Schooling Background and Academic Academic Achievement of Agricultural Students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. Jayakumar

2016-05-01

Full Text Available In our society academic achievement is considered as a key criterion to judge one’s total potentiality and capability. Academic achievement is seen as a students’ grade point averages in many academic settings. Academic achievement has become an index of students’ future in this highly competitive world and Agricultural education is no exception.  Hence it becomes necessary to find out the factors that determine better academic performance. In this context the present study had been carried out to find out the possible relationship between schooling background and academic achievement of agriculture students. The students admitted in Adhiparasakthi Agricultural College, Kalavai, Vellore between 1999 and 2009 formed the subjects of the study. Findings of the study revealed that determinants like gender, type of school and stream of education had a significant role in the academic achievement of the students. Medium of instruction in HSC did influence the academic achievement but not significantly. It was also found that students who performed well in their HSC did perform well in their undergraduate programme also. This confirms that previous educational outcomes are the most important indicators of student’s future achievement and schooling background has a significant role in academic achievement of students.

Agricultural mechanization policy and strategy : the case of Thailand

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rijk, A.G.

1989-01-01

The role of agricultural mechanization in a developing economy is examined in order to enhance the formulation of mechanization policy and strategy. As a result of the review and assessment of the mechanization process, seven distinct stages in the mechanization process are specified and

Agriculture--Agricultural Mechanics, Electric Motors. Kit No. 56. Instructor's Manual [and] Student Learning Activity Guide.

Science.gov (United States)

Bomar, William

An instructor's manual and student activity guide on agricultural mechanics (electric motors) are provided in this set of prevocational education materials which focuses on the vocational area of agriculture. (This set of materials is one of ninety-two prevocational education sets arranged around a cluster of seven vocational offerings:…

Influence of High School Vocational Agriculture on the Matriculation, Graduation, and Employment of Agricultural Engineering Graduates from the Iowa State University of Science and Technology.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahrens, Donald Louis

To determine the influence of high school vocational agriculture on college achievement and subsequent employment of agricultural engineering majors, data were collected from 419 graduates of Iowa State University representing the period from 1942 to 1964. The 112 graduates who had taken at least 3 or more semesters of high school vocational…

Education and Research Related to Organic Waste Management at Agricultural Engineering Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Soliva, Montserrat; Bernat, Carles; Gil, Emilio; Martinez, Xavier; Pujol, Miquel; Sabate, Josep; Valero, Jordi

2007-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe the experience of the Agriculture Engineering School of Barcelona (ESAB), where undergraduate students were involved in field research experiments on organic waste use in agricultural systems. Design/methodology/approach: The paper outlines how the formation of professionals oriented to work for…

The International Congress of Mechanical Engineering and Agricultural Sciences – CIIMCA 2013

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Remolina-Millán, Aduljay; Hernández-Arroyo, Emil

2014-01-01

The organizing committee of The International Congress of Mechanical Engineering and Agricultural Sciences – CIIMCA 2013 – are pleased to present CIIMCA-2013: the first international conference focused on subjects of materials science, mechanical engineering and renewable energy organized by Mechanical Engineering Faculty of the ''Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana'' in Bucaramanga, Colombia. This conference aims to be a place to produce discussions on whole topics of the congress, between the scientists of Colombia and the world. We strongly believe that knowledge is fundamental to the development of our countries. For that reason this multidisciplinary conference is looking forward to integrate engineering, agricultural science and nanoscience and nanotechnology to produce a synergy of this area of knowledge and to achieve scientific and technological developments. Agriculture is a very important topic for our conference; in Colombia, agricultural science needs more attention from the scientific community and the government. In the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering we are beginning to work on these issues to produce knowledge and improve the conditions in our country. The CIIMCA conference is a great opportunity to create interpersonal relationships and networks between scientists around the world. The interaction between scientists is very important in the process of the construction of knowledge. The general chairman encourages and invites you to make friends, relationships and participate strongly in the symposia and all program activities. PhD Aduljay Remolina-Millán Principal Chairman, International Mechanical Engineering and Agricultural Sciences Congress – CIIMCA Msc Emil Hernández-Arroyo Principal Chairman, International Mechanical Engineering and Agricultural Sciences Congress – CIIMCA Conferencephotograph Conferencephotograph 'Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana seccional Bucaramanga' host of the first

Investigating the improver mechanisms of agricultural water ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Investigating the improver mechanisms of agricultural water management in karaj county from the viewpoints of the farmers. ... farmers and people, technical improvement of hydraulic structures, improvement of local people participation, improvement of water management, controlling the disturbance of external factors and ...

Does the Number of Post-Secondary Agricultural Mechanics Courses Completed Affect Teacher Competence?

Science.gov (United States)

Byrd, Alex Preston; Anderson, Ryan G.; Paulsen, Thomas H.; Shultz, Matthew J.

2015-01-01

Preparing teachers to teach agricultural mechanics is a difficult task since many topic areas are included in the curriculum. This study examines the effect of the number of college courses taken on a teacher's perceived competence to teach agricultural mechanics. Agricultural education teachers in Iowa ranked themselves according to their…

Investigating the Impact of the Cisco 21st Century Schools Initiative on Forrest County Agricultural High School. Summative Report

Science.gov (United States)

Ba, Harouna; Meade, Terri; Pierson, Elizabeth; Ferguson, Camille; Roy, Amanda; Williams, Hakim

2009-01-01

Forrest County Agricultural High School (FCAHS) is located in Brooklyn, a small rural town in southern Mississippi and part of the Hattiesburg Metropolitan Statistical Area. Unlike the other schools that participated in the Cisco 21S initiative, FCAHS is not part of a larger school district. Therefore, the unit of analysis throughout this summary…

Just How Much Can School Pupils Learn from School Gardening? A Study of Two Supervised Agricultural Experience Approaches in Uganda

Science.gov (United States)

Okiror, John James; Matsiko, Biryabaho Frank; Oonyu, Joseph

2011-01-01

School systems in Africa are short of skills that link well with rural communities, yet arguments to vocationalize curricula remain mixed and school agriculture lacks the supervised practical component. This study, conducted in eight primary (elementary) schools in Uganda, sought to compare the learning achievement of pupils taught using…

Cooperativa-escola nas Escolas Técnicas Agrícolas Cooperative-school at the Agricultural Technical Schools

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P.V. Marques

1993-12-01

Full Text Available A dificuldade de gerenciar recursos e proporcionar melhores condições de ensino para os estudantes são algumas das deficiência das Escolas Técnicas Agrícolas (ETAs brasileiras, problemas parcialmente superados por algumas escolas que adotaram a chamada Cooperativa-Escola. Neste trabalho, procura-se discutir alguns aspectos filosóficos referentes às ETAs e como a Cooperativa-Escola pode ajudar a solucionar seus principais problemas educativos e administrativos; um estudo de caso utilizando-se a técnica de auditoria administrativa foi desenvolvido numa ETA cuja Cooperativa-Escola é considerada um modelo de bom funcionamento e alguns procedimentos foram descritos, objetivando-se estender a prática de Cooperativa-Escola para outras escolas técnicas agrícolas brasileiras.Some of the problems with the Brazilian public Agricultural Technical School systems (ETAs are related to resource management and the need to improve teaching and learning conditions. Those deficiencies were partially corrected after setting up Cooperative-Schools that allow the ETAs to raise and to administrate funds. Administrative procedures of the ETAs and how the Cooperative-School could help solving their main educational and adminsitrative problems are discussed in this research. A case study using the management audit technique was developed in one ETA with a well known Cooperative-School. Some observed procedures are described with the intention of extending the practice of Cooperative-Schools to other Brazilian Agricultural Technical Schools.

Multiple Case Study of STEM in School-Based Agricultural Education

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Stubbs, Eric A.; Myers, Brian E.

2015-01-01

This multiple case study investigated the integration of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in three Florida high school agriculture programs. Observations, interviews, documents, and artifacts provided qualitative data that indicated the types of STEM knowledge taught. Variables of interest included student and teacher…

Constraints to Agricultural Mechanization in Sub-Saharan Africa

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Adeyinka Odunsi

Key words: food, constraints, mechanization, Sub-Saharan Africa, food security. Introduction ... ensure all-year-round food production. Agricultural .... her citizens to travel to the United States to ... downsize in the intake of students into these.

Summer Institute in Agricultural Mechanics Education, Southern Region, Proceedings (Blacksburg, Virginia, August 3-7, 1970).

Science.gov (United States)

Virginia Polytechnic Inst. and State Univ., Blacksburg.

This summer institute emphasizes the establishment of minimum measurable standards of attainment in agricultural engineering phases of teacher education in agriculture. Speeches presented are: (1) "Where We Are in Agricultural Mechanics Education," by Alfred H. Krebs, (2) "Research Offerings for More Effective Teaching in Agricultural Mechanics,"…

VOCATIONAL AGRICULTURE TEACHER MORALE STUDY--A COMPARISON OF SELECTED FACTORS IN SCHOOLS WHERE THE MORALE OF VOCATIONAL AGRICULTURE TEACHERS IS "HIGH" WITH SCHOOLS WHERE THE MORALE OF VOCATIONAL AGRICULTURE TEACHERS IS "LOW".

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BENTLEY, RALPH R.; REMPEL, AVERNO M.

A STUDY WAS UNDERTAKEN TO DETERMINE WHETHER DIFFERENCES EXISTED WITH RESPECT TO STUDENT ATTITUDE TOWARD THEIR TEACHER, FEELINGS ABOUT SCHOOL WORK PROBLEMS, AND ACADEMIC APTITUDE BETWEEN VOCATIONAL AGRICULTURE DEPARTMENTS IN WHICH TEACHER MORALE WAS HIGH AND THOSE IN WHICH TEACHER MORALE WAS LOW. THE TEACHER SAMPLE INCLUDED 21 WITH THE HIGHEST…

US Department of Agriculture School Breakfast Program.

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Kennedy, E; Davis, C

1998-04-01

This article reviews the history of the US Department of Agriculture School Breakfast Program (SBP) and provides a synthesis of factors influencing participation rates. Certain children are more likely to participate than others, such as those in lower grades and those from low-income households, and African American, Hispanic, and male students. A few studies in the past 25 y have examined the effectiveness of the SBP in improving the diets and nutritional status of children. The overall pattern that emerges from these studies is that the SBP contributes to improved nutrient intake in program participants. Less attention has been devoted to assessing the effects of SBP on cognitive development. Some of the evidence reviewed here suggests that the SBP significantly improves school performance and reduces absenteeism and tardiness. Future directions for research and operation of the SBP are discussed in light of the changing dietary profile of American children.

School Culture's Influence on Beginning Agriculture Teachers' Job Satisfaction and Teacher Self-Efficacy

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Hasselquist, Laura; Herndon, Kevin; Kitchel, Tracy

2017-01-01

This study explored first and second year agriculture teachers' job satisfaction and teacher selfefficacy through their perceived levels of school culture support. Prior research indicated one possible contributor to poor teacher retention is a lack of belonging teachers feel to their schools. Data were collected from beginning teachers in three…

The mechanisms for social and environmentally responsible agricultural land use

OpenAIRE

Ye. Mishenin; I. Yarova

2015-01-01

This paper deals with arguments that the most effective mechanism for greening use of land resources is to increase the level of social and environmental responsibility. The mechanisms for social and environmentally responsible agricultural land use are formed.

Preparing students for higher education and careers in agriculture and related fields: An ethnography of an urban charter school

Science.gov (United States)

Henry, Kesha Atasha

This study explored the preparation of students for higher education and careers in agriculturally-related fields at an urban charter high school. The data were collected through interviews, observations, and field notes. The data were analyzed by qualitative methodology with phenomenology as the theoretical framework. Findings indicated that administrators thought it was important to incorporate agricultural science courses into urban school curricula. They stated that agricultural science courses gave urban students a different way of looking at science and helped to enhance the science and technology focus of the school. Further, agricultural science courses helped to break urban students' stereotypes about agriculture and helped to bring in more state funding for educational programs. However they thought that it was more challenging to teach agricultural science in urban versus rural schools and they focused more on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) related careers. The students had mixed views about higher education and careers in agriculture. This was based on their limited knowledge and stereotypes about agricultural majors and career options. The students highlighted several key reasons why they chose to enroll in agricultural science courses. This included the benefits of dual science credits and the ability to earn an associate degree upon successful completion of their program. Students also loved science and appreciated the science intensive nature of the agricultural courses. Additionally, they thought that the agricultural science courses were better than the other optional courses. The results also showed that electronic media such as radio and TV had a negative impact on students' perceptions about higher education and careers in agriculturally-related fields. Conclusions and recommendations are presented.

Encouraging the Learning of Hydraulic Engineering Subjects in Agricultural Engineering Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Sinobas, Leonor Rodríguez; Sánchez Calvo, Raúl

2014-01-01

Several methodological approaches to improve the understanding and motivation of students in Hydraulic Engineering courses have been adopted in the Agricultural Engineering School at Technical University of Madrid. During three years student's progress and satisfaction have been assessed by continuous monitoring and the use of…

Educational Reform in Management Courses of Agricultural & Forestry Higher Vocational Schools from the Perspective of Microblog

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Liuhe; JIN

2014-01-01

At present there are many socialized microblog platforms.With powerful mobility,real-time information,fragment of information dissemination,and innovation of interaction,the microblog has become a socialized interaction mode in recent years.Since microblog is very popular with students of agricultural and forestry higher vocational schools,with the rising and development of network education,the microblog as a new information platform will be used by more and more teachers in education.From the perspective of microblog,this paper studied educational reform in management courses of agricultural and forestry higher vocational schools,in the hope of providing certain reference and help for current education practice of agricultural and forestry management courses.

The Infusion of Inquiry-Based Learning into School-Based Agricultural Education: A Review of Literature

Science.gov (United States)

Wells, Trent; Matthews, Jennifer; Caudle, Lawrence; Lunceford, Casey; Clement, Brian; Anderson, Ryan

2015-01-01

Demands for increases in student achievement have led education professionals to incorporate various and rigorous teaching strategies into classrooms across the United States. Within school-based agricultural education (SBAE), agriculture teachers have responded to these challenges quite well. SBAE incorporates a wide variety of teaching and…

Mapping Large-Scale Mechanized Agriculture Across the Brazilian Cerrado Between 2001-2013

Science.gov (United States)

Spera, S. A.; Mustard, J. F.; VanWey, L.

2014-12-01

Brazil is a global commodities powerhouse. Over the last decade, dynamic changes in agricultural development and land transformations occurred within Brazil's tropical savanna region, the cerrado. This interdisciplinary study uses remote sensing tools to map land cover across more than 3.6 million km2 of cerrado and statistical methods to characterize drivers of this land-cover change. We use the MODIS Enhanced Vegetation Index 16-day data product and a decision-tree algorithm, proven highly accurate in Mato Grosso (Spera et al. 2014) and here modified for the broader cerrado region, to characterize crop type, cropping frequency, expansion, and abandonment of large-scale mechanized agriculture during the 2001-2013 period. The algorithm exploits phenological differences between forest, pasture and cerrado, and mechanized agriculture. It is parameterized to distinguish between crop rotations in Mato Grosso, Goias, and the new agricultural frontier spanning Maranhao, Tocantins, Piaui, and Bahia (MaToPiBa). Training and validation data were collected using Google's Earth Engine. We map single-cropped soy, corn, and cotton; double-cropped soy/corn and soy/cotton rotations; and irrigated agriculture across these six Brazilian cerrado states. We find that while double cropping dominates in Mato Grosso and Goias, single cropping is still the dominant form of mechanized agriculture in the burgeoning MaToPiBa region. In western Bahia alone, preliminary results show agriculture has expanded by almost 350,000 ha and double cropping has increased by almost 40,000 ha. With MaToPiBa touted as Brazil's latest and last agricultural frontier, we predict that the region will experience a transition similar to that of Mato Grosso during the 2000s—an expansion and intensification of agriculture—which may beget unprecedented ramifications on regional climate processes that can then affect ecosystem health and the economic feasibility of cultivating rain-fed export crops.

Constraints to Agricultural Mechanization in Sub-Saharan Africa ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

However, unlike other developing countries in Asia, the level of agricultural mechanization in Sub-‐Sahara Africa is still very low and is faced with a number of constraints. It is important for the attention of governments and other institutions to be drawn to these for immediate intervention to be taken. The objective of this ...

Multifractal spectrum analysis of nonlinear dynamical mechanisms in China’s agricultural futures markets

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Shu-Peng; He, Ling-Yun

2010-04-01

Based on Partition Function and Multifractal Spectrum Analysis, we investigated the nonlinear dynamical mechanisms in China’s agricultural futures markets, namely, Dalian Commodity Exchange (DCE for short) and Zhengzhou Commodity Exchange (ZCE for short), where nearly all agricultural futures contracts are traded in the two markets. Firstly, we found nontrivial multifractal spectra, which are the empirical evidence of the existence of multifractal features, in 4 representative futures markets in China, that is, Hard Winter wheat (HW for short) and Strong Gluten wheat (SG for short) futures markets from ZCE and Soy Meal (SM for short) futures and Soy Bean No.1 (SB for short) futures markets from DCE. Secondly, by shuffling the original time series, we destroyed the underlying nonlinear temporal correlation; thus, we identified that long-range correlation mechanism constitutes major contributions in the formation in the multifractals of the markets. Thirdly, by tracking the evolution of left- and right-half spectra, we found that there exist critical points, between which there are different behaviors, in the left-half spectra for large price fluctuations; but for the right-hand spectra for small price fluctuations, the width of those increases slowly as the delay t increases in the long run. Finally, the dynamics of large fluctuations is significantly different from that of the small ones, which implies that there exist different underlying mechanisms in the formation of multifractality in the markets. Our main contributions focus on that we not only provided empirical evidence of the existence of multifractal features in China agricultural commodity futures markets; but also we pioneered in investigating the sources of the multifractality in China’s agricultural futures markets in current literature; furthermore, we investigated the nonlinear dynamical mechanisms based on spectrum analysis, which offers us insights into the underlying dynamical mechanisms in

ERIC First Analysis: Agricultural Policy. 1986-87 National High School Debate Resolutions.

Science.gov (United States)

Wagner, David L.; Fraleigh, Douglas

Designed to serve as a framework in which high school debate students, coaches, and judges can evaluate the issues, arguments, and evidence concerning which agricultural policies best serve the United States, this booklet provides guidelines for research on the 1986-87 debate resolutions selected by the National Federation of State High School…

29 CFR 570.123 - Agriculture.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 29 Labor 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Agriculture. 570.123 Section 570.123 Labor Regulations... Provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, as Amended Exemptions § 570.123 Agriculture. (a) Section... agriculture outside of school hours for the school district where such employee is living while he is so...

Agricultural robot designed for seeding mechanism

Science.gov (United States)

Sunitha, K. A., Dr.; Suraj, G. S. G. S.; Sowrya, CH P. N.; Atchyut Sriram, G.; Shreyas, D.; Srinivas, T.

2017-05-01

In the field of agriculture, plantation begins with ploughing the land and sowing seeds. The old traditional method plough attached to an OX and tractors needs human involvement to carry the process. The driving force behind this work is to reduce the human interference in the field of agriculture and to make it cost effective. In this work, apart of the land is taken into consideration and the robot introduced localizes the path and can navigate itself without human action. For ploughing, this robot is provided with tentacles attached with saw blades. The sowing mechanism initiates with long toothed gears actuated with motors. The complete body is divided into two parts the tail part acts as a container for seeds. The successor holds on all the electronics used for automating and actuation. The locomotion is provided with wheels covered under conveyor belts. Gears at the back of the robot rotate in equal speed with respect to each other with the saw blades. For each rotation every tooth on gear will take seeds and will drop them on field. Camera at the front end tracks the path for every fixed distance and at the minimum distance it takes the path pre-programmed.

Division of Agriculture

Science.gov (United States)

Department of Natural Resources logo, color scheme Department of Natural Resources Division of Agriculture Search Search DNR's site DNR State of Alaska Toggle main menu visibility Agriculture Home Programs Asset Disposals Alaska Caps Progam Board of Agriculture & Conservation Farm To School Program Grants

Career Preparation in Agriculture Project. Career Preparation Programs for Potential Agribusinessmen, Agricultural Agency Employees, and Agriculture Teachers. Final Report, July 1, 1977-June 30, 1978.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jasper S.; And Others

The purpose of this project was to develop innovative agricultural education programs within the comprehensive high school setting in selected school districts in Mississippi. The following programs were implemented: horticulture (Starkville Vocational Center); vocational forestry (Lamar County); agricultural suppliers and services program (Alcorn…

International Climate Migration: Evidence for the Climate Inhibitor Mechanism and the Agricultural Pathway.

Science.gov (United States)

Nawrotzki, Raphael J; Bakhtsiyarava, Maryia

2017-05-01

Research often assumes that, in rural areas of developing countries, adverse climatic conditions increase (climate driver mechanism) rather than reduce (climate inhibitor mechanism) migration, and that the impact of climate on migration is moderated by changes in agricultural productivity (agricultural pathway). Using representative census data in combination with high-resolution climate data derived from the novel Terra Populus system, we explore the climate-migration relationship in rural Burkina Faso and Senegal. We construct four threshold-based climate measures to investigate the effect of heat waves, cold snaps, droughts and excessive precipitation on the likelihood of household-level international outmigration. Results from multi-level logit models show that excessive precipitation increases international migration from Senegal while heat waves decrease international mobility in Burkina Faso, providing evidence for the climate inhibitor mechanism. Consistent with the agricultural pathway, interaction models and results from a geographically weighted regression (GWR) reveal a conditional effect of droughts on international outmigration from Senegal, which becomes stronger in areas with high levels of groundnut production. Moreover, climate change effects show a clear seasonal pattern, with the strongest effects appearing when heat waves overlap with the growing season and when excessive precipitation occurs prior to the growing season.

Physical and mechanical properties of microcrystalline cellulose prepared from local agricultural residues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El-Sakhawy, M.M.; Hassan, M.L.

2005-01-01

Microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) was prepared from local agricultural residues, namely, bagasse, rice straw, and cotton stalks bleached pulps. Hydrolysis of bleached pulps was carried out using hydrochloric or sulfuric acid to study the effect of the acid used on the properties of produced microcrystalline cellulose such as degree of polymerization (DP), crystallinity index (CrI), crystallite size, bulk density, particle size, and thermal stability. The mechanical properties of tablets made from microcrystalline cellulose of the different agricultural residues were tested and compared to commercial grade MCC. The use of rice straw pulp in different proportions as a source of silica to prepare silicified microcrystalline cellulose (SMCC) was carried out. The effect of the percent of silica on the mechanical properties of tablets before and after wet granulation was tested

Physical and mechanical properties of microcrystalline cellulose prepared from local agricultural residues

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

El-Sakhawy, M M; Hassan, M L [Cellulose and Paper Dept., National Research Center, Dokki, Cairo (Egypt)

2005-07-01

Microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) was prepared from local agricultural residues, namely, bagasse, rice straw, and cotton stalks bleached pulps. Hydrolysis of bleached pulps was carried out using hydrochloric or sulfuric acid to study the effect of the acid used on the properties of produced microcrystalline cellulose such as degree of polymerization (DP), crystallinity index (CrI), crystallite size, bulk density, particle size, and thermal stability. The mechanical properties of tablets made from microcrystalline cellulose of the different agricultural residues were tested and compared to commercial grade MCC. The use of rice straw pulp in different proportions as a source of silica to prepare silicified microcrystalline cellulose (SMCC) was carried out. The effect of the percent of silica on the mechanical properties of tablets before and after wet granulation was tested.

International Climate Migration: Evidence for the Climate Inhibitor Mechanism and the Agricultural Pathway

Science.gov (United States)

Nawrotzki, Raphael J.; Bakhtsiyarava, Maryia

2016-01-01

Research often assumes that, in rural areas of developing countries, adverse climatic conditions increase (climate driver mechanism) rather than reduce (climate inhibitor mechanism) migration, and that the impact of climate on migration is moderated by changes in agricultural productivity (agricultural pathway). Using representative census data in combination with high-resolution climate data derived from the novel Terra Populus system, we explore the climate-migration relationship in rural Burkina Faso and Senegal. We construct four threshold-based climate measures to investigate the effect of heat waves, cold snaps, droughts and excessive precipitation on the likelihood of household-level international outmigration. Results from multi-level logit models show that excessive precipitation increases international migration from Senegal while heat waves decrease international mobility in Burkina Faso, providing evidence for the climate inhibitor mechanism. Consistent with the agricultural pathway, interaction models and results from a geographically weighted regression (GWR) reveal a conditional effect of droughts on international outmigration from Senegal, which becomes stronger in areas with high levels of groundnut production. Moreover, climate change effects show a clear seasonal pattern, with the strongest effects appearing when heat waves overlap with the growing season and when excessive precipitation occurs prior to the growing season. PMID:28943813

A Multi-State Factor-Analytic and Psychometric Meta-Analysis of Agricultural Mechanics Laboratory Management Competencies

Science.gov (United States)

McKim, Billy R.; Saucier, P. Ryan

2012-01-01

For more than 20 years, the 50 agricultural mechanics laboratory management competencies identified by Johnson and Schumacher in 1989 have served as the basis for numerous needs assessments of secondary agriculture teachers. This study reevaluated Johnson and Schumacher's instrument, as modified by Saucier, Schumacher, Funkenbusch, Terry, and…

Gender Equality in Agricultural Education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. Jayakumar

2016-05-01

“Increased women’s enrollment in agricultural courses” as one among the strategies when addressing gender issues in the education and training components of agricultural development projects. In this context the study was carried out to ascertain the representation of women and their academic achievement in agricultural education. The study revealed that almost equal representation was found for women in agricultural course and they were also provided better quality education in their schooling, in the form of English medium education and education in private schools. Recent trends for the past four years showed a higher percentage of enrollments of women in agricultural course than men. The growth rate was also higher for the female students. Women also showed a significantly higher percentage of academic achievement than men. These positive indicators provide sufficient signals for equality of women in agricultural course and have positive implications for development of the agricultural sector in future.

Environmental literacy in agriculture and coastal areas

Science.gov (United States)

Pujianti, N.; Munandar, A.; Surakusumah, W.

2018-05-01

This research aim to investigate the environmental literacy of junior high school students in agricultural and coastal areas in Subang based on knowledge, cognitive skill and attitudes toward to environment. This research used descriptive method. The subjects of the research were 7 grade students of junior high school and involved 62 participants in agriculture area and 64 participants in coastal area. The instrument of environment literacy adapted from Middle School Environment Literacy Survey (MSELS) and adapted to the context of agricultural and coastal area. The results showed that: environmental literacy in agricultural areas is 169.30 with moderate category and environmental literacy in the coastal area is 152.61 in the moderate category.

Estimated Mortality of Selected Migratory Bird Species from Mowing and Other Mechanical Operations in Canadian Agriculture

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joerg Tews

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Mechanical operations such as mowing, tilling, seeding, and harvesting are well-known sources of direct avian mortality in agricultural fields. However, there are currently no mortality rate estimates available for any species group or larger jurisdiction. Even reviews of sources of mortality in birds have failed to address mechanical disturbance in farm fields. To overcome this information gap we provide estimates of total mortality rates by mechanical operations for five selected species across Canada. In our step-by-step modeling approach we (i quantified the amount of various types of agricultural land in each Bird Conservation Region (BCR in Canada, (ii estimated population densities by region and agricultural habitat type for each selected species, (iii estimated the average timing of mechanical agricultural activities, egg laying, and fledging, (iv and used these values and additional demographical parameters to derive estimates of total mortality by species within each BCR. Based on our calculations the total annual estimated incidental take of young ranged from ~138,000 for Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris to as much as ~941,000 for Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis. Net losses to the fall flight of birds, i.e., those birds that would have fledged successfully in the absence of mechanical disturbance, were, for example ~321,000 for Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus and ~483,000 for Savannah Sparrow. Although our estimates are subject to an unknown degree of uncertainty, this assessment is a very important first step because it provides a broad estimate of incidental take for a set of species that may be particularly vulnerable to mechanical operations and a starting point for future refinements of model parameters if and when they become available.

Occupational Safety and Health: A View of Current Practices in Agricultural Education

Science.gov (United States)

Threeton, Mark D.; Ewing, John C.; Evanoski, Danielle C.

2015-01-01

Providing safe and secure teaching and learning environments within schools is an ongoing process which requires a significant amount of attention. Therefore, this study sought to: 1) explore safety and health practices within secondary Agricultural Mechanics Education; and 2) identify the perceived obstacles which appear to hinder implementation…

The agricultural policy of Serbia and common agricultural policy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stanković Milica

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The agricultural sector has a relatively high importance in the economic structure of Serbia. The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP, Common Agricultural Policy is one of the main policies of the European Union. It is very important to point out the fundamental principles and objectives of the Common Agricultural Policy. Harmonization of the national agricultural policy of Serbia with the Common Agricultural Policy and acceptance of its mechanisms is crucial for the development of the agricultural sector as a whole.

Agricultural Intensification as a Mechanism of Adaptation to Climate Change Impacts

Science.gov (United States)

Kyle, P.; Calvin, K. V.; le Page, Y.; Patel, P.; West, T. O.; Wise, M. A.

2015-12-01

The research, policy, and NGO communities have devoted significant attention to the potential for agricultural intensification, or closure of "yield gaps," to alleviate future global hunger, poverty, climate change impacts, and other threats. However, because the research to this point has focused on biophysically attainable yields—assuming optimal choices under ideal conditions—the presently available work has not yet addressed the likely responses of the agricultural sector to real-world conditions in the future. This study investigates endogenous agricultural intensification in response to global climate change impacts—that is, intensification independent of policies or other exogenous interventions to promote yield gap closure. The framework for the analysis is a set of scenarios to 2100 in the GCAM global integrated assessment model, enhanced to include endogenous irrigation, fertilizer application, and yields, in each of 283 land use regions, with maximum yields based on the 95th percentile of attainable yields in a recent global assessment. We assess three levels of agricultural climate impacts, using recent global gridded crop model datasets: none, low (LPJmL), and high (Pegasus). Applying formulations for decomposition of climate change impacts response developed in prior AgMIP work, we find that at the global level, availability of high-yielding technologies mitigates price shocks and shifts the agricultural sector's climate response modestly towards intensification, away from cropland expansion and reduced production. At the regional level, the behavior is more complex; nevertheless, availability of high-yielding production technologies enhances the inter-regional shifts in agricultural production that are induced by climate change, complemented by commensurate changes in trade patterns. The results highlight the importance of policies to facilitate yield gap closure and inter-regional trade as mechanisms for adapting to climate change

A Profile of Agricultural Education Teachers with Exemplary Rural Agricultural Entrepreneurship Education Programs

Science.gov (United States)

Heinert, Seth B.; Roberts, T. Grady

2017-01-01

Rural entrepreneurship education programs may be a great tool for enhancing rural livelihoods and reducing rural outmigration. Entrepreneurship has received attention in school based agricultural education, primarily through implementation of Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) programs. Very little research has looked at the teaching of…

Urban Agriculture Programs on the Rise: Agriculture Education Model Can Reach Students Other Classes Leave Behind

Science.gov (United States)

Fritsch, Julie M.

2013-01-01

Agricultural education begins with hands-on classroom and laboratory instruction. Because agriculture is such a broad topic, schools typically tailor agriculture class offerings to match the interests of the student population, needs of nearby businesses and industry, or topics relevant to their state's standard assessments. Within most…

Analysis and Design of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Management System based on School Enterprise Cooperation (Taking the School of Computer and Information Engineering of Beijing University of Agriculture as an example)

Science.gov (United States)

Qianyi, Zhang; Xiaoshun, Li; Ping, Hu; Lu, Ning

2018-03-01

With the promotion of undergraduate training mode of “3+1” in Beijing University of Agriculture, the mode and direction of applied and compound talents training should be further visualized, at the same time, in order to make up for the shortage of Double Teachers in the school and the lack of teaching cases that cover the advanced technology in the industry, the school actively encourages the cooperation between the two teaching units and enterprises, and closely connects the enterprise resources with the school teaching system, using the “1” in “3+1” to carry out innovative training work for students. This method is beneficial for college students to integrate theory into practice and realize the purpose of applying knowledge in Higher Education. However, in the actual student training management, this kind of cooperation involves three party units and personnel, so it is difficult to form a unified management, on the other hand, it may also result from poor communication, which leads to unsatisfactory training results. At the same time, there is no good training supervision mechanism, causes the student training work specious. To solve the above problem,this paper designs a training management system of student innovation and Entrepreneurship Based on school enterprise cooperation,the system can effectively manage the relevant work of students’ training, and effectively solve the above problems. The subject is based on the training of innovation and entrepreneurship in the school of computer and information engineering of Beijing University of Agriculture. The system software architecture is designed using B/S architecture technology, the system is divided into three layers, the application of logic layer includes student training management related business, and realized the user’s basic operation management for student training, users can not only realize the basic information management of enterprises, colleges and students through the system

Agricultural experiences as correlates of secondary school students ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

African Research Review ... Instruments used were Career Decision Questionnaire, Agricultural Experience Questionnaire and ... in agriculture while poultry (β = -0.333) mostly predicted students career decision in Agricultural Science.

Leadership among Secondary School Agricultural Science Teachers and Their Job Performance in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

Science.gov (United States)

Ben, Camilus Bassey

2012-01-01

The main purpose of this study is to investigate leadership among secondary school Agricultural Science teachers and their job performance in Akwa Ibom State. To achieve the aim of this study, three research hypotheses were generated to direct the study. Literature was reviewed based on the variables derived from the postulated hypotheses. Survey…

Preservice Agriculture Teachers' Perceived Level of Readiness in an Agricultural Mechanics Course

Science.gov (United States)

Blackburn, J. Joey; Robinson, J. Shane; Field, Harry

2015-01-01

This longitudinal trend study sought to compare the perceptions of preservice agricultural education teachers, enrolled in a Metals and Welding course at a land grant university, on their welding related skills at the beginning of the semester to their final course grade at the end of the semester. Preservice agriculture teachers (N = 240) who…

Technical specifications for mechanical recycling of agricultural plastic waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Briassoulis, D.; Hiskakis, M.; Babou, E.

