resource allocation within the family and required cooperation with neighbours. The PCT and EDTM analyses also confirmed how the BP accommodated different sets of decision criteria to form different adoption behaviours. Such a process indicated the importance of considering the adoption decision and the relevant changes resulting from the farmers' cognition. This provided a more dynamic and realistic description of the farmers' decision-making process than has previously been attempted. Overall, the results suggested that semi-commercial farmers need to know, and confirm, that a new technology is significantly superior to the existing system, and can provide a secure income. The introduction of a new technology should use a participatory approach allowing negotiation, conflict mitigation and the creation of consensus among the relevant parties. This can be supported through better access to knowledge, information and financing. A specific and well-targeted policy intervention may also be needed to accommodate the diversity in the farmers' ways of learning and making decisions. Ways to improve the current analytical approaches are also suggested.

This study was undertaken to research the principles and practices behind increased pasture productivity on Longslip Station, Omarama. A range of landscape - soil - climate - plant systems were identified, then analysed and the legume responses measured. By isolating cause and effect and appreciating the driving variables of each system, lessons learnt could be reliably and objectively transferred to the rest of the farm. Extrapolation to the balance of the property (15,150 ha) permitted immediate large-scale development and engendered confidence to lending institutions, Lands Department, catchment authorities and ourselves. Soil (land) cannot be well managed and conserved unless it is mapped reliably and its characteristics measured and interpreted by skilled observers (Cutler, 1977). Soil resource surveys, and their interpretation, are an essential ingredient of rational resource evaluation and planning. This thesis is a figurative and comparative survey and study of the soil catenary bodies, resident vegetation, legume establishment and pasture production characteristics of a 400 hectare catchment, in relation to, and as influenced by soil landscape unit, slope component, altitude, aspect and time. The inherent diversity in landform, soil properties and vegetation communities in a single catchment in the high country has not previously been fully studied or appreciated. This has lead to blanket recommendations for fertilizer, seed and management regimes both within and between properties and even regions. This study reports on the diversity of, yet predictable change in soil properties with slope position (upper, middle and lower) aspect and altitude in terms of both soil physical properties e.g. soil depth and water holding capacity and soil chemical properties such as pH, BS%, %P, %S, %N and %C. The composition of the resident vegetation and its differential response to oversowing and topdressing and subsequent change through time is reported and discussed. Finally an epilogue gives an insight into the problems and frustrations of farming practices in the high country from a motivation and personal perspective and political point of view that it is essential to come to terms with.

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.

The rapidly growing world population, increasing severity of climate change, and constantly evolving environmental pressures have drawn into question whether current agricultural practices can meet the growing food demands healthily, equitably and sustainably. This has resulted in the rising popularity of natural biostimulants, particularly seaweed extracts, to increase crop productivity in an eco-friendly and safe manner. To better understand the complex modes of action underpinning the well-reported benefits of seaweed biostimulants to crops, their phytochemical composition requires further characterisation. Hydroxybenzoic acids, a subclass of phenolic acids, are an important class of phytochemicals and the aim of this study was to characterise their profile in commercial seaweed biostimulants. This work used modern analytical technologies to investigate salicylic acid and other benzoic acid derivatives in a commercial seaweed biostimulant, and then assessed the biological activity of the monohydroxybenzoic acids using plant growth assays. Qualitative HPLC-ESI-MS/MS methods were developed for the analysis of hydroxybenzoic acids and related derivatives. The various benzoic acid derivatives investigated include monohydroxybenzoic acids, dihydroxybenzoic acids, trihydroxybenzoic acids, methoxylated hydroxybenzoic acids, methoxylated benzoic acids, and an amino substituted benzoic acid. The HPLC-ESI-MS/MS methods for the analysis of the various derivatives were then employed to investigate the presence of these compounds in the commercial seaweed biostimulant. The compounds found to be present were the monohydroxybenzoic acids, 2,3- and 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid, syringic acid, and anthranilic acid. A HPLC-ESI-MS/MS method for the analysis of the monohydroxybenzoic acids was optimised and partially validated for the quantification of salicylic acid and its isomers in a commercial seaweed biostimulant. Sample preparation employed acidified acetonitrile partitioning of the seaweed biostimulant before mixed-mode solid-phase extraction. The three isomers were successfully separated using a reversed-phase biphenyl stationary phase with a methanol/water mobile phase acidified with formic acid. The MS/MS detection employed the characteristic MRM transition of m/z 137  93 of the monohydroxybenzoic acids. The concentrations of 2-, 3- and 4-hydroxybenzoic acid in a commercial seaweed biostimulant were found to be 137, 3409, and 1748 μg/L, respectively. Tomato seedling plant growth bioassays were conducted to investigate the biological effects of salicylic acid and its isomers on plant growth. Fresh and dry root and shoot weight data along with longest root length data were assessed to evaluate the biological effects of the various treatments on tomato seedling growth. It was found that a significant increase in root growth was observed when the commercial seaweed biostimulant was fortified with a combination of the three monohydroxybenzoic acids, using dosages that correlate to the concentrations determined in the seaweed biostimulant in this study.

This research was undertaken to determine the extent to which share equity schemes have been successful. The research also investigated the possible causes of failure of the established share equity projects and sought to determine the feasibility requirements that may be put in place to ensure success and sustainability of the ventures in support of land reform. The methodology used involved comparing the data gathered from business plans, valuation reports and other project documents from the Department of Land Affairs (DLA) with the information gathered through interviews and observations. The results revealed causes of failure to include the fact that beneficiaries of the investigated equity schemes did not participate in business plan development or implementation and therefore had no sense of ownership in the intended joint ventures. It was also found that none of the business plans included any form of training for capacity building and therefore no mechanism for empowering beneficiaries existed to participate effectively at all levels of the farming enterprise. Furthermore, original farm owners as the majority shareholders tended to re-invest profits into farm assets rather than paying dividends. It was concluded that the inclusion of a training programme in every business plan is crucial to the success of farm share equity ventures as this may enable beneficiaries to be sufficiently empowered to participate effectively at all levels of the business.
Thesis (M.Env.Dev.) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2006.

The marketing of farms for tourism and recreation purposes has been taking place for many years. Farmers have frequently sought to supplement their farm income through providing accommodation and recreation facilities to paying guests. This study concentrates on one state of Australia, Victoria, and has two main aims. The first aim is to develop a systems model of farm tourism that reveals the roles played by various stakeholders. The second aim is to examine farm tourism from a systems perspective, and to explore the attitudes of both farmers and guests to their experiences. In addition, the comments of local government authorities are also investigated. The purpose of the study, in broad terms, is to develop a systems model of farm tourism in Victoria, Australia. In order to do this, the study reviews the literature and then examines the evolution and development of farm tourism in general, through a detailed analysis of the relationships between host farm operators and their visitors. is hoped that the present study will shed some light on an industry which has been largely ignored by most writers and researchers in the different disciplines represented in this topic. The research objectives are, firstly, to develop a systems model of farm tourism; secondly, to examine and describe the scope of farm tourism in Victoria, from the point of view of the farmer; thirdly, to describe the evaluation of the farm tourism experience by the guests who have visited farms in Victoria; and, finally, to investigate the attitudes and involvement of local government bodies in Victoria to farm tourism. Tourism in general is examined, as well as the relationship between agriculture and tourism, leading to a discussion of the definition of rural tourism. General trends in rural tourism are identified, and their relevance to farm tourism is explained. The definition of farm tourism is then covered, with commentary on the application of the characteristics of tourism to the farm tourism industry. Trends in farming are mentioned, which point to the importance of farm tourism as an alternative source of income for the farmer, and a useful form of diversification from farm operations, reducing dependence on one source of income. The concepts of leisure and recreation are also considered, and their relevance to farm tourism is identified.

Agriculture Online Service (AOS) aims to provide online services. The system developed is a one-stop shop that sells agricultural products online and provides agricultural information to customers. It provides specific and up to date information on agricultural crops. There are links to various agricultural sites. The System consists of a number of Active Server Pages that are designed to work with each other in complete harmony and is simple to use. A user visiting the Online Service site can commence shopping immediately. Most pages are interlinked to each other for convenience and easy access. The Active Server Pages, Microsoft's most powerful technology is used for the development of AOS System.