2013-01-01

Highlights: • Technical specifications for agricultural plastic wastes (APWs) recycling proposed. • Specifications are the base for best economical and environmental APW valorisation. • Analysis of APW reveals inherent characteristics and constraints of APW streams. • Thorough survey on mechanical recycling processes and industry as it applies to APW. • Specifications for APW recycling tested, adjusted and verified through pilot trials. - Abstract: Technical specifications appropriate for the recycling of agricultural plastic wastes (APWs), widely accepted by the recycling industry were developed. The specifications establish quality standards to be met by the agricultural plastics producers, users and the agricultural plastic waste management chain. They constitute the base for the best economical and environmental valorisation of the APW. The analysis of the APW streams conducted across Europe in the framework of the European project “LabelAgriWaste” revealed the inherent characteristics of the APW streams and the inherent constraints (technical or economical) of the APW. The APW stream properties related to its recycling potential and measured during pilot trials are presented and a subsequent universally accepted simplified and expanded list of APW recycling technical specifications is proposed and justified. The list includes two sets of specifications, applied to two different quality categories of recyclable APW: one for pellet production process (“Quality I”) and another one for plastic profile production process (“Quality II”). Parameters that are taken into consideration in the specifications include the APW physical characteristics, contamination, composition and degradation. The proposed specifications are focused on polyethylene based APW that represents the vast majority of the APW stream. However, the specifications can be adjusted to cover also APW of different materials (e.g. PP or PVC) that are found in very small quantities

Natuculture Systems: Addressing Students' STEM and Agriculture Knowledge

Science.gov (United States)

Joyce, Alexander Augusto

The purpose of this study was to assess the inclusion of a Natuculture systems learning experience into selected high school STEM courses to determine high school students' interests in majoring in STEM and for pursuing careers in agricultural sciences. Natuculture is defined as "any human-made system that mimics nature in human-disturbed landscapes". The research occurred at an urban area high school located in the Piedmont region of North Carolina. Fifty-three students in grades 9-12 participated during an academic semester learning experience which included planting, maintenance, & harvesting for an oasissofa. Data was collected using a questionnaire and reflective journals to gather students' attitudes towards agriculture and science and knowledge towards agriculture. Results showed that while the experiences did not improve students' interest in pursuing careers in agricultural sciences, overall, they did increase their knowledge of concepts related to agriculture. It was concluded that students benefit from experiential learning experiences. Based on the study, it is recommended that future research follow up with students to learn of their educational and career choices in agriculture and future learning experiences include curricula that integrates agricultural topics with STEM courses.

Encouraging the learning of hydraulic engineering subjects in agricultural engineering schools

Science.gov (United States)

Rodríguez Sinobas, Leonor; Sánchez Calvo, Raúl

2014-09-01

Several methodological approaches to improve the understanding and motivation of students in Hydraulic Engineering courses have been adopted in the Agricultural Engineering School at Technical University of Madrid. During three years student's progress and satisfaction have been assessed by continuous monitoring and the use of 'online' and web tools in two undergraduate courses. Results from their application to encourage learning and communication skills in Hydraulic Engineering subjects are analysed and compared to the initial situation. Student's academic performance has improved since their application, but surveys made among students showed that not all the methodological proposals were perceived as beneficial. Their participation in the 'online', classroom and reading activities was low although they were well assessed.

Influence of Instructional Resources in Learning Agriculture in Secondary School on Employment Creation in Vihiga County, Kenya

Science.gov (United States)

Aholi, Seraphine Sherry; Konyango, Jacob J. J. Ochieng'; Kibett, Joash K.

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of instructional resources in learning agriculture in secondary school on employment creation in Vihiga County, Kenya. The study was conducted in Emuhaya Constituency, and it adopted qualitative research design using descriptive survey method. The target population was the youth who learnt…

Driving Force Filtering and Driving Mechanism Analysis of Urban Agricultural Development in Weifang County, China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

SUI Fei-fei

2016-03-01

Full Text Available As an agricultural nation, the agricultural landscape is the basic appearance and existence in China, but the common existence often be neglected and contempted. As a new type of design and ideology, the development of urban agricultural landscape will greatly affect the texture and structure of the urban space. According to the urban agricultural production data and the socio-economic data of Weifang County, a set of evaluation index system that could analyze quantitatively the driving force of urban agricultural production changes and the internal drive mechanism was built. The original driving force indicators of economy, society, resources and environment from the time-series were chosen, and then 15 driving forces from the original driving forces by correlation analysis and principal component analysis were selected. The degree of influence was analyzed and the driving forces model by means of partial least squares(PLS was built. The results demonstrated that the factors greatly influenced the increase of urban agricultural output value in Weifang County were per capita net income of rural residents, agricultural machinery total power, effective irrigation area, centralized treatment rate of urban sewage, with the driving exponents 0.2509, 0.1019, 0.1655, 0.1332, respectively. The negative influence factor was the use amount of agricultural plastic film and the driving exponent was-0.2146. The research provides a reference for the development of urban agriculture, as well as a reference for the related study.

An Evaluation of a Welding Fumes Exhaust System. Agricultural Experiment Station Research Report 284.

Science.gov (United States)

Jacobs, C. O.

A study evaluated the feasibility of introducing unheated outside air into the airstream of a cross-flow welding exhaust system to reduce heating energy costs of a school welding laboratory. The physical facility used was the agricultural mechanics laboratory at the University of Arizona, which is similar to facilities in which instruction in…

Vocational Agriculture Computer Handbook.

Science.gov (United States)

Kentucky State Dept. of Education, Frankfort.

This document is a catalog of reviews of computer software suitable for use in vocational agriculture programs. The reviews were made by vocational agriculture teachers in Kentucky. The reviews cover software on the following topics: farm management, crop production, livestock production, horticulture, agricultural mechanics, general agriculture,…

Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization for Smallholders: What Is It and How Can We Implement It?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brian Sims

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Smallholder farmers are the main producers of the world’s food and they will have to increase production by up to 100 percent by 2050 to feed the growing population. This must be achieved while preserving natural resources and that is why sustainable agricultural mechanization (SAM will be fundamental to the process. SAM is climate-smart and environmentally benign and essentially means no-till conservation agriculture, which requires specific mechanization inputs. Principally, these are seeders and planters capable of penetrating soil surface vegetative cover to deposit seed and fertilizer at the required depth and spacing; and equipment for management of cover crops and weeds. Mechanization is required not only for crop production, but also for processing and along the entire value chain. Mechanization inputs are usually expensive and so specialist service provision will be the indicated way forward. This will need collaboration from both the private and public sectors and will involve public-private partnerships to be developed in one form or another. Given the poor track record of public sector mechanization provision, the delivery of SAM should be firmly in the hands of the private sector that should be committed to SAM principles or otherwise be incentivized to the concept through smart subsidies. Improved information flows via smallholder farmer-friendly innovation platforms; and continuing development and testing of SAM technologies via regional centres of excellence will both be required—especially for sub-Saharan Africa.

Evaluation of alternative school feeding models on nutrition, education, agriculture and other social outcomes in Ghana: rationale, randomised design and baseline data.

Science.gov (United States)

Gelli, Aulo; Masset, Edoardo; Folson, Gloria; Kusi, Anthoni; Arhinful, Daniel K; Asante, Felix; Ayi, Irene; Bosompem, Kwabena M; Watkins, Kristie; Abdul-Rahman, Lutuf; Agble, Rosanna; Ananse-Baden, Getrude; Mumuni, Daniel; Aurino, Elisabetta; Fernandes, Meena; Drake, Lesley

2016-01-20

'Home-grown' school feeding programmes are complex interventions with the potential to link the increased demand for school feeding goods and services to community-based stakeholders, including smallholder farmers and women's groups. There is limited rigorous evidence, however, that this is the case in practice. This evaluation will examine explicitly, and from a holistic perspective, the simultaneous impact of a national school meals programme on micronutrient status, alongside outcomes in nutrition, education and agriculture domains. The 3-year study involves a cluster-randomised control trial designed around the scale-up of the national school feeding programme, including 116 primary schools in 58 districts in Ghana. The randomly assigned interventions are: 1) a school feeding programme group, including schools and communities where the standard government programme is implemented; 2) 'home-grown' school feeding, including schools and communities where the standard programme is implemented alongside an innovative pilot project aimed at enhancing nutrition and agriculture; and 3) a control group, including schools and households from communities where the intervention will be delayed by at least 3 years, preferably without informing schools and households. Primary outcomes include child health and nutritional status, school participation and learning, and smallholder farmer income. Intermediate outcomes along the agriculture and nutrition pathways will also be measured. The evaluation will follow a mixed-method approach, including child-, household-, school- and community-level surveys as well as focus group discussions with project stakeholders. The baseline survey was completed in August 2013 and the endline survey is planned for November 2015. The tests of balance show significant differences in the means of a number of outcome and control variables across the intervention groups. Important differences across groups include marketed surplus, livestock income

Assessment of Computer Technology Availability, Accessibility and Usage by Agricultural Education Student Teachers in Secondary Schools in Botswana

Science.gov (United States)

Hulela, K.; Rammolai, M.; Mpatane, W.

2014-01-01

This study examines the availability, accessibility and usability of computer as a form of information and communication technologies (ICTs) by student teachers in secondary schools. 44 out of 51 student teachers of Agriculture responded to the questionnaire. Means and percentages were used to analyze the data to establish the availability,…

Diesel Consumption of Agriculture in China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shusen Gui

2012-12-01

Full Text Available As agricultural mechanization accelerates the development of agriculture in China, to control the growth of the resulting energy consumption of mechanized agriculture without negatively affecting economic development has become a major challenge. A systematic analysis of the factors (total power, unit diesel consumption, etc. influencing diesel consumption using the SECA model, combined with simulations on agricultural diesel flows in China between 1996 and 2010 is performed in this work. Seven agricultural subsectors, fifteen categories of agricultural machinery and five farm operations are considered. The results show that farming and transportation are the two largest diesel consumers, accounting for 86.23% of the total diesel consumption in agriculture in 2010. Technological progress has led to a decrease in the unit diesel consumption and an increase in the unit productivity of all machinery, and there is still much potential for future progress. Additionally, the annual average working hours have decreased rapidly for most agricultural machinery, thereby influencing the development of mechanized agriculture.

Effects of a Recruitment Workshop on Selected Urban High School Students' Self-Efficacy and Attitudes toward Agriculture as a Subject, College Major, and Career

Science.gov (United States)

Fraze, Lacee Brianne; Wingenbach, Gary; Rutherford, Tracy; Wolfskill, Lawrence A.

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine if selected high school students' participation in a summer agricultural communications workshop affected their self-efficacy and attitudes toward agriculture as a subject, college major, and/or as a career. Data were gathered from an accessible population (N = 145), from which a purposive sample (n = 94)…

Enhancing women’s participation in agricultural education in Afghanistan through distance education by the National Agricultural Education College (NAEC) Afghanistan

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sabri, Ayesha; Abdulrahimzai, S.; Witteveen, L.M.; Lie, R.; Meulen, Suzanne

2017-01-01

Agriculture dominates the Afghan economy, providing an income to 61% of the households. 44% of the labour force is engaged in agriculture and women make up to 65% of this labour force. One of the priorities of the Afghan government is to develop agricultural high-school education, vocational

An in-depth analysis of the physico-mechanical properties imparted by agricultural fibers and food processing residues in polypropylene biocomposites

Science.gov (United States)

Murdy, Rachel Campbell; Mak, Michelle; Misra, Manjusri; Mohanty, Amar K.

2015-05-01

The use of agricultural and food processing residues as potential reinforcements in plastics has been extensively studied. However, there is a large variation in the mechanical performance of agricultural fiber-based biocomposites due to different processing materials and parameters. An in-depth comparison of the resulting effect of the agricultural filler on the matrix is often not possible given the discrepancy in processing conditions. This study seeks to determine the intrinsic properties of agricultural fibers and food processing residues for their use in polypropylene biocomposites based on a standardization of experimental design. The effect of 25wt% loading of miscanthus, fall-and spring-harvest switchgrass, wheat straw, oat hull, soy hull, soy stalk, hemp and flax on the physico-mechanical properties of polypropylene biocomposites was investigated. The addition of fiber led to an improvement in flexural strength, flexural modulus, and tensile modulus, and a general decrease in tensile strength at yield, elongation at break and Izod impact strength. Scanning electron microscopy highlighted the interfacial adhesion, orientation and distribution of the fibers within the matrix, confirming that fiber length and dispersion within the matrix are positively correlated with mechanical properties. The crystallization of the polypropylene phase and a compositional analysis of the agricultural fibers and processing residues were also compared to offer insight into the effect of the filler's intrinsic properties on the resulting material performance.

An in-depth analysis of the physico-mechanical properties imparted by agricultural fibers and food processing residues in polypropylene biocomposites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murdy, Rachel Campbell; Mak, Michelle; Misra, Manjusri; Mohanty, Amar K.

2015-01-01

The use of agricultural and food processing residues as potential reinforcements in plastics has been extensively studied. However, there is a large variation in the mechanical performance of agricultural fiber-based biocomposites due to different processing materials and parameters. An in-depth comparison of the resulting effect of the agricultural filler on the matrix is often not possible given the discrepancy in processing conditions. This study seeks to determine the intrinsic properties of agricultural fibers and food processing residues for their use in polypropylene biocomposites based on a standardization of experimental design. The effect of 25wt% loading of miscanthus, fall-and spring-harvest switchgrass, wheat straw, oat hull, soy hull, soy stalk, hemp and flax on the physico-mechanical properties of polypropylene biocomposites was investigated. The addition of fiber led to an improvement in flexural strength, flexural modulus, and tensile modulus, and a general decrease in tensile strength at yield, elongation at break and Izod impact strength. Scanning electron microscopy highlighted the interfacial adhesion, orientation and distribution of the fibers within the matrix, confirming that fiber length and dispersion within the matrix are positively correlated with mechanical properties. The crystallization of the polypropylene phase and a compositional analysis of the agricultural fibers and processing residues were also compared to offer insight into the effect of the filler’s intrinsic properties on the resulting material performance

An in-depth analysis of the physico-mechanical properties imparted by agricultural fibers and food processing residues in polypropylene biocomposites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Murdy, Rachel Campbell; Mak, Michelle [Bioproducts Discovery and Development Centre, Department of Plant Agriculture, Crop Science Building, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1 (Canada); Misra, Manjusri; Mohanty, Amar K. [Bioproducts Discovery and Development Centre, Department of Plant Agriculture, Crop Science Building, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1 (Canada); School of Engineering, Thornbrough Building, University of Guelph, ON N1G 2W1 (Canada)

2015-05-22

The use of agricultural and food processing residues as potential reinforcements in plastics has been extensively studied. However, there is a large variation in the mechanical performance of agricultural fiber-based biocomposites due to different processing materials and parameters. An in-depth comparison of the resulting effect of the agricultural filler on the matrix is often not possible given the discrepancy in processing conditions. This study seeks to determine the intrinsic properties of agricultural fibers and food processing residues for their use in polypropylene biocomposites based on a standardization of experimental design. The effect of 25wt% loading of miscanthus, fall-and spring-harvest switchgrass, wheat straw, oat hull, soy hull, soy stalk, hemp and flax on the physico-mechanical properties of polypropylene biocomposites was investigated. The addition of fiber led to an improvement in flexural strength, flexural modulus, and tensile modulus, and a general decrease in tensile strength at yield, elongation at break and Izod impact strength. Scanning electron microscopy highlighted the interfacial adhesion, orientation and distribution of the fibers within the matrix, confirming that fiber length and dispersion within the matrix are positively correlated with mechanical properties. The crystallization of the polypropylene phase and a compositional analysis of the agricultural fibers and processing residues were also compared to offer insight into the effect of the filler’s intrinsic properties on the resulting material performance.

Global Journal of Agricultural Sciences

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Journal Homepage Image. Global Journal of Agricultural Sciences is aimed at promoting research in all areas of Agricultural Sciences including Animal Production, Fisheries, Agronomy, Processing and Agricultural Mechanization. Related ...

You Seize What Pops Up: A Qualitative Investigation of the Core Features of School-Based Agricultural Education Professional Development

Science.gov (United States)

Easterly, R.G., III.; Myers, Brian E.

2017-01-01

Desimone's core features of professional development (PD) guides the PD for teachers. The purpose of this study was to examine the PD practice of School-Based Agricultural Education (SBAE) teachers in the enthusiastic and growing career stage. Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with five teachers from five different states. The…

Adversity Quotient and Defense Mechanism of Secondary School Students

Science.gov (United States)

Nikam, Vibhawari B.; Uplane, Megha M.

2013-01-01

The present study was conducted to explore the relationship between Adversity Quotient (AQ) and Defense Mechanism (DM) of secondary school students. The aim of the study was to ascertain relationship between Adversity Quotient and Defense mechanism i. e. Turning against object (TAO), Projection (PRO), Turning against self (TAS), Principalisation…

Managing the agricultural calendar as coping mechanism to climate variability: A case study of maize farming in northern Benin, West Africa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rosaine N. Yegbemey

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Nowadays climate variability and change are amongst the most important threats to sustainable development, with potentially severe consequences on agriculture in developing countries. Among many available coping mechanisms, farmers adjust some of their farming practices. This article aims at exploring observed changes in the agricultural calendar as a response to climate variability in northern Benin. Interviews with local experts (agricultural extension officers and local leaders such as heads of farmer and village organisations and group discussions with farmers were organised. A household survey was also conducted on 336 maize producers to highlight the factors affecting decisions to adjust the agricultural calendar as a coping mechanism against climate variability. As a general trend, the duration of the cropping season in northern Benin is getting longer with slight differences among and within agro-ecological zones, implying a higher risk of operating under time-inefficient conditions. Farmers receive very limited support from agricultural extension services and therefore design their agricultural calendar on the basis of personal experience. Socio-economic characteristics, maize farming characteristics as well as farm location determine the decision to adjust the agricultural calendar. Consequently, providing farmers with climate related information could ensure a rational and time-efficient management of the agricultural calendar. Moreover, research and extension institutions should help in establishing and popularising clear agricultural calendars while taking into account the driving forces of behaviours towards the adjustment of farming practices as a climate variability response.

Climate Change and Agriculture: Can market governance mechanisms reduce emissions from the food system fairly and effectively?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Garnett, Tara

2012-05-15

Climate and agriculture are inextricably linked: the climate affects agricultural production and is itself affected by agricultural emissions. Agriculture is responsible for 30 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. How agriculture is practised therefore has significant potential for mitigating climate change, for providing food security and for improving the livelihoods of millions of food producers worldwide. There is growing interest in the use of market governance mechanisms for tackling climate change by giving the financial incentives to make the kinds of changes that are required. But how widely are these mechanisms being used in agriculture, and are they effective in reducing emissions? What impact do they have on adaptation and other aspects of sustainable development? Are they able to balance the competing demands of producers and consumers, the environment and food security? The key messages emerging from this study are that economic measures have a vital part to play within this regulatory context, but they need to be designed with care. To be effective, emissions from food production and consumption must be addressed together. If not, emissions reduced in one region will simply be displaced elsewhere. A balance needs to be struck by applying a mix of approaches – regulatory, economic, voluntary, and information: no single measure will be effective in achieving emissions reductions on its own. 'Soft' measures, such as voluntary agreements and information have a part to play in providing an enabling context for action, but they must be backed up by 'harder' regulatory or economic measures. Regulation, in the form of a cap on emissions, is a prerequisite for other market governance measures to function well. To be effective, MGMs need to consider the social, cultural and economic context within which they operate.

Future trends in agricultural engineering.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jongebreur, A.A.; Speelman, L.

1997-01-01

Beside traditional mechanical engineering, other engineering branches such as electronics, control engineering and physics play their specific role within the agricultural engineering field. Agricultural engineering has affected and stimulated major changes in agriculture. In the last decades

7 CFR 250.57 - Commodity schools.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Commodity schools. 250.57 Section 250.57 Agriculture... TERRITORIES AND POSSESSIONS AND AREAS UNDER ITS JURISDICTION National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and Other Child Nutrition Programs § 250.57 Commodity schools. (a) Categorization of commodity schools. Commodity...

Engaging Students in Constructive Youth-Adult Relationships: A Case Study of Urban School-Based Agriculture Students and Positive Adult Mentors

Science.gov (United States)

Bird, William A.; Martin, Michael J.; Tummons, John D.; Ball, Anna L.

2013-01-01

The purpose of this bounded single case study was to explore the day-to-day functioning of a successful urban school-based agriculture veterinary program. Findings indicated student success was a product of multiple youth-adult relationships created through communal environments. Adults served as mentors with whom students felt constant, caring…

The Development of a Curriculum for Renewable Energy: A Case Study of Charcoal Briquettes from Agricultural Residues for Environmental Literacy of Secondary School Students at Samaki Wittaya Municipality School

Science.gov (United States)

Klakayan, Jagree; Singseewo, Adisak

2016-01-01

This research aimed to (1) design a curriculum on Production of Charcoal Briquettes from Agricultural Residues, (2) implement the designed curriculum, and (3) study and compare the learning achievements of Matthayomsuksa 3 students at Samakee Wittaya Municipality School in terms of knowledge, learning skills, and participation in the production of…

Agricultural Education and Farming in Taiwan: A Study of the Graduates from Vocational and Technical Agriculture Programs.

Science.gov (United States)

Michigan State Univ., East Lansing. Dept. of Agricultural and Extension Education.

A research project studied the accomplishments of 399 of the 3,780 1982 and 1984 graduates from 6 senior vocational agriculture programs and 500 of the 2,661 1984 graduates from 2 technical agriculture institutes in Taiwan. Information was also provided from the graduates' schools and about older graduates from a 1975 study. Data were gathered…

Research Progress on the use of Plant Allelopathy in Agriculture and the Physiological and Ecological Mechanisms of Allelopathy.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Fang; Cheng, Zhihui

2015-01-01

Allelopathy is a common biological phenomenon by which one organism produces biochemicals that influence the growth, survival, development, and reproduction of other organisms. These biochemicals are known as allelochemicals and have beneficial or detrimental effects on target organisms. Plant allelopathy is one of the modes of interaction between receptor and donor plants and may exert either positive effects (e.g., for agricultural management, such as weed control, crop protection, or crop re-establishment) or negative effects (e.g., autotoxicity, soil sickness, or biological invasion). To ensure sustainable agricultural development, it is important to exploit cultivation systems that take advantage of the stimulatory/inhibitory influence of allelopathic plants to regulate plant growth and development and to avoid allelopathic autotoxicity. Allelochemicals can potentially be used as growth regulators, herbicides, insecticides, and antimicrobial crop protection products. Here, we reviewed the plant allelopathy management practices applied in agriculture and the underlying allelopathic mechanisms described in the literature. The major points addressed are as follows: (1) Description of management practices related to allelopathy and allelochemicals in agriculture. (2) Discussion of the progress regarding the mode of action of allelochemicals and the physiological mechanisms of allelopathy, consisting of the influence on cell micro- and ultra-structure, cell division and elongation, membrane permeability, oxidative and antioxidant systems, growth regulation systems, respiration, enzyme synthesis and metabolism, photosynthesis, mineral ion uptake, protein and nucleic acid synthesis. (3) Evaluation of the effect of ecological mechanisms exerted by allelopathy on microorganisms and the ecological environment. (4) Discussion of existing problems and proposal for future research directions in this field to provide a useful reference for future studies on plant

Research progress on the use of plant allelopathy in agriculture and the physiological and ecological mechanisms of allelopathy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fang eCheng

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Allelopathy is a common biological phenomenon by which one organism produces biochemicals that influence the growth, survival, development, and reproduction of other organisms. These biochemicals are known as allelochemicals and have beneficial or detrimental effects on target organisms. Plant allelopathy is one of the modes of interaction between receptor and donor plants and may exert either positive effects (e.g., for agricultural management, such as weed control, crop protection, or crop re-establishment or negative effects (e.g., autotoxicity, soil sickness, or biological invasion. To ensure sustainable agricultural development, it is important to exploit cultivation systems that take advantage of the stimulatory / inhibitory influence of allelopathic plants to regulate plant growth and development and to avoid allelopathic autotoxicity. Allelochemicals can potentially be used as growth regulators, herbicides, insecticides and antimicrobial crop protection products. Here, we reviewed the plant allelopathy management practices applied in agriculture and the underlying allelopathic mechanisms described in the literature. The major points addressed are as follows: (1 Description of management practices related to allelopathy and allelochemicals in agriculture. (2 Discussion of the progress regarding the mode of action of allelochemicals and the physiological mechanisms of allelopathy, consisting of the influence on cell micro- and ultra-structure, cell division and elongation, membrane permeability, oxidative and antioxidant systems, growth regulation systems, respiration, enzyme synthesis and metabolism, photosynthesis, mineral ion uptake, protein and nucleic acid synthesis. (3 Evaluation of the effect of ecological mechanisms exerted by allelopathy on microorganisms and the ecological environment. (4 Discussion of existing problems and proposal for future research directions in this field to provide a useful reference for future studies on

Agro-Science Journal of Tropical Agriculture, Food, Environment ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

PC USER

1Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension Technology, School of Agriculture and ... farmers redeemed with agro-inputs under the electronic-wallet initiative of the Growth Enhancement Support ... allocative role of price following distortion created by ... the development of a private sector distribution channel.

Examining Another Source of Recruitment for Agriculture Education Teachers

OpenAIRE

Smith, Colten

2018-01-01

The school-based agricultural education (SBAE) profession has been suffering with a shortage of qualified agriculture teachers for more than 40 years (Smith, Lawver, & Foster, 2016; Kantrovich, 2010). Each year, agriculture programs across the country are unable to find enough qualified agriculture teachers to meet the demand, and some agriculture programs have shut down as a result. This shortage has led to the inability for programs to grow and expand, which means less opportunities for stu...

77 FR 6776 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request-National School...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-02-09

..., mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology. Comments... be directed to Steven Carlson at 703-305-2017. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: National School... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Food and Nutrition Service Agency Information Collection Activities...

Academic PHD School at Faculty of Agriculture in Tirana, Albania.

Science.gov (United States)

Bijo, B; Hoda, A; Thamaj, F

2010-01-01

Agricultural University of Tirana (AUT) is one of 12 public Universities in Albania. There are five Faculties within AUT. The study courses in AUT except of Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, are organized in three levels. Courses of the first level offer the fundamental knowledge. The students at the end of this cycle own 180 credits and obtain a first level diploma. In the second level study courses, the students get deeper theoretical and practical knowledge and modules are spread across 120 credits. At the end of this level the students obtain a second level diploma, according to the study course. In FVM, the study courses are organized as integrated program of second level that is spread across 300 credits. The students, who have finished the first level course, may go further in "Master of First level" for a professional training, where they do obtain 60 credits. The program of third cycle includes the courses of "Master of Second level" and the programs of PhD. The course of "Master of second level" is offered to the students who have achieved a Diploma of Second Level, and the students get deeper knowledge of scientific and professional character and do obtain at least 60 credits. PhD programs have totally an academic character. The principal aspect is the research and independent scientific activity. This program can be followed by the students who have a diploma of second level, or a diploma of "Master of Second level". The PhD program is organized in four years. The first year, consists of theoretical knowledge of the students. The second year is mainly research. The third year is research, data manipulation, publications, oral presentations and the last year is compilation of PhD thesis, its presentation and defense. Here is presented newly established doctoral school at Faculty of Agriculture and Environment.

When Public Acts Like Private: The Failure of Estonia's School Choice Mechanism

Science.gov (United States)

Poder, Kaire; Lauri, Triin

2014-01-01

This article aims to show the segregating effect of the market-like matching of students and schools at the basic school level. The natural experiment case is Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. The current school choice mechanism applied in this case is based on entrance tests. There are increasingly over-subscribed intra-catchment area public…

ORGANIZATIONAL AND ECONOMIC ASSUMPTIONS OF IMPROVEMENT INNOVATIVE MECHANISM OF UKRAINIAN AGRICULTURAL SECTOR

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O. Bogdan

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The article analyzes the structure of the potential of innovative development of the of ukrainian agroindustrial sector. There was studied scientific potential and agribusiness production capacity in order to identify significant disparities hamper scientific and industrial cooperation. The author considers the market and the state priorities of innovation and constructed cross-section. The recommendations for areas of improvement of the innovative development organizational-economic mechanism of the sector, which will enhance the competitiveness of agribusiness sector, providing a high level of scientific and technological development of the agricultural sector as one of the priorities in Ukraine.

Agricultural Multifunctionality Evolution and Research into Issues concerning Agriculture,Countryside and Farmers

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

LIU Xin

2012-01-01

From the point of view of agricultural civilization, the history of human civilization is the history of the development of the agricultural civilization. Accompanied by social progress and development of the times, the function of agriculture also experiences the expansion and deepening. In terms of economy, there is a process from mechanized farming to industrialization, then to informatization, modernization and internationalization. The great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation has also experienced and witnessed this process. In terms of "agriculture, countryside and farmers", the content is complex, diverse, profound, sharp, and changing, constantly testing and challenging our wisdom. When the Document No.1 in 2007 targeted modern agriculture, it indicated that new connotation was integrated into agricultural multifunctionality, standing at a new starting point. At present, the function of agriculture is still deepening; there are tremendous achievements and outstanding problems concurrently in issues concerning agriculture, countryside and farmers. We take the agricultural multifunctionality as breakthrough point for exploration and research.

Agricultural Education and Extension Services in Subsaharan Africa ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Impressive progress in the science of agriculture and food production has helped significantly in feeding the world's growing population over the past 50 years. Surprisingly, major challenges still remain. Though formal education or schooling and the cognitive skills it helps to develop, contributes to agricultural production ...

Agricultural Experiences as Correlates of Secondary School ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

info

medicine, agricultural engineering, fishery, animal/livestock production, forestry among others. ..... implies poultry management, fishery production and cashew farming were related to ..... Manual for career decision, Self-efficacy and CDSE.

St Vincent Youth and Careers in Agriculture

Science.gov (United States)

Webster, Nicole; Ganpat, Wayne

2014-01-01

Purpose: Given the ageing farming population in the Caribbean and the importance of agriculture to economy, there is cause for concern about the future of farming. This study seeks to explore the extent to which students pursuing agriculture in secondary schools in St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) were likely to engage in farming as well as…

Development paths of China's agricultural Pharmaceutical industry under Eco-agriculture background.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jinkai; Gong, Liutang; Ji, Xi; Zhang, Jin; Miao, Pei

2014-07-01

Using pesticides has double effects. On one hand, it contributes to pests control and regulates the growth of crops; On the other hand, it does harm to the environment. To develop ecological agriculture should not only emphasize the output level of agriculture to pursuit of economic efficiency, but also need to keep the ecological environment protected and focus on the social benefits during the development of the industry. As a large agricultural country in the world, China is vigorously promoting the development of ecological agriculture, which is bound to put forward to developing the pesticide industry and green ecological development requirements to promote the transformation and upgrading of agricultural pharmaceutical industry. This paper discusses the mechanism of pesticide pollution on the ecological environment and analyzes China's agricultural problems in the pharmaceutical industry. Then study on the development of Chinese green pesticides and try to find the proper paths of agricultural pharmaceutical to achieve industrial upgrading.

THERMO-MECHANICAL PULPING AS A PRETREATMENT FOR AGRICULTURAL BIOMASS FOR BIOCHEMICAL CONVERSION

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Ronalds W. Gonzalez

2011-03-01

Full Text Available The use of thermo-mechanical pulping (TMP, an existing and well known technology in the pulp and paper industry, is proposed as a potential pretreatment pathway of agriculture biomass for monomeric sugar production in preparation for further fermentation into alcohol species. Three agricultural biomass types, corn stover, wheat straw, and sweet sorghum bagasse, were pretreated in a TMP unit under two temperature conditions, 160 ºC and 170 ºC, and hydrolyzed using cellulase at 5, 10, and 20 FPU/g OD biomass. Wheat straw biomass was further pretreated at different conditions including: i soaking with acetic acid, ii longer steaming residence time (15 and 30 min, and iii refined at lower disk gap (0.0508 and 0.1524 mm. Preliminary results showed that carbohydrate conversion increased from 25% to 40% when the TMP temperature was increased from 160 to 170 ºC. Carbohydrate conversion was relatively similar for the three biomasses under the same pretreatment conditions and enzyme loading. Acetic acid soaking and refining at a reduce disk gap increases carbohydrate conversion. Further studies within this technological field to identify optimum process and TMP conditions for pretreatment are suggested.

3rd School on Attractor Mechanism

CERN Document Server

SAM 2007; The Attractor Mechanism: Proceedings of the INFN-Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati School 2007

2010-01-01

This book is based upon lectures presented in June 2007 at the INFN-Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati School on Attractor Mechanism, directed by Stefano Bellucci. The symposium included such prestigious lecturers as S. Ferrara, M. Gunaydin, P. Levay, and T. Mohaupt. All lectures were given at a pedagogical, introductory level, which is reflected in the specific "flavor" of this volume. The book also benefits from extensive discussions about, and related reworking of, the various contributions. In addition, this volume contains contributions originating from short presentations of rece

Determining the Effects of Cognitive Style, Problem Complexity, and Hypothesis Generation on the Problem Solving Ability of School-Based Agricultural Education Students

Science.gov (United States)

Blackburn, J. Joey; Robinson, J. Shane

2016-01-01

The purpose of this experimental study was to assess the effects of cognitive style, problem complexity, and hypothesis generation on the problem solving ability of school-based agricultural education students. Problem solving ability was defined as time to solution. Kirton's Adaption-Innovation Inventory was employed to assess students' cognitive…

Enhancing Linkages Between Healthy Diets, Local Agriculture, and Sustainable Food Systems: The School Meals Planner Package in Ghana.