Value-added (VA) technologies can help farmers in the specialty crop industry generate new products, increase off-season income sources, expand market access, and improve overall profitability. These technologies can support the development of rural economies through the generation of new businesses and job creation. The USDA defines VA products as those 1) changed physical, 2) produced in a manner that enhances their value, and 3) physically segregated in a manner that results in enhancement of their value. Drawing from this definition, this study investigated VA technologies such as drying, cutting into customer-ready portions, washing and labeling specialty crops. The objectives of this study are threefold. First, we analyze how market access and diversification drive specialty crop farmers to adopt VA technologies. Second, we address the potential endogeneity between the adoption of VA technologies (vertical diversification) and the number of crops (horizontal diversification). Lastly, we investigate how market access drives farmers to utilize food labels for VA products. Data for this study came from a 2019 web-based survey of specialty crop farmers. A total of 766 farmers completed the survey, with a response rate of 21.5%. The questionnaire included questions related to farmer’s demographics (i.e., educational attainment, gender, farming experience), farm characteristics (i.e., crops, markets, and growing technologies), and farmers’ beliefs regarding their farm system. Results suggest that market access is a significant driver of VA technology adoption. Also, the size of the farm, networks, farmer’s perceptions, and employment growth influence adopting VA technologies. The results also show us that farmers adopting VA technologies tend to experience economic growth.

The pressure on the public agricultural extension organisation in Ghana to improve its responsiveness to meet the needs of farmers has increased since the globalisation of trade in the early 1990s. To improve agricultural productivity and the livelihood security of farm households, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture in Ghana decentralised its extension service in 1997. Although this was a critical change in agricultural policy, the extension service has struggled to implement this policy effectively. Further improvement in the situation is hampered because there has been little research published in this area. To provide this understanding, a single-case study of a successful decentralised district level extension organisation in Ghana was used to identify the factors, processes and outcomes that contribute to its performance. The case organisation is an example of a district agricultural extension organisation that operates under a decentralisation system at the level of deconcentration, with a high farmer-to-extension agent ratio and limited and uncertain levels of Government funding. The results of the study emphasised the importance of the effects of both external and internal (or organisational) factors on the performance of the case organisation. The external factors included: (1) the political will to decentralise, (2) the level of decentralisation of other government departments, (3) the provision of a clear legal framework for decentralisation and (4) the existence of established institutions that are willing to support the decentralisation process. New external factors that were identified in this study were (1) the type and drivers of decentralisation, (2) stakeholders' willingness and commitment to support the decentralisation process and (3) the community characteristics in terms of land tenure arrangements and gender roles. The results confirmed the importance of the organisational factors prescribed in the literature: (1) stakeholder participation, (2) managerial and technical capacity, (3) operational funding and (4) accountability. However, the study also identified five other interrelated organisational factors that influenced the success of the case organisation that had not been previously reported in the literature. These included the needs to: (1) develop a needs-based extension programme, (2) expand the extension service focus and roles, (3) foster a cross-sector pluralistic extension approach (4) use needs-based groups for service delivery, and (5) extension staff attitudinal change. Multistakeholder (farmer and other organisations) participation was critical for the development of a needs-based extension programme. The case organisation had modified the traditional extension programme planning process to involve stakeholders at different levels of participation. Similarly, the case organisation involved stakeholders in its multilevel monitoring and evaluation processes. Stakeholder participation in planning and evaluation, although aimed ultimately at efficient and effective programme implementation and improvement, did enhance accountability. Because the case organisation had taken on a broader livelihood security focus to extension, the definition of farmer needs was extended to encompass on-farm and off-farm needs that have impact on the contribution agriculture makes to the livelihood security of farm households in the district. This broader livelihood security focus to extension required the case organisation to take on additional roles from those it traditionally held. In the study, a typology of such roles was developed and a role selection process used by the case organisation during its programme planning process was described. Similarly, because of this broader focus, the case organisation had to work both across sectors and with other extension providers from within the sector to meet the needs of farmers. Again, the multistakeholder programme planning process was central to fostering coordination and collaboration amongst the various extension providers in the district. Decentralisation has placed greater managerial responsibility on management staff of the case organisation. In addition, the livelihood security focus has required technical staff and attitudinal changes to develop and seek for a much broader range of skills and knowledge - meaning that the development of both managerial and technical capacity was important for the case organisation. Needs-based training, the development of a learning environment and the enhancement of staff motivation were critical for the development of staff capacity. As with other extension organisations in developing countries, the funding for the case organisation was limited and uncertain. To overcome these constraints, the case organisation had in place mechanisms to ensure its resources were used efficiently and that it could mobilise additional resources from outside the organisation. Resource efficiency was improved through an intensive monitoring system and the use of stable needs-based groups. Additional resources were mobilised by lobbying government and international donors for funds for projects that would meet the needs of farmers. Further resources were obtained through collaboration with other stakeholder organisations. Again, the multistakeholder planning process provided a platform for collaboration. Networking and special issue forums also provided mechanisms for enhancing collaboration within the district. Decentralisation was introduced into Ghana in 1997 with the aim of eventually developing a demand-driven extension system. Although viewed as successful, the case organisation has yet to achieve the level of farmer participation (i.e. self-mobilisation) that is required for a demand-driven extension system. Currently, after six years of decentralisation, the level of farmer participation can be classified as somewhere between consultation and collaboration. Therefore, the results of this study suggest that the transition from a top-down to a demand-driven extension system will take considerable time and resources.