Science.gov (United States)

Fernandes, Meenakshi; Galloway, Rae; Gelli, Aulo; Mumuni, Daniel; Hamdani, Salha; Kiamba, Josephine; Quarshie, Kate; Bhatia, Rita; Aurino, Elisabetta; Peel, Francis; Drake, Lesley

2016-12-01

Interventions that enhance linkages between healthy diets and local agriculture can promote sustainable food systems. Home-grown school feeding programs present a promising entry point for such interventions, through the delivery of nutritious menus and meals. To describe the adaptation of the School Meals Planner Package to the programmatic and environmental reality in Ghana during the 2014 to 2015 school year. Guided by a conceptual framework highlighting key considerations and trade-offs in menu design, an open-source software was developed that could be easily understood by program implementers. Readily available containers from markets were calibrated into "handy measures" to support the provision of adequate quantities of food indicated by menus. Schools and communities were sensitized to the benefits of locally sourced, nutrient-rich diets. A behavior change communication campaign including posters and songs promoting healthy diets was designed and disseminated in schools and communities. The School Meals Planner Package was introduced in 42 districts in Ghana, reaching more than 320 000 children. Monitoring reports and feedback on its use were positive, demonstrating how the tool can be used by planners and implementers alike to deliver nutritious, locally-sourced meals to schoolchildren. The value of the tool has been recognized at the highest levels by Ghana's government who have adopted it as official policy. The School Meals Planner Package supported the design of nutritious, locally sourced menus for the school feeding program in Ghana. The tool can be similarly adapted for other countries to meet context-specific needs. © The Author(s) 2016.

Promoting Smallholder Adoption of Conservation Agriculture through Mechanization Services

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brian Sims

2017-07-01

Full Text Available The importance of conservation agriculture (CA is discussed in the context of producing food for a growing population while, at the same time, conserving and improving the natural resource base: sustainable crop production intensification. CA requires mechanization, and the necessary equipment may be beyond the reach of the majority of smallholder farmers, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. A logical solution to this situation is to provide CA mechanization services from private sector entrepreneurs. These will be well-equipped with appropriate CA equipment and will usually benefit from specific training on the technical aspects of CA machinery operation and on the business skills needed to run a profitable venture. The technical skills to be reinforced include: equipment selection, calibration of planters, seeders and sprayers, field operation, maintenance and repair. Business skills needed include: market research and feasibility studies, business planning, calculation of operational costs, partial budgets, break-even points and cash flows. The case is made for local manufacture to reduce the costs of machinery acquisition and to encourage local adaptation. Start-up costs are discussed together with the options of obtaining finance. Guidelines for marketing and managing the mechanization service provision business are developed. These include the importance of contracts, work planning, regular maintenance schedules and record keeping. Finally the most appropriate vehicle for delivering the training and sustaining support is considered. Formal training courses are a good starting point, but can be expensive to organize and execute. Individual counselling from extension sources is a viable option when the quality of the service is high enough. Study groups of involved entrepreneurs should be encouraged and supported to overcome the problems that will inevitably arise in new business ventures.

Agricultural Mechanization in Ethiopian: Experience, Status and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

friew

Maize and Sorghum are planted in April and the field operation continues till small .... story, no doubt that they have served in filing the gap in agricultural production, .... depressed yield as they will not be able to use the whole growing period.

Mechanisms of innovative self-development of regional business school

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Anatoliy Viktorovich Molodchik

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Within the modern version of «Management 2.0» the approaches to the development of nonlinear starting mechanisms and maintenance of innovative self-development of organization on the example of regional business school are considered. It is noted that there are some possible models of behavior of regional business school among which the model focused on the activation of internal sources of development of the organization and its readiness to act as an infrastructure element of initiation of the self-development processes on the basis of openness, subjectivity and partnership. The business landscape of points of revitalization, results of initiation of activity and partnership form with the central concerned parties is offered. The effective partnership with science, authority, professional associations and business allows to create essentially new decisions for customer satisfaction. So, partner interaction with the client organizations is presented by new technology of joint creation of values in the form of project-focused training of innovative leaders and criteria of an assessment of its strategic productivity. The strategy of cultivating of mechanisms accepted by business school — attractors of innovative self-development is aimed at the formation of organization developing business — models of the new type typical for «2C-systems» (self-development and self-organizing systems.

Salvador Dalí's paintings to introduce Quantum Mechanics concepts in High School

OpenAIRE

Rúbia de Fátima Antunes Martins Fernandes; Flaviston Ferreira Pires; Thaís Cyrino de Mello Forato; José Alves da Silva

2017-01-01

A few papers have presented results of teaching Quantum Mechanics in High School. As a high abstraction level is demanded, it is necessary to reconsider theoretical assumptions, approaches and methodologies, in order to reduce difficulties in its insertion. This paper presents the achievements of a research, which is a didactic proposal for High School comprising discussions about Quantum Mechanics, involving elements that relate Physics and some paintings of Salvador Dalí. Embracing the rela...

[Ecological agriculture: future of Good Agriculture Practice of Chinese materia medica].

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Lan-ping; Zhou, Liang-yun; Mo, Ge; Wang, Sheng; Huang, Lu-qi

2015-09-01

Based on the ecological and economic problems in Good Agriculture Practice (GAP) of Chinese material medica, we introduced the origin, concept, features and operative technology of eco-agriculture worldwide, emphasizing its modes on different biological levels of landscape, ecosystem, community, population, individual and gene in China. And on this basis, we analyzed the background and current situation of eco-agriculture of Chinese materia medica, and proposed its development ideas and key tasks, including: (1) Analysis and planning of the production pattern of Chinese material medica national wide. (2) Typical features extraction of regional agriculture of Chinese materia medica. (3) Investigation of the interaction and its mechanism between typical Chinese materia medica in each region and the micro-ecology of rhizosphere soil. (4) Study on technology of eco-agriculture of Chinese materia medica. (5) Extraction and solidification of eco-agriculture modes of Chinese materia medica. (6) Study on the theory of eco-agriculture of Chinese materia medica. Also we pointed out that GAP and eco-agriculture of Chinese material medica are both different and relative, but they are not contradictory with their own features. It is an irresistible trend to promote eco-agriculture in the GAP of Chinese material medica and coordinate ecological and economic development.

A Survey of Automotive Mechanics Programs in the Philadelphia Public Schools. Report No. 8701.

Science.gov (United States)

Chern, Hermine J.; And Others

During March and April of 1986, the three members of the Career Education Evaluation Unit of the Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) School District interviewed 29 automotive mechanics teachers working at nine comprehensive high schools, two vocational technical schools, and two skills centers. The interviews focused on the implementation of standardized…

Mechanization of Conservation Agriculture for Smallholders: Issues and Options for Sustainable Intensification

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brian Sims

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Conservation agriculture (CA is an increasingly adopted production system to meet the goals of sustainable crop production intensification in feeding a growing world population whilst conserving natural resources. Mechanization (especially power units, seeders, rippers and sprayers is a key input for CA and smallholder farmers often have difficulties in making the necessary investments. Donors may be able to provide mechanization inputs in the short term, but this is not a sustainable solution as a machinery input supply chain needs to be built up to continue availability after external interventions cease. Local manufacture should be supported, as was the case in Brazil, but this is a slow development process, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. A more immediate solution is to equip and train CA service provision entrepreneurs. With the right equipment, selected for the needs of their local clientele, and the right technical and business management training, such entrepreneurs can make a livelihood by supplying high quality CA and other mechanization services on a fully costed basis. Elements of the required training, based on extensive field experience, are provided. To catalyse the growth of CA providers’ business, the market can be stimulated for an initial period by issuing e-vouchers for services and inputs.

Execution of Educational Mechanical Production Programs for School Children

Science.gov (United States)

Itoh, Nobuhide; Itoh, Goroh; Shibata, Takayuki

The authors are conducting experience-based engineering educational programs for elementary and junior high school students with the aim to provide a chance for them to experience mechanical production. As part of this endeavor, we planned and conducted a program called “Fabrication of Original Magnet Plates by Casting” for elementary school students. This program included a course for leading nature laws and logical thinking method. Prior to the program, a preliminary program was applied to school teachers to get comments and to modify for the program accordingly. The children responded excellently to the production process which realizes their ideas, but it was found that the course on natural laws and logical methods need to be improved to draw their interest and attention. We will continue to plan more effective programs, deepening ties with the local community.

Assessment Of Schools In Agricultural Program As A Strategy For ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

It is suggested that there is a need for government to develop partnership with private and non-governmental organizations for financial support specifically for rural youth agricultural programs. Keywords: Agricultural program, technology transfer, Poverty alleviation. Global Approaches to Extension Practice Vol. 2 (2) 2006: ...

Tree Care Service--Branching Out in Vocational Agriculture

Science.gov (United States)

Morton, Ray

1977-01-01

A one-semester course in arboriculture in the vocational agriculture department of the Livermore and Amador Valley High School Districts, Pleasanton, California, is teaching high school and adult students to climb, prune, and care for landscape trees. An abbreviated course outline and the needs for community cooperation in the course are given.…

Testing the effectiveness of network governance mechanisms to foster ambidexterity of agricultural innovation networks in East and Central Africa

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pérez Perdomo, Silvia Andrea; Farrow, Andrew; Trienekens, Jacques H.; Omta, Onno S.W.F.; Velde, van der Gerben

2017-01-01

We tested three innovation network governance mechanisms for exploring and exploiting innovation opportunities. We analysed household-level panel data from agricultural innovation networks in Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda. We found that first-order governed networks

The Development Model Electronic Commerce of Regional Agriculture

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Jun; Cai, Lecai; Li, Hongchan

With the developing of the agricultural information, it is inevitable trend of the development of agricultural electronic commercial affairs. On the basis of existing study on the development application model of e-commerce, combined with the character of the agricultural information, compared with the developing model from the theory and reality, a new development model electronic commerce of regional agriculture base on the government is put up, and such key issues as problems of the security applications, payment mode, sharing mechanisms, and legal protection are analyzed, etc. The among coordination mechanism of the region is discussed on, it is significance for regulating the development of agricultural e-commerce and promoting the regional economical development.

Is scratch-cooking a cost-effective way to prepare healthy school meals with US Department of Agriculture foods?

Science.gov (United States)

Woodward-Lopez, Gail; Kao, Janice; Kiesel, Kristin; Lewis Miller, Markell; Boyle, Maria; Drago-Ferguson, Soledad; Braff-Guajardo, Ellen; Crawford, Patricia

2014-09-01

Despite the resurgence of interest in scratch-cooking as a way to increase the quality and appeal of school meals, many school districts are concerned about the cost implications of switching to scratch-cooking. US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Foods are the single largest source of ingredients for school meals, and about half of USDA Foods are diverted for processing before being sent to the school district. We aimed to determine whether school lunch entrées made in a district from basic or raw USDA Foods ingredients can be healthier and less expensive to prepare than those sent to external processors. This cross-sectional study examined the relationship between the extent of scratch-cooking and the nutritional content and cost to prepare entrées. Information was gathered by interview with school foodservice personnel and from school foodservice records from a convenience sample of 10 school districts in California that employed varying degrees of scratch-cooking and is diverse in terms of geographic location and the sociodemographics of the student body. The sample included all elementary school lunch entrées that contain USDA Foods offered during October 2010 for a total sample of 146 entrées. Ordinary least squares regressions were used to test for statistically significant differences in cost and nutrient content of entrées according to the level of scratch-cooking. There was no significant relationship between total costs and level of scratch-cooking. Entrées with the highest scratch-cooking scores had significantly lower food costs, higher labor costs, and not significantly different total costs compared with entrées with no scratch-cooking. Nutrient content was not consistently associated with scratch-cooking, but scratch-cooked entrées did include a larger variety of non-fast-food-type entrées. The findings suggest that scratch-cooking can be a cost-effective way to expand the variety of healthy school lunches prepared with USDA Foods

School Nutrition Directors' Perspectives on Flavored Milk in Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Yon, Bethany A.; Johnson, Rachel K.; Berlin, Linda

2013-01-01

The offering of flavored milk in schools is a controversial topic. U.S. Department of Agriculture regulations now require that flavored milk in schools is fat-free. The perceptions, beliefs, and attitudes of 21 school nutrition directors (SNDs) about the offering and student acceptance of lower-calorie, flavored milk were explored using a focus…

Mathematics Efficacy and Professional Development Needs of Wyoming Agricultural Education Teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Haynes, J. Chris; Stripling, Christopher T.

2014-01-01

School-based agricultural education programs provide contextualized learning environments for the teaching of core academic subject matter. This study sought to examine the mathematics efficacy and professional development needs of Wyoming agricultural education teachers related to teaching contextualized mathematics. Wyoming agricultural…

Barriers to Conducting Supervised Agricultural Experiences as Perceived by Preservice Agricultural Education Teachers

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J. Joey Blackburn

2014-10-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this descriptive study was to assess preservice agriculture teachers’ perceptions of the importance of Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE and their views on barriers to conducting SAE. A census of the sophomore-level agricultural education course at Oklahoma State University was conducted to measure perceptions at the beginning and end of the course. This study was framed upon Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behavior. Results indicated that preservice teachers perceived SAE was an important component of agricultural education and important at the secondary school they attended. The greatest barrier to conducting SAE was their lack of familiarity with newer SAE categories. This was true at both the beginning and end of the course. It is recommended that preservice teachers receive instruction on and experiences in all types of SAE. This would increase the likelihood of preservice teachers perceiving they have control over this barrier regarding SAE implementation. This cohort of preservice teachers should be surveyed over time to determine change in their perceptions of barriers to SAE implementation as they progress in the agricultural education program and through their careers. Further, the views of in-service teachers should also be assessed to determine if perceived barriers differ with professional experience.

The Effect of No Agricultural Productivity Growth on Future Land Use and Climate through Biogeophysical Mechanisms

Science.gov (United States)

Davies-Barnard, T.; Valdes, P. J.; Singarayer, J. S.; Jones, C.

2012-12-01

Future land use and the consequent land cover change will have a significant impact on future climate through biogeophysical (albedo, surface roughness and latent heat transfer, etc.) as well as biogeochemical (greenhouse gas emissions etc.) mechanisms. One of the major determinants of the extent of land use induced land cover change is the agricultural productivity growth within the socio-economic models used for developing the RCP scenarios. There are considerable uncertainties in the size of agricultural productivity under climate change, as yields are projected to vary spatially in signal and strength. Previous climate modeling work has considered the impacts to the carbon cycle of different levels of agricultural productivity growth, but has failed to consider the biogeophysical effects of the land use induced land cover change on climate. Here we examine the climate impacts of the assumption of agricultural productivity growth and business as usual land use. The effects are considered through the biogeophysical land use induced land cover change, using the Hadley Centre climate model HadGEM2. The model simulations use the set biogeochemical climate forcing of the RCP 4.5 scenario, but the biogeophysical land use change specification is altered over a 100 year simulation. Simulations are run with combinations of no land use change; standard RCP 4.5 land use change; business as usual land use change; and zero agricultural productivity growth. The key effect of no agricultural productivity growth is that more cropland is required to feed the same population, necessitating cropland expansion. The expansion of cropland and consequent deforestation increases the albedo and gives an extensive cooling effect in the northern hemisphere (up to 2°C). Differences in global mean temperature between the zero agricultural productivity growth with business as usual land use change specified run and the standard RCP 4.5 run are -0.2°C by 2040 and -0.7°C by 2100. There is

Research on Supply Chain Coordination of Fresh Agricultural Products under Agricultural Insurance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhang Pei

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Based on the fact that the current fresh agricultural products are susceptible to natural risks and the coordination of supply chain is poor, This paper constructs the supply chain profit model under the two models of natural risk and agricultural insurance, Firstly, studying the coordination function of the supply chain system under Two-part Tariff; Then discussing the setting and claiming mechanism of agricultural insurance, compares the influence of agricultural insurance on supply chain profit and supply chain coordination; Finally, giving an example to validate the model results and give decision - making opinions. Research shows that the supply chain of fresh agricultural products can coordinated under Two-part Tariff, but the supply chain cooperation is poor in the natural risk , need to further stabilize and optimize the supply chain; When the risk factor is less than the non-participation insurance coefficient, not to participate in agricultural insurance is conducive to maintaining the coordination of the supply chain system; When the risk coefficient exceeds the non-participation insurance coefficient, the introduction of agricultural insurance can not only effectively manage the natural risks, but also help to improve the coordination of the supply chain system.

The Capacity-Building Stewardship Model: assessment of an agricultural network as a mechanism for improving regional agroecosystem sustainability

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Alison J. Duff

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Working lands have potential to meet agricultural production targets while serving as reservoirs of biological diversity and as sources of ecological services. Yet agricultural policy creates disincentives for this integration of conservation and production goals. While necessary, the development of a policy context that promotes agroecosystem sustainability will take time, and successful implementation will depend on a receptive agricultural audience. As the demands placed on working lands grow, there is a need for regional support networks that build agricultural producers' capacity for land stewardship. We used a social-ecological system framework to illustrate the Healthy Grown Potato Program as an agricultural network case study. Our Capacity-Building Stewardship Model reflects a 20-year experience working in collaboration with potato growers certified under an ecolabel in Wisconsin, USA. The model applies an evolving, modular farm stewardship standard to the entire farm - croplands and noncroplands. The model demonstrates an effective process for facilitating communication and shared learning among program participants, including agricultural producers, university extension specialists, nonprofit conservation partners, and industry representatives. The limitation of the model in practice has been securing funding to support expansion of the program and to ensure that the ecolabel standard is responsive to changes in the social-ecological system. Despite this constraint, the Capacity-Building Stewardship Model reveals an important mechanism for building regional commitment to conservation, with agricultural producers in a leadership role as architects, adopters, and advocates for stewardship behavior. Our experience provides important insight for the application of agri-environment schemes on private lands. The durability of a conservation ethic on working farms is likely to be enhanced when networks engage and support producers in an

The physiological and biochemical mechanism of nitrate-nitrogen removal by water hyacinth from agriculture eutrophic wastewater

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

WU Wenwei

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Large amount of agriculturl wastewater containing high level nitrate-nitrogen (NO3 --N is produced from modern intensive agricultural production management due to the excessive use of chemical fertilizers and livestock scale farming. The hydroponic experiment of water hyacinth was conducted for analyzing the content of NO3 --N, soluble sugar content, N-transported the amino acid content and growth change in water hyacinth to explore its purification ability to remove NO3 --N from agriculture eutrophic wastewater and physiological and biochemical mechanism of this plant to remove NO3 --N. The results showed that the water hyacinth could effectively utilize the NO3 --N from agriculture eutrophic wastewater. Compared with the control, the contents of NO3 -change to NO3 --N in the root, leaf petiole and leaf blade of water hyacinth after treatment in the wastewater for a week was significantly higher than that in the control plants treated with tap water, and also the biomass of water hyacinth increased significantly, indicating that the accumulation of biomass due to the rapid growth of water hyacinth could transfer some amount of NO3 --N.13C-NMR analysis confirmed that water hyacinth would convert the part nitrogen absorbed from agriculture eutrophic wastewater to ammonia nitrogen, which increased the content of aspartic acid and glutamic acid, decreased the content of soluble sugar, sucrose and fructose and the content of N-storaged asparagine and glutamine, lead to enhance the synthesis of plant amino acids and promote the growth of plants. These results indicate that the nitrate in agriculture eutrophic wastewater can be utilized by water hyacinth as nitrogen nutrition, and can promote plant growth by using soluble sugar and amide to synthesis amino acids and protein.

Science at Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute, 1868-1893

Science.gov (United States)

Tucker, Linda Bart

Science had a variety of uses at Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute, a private, missionary school supported by northern whites and Virginia's black land grant school from 1872 to 1920. Samuel Chapman Armstrong, principal for the first twenty-five years (1868-1893), advocated not classical but scientific studies, primarily as applied science to improve lives and "civilize" blacks and Indians. Agriculture and mechanics were practiced in Hampton's industries, where students worked their way through school. They were organized for production rather than instruction, though Armstrong claimed that labor had a moral value and that practical experience was valuable learning. In contrast to works by James D. Anderson and Donald Spivey, this study stresses the pragmatic, business purposes of Hampton's industries rather than any ideological agenda. Problems with providing specialized facilities, apparatus, and teachers made it difficult for Hampton to provide rigorous, graded science instruction. Students learned of practical applications of science in agricultural lectures and in such classes as physiology. However, the curriculum was designed for teacher training, using broad, elementary science for general knowledge, to train minds, and to make adult remedial language lessons more effective. Not surprisingly, very few graduates pursued careers which required more than general science studies. Besides the utilitarian and disciplinary purposes, Hampton used science to discourage superstitious ideas in religion. Armstrong also argued for racially distinctive education for blacks and Indians on the basis of scientific ideas about cultural evolution and inheritance of the experience of past generations. In practice, however, Hampton teachers adapted mainstream tools and methods of instruction. Not all teachers shared Armstrong's racial views, and several demonstrated concern for students, confidence in their ability, and professional interest in advancing them as

Assessment of Knowledge and Competences in Agricultural Engineering Acquired by the Senior Secondary School Students for Farm Mechanisation

Science.gov (United States)

Ndem, Joseph; Ogba, Ernest; Egbe, Benjamin

2015-01-01

This study was designed to assess the agricultural engineering knowledge and competencies acquired by the senior secondary students for farm mechanization in technical colleges in Ebonyi state of Nigeria. A survey research design was adopted for the study. Three research questions and two null hypotheses guided the study. The population of the…

Developmental Research of Off-Farm Agricultural Businesses in Berks County, Pennsylvania. Final Report.

Science.gov (United States)

Berks County Schools, Reading, PA.

Student vocational interest and agricultural business surveys were conducted in Berks County, Pennsylvania to gauge career opportunities in off-farm agricultural occupations. The seven categories of businesses surveyed included agriculture supplies, agriculture mechanics, horticulture mechanics, floriculture, landscaping, turf, and garden center…

[Effects of agricultural practices on community structure of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in agricultural ecosystem: a review].

Science.gov (United States)

Sheng, Ping-Ping; Li, Min; Liu, Run-Jin

2011-06-01

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are rich in diversity in agricultural ecosystem, playing a vital role based on their unique community structure. Host plants and environmental factors have important effects on AM fungal community structure, so do the agricultural practices which deserve to pay attention to. This paper summarized the research advances in the effects of agricultural practices such as irrigation, fertilization, crop rotation, intercropping, tillage, and pesticide application on AM fungal community structure, analyzed the related possible mechanisms, discussed the possible ways in improving AM fungal community structure in agricultural ecosystem, and put forward a set of countermeasures, i.e., improving fertilization system and related integrated techniques, increasing plant diversity in agricultural ecosystem, and inoculating AM fungi, to enhance the AM fungal diversity in agricultural ecosystem. The existing problems in current agricultural practices and further research directions were also proposed.

MODERN FEATURES OF TAXATION OF AGRICULTURAL ENTERPRISES OF UKRAINE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Burkovskaya A.

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. Permanent changes in tax legislation and a significant share of the cost structure of agricultural enterprises for taxes on payment of taxes determine the special importance of the correct decision while choosing a system of taxation. Today, for Ukraine, the issue of developing a mechanism that would define new and more effective principles of taxation of agricultural producers is particularly relevant. Purpose. The purpose of the article is to study changes in taxation of agricultural producers over the last few years, to identify the peculiarities and problems of taxation of agricultural enterprises in Ukraine, and to determine how the state supports agriculture. Results. In this article, the system of tax burden on agricultural enterprises of Ukraine is considered: tax rates, mechanisms and types of taxes to be paid by agrarian enterprises. The methods and instruments of tax regulation in the agrarian sector and their gradual change over the last few years have been analyzed. A schematic diagram of the changes of the special regime in taxation in 2016-2017 years has been constructed. The alternative ways of supporting agricultural commodity producers by means of subsidy programs are presented. The flaws of tax innovations in agriculture are substantiated. The importance of state regulation of the agrarian sector of the economy through the tax mechanisms has been confirmed. Conclusion. Conclusions are made regarding to the modern state of the system of taxation of agrarian enterprises and the consequences of increasing the tax burden for taxpayers of the IV group of the single tax. Taking into account changes in the agrarian sector and the economy as a whole, the agricultural taxation system requires serious reforms, including in terms of eliminating tax problems for different categories of agricultural producers. However, taxation in agriculture, where there are specific economic conditions, should stimulate producers, which

Transformation of the structure professions in higher agricultural schools of Siberia at the end of 1950-s – beginning of 1990-s

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Petrik Valeriy V.

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The article reveals the transformations happened to the specialties structure in Higher agricultural education of Siberia at the end of the 1950s-the beginning of the 1990s. On the basis of archive documents there were analyzed the measures taken by central administrative structures, local authorities and the academic staff of the region for further development and perfection of major organization departments in eight agricultural institutes and their branches. It is stated that to the end of the period reviewed the number of faculties and specialties in Siberian agricultural higher educational institutions rose two times in comparison with the beginning of the period. Some of the agricultural institutes and their branches showed the rise in three or four times. In consequence of the measures they raised the number of specialists trained in Agronomics, Livestock engineering, Mechanics, Power engineering, Veterinary, Economics, for rapidly developing branches of regional agriculture. The article is intended to people interested in history of Higher education in Russia.

POLISH FARM MACHINERY MARKET AFTER ACCESSION TO THE EUROPEAN UNION – PRODUCTION AND SUPPLY OF MEANS OF AGRICULTURAL MECHANIZATION

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Jan Pawlak

2014-09-01

Full Text Available After accession to the EU in 2004 the demand for tractors and agricultural implements has grown, followed by increasing supply of them. In 2012, the supply of brand-new agricultural tractors was by 185.4% higher than in 2003. In 2012 the value of renovation index of tractor fleet in agriculture was by 149.3% higher than in 2003. In spite of significant increase of demand for tractors, their production in 2012 was by 39.2% lower than in 2003. The downfall in number of tractors produced in Poland caused that imported tractors achieved more and more important share in supplies on Polish market. In 2003 the share of imports amounted to 64.0% and in 2012 – 91.4%. Production of most other means of agricultural mechanization was in 2012 higher than in 2003. The increase in a case of manure spreaders amounted to 704.3%; self loading or unloading agricultural tractor trailers – 362.1%; fertilizer spreader – 335.2%; field sowing machines – 245.3%; pick-up balers – 222.1% and harvester threshers – 194.8. Decreases were noted in cases of steamers – by 73.3%; potato planters – by 49.7%; harrows other than disc ones – by 42.2%; potato diggers – by 31.2% and rototillers – by 22.8%.

Agricultural research conducted after Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant accident. An approach integrating all of the departments and facilities in Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, the University of Tokyo

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakanishi, Tomoko M.

2012-01-01

After Fukushima nuclear power plant accident, more than 40 academic staffs at Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The Univ. of Tokyo, have been conducted agricultural research integrating all of the departments and facilities. They were divided into several groups, such as grain, animal stock, fishery, trees, wild lives, etc. The agricultural research is highly related to nature itself; therefore, cooperative research gathering several kinds of researchers is needed. For example, to analyze the radioactive accumulation in rice, not only rice breeding researcher but also soil researcher, water management researcher, etc. are needed to discuss the movement or pathway of radioactive nuclides in the field. We found that the fallout was adsorbed at the surface of anything expanded and exposed to the air at the time of the accident, such as soil surface, plant leaves, tree trunks, etc. The adsorption comes stronger with time so that the radioactivity in soil does not move downward any more after several months, in spite of much rain. In the case of plants, the radioactivity still remains as dots on the surface of the tissue and it is very difficult to remove the nuclides even by washing with acids. Mushrooms were found to accumulate high radioactivity, not only the fallout from Fukushima's accident but also the fallout in 1960's after nuclear test bomb. (author)

Assessment of Changes in School Nutrition Programs and the School Environment as a Result of Following the HealthierUS School Challenge Program

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Jennifer S.; Bednar, Carolyn; DiMarco, Nancy M.; Connors, Priscilla L.

2012-01-01

Purpose/Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine changes in school nutrition programs and the school environment as reported by school nutrition directors who are following the U.S. Department of Agriculture's HealthierUS School Challenge (HUSSC) program. The objective was to determine before and after changes in the average lunch…

THE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT AND THE CURRENT LEVEL IN EDUCATIONAL FORMATION FOR OLT COUNTY AGRICULTURE

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Emil MARINESCU

2013-10-01

Full Text Available The work seeks to underscore its correlative aspect of business initiatives and labor force training from Olt County rural areas. The high schools and alumni structure analysis for the agricultural and veterinary profile of Olt County, shows a variation in the number of agricultural high schools, but an annual discrepancy between the students enrolled number and the graduates number. Simultaneously, from the holdings dimension analysis, it can be seen the accented character of a subsistence agriculture. In the analysis performed it may also be indicated the farming business manifestation / rural areas. Through all these, it can be synthesized the fact that business development in agriculture is related to the need to monitor the total business entrepreneurs evolution, along with their training level.

Why Agriculture Teachers Leave: A National Examination of Turnover Intentions and Work-Family Conflict

Science.gov (United States)

Sorensen, Tyson J.; McKim, Aaron J.; Velez, Jonathan J.

2016-01-01

Using data from a random sample of secondary school agriculture teachers in the United States, this study explored the work-family conflict and turnover intentions of agriculture teachers. Additionally, this study sought to determine the relationship between work-family conflict and turnover intentions among agriculture teachers. Work-family…

Leadership Learning Opportunities in Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources Education: The Role of The Teacher

Science.gov (United States)

McKim, Aaron J.; Pauley, C. M.; Velez, Jonathan J.; Sorensen, Tyson J.

2017-01-01

Learning environments combining agriculture, food, natural resources, and leadership knowledge and skills are increasingly essential in preparing students for future success. School-based agricultural education offers a premier context in which to teach leadership within agriculture, food, and natural resources curriculum. However, providing…

Understanding the Mechanism behind Maternal Imprisonment and Adolescent School Dropout

Science.gov (United States)

Cho, Rosa M.

2011-01-01

This study empirically tested 3 mechanisms commonly suggested to disadvantage youths whose mothers are incarcerated in prison. An event history analysis of school dropout was conducted on a sample of 6,008 adolescents in a large city created by merging several Illinois state administrative data. Findings revealed that adolescents are indeed at…

An Evaluation of Taiwan Vocational and Technical Education Programs in Agriculture.

Science.gov (United States)

Meaders, O. Donald; Chi-ho, Hu

Presented in both English and Chinese, this study of the system of agricultural education in Taiwan secondary and postsecondary schools resulted from the author's five-month stay in Taiwan and subsequent visits. Focus of the study is on evaluation of Taiwan's vocational agriculture education programs with information about students, faculties,…

Mechanisms of action of fungi and bacteria used as biofertilizers in agricultural soils : a systematic review

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Sara Paulina Restrepo-Correa

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Phosphorus, nitrogen, iron and potassium are some compounds necessary for plant growth and development; chemical fertilizers used to increase concentration significantly affect the environment and soil ecosystems. According to the scientific literature, microorganisms with biofertilizer potential have demonstrated various mechanisms of action to solubilize these compounds and thus meet the requirements of plants. This systematic review collects scientific information that describes the mechanisms of action of microbial fertilizers in agricultural soils, published between 2004 and 2014, in three different databases; ScienceDirect, SpringerLink and Scopus,using the search path (biofertilizer AND (bacteria OR fungi AND (effect OR action OR mechanism. After using different inclusion and exclusion criteria, the search displayed a total of 63 original articles, including six unindexed documents. As a result of the systematic review, it indicates that the production of various organic acids allows soil acidification, facilitating absorption of elements. It was also observed that solubilization of P is the most described mechanism, by obtaining a solubilizing of 726.5 mg/L of P due to P. pseudoalcaligenes

Teacher Opinions on the Innovation Management Skills of School Administrators and Organizational Learning Mechanisms

Science.gov (United States)

Omur, Yunus Emre; Argon, Turkan

2016-01-01

Problem Statement: In modern society, schools, just as other institutions, are required to be innovative organizations. For this purpose, they must not only be learning organizations, they must also be innovative. In this sense, the purpose of this study is to discover the relationship between organizational learning mechanisms at schools and…

School farming and school feeding in Nakuru town, Kenya : practice and potential

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Foeken, D.W.J.; Owuor, S.

2007-01-01

Most research on urban agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa has concentrated on farming by individual urban households, while farming by urban institutions has been largely overlooked. Probably the most prevalent and important type of institutional urban agriculture is school farming, the focus of this

75 FR 32699 - Schools and Libraries Universal Service Support Mechanism, A National Broadband Plan for Our Future

Science.gov (United States)

2010-06-09

...-83] Schools and Libraries Universal Service Support Mechanism, A National Broadband Plan for Our... internal connections for schools and libraries serving impoverished populations. Finally, the [[Page 32700... rules. Needs and Uses: The existing information collection requires schools and libraries to report on...

Determination of Dosimetric Parameters of the Second Model of Pd-103 Seed Manufactured at Agricultural, Medical and Industrial Research School

OpenAIRE

Gholamreza Raisali; Mahdi Sadeghi; Vahideh Ataeinia; Arjang Shahvar; Maryam Ghasemi Ghonchehnazi

2008-01-01

Introduction: The use of low energy isotopes such as  103 Pd in brachytherapy for the treatment of cancers  such as prostate, eye, head, neck, breast and cervix is increasing. In this regard, different models of Pd- 103  seeds  have  been  designed  and  manufactured  at  the  Agricultural,  Medical  and  Industrial  Research  School (AMIRS) of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran. In this research, the dosimetric parameters of  the second model of Pd-103 seed manufactured at AMIRS have been ca...

Definition of the Peculiarities of the Agricultural Education in General Education Institutions

Science.gov (United States)

Fedorov, Gavriil Mikhailovich

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study is to construct a model of the development of the agricultural school in accordance with modern educational requirements ensuring the improvement of conditions, processes, and the content of agricultural education. Modern approaches to constructing the model of the organization of educational activities at agricultural…

The role of universities in the provision of corporate social responsibility and ethics teaching in the agricultural sector

OpenAIRE

Moon, C. J.; Gebbels, Joseph

2016-01-01

Few industries have as direct a link between economics and the environment as the agricultural industry (Diebel, 2008) and as such this paper analyses the CSR and ethics teaching in agricultural schools in four English speaking countries. \\ud \\ud The four countries have distinct policy and cultural differences with regards to areas such as environmental protection, animal welfare and the use of biotechnology. \\ud \\ud The study analyses the differences between agricultural schools by means of ...

Economic Impacts and Program Involvement in Agricultural Mechanics Competition Projects in Texas

Science.gov (United States)

Hanagriff, Roger D.; Rayfield, John; Briers, Gary; Murphy, Tim

2014-01-01

Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) is a well-documented, valuable, and integral part of agricultural education programs (Bryant, 2003; Cheek, Arrington, Carter, & Randall, 1994; Deyoe, 1953; Dyer & Osborne, 1996; Moore, 1988; Roberts & Harlin, 2007). Cole and Connell (1993) found that there was little research regarding the…

BUSINESS PROCEDURES. AGRICULTURAL SUPPLY - SALES AND SERVICE OCCUPATIONS, MODULE NUMBER 6.

Science.gov (United States)

Ohio State Univ., Columbus. Center for Vocational and Technical Education.

THE PURPOSE OF THIS MODULE, ONE OF A SERIES DEVELOPED TO ASSIST TEACHERS TO TRAIN HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS FOR AGRICULTURAL SUPPLY OCCUPATIONS, IS TO DEVELOP ABILITY TO USE COMMON AGRICULTURAL BUSINESS PROCEDURES. IT WAS DEVELOPED BY A NATIONAL TASK FORCE ON THE BASIS OF DATA FROM STATE STUDIES. SECTIONS ARE (1) RECORDS IN BUSINESS, (2) SALES TICKETS…

Recruitment Strategies and Activities Used by Agriculture Teachers.

Science.gov (United States)

Myers, Brian E.; Dyer, James E.; Breja, Lisa M.

2003-01-01

The most frequent student recruitment strategies reported by 275 secondary agriculture teachers were (in order of effectiveness) feeder schools, personal contacts, FFA, publications, strong curriculum, support groups, and special events. Specific activities for each strategy were identified. (Contains 34 references.) (SK)

Assessment for English Language Education on the Programs at the Agricultural Engineering School of Madrid

Science.gov (United States)

Rodriguez Sinobas, Leonor; San José Martínez, Fernando; Hontoria, Kira; Adán, Angeles; Blanco, María; Calderón, Fernando; Carbonell, Victoria; Chaya, Carolina; Fondevila, Guillermo; González, Trinidad; Marín, Carmen; Mira, Sara; Molina, Antonio; Pereira, David; Quemada, Miguel; Ricote, Luis; Sánchez Monje, Rosa; Sanz, Alberto; Albir, Maria

2014-05-01

The convergence process among European academic degrees pursues the exchange of graduate students and the adaptation of university programs to social demand. Within the framework of the European Higher Education, European universities will need to be more competitive not only by increasing or maintaining the student enrolment, but also in their academic performance. Thus, the reinforcing of English language education within the University Programs might play an important role to reach these objectives. In this sense, a complete survey was accomplished at the Agricultural Egineering School of Madrid (ETSIA ) addressing issues such as: identification the needs for bilingual instruction at ETSIA, identification resources needed and interest and background in English language of students and professors (San José et al., 2013). The conclusions and recommendations to promote the bilingual instruction in the ETSIA, taking into account the approaches followed by other Spanish universities, are presented in this work.

How Did Agricultural Patterns Change in Serbia after the Fall of Yugoslavia?

Science.gov (United States)

Sibinovic, Mikica

2018-01-01

In this lesson plan that takes one class period to complete, high school students explore how political systems influence economic activity by comparing 1991 and 2012 agricultural patterns around the Serbian capital of Belgrade. This lesson provides an insight into the model of transformation of agriculture in Serbia, but a comparison of the…

Career Preparation in Agricultural Resources: A Curriculum Guide for High School Vocational Agriculture. Test Edition.

Science.gov (United States)

Householder, Larry

This curriculum guide in agricultural resources is one of 10 guides developed as part of a vocational project stressing agribusiness, natural resources, and environmental protection. The scope of this guide includes eight occupational subgroups: fish, forestry, mining area restoration, outdoor recreation, soil, range, water, and wildlife. It is…

Changes in agricultural carbon emissions and factors that influence agricultural carbon emissions based on different stages in Xinjiang, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Xiong, Chuanhe; Yang, Degang; Xia, Fuqiang; Huo, Jinwei

2016-11-10

Xinjiang's agricultural carbon emissions showed three stages of change, i.e., continued to rise, declined and continued to rise, during 1991-2014. The agriculture belonged to the "low emissions and high efficiency" agriculture category, with a lower agricultural carbon emission intensity. By using the logarithmic mean divisia index decomposition method, agricultural carbon emissions were decomposed into an efficiency factor, a structure factor, an economy factor, and a labour factor. We divided the study period into five stages based on the changes in efficiency factor and economy factor. Xinjiang showed different agricultural carbon emission characteristics at different stages. The degree of impact on agricultural carbon emissions at these stages depended on the combined effect of planting-animal husbandry carbon intensity and agricultural labour productivity. The economy factor was the critical factor to promote the increase in agricultural carbon emissions, while the main inhibiting factor for agricultural carbon emissions was the efficiency factor. The labour factor became more and more obvious in increasing agricultural carbon emissions. Finally, we discuss policy recommendations in terms of the main factors, including the development of agricultural science and technology (S&T), the establishment of three major mechanisms and transfer of rural labour in ethnic areas.

Explaining Strengthening Mechanisms, Institutional Orientations and Problematic Challenges of University Agricultural Research in Iran

Science.gov (United States)

Sharifzadeh, Aboulghasem; Abdollahzadeh, Gholamhossein

2009-01-01

According to empirical evidence and noted implications of sustainable agricultural development as a systemic and multi-actor process, integration of the research function of higher agricultural education in Iranian agricultural research systems seems to be an ongoing and considerable necessity. With the aim of identification and analysis of…

Review and prospect of nuclear technology agriculture application in Zhejiang province

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu Yanting; Xiong Lidong; Wu Qing; Jin Qingsheng

2012-01-01

The discipline development, main progress and achievements of nuclear agricultural sciences in past 50 years in Zhejiang Province were reviewed in the paper. The great progress were obtained in radiation mutation breeding and related heredity mechanism, radiation sterile insect technique and related molecular biology mechanism, the agricultural products storage and preservation of irradiation processing. There were remarkable achievements in isotope tracer technique for animal and plant physiology and biochemistry research and agricultural chemicals safety usage standard. There was also distinct progress in space mutation breeding. From now on, there will be a close combination for the nuclear agricultural sciences with the modern bio-technology and the information technology, which will unceasingly promote the nuclear agricultural sciences development. (authors)

Technical specifications for mechanical recycling of agricultural plastic waste.

Science.gov (United States)

Briassoulis, D; Hiskakis, M; Babou, E

2013-06-01

Technical specifications appropriate for the recycling of agricultural plastic wastes (APWs), widely accepted by the recycling industry were developed. The specifications establish quality standards to be met by the agricultural plastics producers, users and the agricultural plastic waste management chain. They constitute the base for the best economical and environmental valorisation of the APW. The analysis of the APW streams conducted across Europe in the framework of the European project "LabelAgriWaste" revealed the inherent characteristics of the APW streams and the inherent constraints (technical or economical) of the APW. The APW stream properties related to its recycling potential and measured during pilot trials are presented and a subsequent universally accepted simplified and expanded list of APW recycling technical specifications is proposed and justified. The list includes two sets of specifications, applied to two different quality categories of recyclable APW: one for pellet production process ("Quality I") and another one for plastic profile production process ("Quality II"). Parameters that are taken into consideration in the specifications include the APW physical characteristics, contamination, composition and degradation. The proposed specifications are focused on polyethylene based APW that represents the vast majority of the APW stream. However, the specifications can be adjusted to cover also APW of different materials (e.g. PP or PVC) that are found in very small quantities in protected cultivations in Europe. The adoption of the proposed specifications could transform this waste stream into a labelled commodity traded freely in the market and will constitute the base for the best economical and environmental valorisation of the APW. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A National Study of Work-Family Balance and Job Satisfaction among Agriculture Teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Sorensen, Tyson J.; McKim, Aaron J.; Velez, Jonathan J.

2016-01-01

This national study sought to extend previous research on the work-family balance (WFB) ability of secondary school agriculture teachers. We utilized data from a simple random sample of agriculture teachers to explore the relationships between work and family characteristics, WFB ability, and job satisfaction. Work role characteristics of interest…

A Food Systems Approach To Healthy Food And Agriculture Policy.

Science.gov (United States)

Neff, Roni A; Merrigan, Kathleen; Wallinga, David

2015-11-01

Food has become a prominent focus of US public health policy. The emphasis has been almost exclusively on what Americans eat, not what is grown or how it is grown. A field of research, policy, and practice activities addresses the food-health-agriculture nexus, yet the work is still often considered "alternative" to the mainstream. This article outlines the diverse ways in which agriculture affects public health. It then describes three policy issues: farm-to-school programming, sustainability recommendations in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and antibiotic use in animal agriculture. These issues illustrate the progress, challenges, and public health benefits of taking a food systems approach that brings together the food, agriculture, and public health fields. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

Analysis of Blended Learning Implementation on Waste Treatment Subjects in Agricultural Vocational School

Science.gov (United States)

Sugiarti, Y.; Nurmayani, S.; Mujdalipah, S.

2018-02-01

Waste treatment is one of the productive subjects in vocational high school in programs of Agricultural Processing Technology which is one of the objectives learning has been assigned in graduate competency standards (SKL) of Vocational High School. Based on case studies that have been conducted in SMK Pertanian Pembangunan Negeri Lembang, waste treatment subjects had still use the lecture method or conventional method, and students are less enthusiastic in learning process. Therefore, the implementation of more interactive learning models such as blended learning with Edmodo is one of alternative models to resolve the issue. So, the purpose of this study is to formulate the appropriate learning syntax for the implementation of blended learning with Edmodo to agree the requirement characteristics of students and waste treatment subject and explain the learning outcome obtained by students in the cognitive aspects on the subjects of waste treatment. This research was conducted by the method of classroom action research (CAR) with a Mc. Tagart model. The result from this research is the implementation of blended learning with Edmodo on the subjects of waste treatment can improve student learning outcomes in the cognitive aspects with the maximum increase in the value of N-gain 0.82, as well as student learning completeness criteria reaching 100% on cycle 2. Based on the condition of subject research the formulation of appropriate learning syntax for implementation of blended learning model with Edmodo on waste treatment subject are 1) Self-paced learning, 2) Group networking, 3) Live Event- collaboration, 4) Association - communication, 5) Assessment - Performance material support. In summary, implementation of blended learning model with Edmodo on waste treatment subject can improve improve student learning outcomes in the cognitive aspects and conducted in five steps on syntax.

Linguosemiotic Actualization of Agroengineering Signs in English and Russian Agricultural Discourse

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elena Aleksandrovna Sukhova

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Agro-discourse, or agricultural discourse, represents both a person-oriented and an institutional type of communication between the agricultural producers as participants in the agricultural sphere – one of the areas of production, processing and consumption of agricultural products (agronomy, crop production, horticulture, veterinary medicine, animal husbandry, mechanization and electrification of agriculture, land reclamation and irrigation of agricultural lands, environmental soil and water pollution, aqua and ichthiological culture. The cognitive model of this type of discourse organizes the entire aspect of agriculture as a semiotic formation comprising a significant part of human culture, and includes the appropriate chronotope, members (agents and customers – producers and consumers of agricultural products, tools, objects and conditions of cultivation, production, processing and consumption . Within the framework of this model we describe the linguosemiotic actualization of signs-pragmatonyms forming the system of concepts and nominations on agroindustrial themes in this discourse. The article describes the linguosemiotic actualization of one of the main types of signspragmatonyms – signs of agroengineering – in English and Russian agricultural discourse. These signs are qualified as signs-instrumentatives nominating the means of production and product operations (manipulations with real material objects for the purpose of their treatment or processing as the procedures of transformation to some agricultural products. The agroengineering signs-pragmatonyms, as one of the agricultural sectors, providing mechanized cultivation and processing of soil for sowing grain, harvesting, growing and harvesting of fruits and vegetables, as well as carrying out many other manipulations and operations with the help of technology, include the signs which gain linguosemiotic actualization in English and Russian agricultural discourse. First of

Polymers and its applications in agriculture

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Priscila Milani

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Graphical Abstract Abstract Polymers are a class of soft materials with numerous and versatile mechanical and chemical properties that can be tuned specific to their application. Agriculture is an expanding area due to the requirement for indispensable food to meet the demands of a growing global population. Consequently, development of technology to improve the quality of the soil and agriculture manages is still under development. Intelligent agricultural supplies (controlled or slow release agrochemicals and superabsorbents and biosorbents contribute to an expanding niche using technology from polymers. This review elucidates the state-of-the-art and will discuss some important aspects of using polymers in intelligent fertilizers, as well as superabsorbent, biosorbent and biodegradation processes in agriculture that are environmentally, technically, socially, and economically sustainable.

Improving Credit Allocation to Sustaiable Agriculture in Sub ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This development may be attributed to how these institutions rate the business of agriculture and the risks involved. However the slow pace of financing sustainable agriculture (biobased economy) in the presence of internationalization (Clean Development Mechanism CDM and voluntary carbon) needs to be analyzed.

Antibiotics Resistance in Rhizobium: Type, Process, Mechanism and Benefit for Agriculture.

Science.gov (United States)

Naamala, Judith; Jaiswal, Sanjay K; Dakora, Felix D

2016-06-01

The use of high-quality rhizobial inoculants on agricultural legumes has contributed substantially to the N economy of farming systems through inputs from biological nitrogen fixation (BNF). Large populations of symbiotically effective rhizobia should be available in the rhizosphere for symbiotic BNF with host plants. The rhizobial populations should also be able to compete and infect host plants. However, the rhizosphere comprises large populations of different microorganisms. Some of these microorganisms naturally produce antibiotics which are lethal to susceptible rhizobial populations in the soil. Therefore, intrinsic resistance to antibiotics is a desirable trait for the rhizobial population. It increases the rhizobia's chances of growth, multiplication and persistence in the soil. With a large population of rhizobia in the soil, infectivity of host plants and the subsequent BNF efficiency can be guaranteed. This review, therefore, puts together findings by various researchers on antibiotic resistance in bacteria with the main emphasis on rhizobia. It describes the different modes of action of different antibiotics, the types of antibiotic resistance exhibited by rhizobia, the mechanisms of acquisition of antibiotic resistance in rhizobia and the levels of tolerance of different rhizobial species to different antibiotics.

The Relationship between Career Technology Education and High School Graduation

Science.gov (United States)

Schimpf, Patricia Lynn Garnto

2011-01-01

This study examined the relationship between programs in Career Technology and Agriculture Education (CTAE) utilized by a school district in northern Georgia and the relative effect the programs had on high school graduation. Career technology and agriculture education (CTAE) programs engage students and prepare them for college or career…

Changes in agricultural carbon emissions and factors that influence agricultural carbon emissions based on different stages in Xinjiang, China

Science.gov (United States)

Xiong, Chuanhe; Yang, Degang; Xia, Fuqiang; Huo, Jinwei

2016-01-01

Xinjiang’s agricultural carbon emissions showed three stages of change, i.e., continued to rise, declined and continued to rise, during 1991–2014. The agriculture belonged to the “low emissions and high efficiency” agriculture category, with a lower agricultural carbon emission intensity. By using the logarithmic mean divisia index decomposition method, agricultural carbon emissions were decomposed into an efficiency factor, a structure factor, an economy factor, and a labour factor. We divided the study period into five stages based on the changes in efficiency factor and economy factor. Xinjiang showed different agricultural carbon emission characteristics at different stages. The degree of impact on agricultural carbon emissions at these stages depended on the combined effect of planting-animal husbandry carbon intensity and agricultural labour productivity. The economy factor was the critical factor to promote the increase in agricultural carbon emissions, while the main inhibiting factor for agricultural carbon emissions was the efficiency factor. The labour factor became more and more obvious in increasing agricultural carbon emissions. Finally, we discuss policy recommendations in terms of the main factors, including the development of agricultural science and technology (S&T), the establishment of three major mechanisms and transfer of rural labour in ethnic areas. PMID:27830739

Adaptation of knowledge systems to changes in agriculture and society: The case of the Netherlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Spiertz, J.H.J.; Kropff, M.J.

2011-01-01

Agricultural sciences developed in Europe from the middle of the 19th century onwards. In the Netherlands, a national agricultural research and education system was established in 1876. Initially, the emphasis was strongly on education and applied research. The higher professional school for

Multi-Domain SDN Survivability for Agricultural Wireless Sensor Networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Tao; Yan, Siyu; Yang, Fan; Liu, Jiang

2016-11-06

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) have been widely applied in agriculture field; meanwhile, the advent of multi-domain software-defined networks (SDNs) have improved the wireless resource utilization rate and strengthened network management. In recent times, multi-domain SDNs have been applied to agricultural sensor networks, namely multi-domain software-defined wireless sensor networks (SDWSNs). However, when the SDNs controlling agriculture networks suddenly become unavailable, whether intra-domain or inter-domain, sensor network communication is abnormal because of the loss of control. Moreover, there are controller and switch info-updating problems even if the controller becomes available again. To resolve these problems, this paper proposes a new approach based on an Open vSwitch extension for multi-domain SDWSNs, which can enhance agriculture network survivability and stability. We achieved this by designing a connection-state mechanism, a communication mechanism on both L2 and L3, and an info-updating mechanism based on Open vSwitch. The experimental results show that, whether it is agricultural inter-domain or intra-domain during the controller failure period, the sensor switches can enter failure recovery mode as soon as possible so that the sensor network keeps a stable throughput, a short failure recovery time below 300 ms, and low packet loss. Further, the domain can smoothly control the domain network again once the controller becomes available. This approach based on an Open vSwitch extension can enhance the survivability and stability of multi-domain SDWSNs in precision agriculture.

Multi-Domain SDN Survivability for Agricultural Wireless Sensor Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tao Huang

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Wireless sensor networks (WSNs have been widely applied in agriculture field; meanwhile, the advent of multi-domain software-defined networks (SDNs have improved the wireless resource utilization rate and strengthened network management. In recent times, multi-domain SDNs have been applied to agricultural sensor networks, namely multi-domain software-defined wireless sensor networks (SDWSNs. However, when the SDNs controlling agriculture networks suddenly become unavailable, whether intra-domain or inter-domain, sensor network communication is abnormal because of the loss of control. Moreover, there are controller and switch info-updating problems even if the controller becomes available again. To resolve these problems, this paper proposes a new approach based on an Open vSwitch extension for multi-domain SDWSNs, which can enhance agriculture network survivability and stability. We achieved this by designing a connection-state mechanism, a communication mechanism on both L2 and L3, and an info-updating mechanism based on Open vSwitch. The experimental results show that, whether it is agricultural inter-domain or intra-domain during the controller failure period, the sensor switches can enter failure recovery mode as soon as possible so that the sensor network keeps a stable throughput, a short failure recovery time below 300 ms, and low packet loss. Further, the domain can smoothly control the domain network again once the controller becomes available. This approach based on an Open vSwitch extension can enhance the survivability and stability of multi-domain SDWSNs in precision agriculture.

The cultivated agricultural environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eriksson, Aa.

1997-01-01

Local agricultural practices in the Nordic countries have resulted in a great diversity in agriculture in the Nordic countries. The diversities mean that in the event of contamination of agricultural land by radioactive fallout the consequences may differ greatly from region to region. For crops and soils contaminated directly by radioactive fallout there are five primary causes for concern, namely: 1. short-term internal contamination of man and animals through ingestion of surface-contaminated mature crops; 2. internal contamination of crops through foliar intake; 3. contamination of mature crops from resuspended soil; 4. direct irradiation of agricultural workers; 5. internal irradiation from inhalation of resuspended soil particulates. In the short-term, most of the radionuclides likely to be released to the atmosphere in the event of an accident have a potential to cause problems in agriculture and many have the potential for causing long-term problems. Generally, the magnitude of the problems created will depend on the: deposition mechanism (wet or dry); radionuclide composition of the fallout; type of farming system (i.e. arable or dairy); type of soil (for instance organic soils are more sensitive than mineral soils with respect to radiocaesium); state of development of the crop which in turn is determined by the season of the year. (EG)

The cultivated agricultural environment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eriksson, Aa [Swedish Univ. of Agricultural Sciences, Dept. of Radioecology (Sweden)

1997-10-01

Local agricultural practices in the Nordic countries have resulted in a great diversity in agriculture in the Nordic countries. The diversities mean that in the event of contamination of agricultural land by radioactive fallout the consequences may differ greatly from region to region. For crops and soils contaminated directly by radioactive fallout there are five primary causes for concern, namely: 1. short-term internal contamination of man and animals through ingestion of surface-contaminated mature crops; 2. internal contamination of crops through foliar intake; 3. contamination of mature crops from resuspended soil; 4. direct irradiation of agricultural workers; 5. internal irradiation from inhalation of resuspended soil particulates. In the short-term, most of the radionuclides likely to be released to the atmosphere in the event of an accident have a potential to cause problems in agriculture and many have the potential for causing long-term problems. Generally, the magnitude of the problems created will depend on the: deposition mechanism (wet or dry); radionuclide composition of the fallout; type of farming system (i.e. arable or dairy); type of soil (for instance organic soils are more sensitive than mineral soils with respect to radiocaesium); state of development of the crop which in turn is determined by the season of the year. (EG). 56 refs.

A Delphi Approach to the Preparation of Early-Career Agricultural Educators in the Curriculum Area of Agricultural Mechanics: Fully Qualified and Highly Motivated or Status Quo?

Science.gov (United States)

Saucier, P. Ryan; McKim, Billy R.; Tummons, John D.

2012-01-01

According to the National Research Agenda for Agricultural Education and Communication, preservice agriculture teacher education programs should "prepare and provide an abundance of fully qualified and highly motivated agricultural educators at all levels" (Osborne, 2007, 8). The lack of preparation of entry career agricultural educators…

Ecological mechanisms underlying the sustainability of the agricultural heritage rice-fish coculture system.

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Jian; Hu, Liangliang; Tang, Jianjun; Wu, Xue; Li, Nana; Yuan, Yongge; Yang, Haishui; Zhang, Jiaen; Luo, Shiming; Chen, Xin

2011-12-13

For centuries, traditional agricultural systems have contributed to food and livelihood security throughout the world. Recognizing the ecological legacy in the traditional agricultural systems may help us develop novel sustainable agriculture. We examine how rice-fish coculture (RF), which has been designated a "globally important agricultural heritage system," has been maintained for over 1,200 y in south China. A field survey demonstrated that although rice yield and rice-yield stability are similar in RF and rice monoculture (RM), RF requires 68% less pesticide and 24% less chemical fertilizer than RM. A field experiment confirmed this result. We documented that a mutually beneficial relationship between rice and fish develops in RF: Fish reduce rice pests and rice favors fish by moderating the water environment. This positive relationship between rice and fish reduces the need for pesticides in RF. Our results also indicate a complementary use of nitrogen (N) between rice and fish in RF, resulting in low N fertilizer application and low N release into the environment. These findings provide unique insights into how positive interactions and complementary use of resource between species generate emergent ecosystem properties and how modern agricultural systems might be improved by exploiting synergies between species.

Agriculture and greenhouse gases emissions reduction; Agriculture et reduction des emissions de gaz a effet de serre

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Leguet, B.

2005-09-15

In France, the agriculture is the third sector of greenhouse gases emitter. Meanwhile since 1990 this sector poorly reduces its greenhouse gases. It is necessary to find mechanisms which allow the valorization of emissions reduction. In this framework the author presents the specificities of the greenhouse gases emissions of the agricultural sector, the possible incentives of emissions reduction, the reduction projects in France and abroad. (A.L.B.)

Fostering Food citizenship through Farm-School Cooperation?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dyg, Pernille Malberg

investigated various farm-school cooperation models and the motivation, learning goals and values among farmers and teachers working together to promote children's understanding of food, nature, agriculture and sustainability. The study is based on four case studies and a review of Danish educational materials......Farm visits and closer collaboration between farmers and teachers through the school can enable children to get a direct understanding and potential interest in how their food is produced, the nature of agriculture and a relationship with a farmer as an authentic teacher and expert. In my study, I...... related to food, agriculture and sustainability as well as international research in this field...

Agricultural implications of the Fukushima nuclear accident

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakanishi, Tomoko M.

2016-01-01

More than 4 years has passed since the accident at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant. Immediately after the accident, 40 to 50 academic staff of the Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences at the University of Tokyo created an independent team to monitor the behavior of the radioactive materials in the field and their effects on agricultural farm lands, forests, rivers, animals, etc. When the radioactive nuclides from the nuclear power plant fell, they were instantly adsorbed at the site where they first touched; consequently, the fallout was found as scattered spots on the surface of anything that was exposed to the air at the time of the accident. The adsorption has become stronger over time, so the radioactive nuclides are now difficult to remove. The findings of our study regarding the wide range of effects on agricultural fields are summarized in this report

The Role of Teachers in Facilitating Mathematics Learning Opportunities in Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources

Science.gov (United States)

McKim, Aaron J.; Velez, Jonathan J.; Everett, Michael W.; Sorensen, Tyson J.

2017-01-01

Strengthening knowledge and skills in mathematics is critically important to preparing the next generation of innovators, problem solvers, and interdisciplinary thinkers. School-based agricultural education offers a valuable context to co-develop mathematics knowledge and skills alongside knowledge and skills in agriculture, food, and natural…

Classification,Hazards and Countermeasures of Agricultural Environmental Pollution Emergencies

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Xiaoming; CHUAI; Haixia; ZHOU; Jianping; ZHAO; Shubo; CHENG; Jiang; YU

2013-01-01

Agricultural environmental pollution emergencies have become a hot research topic because of the high incidence and influence depth.This paper introduces classification and features of agricultural environmental pollution emergencies:by pollutant type,it falls into organic pollution emergencies and inorganic pollution emergencies;by the approach of entering agricultural environment,it falls into water resource agricultural environmental pollution emergencies and non-water resource agricultural environmental pollution emergencies.Hazards of agricultural environmental pollution emergencies are analyzed from 4 perspectives:personal security,indirect loss,ecological environment and social stability.In view of the hazards,countermeasures are given to deal with the pollution emergencies as(i)establishing a risk evaluation mechanism for agricultural environment;(ii)enhancing the capacity of handling agricultural environmental pollution emergencies;(iii)introducing new management concepts for environmental emergencies,and cultivating keen emergency management consciousness.

Saline agriculture in Mediterranean environments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Albino Maggio

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Salinization is increasingly affecting world's agricultural land causing serious yield loss and soil degradation. Understanding how we could improve crop productivity in salinized environments is therefore critical to meet the challenging goal of feeding 9.3 billion people by 2050. Our comprehension of fundamental physiological mechanisms in plant salt stress adaptation has greatly advanced over the last decades. However, many of these mechanisms have been linked to salt tolerance in simplified experimental systems whereas they have been rarely functionally proven in real agricultural contexts. In-depth analyses of specific crop-salinity interactions could reveal important aspects of plant salt stress adaptation as well as novel physiological/agronomic targets to improve salinity tolerance. These include the developmental role of root vs. shoot systems respect to water-ion homeostasis, morphological vs. metabolic contributions to stress adaptation, developmental processes vs. seasonal soil salinity evolution, residual effects of saline irrigation in non-irrigated crops, critical parameters of salt tolerance in soil-less systems and controlled environments, response to multiple stresses. Finally, beneficial effects of salinization on qualitative parameters such as stress-induced accumulation of high nutritional value secondary metabolites should be considered, also. In this short review we attempted to highlight the multifaceted nature of salinity in Mediterranean agricultural systems by summarizing most experimental activity carried out at the Department of Agricultural Engineering and Agronomy of University of Naples Federico II in the last few years.

INFN-Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati School on the Attractor Mechanism 2009

CERN Document Server

4th School on Attractor Mechanism : Supersymmetric Gravity and Black Holes

2013-01-01

This book is based upon lectures presented in the summer of 2009 at the INFN-Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati School on Attractor Mechanism, directed by Stefano Bellucci. The symposium included such prestigious lecturers as S. Ferrara,  G. Dall'Agata, J.F. Morales, J. Simón and M. Trigiante. All lectures were given at a pedagogical, introductory level, which is reflected in the specific "flavor" of this volume. The book also benefits from extensive discussions about, and the related reworking of, the various contributions. It is the fifth volume in a series of books on the general topics of supersymmetry, supergravity, black holes and the attractor mechanism.

Physical, mechanical and hydration kinetics of particleboards manufactured with woody biomass (Cupressus lusitanica, Gmelina arborea, Tectona grandis), agricultural resources, and Tetra Pak packages.

Science.gov (United States)

Moya, Róger; Camacho, Diego; Oporto, Gloria S; Soto, Roy F; Mata, Julio S

2014-02-01

Lignocellulosic wastes resulting from agricultural activities as well as Tetra Pak residues from urban centres can cause significant levels of pollution. A possible action to minimize this problem is to use them in the production of particleboards. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the physical, mechanical, and hydration properties of particleboards manufactured with the mixture of woody biomass (Cupressus lusitanica, Gmelina arborea, and Tectona grandis) and either agricultural wastes [pineapple leaves (Ananas comosus) and palm residues (Elaeis guineensis)] or Tetra Pak residues (TP). The results show that the particleboards prepared with TP and woody biomass can reduce the swelling and water absorption in up to 40% and 50% compared with particleboards without TP. Also, these particleboards had increased flexure resistance and shear stress (up to 100%) compared with those without TP. On the contrary, particleboards prepared with pineapple leaves in combination with woody biomass showed the lowest mechanical properties, particularly for tensile strength, hardness, glue-line shear, and nail and screw evaluation.

Priority Directions of Improving the State Regulation of Agriculture Development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniela Konstantinovna Sanakoeva

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The article reviews primary directions for economical regulation of agriculture, for solving problems of insufficient funds of agricultural enterprises. Goals for development of agricultural economics growth and competitive abilities are determined, economical measures for governmental support are described as functions of system for development of agricultural market. The authors reveal the problems of innovational and optimizational model for development of agriculture, and system of state regulative and supportive measures for implementing the innovational model of development by consolidation of self-development mechanisms within revealing of inner economical reserves and activisation of “growth points” for resource potential. The mutual system dependence for mechanisms of taxes and subsidiaries and their influence on budget and socio-economical externalities are analyzed. It is substantiated that the state regulation of agricultural markets must take into account low incomes of small agricultural business, not allowing to accumulate necessary funds for starting cooperation. Due to that, the article specially reviews issues of loan availableness for small agricultural enterprises, including private farmings, peasant farms and cooperatives created by them, and, for this goal, the issues of marketing effectiveness for production of such small forms of agriculture are further reviewed. As a result of research, the authors discovered the necessity for government support of socially important businesses in agriculture, which are not of high profitability and, due to that, are not attractive for investors, but are necessary for saving the traditional rural lifestyle and maintaining important social functions for sustainable development.

Agriculture: Agriculture and Air Quality

Science.gov (United States)

Information on air emissions from agricultural practices, types of agricultural burning, air programs that may apply to agriculture, reporting requirements, and links to state and other federal air-quality information.

Charles Dick: Agricultural Regulation in Santa Cruz, 1930- 1967

OpenAIRE

Regional History Project, UCSC Library; Dick, Charles; Jarrell, Randall

1997-01-01

This is the oral history of the late county agricultural commissioner, who traces the history of California's unique system of agricultural regulation and inspection, which dates from the 1880s. Dick's overview of county agriculture includes the increasing importance of pesticide regulation (which is currently a very debated issue in the strawberry industry); mechanization, changes in local crops and acreages, farm labor and unionization, and the demise of the family farm.

[Schools meals in French secondary state schools: compliance to national recommendations and schools catering patterns].

Science.gov (United States)

Bertin, M; Lafay, L; Calamassi-Tran, G; Volatier, J-L; Dubuisson, C

2011-02-01

Recent reports on the lack of nutritional quality of meals served in schools have led public authorities to draft, in 1999, recommendations for restoring a balanced food supply. Following the survey carried out by the French food safety Agency in 2005-2006, which highlighted gaps in the implementation of these recommendations, a law passed in July 2010 plans to make these recommendations mandatory, as their 2007 revised version. Thus, the objective of this study was to assess initial school compliance with regard to this last revised version of the recommendations and to identify school patterns through their catering management and implication in a dietary project. Seven hundred and seven secondary state schools were questioned (570 were administrated by the Ministry of Education and 137 by the Ministry of Agriculture) on their catering practices. Twenty consecutive menus from each school were also analyzed with a specific coding system to establish its nutritional composition for comparison with the 2007 recommendations. On average, schools complied with half of the recommendations. Good compliance was observed with the 2007 recommendations concerning fried products, starchy foods, fruits, and dairy products whereas very few schools were in compliance with recommendations concerning fish, cheeses and sweetened desserts containing less than 15 % fat and more than 20 g of sugar per portion. Furthermore, compliance with recommendations was significantly better for lunch meals, and even better for agricultural establishments. A 5-component meal was also associated with greater compliance with the recommendations. In addition, four school patterns were identified based on catering management practices. The first two categories of establishments had knowledge of the recommendations but exhibited different levels of application. The last two types of establishments had no knowledge of the recommendations and differed in their catering management practices. Compliance

Factors related to in-house agricultural animal caseloads in US veterinary teaching hospitals.

Science.gov (United States)

Tyler, Jeff W; Miller, Robert B; Constable, Peter D; Hostetler, Douglas E; Lakritz, Jeff; Hardin, David K; Angel, Kenneth L; Wolfe, Dwight F

2002-01-01

A retrospective observational study was conducted to determine whether agricultural animal caseloads at veterinary teaching hospitals declined between 1995 and 1998. Thereafter, the effect of organizational and demographic factors on 1998 in-house agricultural animal caseloads was examined. Caseload data were obtained from the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges. Demographic and organizational data were obtained by surveys, telephone interviews, and web-based resources. Complete data were available from 25 veterinary colleges, and data from these schools were used in subsequent analyses. In 1998, in-house food animal caseload decreased relative to 1995 in 17 schools and increased relative to 1995 in 8 schools. This trend was not significant (P = .053); however, the power of the test was limited (.50). Mean 1998 caseload was 886 +/- 504. Among schools with a discipline-based organizational structure, annual mean caseload was 464 +/- 220. Among schools with a species-based organizational structure, mean caseload was 1,167 +/- 463. The regression model that best predicted caseload was a forward-stepping model that included only organizational structure as an independent variable. No additional independent variable was significantly associated with caseload.