Fruit set in cucurbit crops such as watermelon is entirely dependent upon pollinators, which makes them an important aspect of grower management. This reliance on pollinators means that growers must consider them when making pest management decisions, especially when using pesticides, which can have a negative impact on pollinators. Thus, pest management in watermelon production faces a potential trade-off between pests and pollinators. The ways in which growers manage this trade-off could have a large impact on the communities of both groups and the yield of the crop.

Land degradation is a great threat to the Beshlo Catchment in Blue Nile Basisn, not merely as an environmental issue, but also a social and economic problem. In Gedalas Watershed (one of the micro catchments of Beshelo), land degradation, mediated by both biophysical and socio-economic drivers, is among the major environmental sustainability and social-economic development threats in the area. The threat is manifested in depletion of natural vegetations, water, soil and other natural resources; disruption of ecosystem functions, processes, integrity, and services. Given its particular vulnerability, watershed management activities have been in operation since the mid-1970s. Recently, the idea of Sustainable land management through integrated watershed development program has been initiated with the objective of reducing land degradation risks and ensuring food security at both the nationwide and family circle. Despite these investments and efforts, real evidences of success and failures of such efforts were not satisfactory explored. The objectives of this study were, therefore, to analyze the existing status and future prospects of sustainable land management and evaluates its implication on the environmental integrities and the local livelihoods specific to Gedalas watershed. For this effect, the study investigated the dynamics, deriving forces and implications of LULC, soil erosion and soil fertility status of the watershed, current status of watershed management practices, pertinent challenges and opportunities for practicing land management technologies and approaches that might help meet the sustainability requirements of SLM practices. In addition, the study explored factors that determine the willingness of farming households to undertake SLM practice. As the study carried in the coupled human-environment system of rural landscapes, interdisciplinary geographical approaches which integrats social and natural science methodologies were employed to deal with issues of land degradation-and-rehabilitation status comprehensively. The general findings of the study show that though it would be dificult to measure all the composite aspects of land degradation, some of the parameters considered in this study revealed that land degradation is a perpetuating challenge in the watershed. It is evidenced from the overall undesirable land use/cover changes i.e transition of 21.25% of Afro/sub alpine landscapes, 17.59% of the grasslands and 8% of shrub lands to either to cultivated land or settlement areas over the 1973–2017 period, which have unintended negative socio-ecological repercussions on the watershed; high annual mean soil loss value (which range from 37t/ha/year average values to 393 t/ha/yr soil loss rates on water courses) that exceed threshold level and a wide gap between the need for SLM and the actual achievement of SLM practices,including limited adherence to the idea behind contemporary land management policies and implementation principles and approaches. The study further revealed the presence of opportunities as well as a myriad of challenges that need to be tackled in order to achieve sustainable land management goals. The study colcludes that, though, some encouraging progresses have been observed in the SLM project sites; land degradation has remained a problem in the watershed. This calls for strenuous efforts to promote and assist wide scale adoption of SLM practices that address the pervasive land degradation problem and achieve land degradation neutrality as highlighted in sustainable development goals.
Department of Geography
Ph. D. (Geography)