Model Driven Software Development for Agricultural Robotics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Morten

The design and development of agricultural robots, consists of both mechan- ical, electrical and software components. All these components must be de- signed and combined such that the overall goal of the robot is fulfilled. The design and development of these systems require collaboration between...... processing, control engineering, etc. This thesis proposes a Model-Driven Software Develop- ment based approach to model, analyse and partially generate the software implementation of a agricultural robot. Furthermore, Guidelines for mod- elling the architecture of an agricultural robots are provided......, assisting with bridging the different engineering disciplines. Timing play an important role in agricultural robotic applications, synchronisation of robot movement and implement actions is important in order to achieve precision spraying, me- chanical weeding, individual feeding, etc. Discovering...

PROFIT-MAXIMIZING PRINCIPLES, INSTRUCTIONAL UNITS FOR VOCATIONAL AGRICULTURE.

Science.gov (United States)

BARKER, RICHARD L.

THE PURPOSE OF THIS GUIDE IS TO ASSIST VOCATIONAL AGRICULTURE TEACHERS IN STIMULATING JUNIOR AND SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT THINKING, UNDERSTANDING, AND DECISION MAKING AS ASSOCIATED WITH PROFIT-MAXIMIZING PRINCIPLES OF FARM OPERATION FOR USE IN FARM MANAGEMENT. IT WAS DEVELOPED UNDER A U.S. OFFICE OF EDUCATION GRANT BY TEACHER-EDUCATORS, A FARM…

Ukraine Agricultural Land Market Formation Preconditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Evgen Dankevych

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The theoretical land relations reforming principles were reviewed.Land relations in agriculture transformation process was studied. The land use features were detected and agricultural land use efficiency analysis was conducted.Ukraine land market formation research problems results have been shown. It was established that private land ownership institution ambiguous attitude, rent relations deformation, lack of the property rights ensure mechanism inhibit the land market development. Sociological research of Ukrainian Polesie region to determine the prerequisites for agricultural land marketformation preconditions has been conducted. 787 respondents from Zhytomyr, Rivne and Volyn regions were interviewed. Land shares owners age structure, their distribution by education level, their employment, land shares owners and agricultural enterprises executives to the agricultural land sale moratorium cancellation attitudes, land purchase financial resources, directions of Ukrainian Polissya region land shares use, shares owners land issues level of awareness have been determined during the research. Was substantiated that agricultural land market turnover includes not only land sale moratorium cancellation but also the adoption of the legislative framework and the appropriate infrastructure development, one of the key elements of which is land relations regulation specialized state agency – State Land Bank.

BIODYNAMIC AGRICULTURE - ECO-FRIENDLY AGRICULTURAL PRACTICE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Veselka Vlahova

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Biodynamic agriculture is undoubtedly the oldest organized agricultural movement in the world. It is considered as an organic agricultural farming approach and determined as the oldest organized alternative agricultural movement in the world. In 1924 Rudolf Steiner – an Austrian natural scientist and philosopher, carried out a series of eight lectures in Koberwitz, currently Kobierzyce- Poland, where he formulated his visions on changes in agriculture and revealed his spiritual and scientific concepts about the connection between nature and agriculture by determining the important role of agriculture for the future of humanity and thus he became known as “the father of anthroposophy”. The great ecological effect of the application of the biodynamic agriculture is expressed in soil preservation and preservation of the living organisms in the soil, as well as maintenance of the natural balance in the vegetable and animal kingdom.

Teaching the foundations of quantum mechanics in secondary school: a proposed conceptual structure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria de los Angeles Fanaro

2009-03-01

Full Text Available This paper is part of a doctoral thesis that investigates Basic Quantum Mechanics (QM teaching in high school. A Conceptual Structure of Reference (CSR based on the Path Integral Method of Feynman (1965 was rebuilt and a Proposed Conceptual Structure for Teaching (PCST (Otero, 2006, 2007 the basics of Quantum Mechanics at secondary school was designed, analysed and carried out. This PCST does not follow the historical route and it is complementary to the canonical formalism. The concepts: probability distribution, quantum system, x(t alternative, amplitude of probability, sum of probability amplitude, action, Planck's constant, and classic-quantum transition were rebuilt with the students. Mathematical formalism was avoided by using simulation software assistance. The Proposed Conceptual Structure for Teaching (PCST is described and some results from the test carried out by the class group are discussed. This information allows the analysis of the Conceptual Structure Effectively Reconstructed (CSER to be initiated with the students.

School farming for school feeding: experiences from Nakuru, Kenya

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dick Foeken

2010-11-01

Full Text Available School feeding is an important development tool and is related to at least three Millennium Development Goals. School farming has been largely overlooked in the urban agriculture literature but with many parents nowadays unable to afford school lunches for their children, it can play a vital role in reducing the costs involved in providing nutritional meals for pupils. This paper examines school farming in an urban setting, namely Nakuru town, Kenya and looks at the current practice, the extent to which school farming contributes to school feeding programs, and the challenges it faces and how these can be overcome. Based on a survey done in almost all primary and secondary schools in Nakuru, it shows that school farming and school feeding are now common practice in the town and that in many cases school farming does indeed contribute to school feeding programs. However, much more is possible and the paper indicates how various constraints in terms of land, water, support and leadership might be overcome.

Greenhouse Facility Management Experts Identification of Competencies and Teaching Methods to Support Secondary Agricultural Education Instructors: A Modified Delphi Study

Science.gov (United States)

Franklin, Edward A.

2011-01-01

In this study the Delphi technique has been used to develop a list of educational competencies for preparing secondary agricultural education instructors to effectively manage their school greenhouse facilities. The use of specialized facilities in agricultural education requires appropriate preparation of agricultural education teachers. The…

Special Agricultural Safeguards; Virtual Benefits and Real Costs—Lessons for the Doha Round

OpenAIRE

Jean-Jacques Hallaert

2005-01-01

In the Doha Round, negotiators are discussing the elimination or continuation of the special agricultural safeguards introduced by the Uruguay Round as well as the creation of special safeguard mechanism for use by developing countries. This paper argues that, in violation of the spirit of the WTO Agreement in Agriculture, the special agricultural safeguards have often been used as a prolonged protectionist device. It then draws lessons for the design of the special safeguard mechanism.

Agriculture Teacher Awareness and Application of Self-Regulation Strategies

Science.gov (United States)

McKendree, R. Bud; Washurn, Shannon G.

2017-01-01

This qualitative study investigated four rural Kansas high school agriculture teachers' comprehension and implementation of self-regulation strategies in their own professional growth and in their instructional practice. The participants included two males and two females, each one having between five and 20 years of teaching experience.…

DETERMINATION OF THE EDUCATIONAL NEEDS OF AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING TECHNICIANS IN OHIO, A DIGEST OF A PH.D. DISSERTATION. RESEARCH SERIES IN AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION.

Science.gov (United States)

BENDER, RALPH E.; HALTERMAN, JERRY J.

THIS STUDY WAS DESIGNED TO DEVELOP CURRICULUMS NEEDED IN TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING TECHNICIANS IN OHIO. A QUESTIONNAIRE TO INVENTORY THE LABOR FORCE WAS ADMINISTERED TO INDIVIDUALS, FIRMS, BUSINESSES, AND AGENCIES EMPLOYING PERSONS IN AREAS REQUIRING AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING AND FARM MECHANICS. ANOTHER TO COLLECT INFORMATION…

School Nutrition Directors' Perspectives on Preparing for and Implementing USDA's New School Meal Regulations

Science.gov (United States)

Yon, Bethany A.; Amin, Sarah A.; Taylor, Jennifer C.; Johnson, Rachel K.

2016-01-01

Purpose/Objectives: The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) new school meals regulations went into effect in July 2012. The purpose of this research was to explore school nutrition director's (SNDs) perspectives and attitudes about the new regulations and to identify strategies used to prepare for and subsequently implement the regulations.…

Agricultural experts’ attitude towards precision agriculture: Evidence from Guilan Agricultural Organization, Northern Iran

OpenAIRE

Mohammad Sadegh Allahyari; Masoumeh Mohammadzadeh; Stefanos A. Nastis

2016-01-01

Identifying factors that influence the attitudes of agricultural experts regarding precision agriculture plays an important role in developing, promoting and establishing precision agriculture. The aim of this study was to identify factors affecting the attitudes of agricultural experts regarding the implementation of precision agriculture. A descriptive research design was employed as the research method. A research-made questionnaire was used to examine the agricultural experts’ attitude to...

Agriculture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goetz, B.; Riss, A.; Zethner, G.

2001-01-01

This chapter deals with fertilization techniques, bioenergy from agriculture, environmental aspects of a common agriculture policy in the European Union, bio-agriculture, fruit farming in Austria and with environmental indicators in agriculture. In particular renewable energy sources (bio-diesel, biogas) from agriculture are studied in comparison to fossil fuels and other energy sources. (a.n.)

Youth Leadership Development: Perceptions and Preferences of Urban Students Enrolled in a Comprehensive Agriculture Program

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, James C., II; Kim, Eunyoung

2009-01-01

This descriptive study explores the perceptions of and preferences for leadership development by students enrolled in a comprehensive urban agriculture program. A total of 284 students from the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences participated in the study. The results of the study showed that the average respondent was involved in a…

Integrating climate-smart rice agriculture into secondary-level curriculum: lessons from three high schools in the Philippines.

Science.gov (United States)

Manalo, Jaime A; Balmeo, Katherine P; Berto, Jayson C; Saludez, Fredierick M; Villaflor, Jennifer D; Pagdanganan, Argie M

2016-01-01

Climate change (CC) is an urgent and highly relevant topic that must be integrated into the school curriculum. Literature on CC integration, however, is scarce, let alone literature on integrating climate-smart rice agriculture (CSRA). Bringing CSRA lessons into the classroom means the chance is higher that climate-smart technologies on rice will reach even the most far-flung areas of the Philippines, which stand to be among the most vulnerable as regards the negative impacts of CC. This paper shares experiences drawn from three high schools in the Philippines on integrating CSRA into their curriculum. The research centers on appropriate teaching tools/strategies, push and exogenous factors in CSRA integration, and the types of information that are likely to be shared by the students with their farmer-parents or other farmers in their communities. Surveys among participating students (n = 155) and three focus group discussions among key school officials were conducted. Different teaching methods and/or tools were found to be generally useful in various contexts. Photos and videos, however, emerged as the most effective tools across sites. The livelihood source of the students does have a bearing on the complexity of messages that they can convey. Students from rice-farming households can competently discuss even highly complex adaptation and mitigation information with their farmer-parents or other farmers. Thorough message-framing is necessary to maximize student involvement as well as to increase production of education-entertainment (edutainment) materials to be utilized in teaching. This study, in general, contributes to CC education by bringing in best-fit practices in teaching tools and strategies to mobilize students to act on urgent matters relating to the impacts of CC. It also advises on considering exogenous factors that might affect CC education by taking into account those that are equally capable of shaping students' perception and knowledge.

Polylactide-based renewable green composites from agricultural residues and their hybrids.

Science.gov (United States)

Nyambo, Calistor; Mohanty, Amar K; Misra, Manjusri

2010-06-14

Agricultural natural fibers like jute, kenaf, sisal, flax, and industrial hemp have been extensively studied in green composites. The continuous supply of biofibers in high volumes to automotive part makers has raised concerns. Because extrusion followed by injection molding drastically reduces the aspect ratio of biofibers, the mechanical performance of injection molded agricultural residue and agricultural fiber-based composites are comparable. Here, the use of inexpensive agricultural residues and their hybrids that are 8-10 times cheaper than agricultural fibers is demonstrated to be a better way of getting sustainable materials with better performance. Green renewable composites from polylactide (PLA), agricultural residues (wheat straw, corn stover, soy stalks, and their hybrids) were successfully prepared through twin-screw extrusion, followed by injection molding. The effect on mechanical properties of varying the wheat straw amount from 10 to 40 wt % in PLA-wheat straw composites was studied. Tensile moduli were compared with theoretical calculations from the rule of mixture (ROM). Combination of agricultural residues as hybrids is proved to reduce the supply chain concerns for injection molded green composites. Densities of the green composites were found to be lower than those of conventional glass fiber composites.

Robotics in agriculture and forestry

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bergerman, M.; Billingsley, J.; Reid, J.; Henten, van E.J.

2016-01-01

Robotics for agriculture and forestry (A&F) represents the ultimate application of one of our society’s latest and most advanced innovations to its most ancient and important industries. Over the course of history, mechanization and automation increased crop output several orders of magnitude,

Participation in the National School Lunch Program: Importance of School-Level and Neighborhood Contextual Factors

Science.gov (United States)

Mirtcheva, Donka M.; Powell, Lisa M.

2009-01-01

Background: This study examined the effect of stigma (proxied by school-level peer participation), neighborhood food environment, and demographic characteristics on participation in the U.S. Department of Agriculture National School Lunch Program (NSLP). Methods: The 1997 and 2003 waves of the Child Development Supplement to the Panel Study of…

Mechanisms of basin-scale nitrogen load reductions under intensified irrigated agriculture.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rebecka Törnqvist

Full Text Available Irrigated agriculture can modify the cycling and transport of nitrogen (N, due to associated water diversions, water losses, and changes in transport flow-paths. We investigate dominant processes behind observed long-term changes in dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN concentrations and loads of the extensive (465,000 km2 semi-arid Amu Darya River basin (ADRB in Central Asia. We specifically considered a 40-year period (1960-2000 of large irrigation expansion, reduced river water flows, increased fertilizer application and net increase of N input into the soil-water system. Results showed that observed decreases in riverine DIN concentration near the Aral Sea outlet of ADRB primarily were due to increased recirculation of irrigation water, which extends the flow-path lengths and enhances N attenuation. The observed DIN concentrations matched a developed analytical relation between concentration attenuation and recirculation ratio, showing that a fourfold increase in basin-scale recirculation can increase DIN attenuation from 85 to 99%. Such effects have previously only been observed at small scales, in laboratory experiments and at individual agricultural plots. These results imply that increased recirculation can have contributed to observed increases in N attenuation in agriculturally dominated drainage basins in different parts of the world. Additionally, it can be important for basin scale attenuation of other pollutants, including phosphorous, metals and organic matter. A six-fold lower DIN export from ADRB during the period 1981-2000, compared to the period 1960-1980, was due to the combined result of drastic river flow reduction of almost 70%, and decreased DIN concentrations at the basin outlet. Several arid and semi-arid regions around the world are projected to undergo similar reductions in discharge as the ADRB due to climate change and agricultural intensification, and may therefore undergo comparable shifts in DIN export as shown here

Exposure of Senior School Students to Practical Work in Agriculture ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Practical work facilitates the process of acquisition of basic knowledge and practical skills that prepare students for occupation in Agriculture. The West African Examination Council's policy with respect to Science Subjects stipulates that practical work should form the basis of teaching their syllabus (WAEC Syllabus, ...

Agriculture: About EPA's National Agriculture Center

Science.gov (United States)

EPA's National Agriculture Center (Ag Center), with the support of the United States Department of Agriculture, serves growers, livestock producers, other agribusinesses, and agricultural information/education providers.

The use of geographic information system and 1860s cadastral data to model agricultural suitability before heavy mechanization. A case study from Malta.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gianmarco Alberti

Full Text Available The present study seeks to understand the determinants of land agricultural suitability in Malta before heavy mechanization. A GIS-based Logistic Regression model is built on the basis of the data from mid-1800s cadastral maps (cabreo. This is the first time that such data are being used for the purpose of building a predictive model. The maps record the agricultural quality of parcels (ranging from good to lowest, which is represented by different colours. The study treats the agricultural quality as a depended variable with two levels: optimal (corresponding to the good class vs. non-optimal quality (mediocre, bad, low, and lowest classes. Seventeen predictors are isolated on the basis of literature review and data availability. Logistic Regression is used to isolate the predictors that can be considered determinants of the agricultural quality. Our model has an optimal discriminatory power (AUC: 0.92. The positive effect on land agricultural quality of the following predictors is considered and discussed: sine of the aspect (odds ratio 1.42, coast distance (2.46, Brown Rendzinas (2.31, Carbonate Raw (2.62 and Xerorendzinas (9.23 soils, distance to minor roads (4.88. Predictors resulting having a negative effect are: terrain elevation (0.96, slope (0.97, distance to the nearest geological fault lines (0.09, Terra Rossa soil (0.46, distance to secondary roads (0.19 and footpaths (0.41. The model isolates a host of topographic and cultural variables, the latter related to human mobility and landscape accessibility, which differentially contributed to the agricultural suitability, providing the bases for the creation of the fragmented and extremely variegated agricultural landscape that is the hallmark of the Maltese Islands. Our findings are also useful to suggest new questions that may be posed to the more meagre evidence from earlier periods.

The use of geographic information system and 1860s cadastral data to model agricultural suitability before heavy mechanization. A case study from Malta.

Science.gov (United States)

Alberti, Gianmarco; Grima, Reuben; Vella, Nicholas C

2018-01-01

The present study seeks to understand the determinants of land agricultural suitability in Malta before heavy mechanization. A GIS-based Logistic Regression model is built on the basis of the data from mid-1800s cadastral maps (cabreo). This is the first time that such data are being used for the purpose of building a predictive model. The maps record the agricultural quality of parcels (ranging from good to lowest), which is represented by different colours. The study treats the agricultural quality as a depended variable with two levels: optimal (corresponding to the good class) vs. non-optimal quality (mediocre, bad, low, and lowest classes). Seventeen predictors are isolated on the basis of literature review and data availability. Logistic Regression is used to isolate the predictors that can be considered determinants of the agricultural quality. Our model has an optimal discriminatory power (AUC: 0.92). The positive effect on land agricultural quality of the following predictors is considered and discussed: sine of the aspect (odds ratio 1.42), coast distance (2.46), Brown Rendzinas (2.31), Carbonate Raw (2.62) and Xerorendzinas (9.23) soils, distance to minor roads (4.88). Predictors resulting having a negative effect are: terrain elevation (0.96), slope (0.97), distance to the nearest geological fault lines (0.09), Terra Rossa soil (0.46), distance to secondary roads (0.19) and footpaths (0.41). The model isolates a host of topographic and cultural variables, the latter related to human mobility and landscape accessibility, which differentially contributed to the agricultural suitability, providing the bases for the creation of the fragmented and extremely variegated agricultural landscape that is the hallmark of the Maltese Islands. Our findings are also useful to suggest new questions that may be posed to the more meagre evidence from earlier periods.

Rethinking Study and Management of Agricultural Systems for Policy Design

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Johann Baumgärtner

2013-09-01

Full Text Available There is a concern that agriculture will no longer be able to meet, on a global scale, the growing demand for food. Facing such a challenge requires new patterns of thinking in the context of complexity and sustainability sciences. This paper, focused on the social dimension of the study and management of agricultural systems, suggests that rethinking the study of agricultural systems entails analyzing them as complex socio-ecological systems, as well as considering the differing thinking patterns of diverse stakeholders. The intersubjective nature of knowledge, as studied by different philosophical schools, needs to be better integrated into the study and management of agricultural systems than it is done so far, forcing us to accept that there are no simplistic solutions, and to seek a better understanding of the social dimension of agriculture. Different agriculture related problems require different policy and institutional approaches. Finally, the intersubjective nature of knowledge asks for the visualization of different framings and the power relations taking place in the decision-making process. Rethinking management of agricultural systems implies that policy making should be shaped by different principles: learning, flexibility, adaptation, scale-matching, participation, diversity enhancement and precaution hold the promise to significantly improve current standard management procedures.

A Study on Living Conditions of the Seasonal Agricultural Workers: Hilvan County (Şanlıurfa Sample

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Sedat Benek

2011-12-01

Full Text Available This study is carried out to identify living standards of seasonal agricultural workers in Hilvan County of Şanlıurfa that largely rely on agriculture and have sufficient or little cultivable lands. Study sample is composed of families of the students who attend schools affiliated to Hilvan County Directorate of National Education and are involved in temporary migration before the school term ends in a year. “Face to face” interviews were held with and questionnaires were applied to heads of 523 families which live on seasonal agricultural labor. The results were assessed by using SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Science through various statistical techniques required for the study purpose. Majority of the children of families who

STATE SUPPORT AND ADAPTATION MEASURES OF AGRICULTURAL ENTERPRISES TO THE WTO CONDITIONS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sergei V. Laptev

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Mechanism of financial support of agriculturalenterprises has various content and structure indifferent countries require different levels of cost andhas significantly different effects application. One of the practical problems of economic science is thestudy of the mechanism of such a structure to support agricultural enterprises in Russia, where whenavailable resource constraints support orientationmanufacturers will increase profits, increase their competitiveness, improve skills in the organizationof the reproductive process. The article defi nes the principles of an effective mechanism of state supportof agricultural enterprises, the ways of solving thepractical mechanical problem.

Career Preparation in Agricultural Products (Food Processing): A Curriculum Guide for High School Vocational Agriculture. Test Edition.

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, Eddie A.

This curriculum guide in agricultural products (food processing) is one of 10 guides developed as part of a vocational project stressing agribusiness, natural resources, and environmental protection. The scope of this guide includes three occupational subgroups: meat, fish, poultry; dairy (milk) products; fruits and vegetables. It is meant as an…

Teaching Basic Quantum Mechanics in Secondary School Using Concepts of Feynman Path Integrals Method

Science.gov (United States)

Fanaro, Maria de los Angeles; Otero, Maria Rita; Arlego, Marcelo

2012-01-01

This paper discusses the teaching of basic quantum mechanics in high school. Rather than following the usual formalism, our approach is based on Feynman's path integral method. Our presentation makes use of simulation software and avoids sophisticated mathematical formalism. (Contains 3 figures.)

Impact of food aid on smallholder agriculture development in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Food aid is a widely debated development topic and such debates have given rise to the existence of two schools of thought regarding its resultant effects. The general belief is that food aid has disincentive effects, whereas the counter belief is that food aid instead comes with contributional effects to agricultural ...

Review of Researches on Agricultural Industry Chain at Home and Abroad

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Ge; SONG; Taiyan; YANG; Jianhui; LIU

2014-01-01

Management of agricultural industry chain is the main form of modern agricultural industrialization. Integration and optimization of agricultural chain have great significance in deepening the reform in the countryside,quickening the development of agricultural modernization and establishing new system of agricultural management. Based on the theory sources and contents of agricultural chain as well as the current researches at home and abroad,this paper hackles and concludes information technology,logistics management and food safety and quality in foreign agricultural chain as well as the organization model,operation mechanism,integration and optimization,promotion and extension,financing and risk prevention,influencing factors as well as performance evaluation in domestic agricultural chain and offers relevant review in order to provide further reference for future researches.

Cooperation Models, Motivation and Objectives behind Farm–School Collaboration

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dyg, Pernille Malberg; Mikkelsen, Bent Egberg

2016-01-01

economic incentives. Teachers display academic motives for engaging in farm visits, but also a broader focus on shaping children’s world views, connectedness to food and nature and fostering life skills. The farm can be an important setting for promoting food, agricultural and ecological literacy. We...... people and their ability to understand the food system. Thus, efforts are made to promote food literacy through strengthening of farm–school links. The case-study research from Denmark investigates existing cooperation arrangements in farm–school collaboration and the underlying motivation of the farmers...... and teachers. Findings show distinct differences in motivation. Farmers want to create transparency in their production, ensure support for the agricultural profession or promote food and agricultural literacy. The idealistic motivation of teaching children about food and agriculture weighs higher than...

Agricultural SWOT analysis and wisdom agriculture design of chengdu

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Qian; Chen, Xiangyu; Du, Shaoming; Yin, Guowei; Yu, Feng; Liu, Guicai; Gong, Jin; Han, Fujun

2017-08-01

According to the status of agricultural information, this paper analyzed the advantages, opportunities and challenges of developing wisdom agriculture in Chengdu. By analyzed the local characteristics of Chengdu agriculture, the construction program of Chengdu wisdom agriculture was designed, which was based on the existing agricultural informatization. The positioning and development theme of Chengdu agriculture is leisure agriculture, urban agriculture and quality agriculture.

The historical-normative trajectory of agricultural education: from Brazil-Empire to Brazil-Republic (1960

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Marta Leandro da Silva

2016-04-01

Full Text Available This study, developed from research carried out during a master’s program, focuses on the historical, normative and political trajectory of agricultural education (at high school level, now in the context of federal legislation reforms. This segment of vocational education developed in the light of stereotypes and isolation, with scarce scientific analysis as rare object of research. This paper aims to present a descriptive and analytical approach to the main normative acts that guided the historical and curricular trajectory of Agricultural Education at high school level. Highlighting the educational policies embodied in the federal educational legislation, within these major historical milestones: from Imperial Brazil to the Republican period (1960. Based on qualitative research on education, with emphasis on documentary / normative and institutional research, it is necessary to identify the multiple historical determinations that outlined and preceded current secondary vocational education policies (agricultural area aiming to offer contributions for the analysis of contemporary policies.

Horizontal stresses below two agricultural vehicles

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lamande, Mathieu André Maurice; Munkholm, Lars Juhl; Nielsen, Janne Aalborg

Abstract Deformation of the pore system in the subsoil due to mechanical stress applied by agricultural machinery is persistent for at least decades. Application of normal stress exceeding subsoil strength leads to a reduction of capacity soil properties (i.e. air-filled porosity) by compaction...... below the edge of tires. Stress distribution at the tire/soil contact is not uniform. Dimensions and inflation pressure are key factors for the ability of agricultural tires to distribute the wheel load. Our hypothesis was that the risk of shearing increases with the tire inflation pressure...

Equity for Rural School Districts: The Final Report of the Countryside Council's School Finance Task Force.

Science.gov (United States)

Wiener, Steve

Soaring values of agricultural land have created inequities in funding between urban and rural school districts in Minnesota. The state's Foundation Aid to school districts is formulated so that districts of high property valuation receive less Foundation Aid than those districts with low property valuation. In recent years inflation has had…

Skylab experiments. Volume 6: Mechanics. [Skylab program accomplishments for high school level education

Science.gov (United States)

1973-01-01

Skylab program activities are presented in a form adapted to instruction of high school students. The overall goals of the program are discussed. The specific accomplishments of the mechanics investigations are described. The subjects involved are as follows: (1) evaluation of mobility aids, (2) mass measurement devices, and (3) space guidance crew/vehicle disturbances.

Supervision of Agricultural Educators in Secondary Schools: What Do Teachers Want from Their Principals?

Science.gov (United States)

Paulsen, Thomas H.; Martin, Robert A.

2014-01-01

The purpose of this multi-state study was to identify agricultural education teachers' perceived level of importance regarding selected instructional supervisory practices used in the nonformal components of agricultural education. The theoretical frame supporting this study was the theory of andragogy. Data were reported on the perceived…

How Cognitive Style and Problem Complexity Affect Preservice Agricultural Education Teachers' Abilities to Solve Problems in Agricultural Mechanics

Science.gov (United States)

Blackburn, J. Joey; Robinson, J. Shane; Lamm, Alexa J.

2014-01-01

The purpose of this experimental study was to determine the effects of cognitive style and problem complexity on Oklahoma State University preservice agriculture teachers' (N = 56) ability to solve problems in small gasoline engines. Time to solution was operationalized as problem solving ability. Kirton's Adaption-Innovation Inventory was…

Nondestructive quality evaluation technology of agricultural products

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Noh, Sang Ha

1997-01-01

Quality evaluation of agricultural products has been interested to many researchers for many years and as the result, several nondestructive techniques and so many papers have been reported for quality evaluation of agricultural products. These nondestructive techniques are based on the detection of mechanical, optical, electrical, electro-magnetical, dielectric and vibrational properties of agricultural products that are well correlated with certain quality factors of the products such as color, shape, firmness, sugar content, external or internal defects, moisture content, etc. The sophistication of nondestructive methods has evolved rapidly with modem technologies. In this paper an emphasis was put on reviewing some of those papers and techniques which could be led to on-line measurement for practical use.

Particle size distribution and composition in a mechanically ventilated school building during air pollution episodes.

Science.gov (United States)

Parker, J L; Larson, R R; Eskelson, E; Wood, E M; Veranth, J M

2008-10-01

Particle count-based size distribution and PM(2.5) mass were monitored inside and outside an elementary school in Salt Lake City (UT, USA) during the winter atmospheric inversion season. The site is influenced by urban traffic and the airshed is subject to periods of high PM(2.5) concentration that is mainly submicron ammonium and nitrate. The school building has mechanical ventilation with filtration and variable-volume makeup air. Comparison of the indoor and outdoor particle size distribution on the five cleanest and five most polluted school days during the study showed that the ambient submicron particulate matter (PM) penetrated the building, but indoor concentrations were about one-eighth of outdoor levels. The indoor:outdoor PM(2.5) mass ratio averaged 0.12 and particle number ratio for sizes smaller than 1 microm averaged 0.13. The indoor submicron particle count and indoor PM(2.5) mass increased slightly during pollution episodes but remained well below outdoor levels. When the building was occupied the indoor coarse particle count was much higher than ambient levels. These results contribute to understanding the relationship between ambient monitoring station data and the actual human exposure inside institutional buildings. The study confirms that staying inside a mechanically ventilated building reduces exposure to outdoor submicron particles. This study supports the premise that remaining inside buildings during particulate matter (PM) pollution episodes reduces exposure to submicron PM. New data on a mechanically ventilated institutional building supplements similar studies made in residences.

Rooftop greenhouses in educational centers: A sustainability assessment of urban agriculture in compact cities.

Science.gov (United States)

Nadal, Ana; Pons, Oriol; Cuerva, Eva; Rieradevall, Joan; Josa, Alejandro

2018-06-01

Today, urban agriculture is one of the most widely used sustainability strategies to improve the metabolism of a city. Schools can play an important role in the implementation of sustainability master plans, due their socio-educational activities and their cohesive links with families; all key elements in the development of urban agriculture. Thus, the main objective of this research is to develop a procedure, in compact cities, to assess the potential installation of rooftop greenhouses (RTGs) in schools. The generation of a dynamic assessment tool capable of identifying and prioritizing schools with a high potential for RTGs and their eventual implementation would also represent a significant factor in the environmental, social, and nutritional education of younger generations. The methodology has four-stages (Pre-selection criteria; Selection of necessities; Sustainability analysis; and Sensitivity analysis and selection of the best alternative) in which economic, environmental, social and governance aspects all are considered. It makes use of Multi-Attribute Utility Theory and Multi-Criteria Decision Making, through the Integrated Value Model for Sustainability Assessments and the participation of two panels of multidisciplinary specialists, for the preparation of a unified sustainability index that guarantees the objectivity of the selection process. This methodology has been applied and validated in a case study of 11 schools in Barcelona (Spain). The social perspective of the proposed methodology favored the school in the case-study with the most staff and the largest parent-teacher association (social and governance indicators) that obtained the highest sustainability index (S11); at a considerable distance (45%) from the worst case (S3) with fewer school staff and parental support. Finally, objective decisions may be taken with the assistance of this appropriate, adaptable, and reliable Multi-Criteria Decision-Making tool on the vertical integration and

Agricultural experts’ attitude towards precision agriculture: Evidence from Guilan Agricultural Organization, Northern Iran

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Mohammad Sadegh Allahyari

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Identifying factors that influence the attitudes of agricultural experts regarding precision agriculture plays an important role in developing, promoting and establishing precision agriculture. The aim of this study was to identify factors affecting the attitudes of agricultural experts regarding the implementation of precision agriculture. A descriptive research design was employed as the research method. A research-made questionnaire was used to examine the agricultural experts’ attitude toward precision agriculture. Internal consistency was demonstrated with a coefficient alpha of 0.87, and the content and face validity of the instrument was confirmed by a panel of experts. The results show that technical, economic and accessibility factors accounted for 55% of the changes in attitudes towards precision agriculture. The findings revealed that there were no significant differences between participants in terms of gender, field of study, extension education, age, experience, organizational position and attitudes, while education levels had a significant effect on the respondent’s attitudes.

Field tracer investigation of unsaturated zone flow paths and mechanisms in agricultural soils of northwestern Mississippi, USA

Science.gov (United States)

Perkins, K.S.; Nimmo, J.R.; Rose, C.E.; Coupe, R.H.

2011-01-01

In many farmed areas, intensive application of agricultural chemicals and withdrawal of groundwater for irrigation have led to water quality and supply issues. Unsaturated-zone processes, including preferential flow, play a major role in these effects but are not well understood. In the Bogue Phalia basin, an intensely agricultural area in the Delta region of northwestern Mississippi, the fine-textured soils often exhibit surface ponding and runoff after irrigation and rainfall as well as extensive surface cracking during prolonged dry periods. Fields are typically land-formed to promote surface flow into drainage ditches and streams that feed into larger river ecosystems. Downward flow of water below the root zone is considered minimal; regional groundwater models predict only 5% or less of precipitation recharges the heavily used alluvial aquifer. In this study transport mechanisms within and below the root zone of a fallow soybean field were assessed by performing a 2-m ring infiltration test with tracers and subsurface monitoring instruments. Seven months after tracer application, 48 continuous cores were collected for tracer extraction to define the extent of water movement and quantify preferential flow using a mass-balance approach. Vertical water movement was rapid below the pond indicating the importance of vertical preferential flow paths in the shallow unsaturated zone, especially to depths where agricultural disturbance occurs. Lateral flow of water at shallow depths was extensive and spatially non-uniform, reaching up to 10. m from the pond within 2. months. Within 1. month, the wetting front reached a textural boundary at 4-5. m between the fine-textured soil and sandy alluvium, now a potential capillary barrier which, prior to extensive irrigation withdrawals, was below the water table. Within 10. weeks, tracer was detectable at the water table which is presently about 12. m below land surface. Results indicate that 43% of percolation may be through

Synthesis and Review: Advancing agricultural greenhouse gas quantification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olander, Lydia P; Wollenberg, Eva; Tubiello, Francesco N; Herold, Martin

2014-01-01

Reducing emissions of agricultural greenhouse gases (GHGs), such as methane and nitrous oxide, and sequestering carbon in the soil or in living biomass can help reduce the impact of agriculture on climate change while improving productivity and reducing resource use. There is an increasing demand for improved, low cost quantification of GHGs in agriculture, whether for national reporting to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), underpinning and stimulating improved practices, establishing crediting mechanisms, or supporting green products. This ERL focus issue highlights GHG quantification to call attention to our existing knowledge and opportunities for further progress. In this article we synthesize the findings of 21 papers on the current state of global capability for agricultural GHG quantification and visions for its improvement. We conclude that strategic investment in quantification can lead to significant global improvement in agricultural GHG estimation in the near term. (paper)

The Development of Productivity Practical Management Model at Automotive Mechanical Technology Skill Program in Semarang Vocational Schools, Indonesia

Science.gov (United States)

Hadromi; Rachman, Maman; Soesanto; Kartana, Tri Jaka

2015-01-01

The purpose of this research is to develop automotive Mechanical Technology Skill Program (TMO) in Vocational School. The Research and Development (R&D) object was done in SMK 1, 4 and 7 Semarang, Indonesia. The result was achieved productivity Practical Management Final Model at TMO skill Program in Vocational school named momanticproter.…

Land Use, Conservation, Forestry, and Agriculture in Puerto Rico

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

William A. Gould

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Global food security concerns emphasize the need for sustainable agriculture and local food production. In Puerto Rico, over 80 percent of food is imported, and local production levels have reached historical lows. Efforts to increase local food production are driven by government agencies, non-government organizations, farmers, and consumers. Integration of geographic information helps plan and balance the reinvention and invigoration of the agriculture sector while maintaining ecological services. We used simple criteria that included currently protected lands and the importance of slope and forest cover in protection from erosion to identify land well-suited for conservation, agriculture and forestry in Puerto Rico. Within these categories we assessed U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA farmland soils classification data, lands currently in agricultural production, current land cover, and current land use planning designations. We found that developed lands occupy 13 percent of Puerto Rico; lands well-suited for conservation that include protected areas, riparian buffers, lands surrounding reservoirs, wetlands, beaches, and salt flats, occupy 45 percent of Puerto Rico; potential working lands encompass 42 percent of Puerto Rico. These include lands well-suited for mechanized and non-mechanized agriculture, such as row and specialty crops, livestock, dairy, hay, pasture, and fruits, which occupy 23 percent of Puerto Rico; and areas suitable for forestry production, such as timber and non-timber products, agroforestry, and shade coffee, which occupy 19 percent of Puerto Rico.

Why does Colombia lack agricultural commodity futures?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pablo Moreno-Alemay

2015-11-01

Full Text Available This article explores the reasons why futures contracts are not traded as an alternative to price hedging for agricultural goods in Colombia. Based on surveys, interviews and statistical analysis, this study identified that conceptual gaps in contract negotiation, lack of consensus in the agricultural sector regarding the use of financial mechanisms and the sector’s infrequent contact with Colombia’s financial institutions, are the main reasons why a futures contracts market has not emerged.

The Food Costs of Healthier School Lunches

OpenAIRE

Newman, Constance

2012-01-01

The U.S. Department of Agriculture proposed and adopted a new set of meal pattern requirements for the National School Lunch Program that will allow schools to claim 6 cents more in lunch reimbursement rates. This study analyzes the food costs of school menus in 2005 that met many of the proposed requirements. Overall, schools that served more, and more diverse, non-starchy vegetables had higher average food costs, and schools that served menus with lower calories had lower food costs. The fo...

Isotopes and agriculture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Malavolta, E.

1988-01-01

The agriculture is defined as the art of desturbing the ecosystems in economical terms with the minimum of irreversible damage. Man survival in the biosphere will depend on its ability of using four technologies - mechanization, fertilizers, irrigation and pest disease control. The isotopes are usefull to establish means of producing more food and to preserve it; and clains of unbearable damages to the ecosystems caused by fertilizers and pesticides are not true, are presented. (author) [pt

What is needed to understand feedback mechanisms from agricultural and climate changes that can alter the hydrological system and the transport of sediments and agricultural chemicals?

Science.gov (United States)

Coupe, Richard; Payraudeau, Sylvain; Babcsányi, Izabella; Imfeld, Gwenaël

2015-04-01

Modern agriculture activities are constantly changing as producers try to produce a crop, keep their soils fertile, control pests, and prevent contamination of air and water resources. Because most of the world's arable land is already in production we must become more efficient if we are to feed and clothe the world's growing population as well as do this in a sustainable manner; leaving a legacy of fertile soil and clean water resources for our descendants. The objective of this paper is to demonstrate the importance of historical datasets and of developing new strategies to understand the effects of changing agricultural systems on the environment. Scientists who study agriculture and its effects on water must constantly adapt their strategies and evaluate how changing agricultural activities impact the environment. As well as understand from historical datasets on hydrology and agriculture how a changing climate or agricultural activity such as a change in tillage method might impact the processes that determine the movement of agricultural chemicals off of the target site. The 42.7 ha Hohrain (Rouffach, Alsace, France) vineyard experimental catchment offers several examples of how scientists have used historical data from this catchment to understand how the transport of agricultural chemicals may change due to a changing climate as well as how new strategies are developed for understanding the transport of agricultural chemicals. Runoff is a major process of pesticide transport from agricultural land to downstream aquatic ecosystems. The impact of rainfall characteristics on the transport of runoff-related pesticides is crucial to understanding how to prevent or minimize their movement now, but also in understanding how climate change might affect runoff. If we understand how rainfall characteristics affect the transport of pesticides, we can use climate change models to predict how those characteristics might change in the future and be better prepared for

A process-based agricultural model for the irrigated agriculture sector in Alberta, Canada

Science.gov (United States)

Ammar, M. E.; Davies, E. G.

2015-12-01

Connections between land and water, irrigation, agricultural productivity and profitability, policy alternatives, and climate change and variability are complex, poorly understood, and unpredictable. Policy assessment for agriculture presents a large potential for development of broad-based simulation models that can aid assessment and quantification of policy alternatives over longer temporal scales. The Canadian irrigated agriculture sector is concentrated in Alberta, where it represents two thirds of the irrigated land-base in Canada and is the largest consumer of surface water. Despite interest in irrigation expansion, its potential in Alberta is uncertain given a constrained water supply, significant social and economic development and increasing demands for both land and water, and climate change. This paper therefore introduces a system dynamics model as a decision support tool to provide insights into irrigation expansion in Alberta, and into trade-offs and risks associated with that expansion. It is intended to be used by a wide variety of users including researchers, policy analysts and planners, and irrigation managers. A process-based cropping system approach is at the core of the model and uses a water-driven crop growth mechanism described by AquaCrop. The tool goes beyond a representation of crop phenology and cropping systems by permitting assessment and quantification of the broader, long-term consequences of agricultural policies for Alberta's irrigation sector. It also encourages collaboration and provides a degree of transparency that gives confidence in simulation results. The paper focuses on the agricultural component of the systems model, describing the process involved; soil water and nutrients balance, crop growth, and water, temperature, salinity, and nutrients stresses, and how other disciplines can be integrated to account for the effects of interactions and feedbacks in the whole system. In later stages, other components such as

Basic directions and tools to increas investment attractiveness of the agricultural sector

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexander Syomin

2013-09-01

Full Text Available The problems of the increasing of investment attractiveness of the agricultural sector of the economy are considered. The main channels of withdrawal of funds from the second sphere of agribusiness are described. It is proved that the current pricing mechanism in the agricultural violates folding proportions due to imperfections in the reproduction process of equivalence ratios, which, in turn, is the result of the monopoly of the first and third areas of agriculture relative to agriculture. The main instrument of economic relations — the price mechanism — develops, not under the influence of the classical law of «supply and demand» but under the influence and control of the monopoly structures, on one hand, the resource-producing companies, on the other hand, wholesale and retail units of AIC. Taking this into consideration, the authors formulated particular areas of scientific and practical recommendations to address the constraints to the process of attracting investment into the Russian agricultural sector.

Agriculture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2002-01-01

The report entitled Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation : A Canadian Perspective, presents a summary of research regarding the impacts of climate change on key sectors over the past five years as it relates to Canada. This chapter on agriculture describes how climate change will affect primary agriculture production in Canada with particular focus on potential adaptation options, and vulnerability of agriculture at the farm level. Agriculture is a vital part of the Canadian economy, although only 7 per cent of Canada's land mass is used for agricultural purposes due to the limitations of climate and soils. Most parts of Canada are expected to experience warmer conditions, longer frost-free seasons and increased evapotranspiration. The impacts of these changes on agriculture will vary depending on precipitation changes, soil conditions, and land use. Northern regions may benefit from longer farming seasons, but poor soil conditions will limit the northward expansion of agricultural crops. Some of the negative impacts associated with climate change on agriculture include increased droughts, changes in pest and pathogen outbreaks, and moisture stress. In general, it is expected that the positive and negative impacts of climate change would offset each other. 74 refs., 2 tabs., 1 fig

Green Agriculture - features and agricultural policy measures for the transition to a sustainable agriculture

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cornelia Nistor

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Agriculture is one of the most important economic activities in each country or area, as it is in close correlation with all other the other economic activities, in a whole which must be structured so as to achieve a more efficient planning and organization of the territory. The practice of a traditional agriculture, based on industrialization, affects the natural environment through emissions of pollutants, waste and deforestation which together affects biodiversity. Green Agriculture suppose to empower managers to widespread the use of fertilizers, to improve the crop rotation, to realize a more efficient water consumption, to improve the storage methods and the supply chain of products. Agricultural policies are closely interrelated with environmental policies as agricultural activities have a considerable influence on the environment. The efficiency of agricultural policies is reflected in monetary transfers between agriculture and other economic sectors, in the costs due to the reallocation of the resources between different agricultural and non-agricultural activities and in the realized gains. Currently there is a constant concern of the governments for the transition to a green agriculture, and most countries recognize the importance of achieving sustainable economic development.

Prevalence of iodine deficiency among school children and access ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Prevalence of iodine deficiency among school children and access to iodized salt in Zambia. ... African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development ... It was carried out in 2011 and entailed determining the urinary iodine concentration (UIC) among 1, 283 school children from 30 selected schools and the amount ...

Agricultural technologies bring healthy diversity to school meals ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

2018-01-03

Jan 3, 2018 ... Caribbean countries have paid limited attention to local food production, ... local produce comprises less than 10% of school meals, with local ... of fresh fruit and vegetables, and new sources of year-round forage for sheep and goats. ... than 100% compared to imported materials, while reducing the cost of ...

Motivation of the personnal as the level of innovative development of the agricultural enterprises

OpenAIRE

EVCHUK L.; BRILYAKOVA E.

2011-01-01

The motivation of the personnel acts as the strong lever of innovative development of the agricultural enterprises. The reasons of inefficiency of the mechanism of motivation in agriculture are opened in article. It is proved that appropriate level of wages and social arrangement of rural territories should underlie the effective mechanism of motivation.

Effects of Mechanical Site Preparation on Growth of Oaks Planted on Former Agricultural Fields

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John D. Hodges

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Mechanical site preparation is frequently proposed to alleviate problematic soil conditions when afforesting retired agricultural fields. Without management of soil problems, any seedlings planted in these areas may exhibit poor growth and survival. While mechanical site preparation methods currently employed in hardwood afforestation are proven, there is a substantial void in research comparing subsoiling, bedding, and combination plowing treatments. A total of 4,320 bare-root Nuttall oak (Quercus texana Buckley, Shumard oak (Quercus shumardii Buckley, and swamp chestnut oak (Quercus michauxii Nutt. seedlings were planted in February 2008 on three Mississippi sites. All sites were of comparable soils and received above average precipitation throughout the three-year duration of the study. Four site preparation treatments were replicated at each site, with 480 seedlings planted in each of nine replications, and a total of 1,440 seedlings per species planted across all sites. Mechanical treatments were installed using 3.1 m row centers, with treatments as follows: control, subsoiling, bedding, and combination plowing. Treatment effects on seedling height, groundline diameter (GLD, and survival were analyzed. Seedlings exhibited greater height in bedded and combination plowed areas (79.7 cm to 102.7 cm and 82.6 cm to 100.1 cm, respectively compared to subsoiled or control areas (70.4 cm to 84.6 cm and 71.4 cm to 86.9 cm, respectively. Greater GLD was observed in bedded and combination plowed areas (11.9 mm to 18.4 mm and 12.2 mm to 18.3 mm, respectively compared to subsoiled or control areas (10.2 mm to 14.6 mm and 10.5 mm to 15.6 mm, respectively. Survival was high for this study (94.%, and no differences were detected among treatments.

PLASTIC MATERIALS IN EUROPEAN AGRICULTURE: ACTUAL USE AND PERSPECTIVES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giacomo Scarascia-Mugnozza

2012-06-01

Full Text Available The world consumption of plastics in agriculture amounts yearly to 6.5 million tons. In addition to conventional polymers used in agriculture for greenhouses and mulches such as PE, PVC, EVA, photo-selective and luminescent polymers have been used, in order to improve the quality of crops. For the same reason plastic nets are used mainly in countries with tropical and Mediterranean climates. For an environmentally friendly agricultural activity, an alternative strategy can be represented by bio-based agricultural raw materials. For low environmental impact applications, biodegradable materials for agricultural films are nowadays produced. An overview of the main methods for the disposal and recycling of plastic materials are presented with the results of mechanical and radiometric tests on recycled plastics. The strategies to reduce the burden of plastics in agriculture are: a correct procedure for the collection, disposal and recycling of post-consumption plastics; the increase of lifetime duration and performance; and the introduction and promotion of bio-based materials.

Why did soft drink consumption decrease but screen time not? Mediating mechanisms in a school-based obesity prevention program

OpenAIRE

Chin A Paw, M.J.M.; Singh, A.S.; Brug, J.; Mechelen, van, W.

2008-01-01

Abstract Objectives This paper aims to identify the mediating mechanisms of a school-based obesity prevention program (DOiT). Methods The DOiT-program was implemented in Dutch prevocational secondary schools and evaluated using a controlled, cluster-randomised trial (September 2003 to May 2004). We examined mediators of effects regarding (1) consumption of sugar containing beverages (SCB); (2) consumption of high caloric snacks; (3) screen-viewing behaviour; and (4) active commuting to school...

THE CONCEPT OF “SAFETY NET” AND ITS APPLICATION IN AMERICAN AND CANADIAN AGRICULTURE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michał Soliwoda

2016-06-01

Full Text Available This aim of the article was  to provide a multi-faceted presentation of the possibilities of aplication the concept of "safety net" in agriculture in the United States and Canada. Literature review, elements of heuristic methods, and the documentaty method- in comparative terms - were used.  . The theoretical basis of the concept of safety nets in agriculture refer to the achievements earned by many schools and streams  in economics and finance. An in-depth analysis is based on an "eclectic" and interdisciplinary approach. In practice, the "architecture" of safety nets in agriculture in the U.S.  and Canada is quite complex and is based on relationships between the individual components. The role of risk management systems for agriculture will be strengthened.

Agricultural implications of the Fukushima nuclear accident

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakanishi, Tomoko M.; Tanoi, Keitaro

2013-01-01

Since the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident in March 2011, contamination of places and foods has been a matter of concern. Unfortunately, agricultural producers have few sources of information and have had to rely on the lessons from the Chernobyl accident in 1986 or on information obtained from the International Atomic Energy Agency. However, as of this writing, data on the specific consequences of the Fukushima accident on Japanese agriculture remain limited. More than 80% of the land that suffered from the accident was related to agriculture or was in forests and meadows. The in fluence of the accident on agriculture was the most difficult to study because the activity in nature had to be dealt with. For example, when contaminated rice is harvested, scientists working on rice plants and soils and the study of watercourses or mountains have to collaborate to analyze or determine the vehicle by which the radioactivity accumulated and through which it spread in nature. At the request of agriculturists in Fukushima, we at the Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences at The University of Tokyo have been urgently collecting reliable data on the contamination of soil, plants, milk, and crops. Based on our data, we would like to comment on or propose an effective way of resuming agricultural activity. Because obtaining research results based on in situ experiments is time-consuming, we have been periodically holding research report meetings at our university every 3-4 months for lay people, showing them how the contamination situation has changed or what type of effect can be estimated. Although our research is still ongoing, we would like to summarize in this book our observations made during the one and a half years after the accident. (author)

Research and Demonstration of‘Double-chain’Eco-agricultural Model Standardization and Industrialization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

ZHANG Jia-hong

2015-04-01

Full Text Available According to agricultural resource endowment of Jiangsu Province, this paper created kinds of double-chain eco-agricultural model and integrated supporting system based on 'waterfowl, marine lives, aquatic vegetable and paddy rice', 'special food and economic crops with livestock’and‘special food and economic crops with livestock and marine lives’, which were suitable for extension and application in Jiangsu Province. Besides, it set 12 provincial standards and established preliminary technical standard system of‘double-chain’eco-agricultural model. In addition, it explored that‘the leading agricultural enterprises (agricultural co-operatives or family farms+demonstration zones+farmer households’was adopted as operating mechanism of industrialization of eco-agricultural model, which pushed forward rapid development of standardization and industrialization of‘double-chain’eco-agricultural model.

Parental perception of the nutritional quality of school meals and its association with students' school lunch participation.

Science.gov (United States)

Ohri-Vachaspati, Punam

2014-03-01

This study explores the association between parental perception of the nutritional quality of school meals and whether students eat lunch served at school. We use data from five low-income cities in New Jersey that have high minority populations. Students whose parents perceive the quality of school meals to be healthy have greater odds of eating meals served at school. Recent changes in guidelines for the United States Department of Agriculture's National School Lunch Program met with resistance from several fronts. Advocates for and implementers of improved school meals may benefit from partnering with parents to increase the acceptance and utilization of improved school offerings. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Here's Why Junk Food Still Is on Sale at Some Schools.

Science.gov (United States)

Nolte, M. Chester

1984-01-01

A 1983 federal appeals court decision says the Secretary of Agriculture cannot establish time and place restrictions on the sale of snack items in schools. If snack items are to be banned from schools, the School Lunch Act must be reworded. (MD)

Mechanisms of change in Dutch inspected schools: comparing schools in different inspection treatments

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ehren, Melanie Catharina Margaretha; Shackleton, Nichola

2015-01-01

In many countries the need for education systems and schools to improve and innovate has become central to the education policy of governments. School inspections are expected to play an important role in promoting such continuous improvement and to help schools and education systems more generally

7 CFR 250.60 - Use of donated foods in the school food service.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Use of donated foods in the school food service. 250.60 Section 250.60 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) FOOD AND NUTRITION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE GENERAL REGULATIONS AND POLICIES-FOOD DISTRIBUTION DONATION OF FOODS FOR USE IN THE UNITED STATES, ITS...

The School Meals Initiative Implementation Study. First Year Report.

Science.gov (United States)

Abraham, Sameer; Chattopadhyay, Manas; Sullivan, Colleen; Mallory, Larry; Steiger, Darby Miller; Daft, Lynn; Arcos, Alyssa; Wilbraham, Brooke

This report, authorized by the Food and Nutrition Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, contains information on the School Meals Initiative for Healthy Children (SMI), a reform of school-meals programs aimed at upgrading the nutritional content of school meals. The purpose of the study was to describe and evaluate: (1) overall…

Supervised Agricultural Experience Programmes (SAEP) and Work Linked Education (WLE): Panacea for Empowering Youths and Preventing Joblessness

Science.gov (United States)

Famiwole, Remigius O.

2015-01-01

Youths from Nigerian schools and tertiary institutions are usually unemployable after schooling because they are not empowered with the required saleable skills to earn them a job or with which to establish as entrepreneurs. This paper examines the relevance of Supervised Agricultural Experience Programme (SAEP) and Work Linked Education (WLE) as…

Performance of low pressure mechanical ventilation concept with diffuse ceiling inlet for renovation of school classrooms

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Terkildsen, Søren; Svendsen, Svend

In a great portion of Danish primary schools the mechanical ventilation systems is outdated or simply rely on opening of windows to ventilate the classrooms. This leads to high energy consumption for fans and/or ventilation heat losses and poor indoor environment, as the ventilation systems cannot...... provide a sufficient ventilation rate. A recent study with 750 Danish classrooms show that 56 % had CO2-concentrations over a 1000 ppm, which is the recommended limit by the Danish working environment authority and this adversely affects the performance and well being of the pupils. This paper describes...... a mechanical ventilation concept to lower energy consumption and improve the indoor environment, developed for refurbishment of school classrooms. The performance of the concept is investigated through computer simulations and measurements of energy consumption and indoor environment. The measurements are made...

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emission in organic farming. Approximate quantification of its generation at the organic garden of the School of Agricultural, Food and Biosystems Engineering (ETSIAAB) in the Technical University of Madrid (UPM)

Science.gov (United States)

Campos, Jorge; Barbado, Elena; Maldonado, Mariano; Andreu, Gemma; López de Fuentes, Pilar

2016-04-01

As it well-known, agricultural soil fertilization increases the rate of greenhouse gas (GHG) emission production such as CO2, CH4 and N2O. Participation share of this activity on the climate change is currently under study, as well as the mitigation possibilities. In this context, we considered that it would be interesting to know how this share is in the case of organic farming. In relation to this, a field experiment was carried out at the organic garden of the School of Agricultural, Food and Biosystems Engineering (ETSIAAB) in the Technical University of Madrid (UPM). The orchard included different management growing areas, corresponding to different schools of organic farming. Soil and gas samples were taken from these different sites. Gas samples were collected throughout the growing season from an accumulated atmosphere inside static chambers inserted into the soil. Then, these samples were carried to the laboratory and there analyzed. The results obtained allow knowing approximately how ecological fertilization contributes to air pollution due to greenhouse gases.

The possibilities and limitations of entrepreneurship development in agriculture in Serbia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aničić Jugoslav

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The Republic of Serbia is very convenient for agricultural production: large, high-quality arable land, favourable climate conditions for all agricultural cultures, rich flora and fauna, rich tradition and developed scientific institutions are the priceless treasure of Serbian agriculture. However, the results of numerous research show that Serbian agriculture competitiveness is based on cheap production factors compared to other countries (soil, workforce, other inputs. One of the ways of solving this situation is larger application of entrepreneurial type of production in agribusiness, for which there are great possibilities in Serbia. This paper analyses the position of agriculture at the moment, and points out the importance and the need for faster and wider development of an entrepreneurial orientation in this sector. Serbia is in the EU accession process, and therefore the imperative of approaching the European model of doing business and the need for companies and family economies in agribusiness to build and protect their competitive advantages. In order to achieve this goal, traditional weaknesses should be overcome, so education and introduction of entrepreneurship into the school system are a good basis for farmers to have a stronger influence on the economic policy carriers as well as the adequate treatment of agricultural sector at the macroeconomic level.

Climate change and agriculture in Denmark

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olesen, J.E.

2001-01-01

This chapter reviews the current knowledge on effects of climate change on agriculture in Denmark, and the contribution of agriculture to greenhouse gas emissions in Denmark. The chapter also considers the possibilities of Danish agriculture to adapt to changing climate and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The relations to other aspects of global change are discussed, including liberalisation of world markets and changes in land use. Scenarios of climate change for Denmark suggest increases in annual mean temperature of 1 to 4 deg. C by the end of the 21st century depending on socioeconomic development. Winter rainfall may increase up to 20%. This implies a wide range of possible consequences. Agricultural productivity may be expected to increase under increasing temperature and increasing CO 2 concentration. Highter temperatures will increase the risk of pests and deseases. Warming in association with increased winter rainfall will also increase the risk of nitrate leaching. Climate change may thus be expected to reinforce the current trends in Danish agriculture of declining cattle population and increasing pig and cereal production. Apart from an anticipated continued decline in total agricultural area, land use will probably not be greatly affected. The current environmental regulation in Denmark aims at reducing pesticide use and nitrogen losses from agriculture. Some of the regulations are very detailed and directly regulate farming practices in a manner that may not provide the most cost-effective mechanism under a changed climate. Some of these existing rigid frameworks for environmental regulation should thus be substituted by more flexible goal-oriented environmental protection strategies, in order to ensure sustainability of farming under global climate change. (LN)

Process-Specialized Technologies Using in Agricultural Robotics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I. V. Rubtsov

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The article presents the main results of the analysis of the agriculture automation level in Russia and in the world. The results of the research of the foreign market, structures and compositions of foreign-made unmanned mobile energy vehicles are presented. The main direction of development of foreign companies is the creation of new models of navigation and orientation equipment for agricultural machinery aimed to the implementation of autonomous moving and mission equipment control. Technics automatization is possible due to refitting of already existing samples with specialized attachments. According to this analysis, foreign agricultural machinery is far ahead of domestic manufacturers for the production of crew-unmanned facilities of mechanization for the agricultural sector, and the material intensity of the existing agricultural production in Russia is 3-4 times higher than that of foreign countries. The need for this kind of analysis is explained by the result of a comparison labor productivity: this index in Russia's agriculture is by 2.4 times lower than European one and 3.5 times lower than that of the USA. The Russian agriculture development retard can be eliminate through the use of modern achievements in the field of robotic systems for special purposes. The authors proved the possibility of double use of technologies because of similarity of schemes and structure of robotic systems for the solution of specialized tasks of both directions. The unmanned mobile energy vehicles can be used at sequential and parallel autonomous driving.

Teachers' participation in school policy: Nature, extent and orientation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jongmans, C.T.; Sleegers, P.J.C.; Biemans, H.J.A.; Jong, F.P.C.M. de

2004-01-01

Against the background of several large-scale innovations in secondary agricultural education, this study explores the relation between teachers' professionality and their participation in school policy. For the research into this, 1,030 teachers of 98 schools for preparatory and secondary

Research on Structure Innovation of Agricultural Organization in China's Southwestern Mountainous Regions

OpenAIRE

Du, Qiang; Luo, Min; Wang, Ping

2012-01-01

Taking agricultural organization in China's southwestern mountainous regions as research object, on the basis of analysis of the status quo of agricultural organization development in China's southwestern mountainous regions, we use related theoretical knowledge on economics and organization science, we probe into the process of innovation and mechanism of action concerning the structure of agricultural organization in China's southwestern mountainous regions over the past 30 years. Finally w...

Genetically Modified Crops: Towards Agricultural Growth, Agricultural Development, or Agricultural Sustainability?

OpenAIRE

Azadi, Hossein; Ghanian, Mansour; Ghuchani, Omid M.; Rafiaani, Parisa; Taning, Clauvis N. T.; Hajivand, Roghaye Y.; Dogot, Thomas

2015-01-01

The present debate on how to increase global food production in a sustainable way has focused on arguments over the pros and cons of genetically modified (GM) crops. Scientists in both public and private sectors clearly regard GM technology as a major new set of tools, whereas industry sees it as an opportunity for increased profits. However, it remains questionable whether GM crops can contribute to agricultural growth, agricultural development, and agricultural sustainability. This review p...

School Organizational Climate and School Improvement.

Science.gov (United States)

Dellar, Graham B.; Giddings, Geoffrey J.

The refinement and application of the School Organizational Climate Questionnaire (SOCQ), an instrument for measuring organizational climate, is described in this report. The instrument is a mechanism by which schools can direct their school improvement efforts. In two case studies, a small urban elementary and a large urban secondary school…

Dig into Learning: A Program Evaluation of an Agricultural Literacy Innovation

Science.gov (United States)

Edwards, Erica Brown

2016-01-01

This study is a mixed-methods program evaluation of an agricultural literacy innovation in a local school district in rural eastern North Carolina. This evaluation describes the use of a theory-based framework, the Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM), in accordance with Stufflebeam's Context, Input, Process, Product (CIPP) model by evaluating the…

International Trade of Agricultural Products in the Context of "B&R" Initiative

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Lijing WU; Shuhua XIE

2016-01-01

At present,China’s agricultural product trade is facing the development dilemma. The trade deficit is expanding,market and product structure is irrational,and the Chinese agriculture products often encounter trade barriers. " B&R" initiative provides a rare opportunity for the development of agricultural products in China. It is necessary to seize this opportunity to change idea and innovate upon mechanism so as to increase the added value of exported agricultural products through various channels. There is also a need to develop electronic commerce,and make full use of interconnectivity and trade facilitation in " B&R" initiative to develop the international trade of agricultural products.

Estrategias metodológicas y el aprendizaje por competencias en escuelas agrícolas | Methodological strategies and learning skills in agricultural schools

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Henry Mujica-Rivero

2017-11-01

Full Text Available The present research was conducted under a quantitative approach, aimed to analyze the methodological strategies and their effect on learning skills in students of the 6th year of the technical and agricultural practices in the Agricultural Technical School “José Ramón Rodríguez”, from Jimenez Municipality, Lara State, Venezuela. It was based on a quasi-experimental research approach. For this, we worked with intact groups formed by 48 students. The Experimental Group (EG comprised 24 students from Section "A" and the Control Group (CG integrated with 24 students from Section "B". The EG received the strategies project work, seminar-workshop, study equipment and external practices to activate the desired competencies, while the CG did not receive such treatment. Both groups were compared before (pre-test and after (post-test developing the strategies which allowed to determine their influence on learning skills. As a result, changes in the attitudes of the EG were found, reflected in the execution of productive and endogenous development projects, reinforcing the capacities of synthesis, analysis, autonomy, leadership and responsibility for the execution of the programmed actions. The research hypothesis was accepted as EG students consolidated best skills in being, doing, knowing and living than those of CG.

Agriculture and Water Quality. Issues in Agricultural Policy. Agriculture Information Bulletin Number 548.

Science.gov (United States)

Crowder, Bradley M.; And Others

Agriculture generates byproducts that may contribute to the contamination of the United States' water supply. Any effective regulations to ban or restrict agricultural chemical or land use practices in order to improve water quality will affect the farm economy. Some farmers will benefit; some will not. Most agricultural pollutants reach surface…

Why did soft drink consumption decrease but screen time not? Mediating mechanisms in a school-based obesity prevention program

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brug Johannes

2008-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Objectives This paper aims to identify the mediating mechanisms of a school-based obesity prevention program (DOiT. Methods The DOiT-program was implemented in Dutch prevocational secondary schools and evaluated using a controlled, cluster-randomised trial (September 2003 to May 2004. We examined mediators of effects regarding (1 consumption of sugar containing beverages (SCB; (2 consumption of high caloric snacks; (3 screen-viewing behaviour; and (4 active commuting to school. To improve these behaviours the DOiT-program tried to influence the following potentially mediating variables: attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioural control, and habit-strength. Results Both in boys (n = 418 and girls (n = 436 the DOiT-intervention reduced SCB consumption (between group difference in boys = -303.5 ml/day, 95% CI: -502.4;-104.5, between group difference in girls = -222.3 ml/day, 95% CI: -371.3;-73.2. The intervention did not affect the other examined behaviours. In girls, no intervention effect on hypothetical mediators was found nor evidence of any mediating mechanisms. Boys in intervention schools improved their attitude towards decreasing SCB consumption, while this behaviour became less of a habit. Indeed, attitude and habit strength were significant mediators of the DOiT-intervention's effect (4.5 and 3.8%, respectively on SCB consumption among boys. Conclusion Our findings imply that interventions aimed at EBRB-change should be gender-specific. Future studies aimed at reducing SCB consumption among boys should target attitude and habit strength as mediating mechanisms. Our study did not resolve the mediating mechanisms in girls. Trial registration International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number Register ISRCTN87127361

Salvador Dalí's paintings to introduce Quantum Mechanics concepts in High School

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rúbia de Fátima Antunes Martins Fernandes

2017-08-01

Full Text Available A few papers have presented results of teaching Quantum Mechanics in High School. As a high abstraction level is demanded, it is necessary to reconsider theoretical assumptions, approaches and methodologies, in order to reduce difficulties in its insertion. This paper presents the achievements of a research, which is a didactic proposal for High School comprising discussions about Quantum Mechanics, involving elements that relate Physics and some paintings of Salvador Dalí. Embracing the relations between Physics and Art allows us to approach and express the relations between scientific education and culture with alternative ways to enrich the knowledge meaning, also aiming to provide students with a broader view about the scientific knowledge construction in an intelligent dialogue with the world.  To do so, the proposal presents an operative methodology, approaching science as a historical and social knowledge to teach quantum mechanics, and it aims to make the student able to hypothesize, conceptualize, situate scientific explanations in time, in short, operate according to the provided tools. Working with the ways in which Physics, introduced as a cultural component, influences the interpretations of macro and microscopic phenomena and contributes to the understanding of Modern Physics, part of twentieth-century Physics. Therefore, adding cultural elements to Physics world seems to be increasingly necessary, as it seems to resignify it by rehumanizing its knowledge. In addition, using the historical context seems to give us a greater extensiveness to knowledge, since it also starts being part of a broader culture, beyond its scientific meaning.

International Conference on Information Technology and Agricultural Engineering (ICITAE 2011)

CERN Document Server

Sambath, Sabo; Information Technology and Agricultural Engineering

2012-01-01

This volume comprises the papers from 2011 International Conference on Information Technology and Agricultural Engineering (ICITAE 2011).  2011 International Conference on Information Technology and Agricultural Engineering (ICITAE 2011) has been held in Sanya, China, December 1-2, 2011. All the papers have been peer reviewed by the selected experts. These papers represent the latest development in the field of materials manufacturing technology, spanning from the fundamentals to new technologies and applications. Specially, these papers cover the topics of Information Technology and Agricultural Engineering. This book provides a greatly valuable reference for researchers in the field of Information Technology and Agricultural Engineering who wish to further understand the underlying mechanisms and create innovative and practical techniques, systems and processes. It should also be particularly useful for engineers in information technology and agriculture who are responsible for the efficient and effective ...

The carbon markets: which place for the french agriculture; Les marches du carbone: quelle place pour l'agriculture francaise?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2006-02-15

Even its positive role of carbon sequestration in the biomass by photosynthesis, the agriculture sector is responsible of about 20% of the french greenhouse gases emissions. Actions aim to reduce these emissions. This study allows the exploration of technic of reduction to reveal those which combine voluntarism, actors responsibility and economic profitability. It constitutes necessary work to better understand the greenhouse gases stakes in the agriculture and develop inventive projects. It offers also actions to implement by the public authorities to create success conditions of described mechanisms. (A.L.B.)