It is estimated that in the United States, agronomic weeds are responsible for about 50% of crop yield loss, costing nearly $27 billion each year. As interest in cover crops across the Midwest increases, so does the need to understand when to terminate cover crops for maximum weed control while still maintaining crop yield. Field experiments were conducted in 2017 and 2018 in Indiana to evaluate the effect of cover crop termination timings on weed control, and corn and soybean yield. Cereal rye (Secale cereale L.) and canola (Brassica napus L.) were subjected to early- or late- termination utilizing glyphosate-, saflufenacil- or glufosinate-based burndown herbicide programs. In corn, cereal rye and canola reduced early season weed biomass by 58 to 67% compared to fallow (no cover crop) plots. Cereal rye and canola reduced horseweed (Erigeron canadensis L.) and giant ragweed (Ambrosia trifida L.) emergence by 42 to 50% compared to fallow plots. Early- and late- terminated cereal rye reduced corn yields by 55 to 67% (5,173 to 7,116 kg ha^-1) compared to canola or fallow plots. In soybean, cereal rye and canola reduced early season weed biomass by 73 to 88% compared to fallow plots. Cereal rye and canola reduced horseweed emergence in 2017 and 2018 by 16 to 67 % compared to fallow plots. In 2017, both cover crop and termination timing influenced giant ragweed emergence. Early- and late- terminated cover crop plots reduced giant ragweed emergence by 50 to 76% compared to fallow plots. In 2018, cover crop termination timing influenced soybean yield. Late-terminated plots reduced yields by 48% compared to early-terminated plots. Results from this study suggest that cereal rye and canola planted at these rates can be effective for weed suppression prior to corn and soybeans, however, yield loss in both corn and soybean is expected.

Reports from Indiana in 2015 suggested that growers planting canola as a cover crop were experiencing difficulties when terminating with glyphosate prior to corn and soybean production. This suggests the utilization of inadequate herbicide programs, or perhaps a seed contamination event containing glyphosate resistant canola. Field experiments were conducted in 2016 and 2017 to determine the most effective herbicide treatment for terminating glyphosate resistant canola in Indiana, and to quantify how these herbicide programs influence corn yield. Canola was planted in early September and herbicide treatments were applied in the spring three weeks before corn planting. Visual ratings of control and above-ground biomass reduction were collected 21 days after treatment (DAT). The highest control of canola occurred following the application of paraquat + saflufenacil + 2,4-D or metribuzin, resulting in 88 to 94% control. These control ratings are supported by applications with paraquat + saflufenacil + 2,4-D or metribuzin resulting in 88 to 97% biomass reduction. Auxin herbicides alone provided very poor control, less than 41% at both locations. In general, saflufenacil-containing herbicide treatments provided the highest control of canola compared to mesotrione or atrazine. Herbicide treatments had no effect on corn grain yield.

Pucciniomycotina is a subphylum with a high diversity in terms of habitat and life history strategies that include plant parasites, animal associates (including opportunistic human pathogens), saprobes and antagonists of other fungi. The class Cystobasidiomycetes within this subphylum is a representative of such diversity and remains understudied. Their role in nature and the associations they establish with their hosts for most of the species is still unknown. In this study we used taxonomic and phylogenetic methods to present an inventory of strains in this class collected for more than 20 years from all over the world and preserved in the Aime Lab Culture Collection. Molecular and morphological data for six new species in the genera Bannoa, Buckleyzyma, Halobasidium and Sakaguchia were also presented. Additionally, mating experiments were performed by pairing strains of Bannoa; this is the second time in the genus that clamp connections and basidia are observed. We also found that newly described species of Bannoa can be co-inhabitants of sori of rust fungi. In general, antagonistic interactions can occur through: 1) direct physical contact between two fungi, i.e., mycoparasitism; or, 2) the production of antimicrobial compounds. In the Cystobasidiomycetes, direct physical antagonistic interaction which is associated with sexual states has been reported in species of Cystobasidium, Naohidea, Cyphobasidium and Occultifur. On the other hand, the production of antimicrobial compounds which mainly occurs between the yeast stage of the fungi and other organisms has only been reported in Cystobasidium pallidumand Hasegawazyma lactosa. We also hypothesize that the common ancestor to Cystobasidiomycetes is a mycoparasite due to the fact that this life strategy is present in most of the lineages in the class. To test this hypothesis, we grouped into five categories the host association or substrate from which strains of extant species in the Cystobasidiomycetes were isolated, i.e.,animals, plants, fungi, aquatic or decaying organic matter. We constructed a resolved phylogeny for the class based on seven locito study the evolutionary origins of mycoparasitism through ancestral character reconstruction with representation of all described species. Our analysis suggests that the most likely hypothesis is that the most recent common ancestor of the Cystobasidiomycetes was associated to fungi.