ORGANIZATIONAL AND ECONOMIC MECHANISM ON THE SUSTAINABLE USE STIMULATION OF AGRICULTURAL APPOINTMENT LAND

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O.P. Atamaniuk

2017-11-01

Full Text Available It is well-known that the use of incentives should lead to an improvement of the existing economic, environmental and social status, to raising the level of economic indicators for the benefit of the person who provides incentives and who is the object of stimulation. The current socio-economic conditions dictate the need to find effective forms of land management and rational land use management, correcting mistakes and resolving existing issues. This is possible only after all agricultural land use is fully provided with the necessary land management works. These issues can be solved by implementing the planning documents for the development of territories (national, regional, local, etc.. They put in place an algorithm of action to address the issue, but the greatest advantage of the proposed development program is the possibility of developing a land management process on agricultural lands. Clear financing of development programs, allows to ensure the implementation of the outlined plans for the implementation of land management works that are necessary on agricultural land. But in the context of the limited economic opportunities of Ukraine, the financing of land management measures provided for by the program should be only partially depending on the possibilities and level of environmental issues of land use.

Researches on Agricultural Cooperative Economic Organization Promoting Agricultural Insurance Development

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

2011-01-01

The advantages of cooperative economic organization being the effective carrier of agricultural insurance development are analyzed. Firstly, cooperative economic organization promotes scale management and solves the problem of decentralized operation of small households. Secondly, cooperative economic organization can settle the problem of peasants’ low systematization. Thirdly, cooperative economic organization can largely reduce the costs of agricultural insurance operation. Fourthly, cooperative organization decreases moral risks as well as adverse selection to some extent. Lastly, cooperative organization, to a certain degree, reduces the risks of agricultural production and increases the insurability of agricultural risks. Meanwhile, limitations of agricultural cooperative economic organization being the carrier of agricultural insurance operation are pointed out. Firstly, cooperative economic organization has limited coverage and small size of organization, which is harmful to the diversification of agricultural risks. Secondly, cooperative economic organization lacks capital funds and its development is not standard, which is not perfect for the function exertion as a carrier. Lastly, members of professional cooperative organization have low cultural qualities, which restrict the implementation of agricultural insurance. The modes of farmers’ cooperative economic organization promoting agricultural insurance development are proposed, including mode of agricultural insurance cooperative ( mutual corporation), mode of "leading enterprises (companies) + professional cooperative organization (planting majors) + insurance" and mode of professional cooperatives serving as agricultural insurance agent. Last of all, the promoting role of agricultural insurance in agricultural cooperative economic organization is briefly illustrated.

analysis of the influence of agricultural and non-agricultural sectors ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

INIAMA

agricultural GDP led to a 0.243% and 0.743% change in the economy respectively. It means that the economy is inelastic with respect to agricultural and non-agricultural sector performance. The economy is more inelastic with respect to agricultural production than non-agricultural production. In countries where economies ...

Long-Term Degradation of Composites Exposed to Liquid Environments in Agriculture

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Valášek P.

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Polymeric particles composites with hard inorganic particles are abrasion resistant materials which can be used in the sphere of agriculture - e.g. for functional areas in renovation or as resistant layers. Silicon carbide waste particles were used in the present experiment, replacing the primary filler with waste without significant changes in the mechanical properties. The present paper describes the effect of immersion of polymeric particles composites with epoxy matrix in liquids on selected mechanical properties. Overall, it explains the change of hardness and resistance of abrasive wear, a typical kind of wear in the sphere of agriculture.

Agriculture land use and environmental issues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khan, S.M.L

2005-01-01

There is agro-pastoral farming system prevalent in mountainous and sub-mountainous areas of Himalayan region including Azad Jammu and Kashmir. As such, Agriculture Sector includes Crop-husbandry, livestock farming and forestry in its ambit. There are varied forms of land uses, like crop farming, forestry, animal husbandry, fisheries, wildlife conservation etc. Therefore, the paper attempts to spotlight the interplay of these land uses with respect to the environment in general with specific reference to AJK and other mountainous and sub- mountainous regions of Northern Pakistan. Agricultural activities have both negative and beneficial effects on the environment. The negative effects in the forms of physical degradation of the soil due to agriculture are: soil erosion, desertification, water logging and salinity and soil compaction. The land use practices such as overgrazing, deforestation and some cultivation practices, removal of vegetative cover or hedgerows, lack of proper drainage outlets, accentuate these problems. The improper management of water use and sometimes excessive mechanization and Ploughing further aggravates problem of physical degradation of the soil. The chemical degradation, as a result of agricultural practices, include acidification, Salinization, contamination caused by pesticides and insecticides and resultantly water and air pollution, and loss of habitats and biodiversity. Further negative effects emerging out of agricultural practices are greenhouse gas emissions, nutrient losses and lowering of humus content, which makes soil susceptible to compaction and erosion. The beneficial environmental effects emanating from the use of best agricultural management practices and integrated farming systems are protection of soil fertility and stability, prevention of excessive run offs. It also provides habitats for varied forms of flora and fauna, reduce the emission of carbon dioxide (CO/sub 2)/ and reduce the incidence and severity of natural

Project mechanisms challenges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perthuis, Ch. de

2005-06-01

The project mechanism complete the quotas systems concerning the carbon dioxide emissions market. The author explains and discusses these mechanisms and provides a panorama of the existing and developing projects. More specially she brings information on the mechanism of clean developments and renewable energies, the coordinated mechanisms, the agricultural projects, the financing of the projects and the exchange systeme of the New south Wales. (A.L.B.)

TRANSFORMATION OF MODERN AGRICULTURE INTO ORGANIC AGRICULTURE AT SUBAK WANGAYA BETAN, PENEBEL DISTRICT, TABANAN REGENCY, BALI PROVINCE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Euis Dewi Yuliana

2012-11-01

select for analyzing the data. In this third stage, the selecteddata were analyzed and interpreted. In the fourth stage, the results were constructed andreported.Based on the analysis conducted, three findings could be reported. First,agricultural transformation has taken place at Subak Wangaya Betan, from agrochemical based modern agriculture in which inorganic, chemical pesticide and hybrid varieties areused into organic agriculture in which no chemical substances are used. The agriculturaltransformation has not been suddenly conducted; it has been a planned process, has beenconducted through a highly systematic mechanism with many stages and has consumed alot of time and needed in-depth studies. Second, many factors have led to the agriculturaltransformation taking place at Subak Wangaya Betan. They are external factors such aspolitical, economic, social, cultural and ecological aspects and internal factors such as thenegative side of green revolution implementation, natural resources, cooperative farmers,and adherent farmers. They are all equally strong and synergize in encouraging andaccelerating the agricultural transformation. Third, it turns out that the agriculturaltransformation taking place at Subak Wangaya Betan has several implications andmeanings. The implications are that the ideology adhered to by the farmers has changed,the establishment of new institutions, an increase in the farmers’ income, improved ricefield ecosystem and environment. The meanings of organic agriculture are spiritualmeaning, empowerment meaning and welfare meaning.

TRANSFORMATION OF MODERN AGRICULTURE INTO ORGANIC AGRICULTURE AT SUBAK WANGAYA BETAN, PENEBEL DISTRICT, TABANAN REGENCY, BALI PROVINCE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Euis Dewi Yuliana

2012-11-01

select for analyzing the data. In this third stage, the selecteddata were analyzed and interpreted. In the fourth stage, the results were constructed andreported.Based on the analysis conducted, three findings could be reported. First,agricultural transformation has taken place at Subak Wangaya Betan, from agrochemicalbasedmodern agriculture in which inorganic, chemical pesticide and hybrid varieties areused into organic agriculture in which no chemical substances are used. The agriculturaltransformation has not been suddenly conducted; it has been a planned process, has beenconducted through a highly systematic mechanism with many stages and has consumed alot of time and needed in-depth studies. Second, many factors have led to the agriculturaltransformation taking place at Subak Wangaya Betan. They are external factors such aspolitical, economic, social, cultural and ecological aspects and internal factors such as thenegative side of green revolution implementation, natural resources, cooperative farmers,and adherent farmers. They are all equally strong and synergize in encouraging andaccelerating the agricultural transformation. Third, it turns out that the agriculturaltransformation taking place at Subak Wangaya Betan has several implications andmeanings. The implications are that the ideology adhered to by the farmers has changed,the establishment of new institutions, an increase in the farmers’ income, improved ricefield ecosystem and environment. The meanings of organic agriculture are spiritualmeaning, empowerment meaning and welfare meaning.

First Year Experiences in School of Mechanical Engineering Kanazawa University

Science.gov (United States)

Kinari, Toshiyasu; Kanjin, Yuichi; Furuhata, Toru; Tada, Yukio

This paper reports two lectures of the first year experience, ‧Lecture on Life in Campus and Society‧ and ‧Freshman Seminar‧ and discusses their effects. Both lectures have been given freshmen of the school of mechanical engineering, Kanazawa University in H20 spring term. The former lecture is aimed at freshmen to keep on a proper way in both social and college life. It consists of normal class and e-learning system lectures. E-learning system examination requires students to review the whole text book and that seems to have brought better results in the survey. The latter seminar is aimed at freshmen to get active and self-disciplined learning way through their investigation, discussion, presentation, writing work, and so on.

School Identity in the Context of Alberta Charter Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Thompson, Merlin; Gereluk, Dianne; Kowch, Eugene

2016-01-01

The central tenet of this investigation is that educational institutions possess their own school identity. Acknowledging that school identity is influenced by institutional mechanisms and personal dynamics, we examine school identity in the context of 13 Alberta charter schools. Narratives of 73 educational stakeholders across the network of…

Agriculture

Science.gov (United States)

The EPA Agriculture Resource Directory offers comprehensive, easy-to-understand information about environmental stewardship on farms and ranches; commonsense, flexible approaches that are both environmentally protective and agriculturally sound.

An investigation of the practice of scientific inquiry in secondary science and agriculture courses

Science.gov (United States)

Grady, Julie R.

The purpose of this exploratory qualitative study was to investigate the practice of scientific inquiry in two secondary biology classes and one agriculture class from different schools in different communities. The focus was on teachers' interests and intentions for the students' participation in inquiry, the voices contributing to the inquiry, and students' opportunities to confront their conceptions of the nature of science (NOS). The Partnership for Research and Education in Plants (PREP) served as the context by providing students with opportunities to design and conduct original experiments to help elucidate the function(s) of a disabled gene in Arabidopsis thaliana . Transcripts of teacher and student semi-structured interviews, field notes of classroom observations and classroom conversations, and documents (e.g., student work, teacher handouts, school websites, PREP materials) were analyzed for evidence of the practice of scientific inquiry. Teachers were interested in implementing inquiry because of potential student learning about scientific research and because PREP supports course content and is connected to a larger scientific project outside of the school. Teachers' intentions regarding the implementation of inquiry reflected the complexity of their courses and the students' previous experiences. All inquiries were student-directed. The biology students' participation more closely mirrored the practice of scientists, while the agriculture students were more involved with the procedural display of scientific inquiry. All experiences could have been enhanced from additional knowledge-centered activities regarding scientific reasoning. No activities brought explicit attention to NOS. Biology activities tended to implicitly support NOS while the agriculture class activities tended to implicitly contradict NOS. Scientists' interactions contributed to implied support of the NOS. There were missed opportunities for explicit attention to NOS in all classes

Understanding the Reach of Agricultural Impacts from Climate Extremes in the Agricultural Model Intercomparison and Improvement Project (AgMIP)

Science.gov (United States)

Ruane, A. C.

2016-12-01

The Agricultural Model Intercomparison and Improvement Project (AgMIP) has been working since 2010 to build a modeling framework capable of representing the complexities of agriculture, its dependence on climate, and the many elements of society that depend on food systems. AgMIP's 30+ activities explore the interconnected nature of climate, crop, livestock, economics, food security, and nutrition, using common protocols to systematically evaluate the components of agricultural assessment and allow multi-model, multi-scale, and multi-method analysis of intertwining changes in socioeconomic development, environmental change, and technological adaptation. AgMIP is now launching Coordinated Global and Regional Assessments (CGRA) with a particular focus on unforeseen consequences of development strategies, interactions between global and local systems, and the resilience of agricultural systems to extreme climate events. Climate extremes shock the agricultural system through local, direct impacts (e.g., droughts, heat waves, floods, severe storms) and also through teleconnections propagated through international trade. As the climate changes, the nature of climate extremes affecting agriculture is also likely to change, leading to shifting intensity, duration, frequency, and geographic extents of extremes. AgMIP researchers are developing new scenario methodologies to represent near-term extreme droughts in a probabilistic manner, field experiments that impose heat wave conditions on crops, increased resolution to differentiate sub-national drought impacts, new behavioral functions that mimic the response of market actors faced with production shortfalls, analysis of impacts from simultaneous failures of multiple breadbasket regions, and more detailed mapping of food and socioeconomic indicators into food security and nutrition metrics that describe the human impact in diverse populations. Agricultural models illustrate the challenges facing agriculture, allowing

DIESEL ENGINE SYSTEMS. AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY--SERVICE OCCUPATIONS, MODULE NUMBER 15.

Science.gov (United States)

Ohio State Univ., Columbus. Center for Vocational and Technical Education.

ONE OF A SERIES DESIGNED TO HELP TEACHERS PREPARE POSTSECONDARY STUDENTS FOR AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY SERVICE OCCUPATIONS AS PARTS MEN, MECHANICS, MECHANIC'S HELPERS, AND SERVICE SUPERVISORS, THIS GUIDE AIMS TO DEVELOP STUDENT UNDERSTANDING OF THE CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATING PRINCIPLES OF DIESEL ENGINES. IT WAS DEVELOPED BY A NATIONAL TASK FORCE ON…

Agricultural Overpopulation

OpenAIRE

Bičanić, Rudolf

2003-01-01

The author discusses three different approaches to agricultural overpopulation: from the consumption side, from the production side and from the aspect of immobility of agricultural population. In the first approach agrarian overpopulation is defined from the consumption point of viewas the number of people living from agriculture that can live from aggregate agricultural income at a certain standard of consumption. In this connection the problem of measuring total agricultu...

Research on Structure Innovation of Agricultural Organization in China’s Southwestern Mountainous Regions

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

2012-01-01

Taking agricultural organization in China’s southwestern mountainous regions as research object,on the basis of analysis of the status quo of agricultural organization development in China’s southwestern mountainous regions,we use related theoretical knowledge on economics and organization science,we probe into the process of innovation and mechanism of action concerning the structure of agricultural organization in China’s southwestern mountainous regions over the past 30 years.Finally we draw several general conclusions regarding structure innovation of agricultural organization in China’s southwestern mountainous regions as follows:first,the structure innovation of agricultural organization,a gradual process,proceeds ceaselessly along with ongoing progress and development of agriculture,and in this process,farmers always play a fundamental role;second,the structure innovation of agricultural organization is affected by many factors,and government institutional arrangement and change in market conditions is undoubtedly the most critical factor;third,the probable evolving direction of structure innovation of agricultural organization includes internal differentiation of the same form of agricultural organization,association of different forms of agricultural organization,and emergence of other forms of agricultural organization.

School Children's Intestinal Parasite and Nutritional Status One Year after Complementary School Garden, Nutrition, Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Interventions in Burkina Faso.

Science.gov (United States)

Erismann, Séverine; Diagbouga, Serge; Schindler, Christian; Odermatt, Peter; Knoblauch, Astrid M; Gerold, Jana; Leuenberger, Andrea; Shrestha, Akina; Tarnagda, Grissoum; Utzinger, Jürg; Cissé, Guéladio

2017-09-01

The potential health benefits of combined agricultural, nutrition, water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) interventions are poorly understood. We aimed to determine whether complementary school garden, nutrition, and WASH interventions reduce intestinal parasites and improve school children's nutritional status in two regions of Burkina Faso. A cluster-randomized controlled trial was conducted in the Plateau Central and Center-Ouest regions of Burkina Faso. A total of 360 randomly selected children, aged 8-15 years, had complete baseline and end-line survey data. Mixed regression models were used to assess the impact of the interventions, controlling for baseline characteristics. The prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections decreased both in intervention and control schools, but the decrease was significantly higher in the intervention schools related to the control schools (odds ratio [OR] of the intervention effect = 0.2, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.1-0.5). Indices of undernutrition did not decrease at end-line in intervention schools. Safe handwashing practices before eating and the use of latrines at schools were significantly higher in the intervention schools than in the control schools at end-line (OR = 6.9, 95% CI = 1.4-34.4, and OR = 14.9, 95% CI = 1.4-153.9, respectively). Parameters of water quality remained unchanged. A combination of agricultural, nutritional, and WASH-related interventions embedded in the social-ecological systems and delivered through the school platform improved several child health outcomes, including intestinal parasitic infections and some WASH-related behaviors. Sustained interventions with stronger household and community-based components are, however, needed to improve school children's health in the long-term.

Advantages and controversy of common agricultural and cohesion policy in the EU

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kostić Vladimir

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The authors explore deals and payments that have a positive effect on the development of Common agricultural and cohesion policy. They particularly emphasize the ways of protecting the European Union from cheap imported products from non-EU countries. They also deal with the mechanisms that are built into the process, with the structural policy regarding 'Agenda 2000', as well as the reforms of Common agricultural and cohesion policy from its beginnings until now. The paper presents problems of guaranteed prices, ecology, quotas, agricultural levies and customs duties. The authors also investigated the Common Agricultural and Rural Policy of the European Union 2014-2020, the ways to accelerate the transfer of technology and strengthen the cooperation between agriculture and research sectors in the future.

Designing a Model for Integration of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in the Iranian Agricultural Research System

Science.gov (United States)

Sharifzadeh, Aboulqasem; Abdollahzadeh, Gholam Hossein; Sharifi, Mahnoosh

2009-01-01

Capacity Development is needed in the Iranian Agricultural System. Integrating Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in the agricultural research system is an appropriate capacity development mechanism. The appropriate application of ICTs and information such as a National Agricultural Information System requires a systemically…

Attitudes of students at College of Food and Agricultural Sciences toward agriculture

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Mohammed Saleh Shenaifi

2013-06-01

Full Text Available The primary purpose of the study was to determine the attitudes of students at the College of Agriculture toward agriculture programs and the field of agriculture in an effort to better identify, recruit, and retain students in the College of Agriculture. The population of the study was 110 students from the College of Agriculture freshmen enrolling in course 203 Ag. ext. Communication skills in 2009 and 60 students who transferred from the College of Agriculture to another College. Questionnaire was reviewed for content and face validity by a panel of experts from the department of Agricultural Extension at the College of Agriculture, King Saud University. A five-point Likert-type scale was used. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was found to be 0.89, which indicated the internal consistency of the scale. Ninety-six of the students were from cities and do not have a farm background. Many of them indicated that they were not happy in the College of Agriculture. Only 31.18% of the respondents (53 indicated that more students should be encouraged to enroll in the College of Agriculture, whereas nearly 69 disagreed or were uncertain. The attitudes of students toward the field of Agriculture were positive. Seventy-one of respondents viewed Agriculture as a scientific area of study, nearly 66% of respondents viewed the field of Agriculture as a blend of scientific principles and agricultural practices. Significant differences at the level of 0.01 were detected, in means of students who had been enrolled in Agricultural program and those students who had not. Students who had enrolled in Agriculture program displayed different attitudes toward the field of Agriculture than did students who were in non-Agriculture program. Generally, students who were studying Agriculture programs possessed attitudes, which were supportive of Agriculture as a career field. Freshmen of the College of Agriculture viewed agriculture as being both scientific and technical. It

Climate-smart agriculture: possible roles of agricultural universities in a strengthened Norwegian climate change engagement in Africa

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Synnevaag, Gry; Lambrou, Jayne Patricia

2012-02-15

capacity building; 2) monitoring and evaluation; and 3) establishing and maintaining partnerships between public, private and civil society actors. Drawing on studies from e.g., conservation agriculture, biofuel production and integrated land management in the Sahel, Norwegian support can contribute to the implementation of a productive and climate robust agriculture while also obtaining the goals of REDD+ and Energy+.Interventions for climate change mitigation and adaptation, including REDD+ and Energy+ initiatives for commercial forestry plantations and renewable biomass fuels (biofuels), may restrict both men and women's access to land, forest and other productive resources. Studies so far have indicated that climate efforts may exacerbate an already precarious situation for women in many African countries due to their insecure access to land and their voiceless situation. In light of the different roles men and women play in food production and energy generation, their different needs should be attended to in the climate change agenda. Considering the important role of the private sector in securing long-term sustainability of donor and government funded programmes in climate-smart agriculture, REDD+ and Energy+, and for the purposes of scaling up any pilot projects with limited donor or government funding, one case from Mozambique (the Beira Agricultural Growth Corridor - BAGC) and one from Tanzania (the Southern Growth Corridor of Tanzania - SAGCOT) are presented in the report. The cases may illustrate potential institutional arrangements for collaboration with private sector and farming communities in developing commercial agriculture. However, due to low returns and high risk, most African countries may not attract sufficient private investments required for the transition to mechanized food and energy production. Thus, government and donor funding may still be required to provide incentives for the private sector engagement in climate change mitigation and

Climate-smart agriculture: possible roles of agricultural universities in a strengthened Norwegian climate change engagement in Africa

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Synnevaag, Gry; Lambrou, Jayne Patricia

2012-02-15

and institutional capacity building; 2) monitoring and evaluation; and 3) establishing and maintaining partnerships between public, private and civil society actors. Drawing on studies from e.g., conservation agriculture, biofuel production and integrated land management in the Sahel, Norwegian support can contribute to the implementation of a productive and climate robust agriculture while also obtaining the goals of REDD+ and Energy+.Interventions for climate change mitigation and adaptation, including REDD+ and Energy+ initiatives for commercial forestry plantations and renewable biomass fuels (biofuels), may restrict both men and women's access to land, forest and other productive resources. Studies so far have indicated that climate efforts may exacerbate an already precarious situation for women in many African countries due to their insecure access to land and their voiceless situation. In light of the different roles men and women play in food production and energy generation, their different needs should be attended to in the climate change agenda. Considering the important role of the private sector in securing long-term sustainability of donor and government funded programmes in climate-smart agriculture, REDD+ and Energy+, and for the purposes of scaling up any pilot projects with limited donor or government funding, one case from Mozambique (the Beira Agricultural Growth Corridor - BAGC) and one from Tanzania (the Southern Growth Corridor of Tanzania - SAGCOT) are presented in the report. The cases may illustrate potential institutional arrangements for collaboration with private sector and farming communities in developing commercial agriculture. However, due to low returns and high risk, most African countries may not attract sufficient private investments required for the transition to mechanized food and energy production. Thus, government and donor funding may still be required to provide incentives for the private sector engagement in climate

Quantitative analysis of agricultural land use change in China

Science.gov (United States)

Chou, Jieming; Dong, Wenjie; Wang, Shuyu; Fu, Yuqing

This article reviews the potential impacts of climate change on land use change in China. Crop sown area is used as index to quantitatively analyze the temporal-spatial changes and the utilization of the agricultural land. A new concept is defined as potential multiple cropping index to reflect the potential sowing ability. The impacting mechanism, land use status and its surplus capacity are investigated as well. The main conclusions are as following; During 1949-2010, the agricultural land was the greatest in amount in the middle of China, followed by that in the country's eastern and western regions. The most rapid increase and decrease of agricultural land were observed in Xinjiang and North China respectively, Northwest China and South China is also changed rapid. The variation trend before 1980 differed significantly from that after 1980. Agricultural land was affected by both natural and social factors, such as regional climate and environmental changes, population growth, economic development, and implementation of policies. In this paper, the effects of temperature and urbanization on the coverage of agriculture land are evaluated, and the results show that the urbanization can greatly affects the amount of agriculture land in South China, Northeast China, Xinjiang and Southwest China. From 1980 to 2009, the extent of agricultural land use had increased as the surplus capacity had decreased. Still, large remaining potential space is available, but the future utilization of agricultural land should be carried out with scientific planning and management for the sustainable development.

A Spatial Data Model Desing For The Management Of Agricultural Data (Farmer, Agricultural Land And Agricultural Production)

Science.gov (United States)

Taşkanat, Talha; İbrahim İnan, Halil

2016-04-01

Since the beginning of the 2000s, it has been conducted many projects such as Agricultural Sector Integrated Management Information System, Agriculture Information System, Agricultural Production Registry System and Farmer Registry System by the Turkish Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock and the Turkish Statistical Institute in order to establish and manage better agricultural policy and produce better agricultural statistics in Turkey. Yet, it has not been carried out any study for the structuring of a system which can meet the requirements of different institutions and organizations that need similar agricultural data. It has been tried to meet required data only within the frame of the legal regulations from present systems. Whereas the developments in GIS (Geographical Information Systems) and standardization, and Turkey National GIS enterprise in this context necessitate to meet the demands of organizations that use the similar data commonly and to act in terms of a data model logic. In this study, 38 institutions or organization which produce and use agricultural data were detected, that and thanks to survey and interviews undertaken, their needs were tried to be determined. In this study which is financially supported by TUBITAK, it was worked out relationship between farmer, agricultural land and agricultural production data and all of the institutions and organizations in Turkey and in this context, it was worked upon the best detailed and effective possible data model. In the model design, UML which provides object-oriented design was used. In the data model, for the management of spatial data, sub-parcel data model was used. Thanks to this data model, declared and undeclared areas can be detected spatially, and thus declarations can be associated to sub-parcels. Within this framework, it will be able to developed agricultural policies as a result of acquiring more extensive, accurate, spatially manageable and easily updatable farmer and

Beyond conservation agriculture.

Science.gov (United States)

Giller, Ken E; Andersson, Jens A; Corbeels, Marc; Kirkegaard, John; Mortensen, David; Erenstein, Olaf; Vanlauwe, Bernard

2015-01-01

Global support for Conservation Agriculture (CA) as a pathway to Sustainable Intensification is strong. CA revolves around three principles: no-till (or minimal soil disturbance), soil cover, and crop rotation. The benefits arising from the ease of crop management, energy/cost/time savings, and soil and water conservation led to widespread adoption of CA, particularly on large farms in the Americas and Australia, where farmers harness the tools of modern science: highly-sophisticated machines, potent agrochemicals, and biotechnology. Over the past 10 years CA has been promoted among smallholder farmers in the (sub-) tropics, often with disappointing results. Growing evidence challenges the claims that CA increases crop yields and builds-up soil carbon although increased stability of crop yields in dry climates is evident. Our analyses suggest pragmatic adoption on larger mechanized farms, and limited uptake of CA by smallholder farmers in developing countries. We propose a rigorous, context-sensitive approach based on Systems Agronomy to analyze and explore sustainable intensification options, including the potential of CA. There is an urgent need to move beyond dogma and prescriptive approaches to provide soil and crop management options for farmers to enable the Sustainable Intensification of agriculture.

Beyond conservation agriculture

Science.gov (United States)

Giller, Ken E.; Andersson, Jens A.; Corbeels, Marc; Kirkegaard, John; Mortensen, David; Erenstein, Olaf; Vanlauwe, Bernard

2015-01-01

Global support for Conservation Agriculture (CA) as a pathway to Sustainable Intensification is strong. CA revolves around three principles: no-till (or minimal soil disturbance), soil cover, and crop rotation. The benefits arising from the ease of crop management, energy/cost/time savings, and soil and water conservation led to widespread adoption of CA, particularly on large farms in the Americas and Australia, where farmers harness the tools of modern science: highly-sophisticated machines, potent agrochemicals, and biotechnology. Over the past 10 years CA has been promoted among smallholder farmers in the (sub-) tropics, often with disappointing results. Growing evidence challenges the claims that CA increases crop yields and builds-up soil carbon although increased stability of crop yields in dry climates is evident. Our analyses suggest pragmatic adoption on larger mechanized farms, and limited uptake of CA by smallholder farmers in developing countries. We propose a rigorous, context-sensitive approach based on Systems Agronomy to analyze and explore sustainable intensification options, including the potential of CA. There is an urgent need to move beyond dogma and prescriptive approaches to provide soil and crop management options for farmers to enable the Sustainable Intensification of agriculture. PMID:26579139

Beyond Conservation Agriculture

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ken E Giller

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Global support for Conservation Agriculture (CA as a pathway to Sustainable Intensification is strong. CA revolves around three principles: no-till (or minimal soil disturbance, soil cover, and crop rotation. The benefits arising from the ease of crop management, energy/cost/time savings and soil and water conservation led to widespread adoption of CA, particularly on large farms in the Americas and Australia, where farmers harness the tools of modern science: highly-sophisticated machines, potent agrochemicals and biotechnology. Over the past ten years CA has been promoted among smallholder farmers in the (sub- tropics, often with disappointing results. Growing evidence challenges the claims that CA increases crop yields and builds-up soil carbon although increased stability of crop yields in dry climates is evident. Our analyses suggest pragmatic adoption on larger mechanized farms, and limited uptake of CA by smallholder farmers in developing countries. We propose a rigorous, context-sensitive approach based on Systems Agronomy to analyze and explore sustainable intensification options, including the potential of CA. There is an urgent need to move beyond dogma and prescriptive approaches to provide soil and crop management options for farmers to enable the Sustainable Intensification of agriculture.

Simplifications and Idealizations in High School Physics in Mechanics: A Study of Slovenian Curriculum and Textbooks

Science.gov (United States)

Forjan, Matej; Sliško, Josip

2014-01-01

This article presents the results of an analysis of three Slovenian textbooks for high school physics, from the point of view of simplifications and idealizations in the field of mechanics. In modeling of physical systems, making simplifications and idealizations is important, since one ignores minor effects and focuses on the most important…

The Prospects for Development of the Agricultural Land Market in Ukraine

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Kushnir Nina B.

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The article is aimed at studying the basic aspects of establishment and development of the land market. A mechanism for securing against the leasehold estate and a model of an agricultural land market have been proposed. It has been specified that the most important component on formation of land market in our State is to work to change public opinion, people attitudes regarding the private ownership of land and deals with it. The proposed mechanism for securing against the leasehold estate has not only economic, but also social significance, which, above all, is that securing against the leasehold estate does not change the owner of the land, and, consequently, does not threaten villagers with dispossession of land. With introduction of the presented model of an agricultural land market it can be argued that such a market is an open, complex system based on the interaction between its actors over the use, disposal and market turnover of agricultural lands.

Large-Scale Agriculture and Outgrower Schemes in Ethiopia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wendimu, Mengistu Assefa

, the impact of large-scale agriculture and outgrower schemes on productivity, household welfare and wages in developing countries is highly contentious. Chapter 1 of this thesis provides an introduction to the study, while also reviewing the key debate in the contemporary land ‘grabbing’ and historical large...... sugarcane outgrower scheme on household income and asset stocks. Chapter 5 examines the wages and working conditions in ‘formal’ large-scale and ‘informal’ small-scale irrigated agriculture. The results in Chapter 2 show that moisture stress, the use of untested planting materials, and conflict over land...... commands a higher wage than ‘formal’ large-scale agriculture, while rather different wage determination mechanisms exist in the two sectors. Human capital characteristics (education and experience) partly explain the differences in wages within the formal sector, but play no significant role...

AGRICULTURE AND AGRICULTURAL COOPERATIVES IN JAPAN - A MODEL FOR COOPERATIVIZATION OF AGRICULTURE FROM ROMANIA

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Remus Gherman

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Japan's agriculture provides only a part from the population's needs, in caloric terms Japan must impute 60% of foods. Arable land are few, but are worked very performant, rice being the main crop together with cotton, citrus, sugarcane, wheat, potato, soybean, sugar beet, other vegetables. Widely is practiced sericulture and fisheries, Japan being one of the leading producers of silk from the world and having over 600 ports specialized for fishing. Japanese agriculture has remained behind the industry and services, this trend being manifested after the very high economic growth from 1960-1970. The main focus of the movements from the Japanese cooperative system is represented by the creation of large specialized farms through the replacing of the traditional ones. The most important task of agricultural cooperatives from Japan is meeting the consumption needs of its members. Integrated leadership of Japanese cooperatives of farmers act at all levels, primary, at prefecture level and at national level. Contractual relationships play a decisive role in the integration of Japanese farmers. In Japan there are about 840 agricultural cooperatives very well organized with a balanced planning and efficiently conducted, agricultural cooperative MIKABI being the most developed, mainly focused on the production of mandarins. In Japan there are three large distribution centers of agricultural products, 29 distribution markets controlled by the prefecture and 1,000 local markets. Organization of cooperatives is the pyramid system on three levels: local, prefecture and national (National Federation of Agricultural Cooperatives.

7 CFR 220.14 - Claims against school food authorities.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAMS SCHOOL BREAKFAST PROGRAM § 220.14 Claims against school food authorities. (a) State agencies shall disallow any portion of a claim and recover any payment made... FNSRO, when FNSRO disallows a claim or a portion of a claim, or makes a demand for refund of an alleged...

Emerging Agricultural Biotechnologies for Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security.

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, Jennifer A; Gipmans, Martijn; Hurst, Susan; Layton, Raymond; Nehra, Narender; Pickett, John; Shah, Dilip M; Souza, Thiago Lívio P O; Tripathi, Leena

2016-01-20

As global populations continue to increase, agricultural productivity will be challenged to keep pace without overtaxing important environmental resources. A dynamic and integrated approach will be required to solve global food insecurity and position agriculture on a trajectory toward sustainability. Genetically modified (GM) crops enhanced through modern biotechnology represent an important set of tools that can promote sustainable agriculture and improve food security. Several emerging biotechnology approaches were discussed in a recent symposium organized at the 13th IUPAC International Congress of Pesticide Chemistry meeting in San Francisco, CA, USA. This paper summarizes the innovative research and several of the new and emerging technologies within the field of agricultural biotechnology that were presented during the symposium. This discussion highlights how agricultural biotechnology fits within the context of sustainable agriculture and improved food security and can be used in support of further development and adoption of beneficial GM crops.

Curriculum Management Practices in Pedagogical Coordinations of Araucania Schools: Unveiling Technical/Instrumental Rationality, Control and Power Mechanisms Underlying

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juan Carlos Beltrán-Véliz

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This article consists of a case study regarding curriculum management practices of pedagogical coordinators in schools in Araucania area. The study aims to reveal technical/instrumental rationality, control and power mechanisms that underlie the curriculum management practices of such pedagogical coordinators of schools in Araucania region. A descriptive qualitative design based on the constructionist grounded theory and the constant comparative method is considered. Subjects studied included 12 technical leaders and 22 teachers from Araucania schools. Techniques for collecting information were semi-structured interview and texts for reading. Four categories rose from axial coding. Findings reveal that the teaching process is reduced to an instructional process. Furthermore, there is no uniformity of criteria regarding general functions that must be met. In the same extent, activity coordination is centered on bureaucratic administrative aspects, with main focus on task control. Regulations, programs and educational projects are used as control mechanisms. In addition, absence of spaces for professional discussion of pedagogical work and for constructive criticism is envisioned. This study concludes that pedagogical coordination practices are geared from an “instrumental rationality”, anchored in technical management set up in control and power.