study, a home use testing (HUT) of instant tuwo and fura porridges in Niamey, Niger indicated that overall consumers’ acceptability was good. In a market test conducted in Niamey over 20 weeks, in collaboration with local cereal processors and distributors, showed repeat purchases with good frequency of sale of instant tuwo and fura porridges that have generated about 1/3 in total sales of 35 products related millet and cereal based foods in the period. In conclusion, the low-cost single screw extruder has the potential to catalyze and increase demand and diversification of uses of millet grains, to develop market-driven nutritious and healthy grain-based foods, to benefit smallholders’ farmers, and favor growth of small- and medium-scale entrepreneur processors in West Africa.

The need for STEM employees is on the rise in direct relation with the changing needs of our globe (Jang, 2015). There are gaps to be filled not only in the workforce and industry, but also by academia and government (Jang, 2015). K-12 STEM education has the ability to address 21^st century problems, in particular, the need for more highly skilled workers in STEM fields by focusing on developing students’ 21^st century skills. A critical skill for students to develop to be able to properly collaborate on teams and engage in the STEM workforce is problem solving. Problem solving is thought of as being the most important cognitive goal of education in every educational context: formal, informal, public schools, universities, and everything in between (Jonassen, 2010). In order to properly assess students, and know where improvements could be made, it is vital that we examine teachers first. By exploring how teachers approach problem-solving, and how self-efficacious they feel teaching problem-solving, then we can determine how to better assist both teachers and students. The current study sought to address this gap in the literature through surveying three states agriculture and science teachers using two established instruments. The survey was distributed online via Qualtrics and was available to participants for three weeks during the month of January 2020. The survey is divided into three major sections with the first two sections being the instruments used: (1) Problem Solving Inventory, (2) Teaching Science as Inquiry, and (3) Demographics. Demographics was placed at the end of the survey following recommendations from Dillman et al. (2014).

The final response rate for the survey was 9.04% for agriculture teachers and 13.4% for science teachers, a total of 22.44% (n = 504). After data cleaning there is a total of 4.3% of useable responses from agriculture and 5.58% for science resulting in a usable response rate of 9.88% (n = 205). A little more than half of the participants were female (59%) with the remainder being male (39.5%) and a small percentage (1.5%) elected not to respond or selected “prefer not to say”. The largest population that responded to the survey were between the ages of 44 and 54 (43.1%) and teaching for 21-25 years (19%). The survey found that teachers thought of themselves as being confident problem-solvers but used a more avoidance-style. Teachers also felt they had less control or had more negative feelings in regard to problem-solving. Overall, teachers from both agriculture and science viewed themselves as being moderate to high problem-solvers in general. The instrument was not intended to measure problem-solving relating to the classroom. The second instrument, the Teaching Science as Inquiry, measured how efficacious they felt teaching problem-solving. Teachers from both science and agriculture perceived themselves as being very self-efficacious and had high expectancy outcomes. ANOVA tests were conducted between the two groups to determine if there were differences in their responses and no statistically significant differences were found. A correlation was conducted in order to determine which variables from the two instruments held relationships. The correlation suggests that the two instruments have several strong relationships between the variables like personal self-efficacy and expectation outcomes. research should focus on refining the instruments to reduce the number of questions and survey more individuals to capture more generalizable results.

The land-grant university system was founded in the 19th century as a public means to help improve people’s everyday lives. A century and a half later, the challenges that the public faces to live a quality life are constantly changing, creating a need for the land-grant system to respond and adapt to continue to fulfill its mission. While the literature contains a wealth of conceptual papers addressing the role and mission of land-grant universities, relatively few papers could be found that reported empirical data or proposed and tested metrics for public engagement constructs. The current study sought to address this void in the literature through the investigation of factors influencing Indiana residents’ level of interest in engaging with Purdue University. Mail survey methods were used in which up to three contacts were made with adult members of 4,500 Indiana households identified through address-based sampling. Stratified random sampling was employed to ensure adequate rural household participation for other project purposes. Usable responses were received from 1,003 households representing 87 Indiana counties for a total response rate of 26%.