Agricultural policy schemes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Henning Otte

2016-01-01

Agricultural support is a very important element in agricultural policy in many countries. Agricultural support is basically an instrument to meet the overall objectives of the agricultural policy – objectives set by society. There are a great number of instruments and ways of intervention...... in agricultural policy and they have different functions and impacts. Market price support and deficiency payments are two very important instruments in agricultural policy; however, they belong to two different support regimes or support systems. Market price support operates in the so-called high price system...

DEVELOPMENT OF THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR FROM MOLDOVA THROUGH AGRICULTURE LOANS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aliona SARGO

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Financial institutions present on the market become more attentive when they have to give loans to the agriculture sector. The lack of necessary guarantees the low profit registered in agricultural district, economy instability and other things had and continue to have a negative impact on the evolution of agricultural sector, this being seen as one with a high level of risk. Commercial banks use less own funds for lending to agriculture and especially when the loans are guaranteed from various funds, programs or foreign donor agencies. Farmers find it difficult to bank loans because of collateral amount required is too high. However, commercial banks in Moldova provide agricultural loans, thus increasing the economic efficiency of agriculture.

Biofertilizers: a potential approach for sustainable agriculture development.

Science.gov (United States)

Mahanty, Trishna; Bhattacharjee, Surajit; Goswami, Madhurankhi; Bhattacharyya, Purnita; Das, Bannhi; Ghosh, Abhrajyoti; Tribedi, Prosun

2017-02-01

The worldwide increase in human population raises a big threat to the food security of each people as the land for agriculture is limited and even getting reduced with time. Therefore, it is essential that agricultural productivity should be enhanced significantly within the next few decades to meet the large demand of food by emerging population. Not to mention, too much dependence on chemical fertilizers for more crop productions inevitably damages both environmental ecology and human health with great severity. Exploitation of microbes as biofertilizers is considered to some extent an alternative to chemical fertilizers in agricultural sector due to their extensive potentiality in enhancing crop production and food safety. It has been observed that some microorganisms including plant growth promoting bacteria, fungi, Cyanobacteria, etc. have showed biofertilizer-like activities in the agricultural sector. Extensive works on biofertilizers have revealed their capability of providing required nutrients to the crop in sufficient amounts that resulted in the enhancement of crop yield. The present review elucidates various mechanisms that have been exerted by biofertilizers in order to promote plant growth and also provides protection against different plant pathogens. The aim of this review is to discuss the important roles and applications of biofertilizers in different sectors including agriculture, bioremediation, and ecology.

Distortions and gender-related differences in the perception of mechanical engineering in high school students.

Science.gov (United States)

Ferrando Piera, Pere Joan; Gutiérrez-Colón Plana, Mar; Paleo Cageao, Paloma; de la Flor López, Silvia; Ferrando Piera, Francesc

2013-01-01

The reason for this study was the low interest that high school students, particularly females, show for the subject of mechanical engineering (ME). We assumed that this problem was partly due to: (a) lack of understanding of the tasks involved in ME, and (b) a distorted and negative perception of the professional environment and working conditions. To assess these two assumptions, two measurement instruments (tasks and perceptions) were developed and administered in a sample of 496 high school students. A multiple-group design was used and data was analyzed by using an extended item response theory model. In general terms, the results agreed with our expectations. However, no significant gender differences were found. The implications of the results for future improvements are discussed.

Labor and Employment in Brazilian Northeastern Agriculture: a look at the 2004-2014 period

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Otavio Valentim Balsadi

Full Text Available Abstract: The labor market in the Brazilian Northeastern agriculture is characterized by many forms of occupation, ranging from the salaried work to the various forms of family work. In a heterogeneous and diverse agriculture, there is a complex labor market, with changes in recent times. Therefore, it is necessary to keep a watchful eye on important structural features. As a result, this paper aims to analyze the main aspects related to work and employment relations in the Brazilian Northeastern agriculture in the 2004-2014 period. The sources of information are special tabulations from the National Survey by Household Sample (PNAD, conducted by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE. The results pointed to a continuing decline in Northeastern PEA (Economically Active Population occupied in agriculture, partially offset by the growth of Northeastern rural residents occupied in non-agricultural activities, in addition to the people occupied in self-consumption production. Women and young people were the ones who mostly left the agricultural activities, reinforcing the “ageing” process of the occupied PEA. The crops with the largest reduction in the occupied in agricultural PEA were: cassava, rice, coffee, banana, sugarcane, cocoa, vegetables and fruits. On the other hand, the number of occupied people increased in: corn and grape cultivation, services for agriculture, swine and poultry farming and integrated agricultural and livestock production systems. An increase in schooling of the occupied PEA was registered, though it is still below the national average.

The carbon markets: which place for the french agriculture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2006-02-01

Even its positive role of carbon sequestration in the biomass by photosynthesis, the agriculture sector is responsible of about 20% of the french greenhouse gases emissions. Actions aim to reduce these emissions. This study allows the exploration of technic of reduction to reveal those which combine voluntarism, actors responsibility and economic profitability. It constitutes necessary work to better understand the greenhouse gases stakes in the agriculture and develop inventive projects. It offers also actions to implement by the public authorities to create success conditions of described mechanisms. (A.L.B.)

Effect of Demonstration Method of Teaching on Students' Achievement in Agricultural Science

Science.gov (United States)

Daluba, Noah Ekeyi

2013-01-01

The study investigated the effect of demonstration method of teaching on students' achievement in agricultural science in secondary school in Kogi East Education Zone of Kogi State. Two research questions and one hypothesis guided the study. The study employed a quasi-experimental research design. The population for the study was 18225 senior…

IMPROVEMENT OF THE METHODS OF INTERNAL CONTROL OF INVENTORIES IN AGRICULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS

OpenAIRE

Afanasenko A. N.

2013-01-01

The article considers the necessity of inventories for any organization. The fate of the organization depends on its management effectiveness and its financial position. The organizational peculiarities of internal control in the agricultural sphere have been studied and the ways of improvement of the organizational and methodological mechanisms have been offered for the internal control of inventories in agricultural organizations

Horizontal Price Transmission in Agricultural Markets: Fundamental Concepts and Open Empirical Issues

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giulia Listorti

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Following the dramatic changes experienced by the prices of agricultural commodities in 2007-2008, the analysis of horizontal price transmission mechanisms in agricultural markets has attracted renewed interest. In particular, this has led to the emergence of new challenges for the empirical analysis. How to model the increasing volatility and non linear behaviour of prices, to assess the impact of the policy responses to market turbulence, and how to account for the increasing interconnections between agricultural and non-agricultural commodity markets are amongst the most investigated issues. Building on a common analytical framework, this paper discusses and reviews the most recent methodological developments and empirical contributions in the field.

Smarter lunchrooms can address new school lunchroom guidelines and childhood obesity.

Science.gov (United States)

Hanks, Andrew S; Just, David R; Wansink, Brian

2013-04-01

New US Department of Agriculture regulations have altered what foods schools offer for lunch, but schools cannot require students to eat specific foods. An intervention using the behavioral science principle known as "libertarian paternalism" led junior-senior high school students to eat more fruits and vegetables by making these foods more convenient, attractive, and normative. Copyright © 2013 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program participation in elementary schools in the United States and availability of fruits and vegetables in school lunch meals.

Science.gov (United States)

Ohri-Vachaspati, Punam; Turner, Lindsey; Chaloupka, Frank J

2012-06-01

Dietary intake among children in the United States falls short of national recommendations. Schools can play an important role in improving children's preferences and food consumption patterns. The US Department of Agriculture's Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) aims to improve children's nutrient intake patterns by offering fresh fruits and vegetables as snacks outside the reimbursable meals programs in elementary schools that serve large numbers of low-income children. Using a nationally representative sample of public elementary schools, this cross-sectional study investigated FFVP participation patterns among schools by demographic and school characteristics. Further, the study investigated the association between FFVP participation and availability of fresh fruits, salads, and vegetables at lunch as reported by school administrators and foodservice staff. Data collected via a mail-back survey from 620 public elementary schools participating in the National School Lunch Program during 2009-2010 were analyzed. Almost 70% of the FFVP-participating schools had a majority of students (>50%) eligible for free and reduced-cost meals. Participating in US Department of Agriculture Team Nutrition Program and having a registered dietitian or a nutritionist on staff were significantly associated with FFVP participation. Based on the results from logistic regression analyses schools participating in the FFVP were significantly more likely (odds ratio 2.07; 95% CI 1.12 to 3.53) to serve fresh fruit during lunch meals. Slightly >25% of public elementary schools across the United States participated in the FFVP, and participation was associated with healthier food availability in school lunches. Copyright © 2012 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

DETERMINANTS OF AGRICULTURAL LABOUR PARTICIPATION AMONG YOUTHS IN ABIA STATE, NIGERIA

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Nnanna Mba Agwu

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The general objective of the study was to determine the factors that influenced youth participation in agricultural labour in Abia state, Nigeria. The specific objectives were to; identify the types and composition of farm labour engaged by the respondents in the study area, determine the factors that influence participation of the youths in agricultural labour; and make recommendations based on the findings. This study employed a multi-stage sampling technique in the selection of the respondents; where 4 local government areas (LGAs were selected from each of the agricultural zone, 10 communities randomly selected from each of these local government areas and finally, 10 youth farmers were chosen from the 10 communities. In all, a total number of 100 farmers were used for the study. The source of data was primary and so used questionnaire to solicit information from the respondents. Descriptive statistics and probit model were employed in the analysis of the data. Apart from bush clearing and mound making where males participated majorly, female’s percentage in the participation of all other farm operations outnumbered those of men. Estimates of the determinants of agricultural labour participation among youths in the study area showed that the coefficients of education of the respondents, income from nonagricultural sources, occupation of the parents, education of the father, farm size and the rate of mechanization influenced agricultural labour participation among the youths in Abia State, Nigeria. Apart from the coefficient of farm size that had a positive sign, the other variables had negative relationship. The study recommended that the cost of mechanization should be made affordable amongst other things to attract youths in agricultural participation.

Cultural Patterns of Soil Understanding in Organic Agriculture

Science.gov (United States)

Patzel, Nikola

2017-04-01

Different branches of modern agriculture rely on different cultural patterns of soil understanding; and they are supported by different schools of thought in soil science with their specific values and perspectives. For example, the European branch of organic agriculture, as it developed mainly in the 20th Century, is rooted in specific cultural concepts and was supported by associated minorities, or rather marginalised tendencies, within the soil science community. Some cases: It is about the transformations of living or organic matter, linked with debates on "microbes" and "life particles", "tissues" and macromolecules in the humus-sphere. It is about the "industrialised economical-technical paradigm" versus an "organic" or "ecological paradigm" - whatever both may be. It is about the relevance respectively of the "duties" of control by power, or by relatedness and "intercourse" in agricultural human-nature interaction. It is about the male and female qualities of effective God-images - both in their "religious" as well as their "secular" representations in individuals' and society's relation with nature and when dealing with soil. In today's conceptual and strategic debates and power struggles over how to sustainably feed from the land, we see patterns similar to those from the 19th and 20th Centuries in action. But the threats they pose are not yet sufficiently realised; the opportunities they offer are not yet sufficiently fulfilled. In this presentation, using the example of cultural patterns inside organic agriculture in Europe, some cultural problems and tasks will be highlighted, to which geosciences are of course confronted, being part of human society.

Discussion of a didactic proposal on quantum mechanics with secondary school students

Science.gov (United States)

Michelini, M.; Ragazzon, R.; Santi, L.; Stefanel, A.

2004-09-01

Within some research projects a proposal for the teaching of quantum mechanics in secondary school has been carried out, and some didactic material has been prepared in order to illustrate it, offering resources for its class experimentation (www.fisica.uniud.it/URDF/). In order to study in depth the critical points, which cause learning difficulties for the students in this field, a pilot activity was carried out for a restricted group of students with which the crucial points were discussed. Some interesting elements emerged, such as for example the fact that the major problems in understanding the concept of quantum state are linked to the meaning of incompatible observables.

Savings and Debts in Agriculture

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Marina Luminita Sarbovan

2012-05-01

Full Text Available The savings and debts problematic bring us in front the Keynesian principles of supporting the global demand, so spectacular immortalized inside his “General Theory of Money. The architects of the European Union consider that production in agriculture and other economic branches is “ab initio” grounded on the credit mechanism administrated by banks: the present day approach of the agricultural process configured it as costly, owing a relatively medium to long term duration, and risky, making important the banking institution for mitigating such constrains. Romania fights for the ambitious goal of entering in the euro zone, and this target became even more challenging after the new EU Regulation No 1176/2011 on the prevention and correction of macroeconomic imbalances, which stipulates a safer surveillance for the member states. In fact, our country has to meet the exigencies of nominal and real convergence criteria, measured by the European scoreboard and relevant index.

Agricultural aspects of radiocontamination induced by the Fukushima nuclear accident - A survey of studies by the Univ. of Tokyo Agricultural Dept. (2011-2016).

Science.gov (United States)

Nakanishi, Tomoko M

2018-01-01

Immediately after the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident, a team of 40-50 researchers at the Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences at the University of Tokyo began to analyze the behavior of radioactive materials in the fallout regions. The fallout has remained in situ and become strongly adsorbed within the soil over time. 137 Cs was found to bind strongly to the fine clay, weathered biotite, and organic matter in the soil; therefore, it has not mobilized from mountainous regions, even after heavy rainfall. In farmland, the quantity of 137 Cs in the soil absorbed by crop plants was small. The downward migration of 137 Cs in soil is now estimated at 1-2 mm/year. The intake of 137 Cs by trees occurred through the bark and not from the roots. This report summarizes the findings of research across a wide variety of agricultural specialties.

High School Students' Recommendations to Improve School Food Environments: Insights From a Critical Stakeholder Group.

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Asada, Yuka; Hughes, Alejandro G; Read, Margaret; Schwartz, Marlene B; Chriqui, Jamie F

2017-11-01

The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (HHFKA) directed the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to revise school meal standards. Students are most affected by efforts to improve the school food environment; yet, few studies directly include students. This study examined high school students' experiences of school meal reform to gain insight into implementation recommendations. We conducted 5 focus groups with high school students (N = 15) from high schools across 9 states. We also conducted follow-up interviews to further explore personal experiences. Focus groups and interview transcripts were coded and organized in Atlas.ti v7 by analysts, following principles of constant comparative analysis. Students reported overall positive perceptions of the revised school meal standards and supported continued efforts to improve the food environment. Recommendations to improve the food environment included engaging students, focusing on the quality and palatability of meal items, moving toward scratch-cooking, and addressing cafeteria infrastructure. Students' recommendations point to opportunities where school districts, as well as local, state, and federal organizations can work to improve the school food environment. Their insights are directly relevant to USDA's recently released Local School Wellness Policy final rule, of which school meal standards are one provision. © 2017, American School Health Association.

IMPORTANT PROVISIONS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF AGRICULTURE OF UKRAINE

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Svetlana Khalatur

2017-11-01

Full Text Available The aim of the work is to study the state of development of agriculture in Ukraine. The indicators of production and yield of the main agricultural crops and production of the main types of livestock products are analysed. The main directions of the development of agriculture are determined taking into account the transformations in the agrarian sphere. Solutions of the problem of investment support for the development of agriculture are investigated. The main factors that restrain the growth of the industry and inhibit the development of agricultural enterprises are given. Based on the results of the analysis, the main problems that the sector has faced recently are identified and the issues that require priority solutions are listed. The subject is the theoretical and methodological foundations and practical recommendations on the search for reserves for the development of the agricultural sector. Methodology. The study is based on a comparison of data from 2009 to 2015, using statistical compilations. The results of the research showed that the livestock sector begins to decline in Ukraine and this means that in the further such situation, it is possible to lose the opportunity not only to export livestock products abroad but also to meet the domestic needs of the country’s population. The state of agriculture in Ukraine is considered. The results showed that the main reserves of the development of agriculture in Ukraine are the state regulation, assessment of the attractiveness of the investment climate, the use of environmentally safe technologies, the use of modern technologies and mechanisms for the economic stimulation of production and processing of agricultural products. Value/originality. The data obtained during the research years of the main reserves of agricultural development in Ukraine are able to provide a better understanding of the state of the agricultural sector in the conditions of the economic downturn in general and in

Effect on School Language in Assessment of Achievement

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Eric Wilmot

hundred randomly selected Senior Secondary School II (SSS II) Agricultural Science ... interaction effect of treatment and gender on students' achievement in an ...... Self-concept and science achievement in co-educational and single-sex.

Adaptation to climate extremes: Experiences in the agricultural sector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ball, M.; Dowlatabadi, H.

1994-01-01

Various social and economic systems are at risk from variability in weather conditions. A realization of this fact has prompted endogenous adaptations to cope with weather variability. Climate change may overwhelm existing adaptive strategies. These systems would experience this change from the secular trends in first-order and higher order statistics of climate parameters (e.g., mean biotemperature, intensity, and inter-arrival times of extreme events). Historically, different human activities have formally or informally incorporated adaptation to climate conditions. Activities such as agriculture are influenced strongly by weather, yet through a variety of mechanisms, impacts are ameliorated. Taking agriculture as an example of a central and substantive system, the authors' study presents response strategies of oranges production -- a crop currently affected greatly by weather conditions. Understanding the adaptation mechanisms used today can be used to examine the cost and effectiveness of adaptive actions to future climate change

The Capacity-Building Stewardship Model: Assessment of an agricultural network as a mechanism for improving regional agroecosystem sustainability

Science.gov (United States)

Working lands have potential to meet agricultural production targets while serving as reservoirs of biological diversity and as sources of ecological services. Yet agricultural policy creates disincentives for this integration of conservation and production goals. While necessary, the development of...

TO THE QUESTION OF FORMATION OF EARTHQUAKES OF CORPORATE STRUCTURES OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION

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KUSTOVSKA О.

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The article analyzes the development of corporate structures in agricultural production, proves the influence of corporate formations on the efficiency of agrarian production. On the basis of the analysis of official information of agro holdings, an assessment was made of the efficiency of their activities and a conclusion was made about the optimal size of their structural subdivisions. The advantages and disadvantages of integrated structures are highlighted, peculiarities of formation of their land relations are determined. Issues of expansion of land masses of agro holdings related to the conclusion of land lease agreements are considered. The association of separate agro-industrial enterprises of various industrial-economic orientation form an independent legal entity - a legal entity. The economic feasibility of the creation and functioning of corporate associations is objective based on obtaining the greatest effect, the essence of which is that the result of the joint corporate activities of economic structures will always be higher compared to the results of the individual work of each of them. Corporate forms of management in agriculture were founded in Ukraine on the basis of the general theoretical model of an open, competitive, multi-faceted agricultural market economy type, aimed at an integrated world economic system. The methodology of construction involves taking into account the world economic trends and the national specificity of the country's agricultural development; it is aimed at finding rational forms of organization of agricultural production, mechanisms for overcoming crisis phenomena, stabilizing the economy and creating conditions for further qualitative and quantitative growth of the agrarian sector of the economy. For many years, leading American co-operators have been distributing concepts and concepts that are perceived and used throughout the world. This work is coordinated by the Organization for International

Schools, Schooling, and Children's Support of Their Aging Parents.

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Brauner-Otto, Sarah R

2009-10-01

Intergenerational transfers play an important role in individuals' lives across the life course. In this paper I pull together theories on intergenerational transfers and social change to inform our understanding of how changes in the educational context influence children's support of their parents. By examining multiple aspects of a couple's educational context, including husbands' and wives' education and exposure to schools, this paper provides new information on the mechanisms through which changes in social context influence children's support of their parents. Using data from a rural Nepalese area I use multilevel logistic regression to estimate the relationship between schooling, exposure to schools, and the likelihood of couples giving to their parents. I find that both schooling and exposure to schools itself have separate, opposite effects on support of aging parents. Higher levels of schooling for husbands was associated with a higher likelihood of having given support to husbands' parents. On the other hand, increased exposure to schools for husbands and wives was associated with a lower likelihood of having given to wives' parents. Findings constitute evidence that multiple motivations for intergenerational support exist simultaneously and are related to social context through different mechanisms.

A National Study of Work Characteristics and Work- Family Conflict among Secondary Agricultural Educators

Science.gov (United States)

Sorensen, Tyson J.; McKim, Aaron J.; Velez, Jonathan J.

2017-01-01

Data from a random sample of secondary school agriculture teachers in the United States were utilized to explore work characteristics and their relationship to work-family conflict, specifically how the work role interfered with the family role. Nine workplace characteristics (i.e., salary, work hours per work week, weekend work hours, years of…

Qualitative and quantitative analysis of micro and macro aspects of agricultural finance

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Veselinović Branislav

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The epicenter of this analysis is to provide an overview of the current situation in micro and macro agricultural finance in Serbia and the EU. One of the goals of this research is to consider the weaknesses and potentials of agricultural policy in Serbia, through comparison with more developed countries. In this qualitative and quantitative analysis, authors used comparation method, analysis and synthesis method, inductive and deductive method, and a local and international literature review. There are several important conclusions which can be drawn from this manuscript. Access to finance among farmers and agricultural SMEs is among the poorest of any sector in Serbia. The Serbian financial sector offers a poor range of loan products to the agricultural sector. Therefore, existing mechanisms for micro and macro agricultural finance in Serbia are not adequate and a change should be made in approach.

Beyond forestry: why agriculture is key to success of REDD+

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grieg-Gran, Maryanne

2010-11-15

When it comes to deforestation, the task of reconciling climate and development goals poses a daunting challenge. Forest clearing is both the source of significant greenhouse gas emissions that fuel climate change and, for some farmers, the most practical means for expanding agricultural production to meet rising food demands. 'REDD' or 'REDD+' mechanisms for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, by providing developing countries with incentives to conserve their forests, are rapidly gaining credence as effective tools for mitigating climate change. But if they are to work, they must pay more attention to the role of agriculture in deforestation and the implications for food security of reducing deforestation. Improving agricultural productivity will be key. But productivity gains must not undermine REDD+ efforts. This means nurturing low-emission alternatives to forest clearing. It means supporting poor farmers to adapt to climate change. Above all, it means climate, forest and agriculture policy communities must work together.

Development and outlook for agriculture in international climate negotiations. Climate Report no. 48

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tronquet, Clothilde; Foucherot, Claudine

2015-02-01

Agriculture has a specific role to play in current and future climate change. This carbon-intensive sector, which is responsible for 13.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions, is also highly exposed to the impacts of climate change, including a downward trend and increasing variability in yields. Yet agriculture's capacity to adapt and potential for mitigation also make it part of the solution to climate change. The agricultural sector is often treated as a poor relation in international climate negotiations, which is inappropriate given its specific characteristics and fundamental role. The aim of this report is to consider how agriculture can participate effectively in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) negotiations and identify the main challenges faced by this sector in the coming years. An analysis of the history of negotiations and their current situation belies the idea that agriculture plays no part in the UNFCCC process, although it does not enjoy specific consideration as a sector. It falls within the scope of various mitigation and adaptation mechanisms, while its effective participation remains limited. Since 2009, agriculture has also been included in the COP negotiation process and is currently part of the UNFCCC's Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA). However, agriculture is only at the first stage of a long and complex negotiation process which cannot be expected to be completed during COP21. While we can hope for COP21 to achieve progress in dialogue regarding monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) or the adoption of a landscape approach, the SBSTA's work on agriculture will continue beyond 2015, representing a vital step before the development of any operational tools. Multilateral initiatives such as the Global Alliance for Climate-Smart Agriculture are meanwhile helping to mobilise the international community regarding agricultural issues, in parallel with

Agricultural trade and the global phosphorus cycle

Science.gov (United States)

Schipanski, M.; Bennett, E.; Riskin, S.; Porder, S.

2012-12-01

Trends of increasing agricultural trade, increased concentration of livestock production systems, and increased human consumption of livestock products influence the distribution of nutrients across the global landscape. Phosphorus (P) represents a unique management challenge as we are rapidly depleting mineable reserves of this essential and non-renewable resource. At the same time, its overuse can lead to pollution of aquatic ecosystems. We analyzed the relative contributions of food crop, feed crop, and livestock product trade to P flows through agricultural soils for twelve countries from 1961 to 2007. We then used case studies of P fertilizer use in the world's three major soybean export regions: Iowa (USA), Mato Grosso (Brazil), and Buenos Aires (Argentina) to examine the influence of historical P management and soil types on agriculture's environmental consequences. Due to the intensification of agricultural production, average soil surface P balances more than tripled from 6 to 21 kg P per ha between 1961 and 2007 for the twelve study countries. Consequently, countries that are primarily agricultural exporters carried increased risks for water pollution or, for Argentina, reduced soil fertility due to soil P mining to support exports. In 2007, nations imported food and feed from regions with higher apparent P fertilizer use efficiencies than if those crops were produced domestically. However, this was largely because imports were sourced from regions depleting soil P resources to support export crop production. In addition, the pattern of regional specialization and intensification of production systems also reduced the potential to recycle P resources, with greater implications for livestock production than crop production. In a globalizing world, it will be increasingly important to integrate biophysical constraints of our natural resources and environmental impacts of agricultural systems into trade policy and agreements and to develop mechanisms that

Capturing Weather-related Shocks In Smallholder Agriculture

Science.gov (United States)

Murray, S.

2015-12-01

Rainfed agriculture accounts for 93% of total cultivated area in SSA (FAO, 2002) and smallholder is the predominant form of farm organization (33 million with less than 2 ha, representing 80% of all farms). At the same time, 75% of extreme poor live in rural areas and 90% rely on agriculture. A poor harvest can have significant impact on livelihood and welfare of a household with limited coping mechanisms and little savings.This study aims to shed light on how small farmers are affected by growing conditions in a given season and how well these impacts can be predicted using objective measures derived from time-series of remote-sensing data. We investigate the covariate vs idiosyncratic nature of shocks experienced at the household level, using both community-level and household-level observations. We also test the relative efficiency of different metrics in predicting shocks, acknowledging that both spatial resolution and temporal frequency are likely to be limiting factors in the objective measures. To support this analysis we draw on surveys from the Living Standards Measurement Study Integrated Surveys on Agriculture (LSMS-ISA) project. The LSMS-ISA surveys are georeferenced, multi-topic panel surveys with a strong focus on agriculture, conducted in 7 African countries. We combine the LSMS-ISA data on production and agricultural shocks with objective measures (rainfall deficit/surplus, phenological variables, water requirements satisfaction index) derived from various data sources (CHIRPS, MODIS Land Cover Dynamics, NDVI3g). Objective measures will be considered in both absolute terms as well as deviation from mean in the survey season.

Soil governance in the agricultural landscapes of New South Wales, Australia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ashley A Webb

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Soil is a valuable natural resource. In the state of New South Wales, Australia, the governance of soil has evolved since Federation in 1901. Following rapid agricultural development, and in the face of widespread soil degradation, the establishment of the Soil Conservation Service marked a turning point in the management of soil. Throughout the 20th century, advances in knowledge were translated into evolving governance frameworks that were largely reactionary but saw progressive reforms such as water pollution legislation and case studies of catchment-scale land and vegetation management. In the 21st century, significant reforms have embedded sustainable use of agricultural soils within catchment- and landscape-scale legislative and institutional frameworks. What is clear, however, is that a multitude of governance strategies and models are utilised in NSW. No single governance model is applicable to all situations because it is necessary to combine elements of several different mechanisms or instruments to achieve the most desired outcomes. Where an industry, such as the sugar industry, has taken ownership of an issue such as acid sulfate soil management, self-regulation has proven to be extremely effective. In the case of co-managing agricultural soils with other landuses, such as mining, petroleum exploration and urban development, regulation, compliance and enforcement mechanisms have been preferred. Institutional arrangements in the form of independent commissioners have also played a role. At the landscape or total catchment level, it is clear that a mix of mechanisms is required. Fundamental, however, to the successful evolution of soil governance is strategic investment in soil research and development that informs the ongoing productive use of agricultural landscapes while preventing land degradation or adverse environmental effects.

Small prizes increased healthful school lunch selection in a Midwestern school district.

Science.gov (United States)

Siegel, Robert; Lockhart, Mary Kate; Barnes, Allison S; Hiller, Elizabeth; Kipp, Roger; Robison, Debora L; Ellsworth, Samantha C; Hudgens, Michelle E

2016-04-01

As obesity has become a pressing health issue for American children, greater attention has been focused on how schools can be used to improve how students eat. Previously, we piloted the use of small prizes in an elementary school cafeteria to improve healthful food selection. We hoped to increase healthful food selection in all the elementary schools of a small school district participating in the United States Department of Agriculture Lunch Program by offering prizes to children who selected a Power Plate (PP), which consisted of an entrée with whole grains, a fruit, a vegetable, and plain low-fat milk. In this study, the PP program was introduced to 3 schools sequentially over an academic year. During the kickoff week, green, smiley-faced emoticons were placed by preferred foods, and children were given a prize daily if they chose a PP on that day. After the first week, students were given a sticker or temporary tattoo 2 days a week if they selected a PP. Combining data from the 3 schools in the program, students increased PP selection from 4.5% at baseline to 49.4% (p small prizes as rewards dramatically improves short-term healthful food selection in elementary school children.

Food Preservation Manual: A Guide for School-Community Canneries in Virginia.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jasper S., Ed.; Wood, Charles B.

The manual was intended primarily for use by lay instructors and assistants involved in the daily operation of school-community canneries under the supervision of a high school agricultural education instructor. The first half deals in detail with the fundamentals of food preparation and cannery operation. Food preservation by canning, sanitation…

Accidents with tractors and agricultural machinery in public transport of Republic of Serbia without provinces

OpenAIRE

Gliogrevic, Kosta; Oljaca, Mico; Ruzicic, Lazar; Dimitrovski, Zoran

2012-01-01

Working processes in agriculture nowadays cannot be imagined without the use of modern agricultural mechanization, especially primary power unit, tractor. Along with the tractor unit development and the benefits induced by its application, according to the author’s research, these machines are one of the main causes of accidents with different types of violations of the participants, and the tragic consequences. The great number of those accidents with tractors and other agricultural machiner...

Agriculturally important microbial biofilms: Present status and future prospects.

Science.gov (United States)

Velmourougane, Kulandaivelu; Prasanna, Radha; Saxena, Anil Kumar

2017-07-01

Microbial biofilms are a fascinating subject, due to their significant roles in the environment, industry, and health. Advances in biochemical and molecular techniques have helped in enhancing our understanding of biofilm structure and development. In the past, research on biofilms primarily focussed on health and industrial sectors; however, lately, biofilms in agriculture are gaining attention due to their immense potential in crop production, protection, and improvement. Biofilms play an important role in colonization of surfaces - soil, roots, or shoots of plants and enable proliferation in the desired niche, besides enhancing soil fertility. Although reports are available on microbial biofilms in general; scanty information is published on biofilm formation by agriculturally important microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, bacterial-fungal) and their interactions in the ecosystem. Better understanding of agriculturally important bacterial-fungal communities and their interactions can have several implications on climate change, soil quality, plant nutrition, plant protection, bioremediation, etc. Understanding the factors and genes involved in biofilm formation will help to develop more effective strategies for sustainable and environment-friendly agriculture. The present review brings together fundamental aspects of biofilms, in relation to their formation, regulatory mechanisms, genes involved, and their application in different fields, with special emphasis on agriculturally important microbial biofilms. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Diagnosing Management of Agricultural Research and Technology Development under the Agricultural Innovation Framework

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

2014-06-01

Full Text Available This study aimed at identifying and analyzing issues and challenges on the agricultural research and technology development under the national innovation framework. The survey consisted of two groups: agricultural researchers of Agriculture-Research and Education Organization and all faculty members of public agricultural faculties of Ministry of Scientific, Research and Technology. Using Cochran sampling formula and multi-stage sampling method, 188 researchers and 205 faculty members were selected in order to fill in the survey questionnaire. Using the SPSS, collected data analyzed based on explanatory factor analysis. Totally, factor analysis of three sets of issues and challenges on the agricultural research and technology development under the national innovation framework led to extract 13 factors, including agricultural structure and policy, infrastructure and resources of agricultural development, supportive services for agricultural development (level of agricultural development, investment and capacity building in research and technology, management of research and technology development, research and technology productivity, research culture, networks for research and technology development (level of national innovation system, agricultural research policy, impacts and effectiveness of agricultural research and technology development, integrated management of research and technology, institutional development for agricultural research and technology and systematic synergy of agricultural research and higher education (level of agricultural innovation system. Totally, these three sets of factors explained 64%, 75% and 73% of the total variances. Finally, using conceptual clustering for the extracted factors, a conceptual model of issues and challenges of agricultural research and technology development under the national innovation framework was presented.

Use Of Instruments For Environmental Marketing In Economic Activity Of Agricultural Enterprises

OpenAIRE

Oleksiy Shkuratov; Irina Voronetska

2012-01-01

Improved marketing mechanism of agricultural enterprise through the introduction of environmental marketing. Grounded place, tasks and functions of environmental marketing in integrated environmental and economic management.

Hate Speech in a Juvenile Male Prison School and in US Schooling

Science.gov (United States)

Vaught, Sabina E.

2012-01-01

This article theoretically examines the meaning and function of hate speech in a high-security juvenile male prison school. Specifically, the article draws on data from an ethnographic study of this prison school site in order to map the institutional mechanisms of hate speech. Additionally, the article suggests these mechanisms are not anomalous…

Socio-economic issues of promotion and labour motivation in agricultural organizations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vladimir Nikiforovich Belkin

2011-12-01

Full Text Available This paper discusses the typical labour stimulation system in Russian agricultural enterprises, based on the tariff-salary system. It is shown that this scheme inevitably leads to equal wage distribution between all workers except piece-workers: this causes demotivation of time-worker, professionals and managers. Internal economic mechanism built on the basis of tariff-salary system does not correspond to market conditions. To solve the urgent problems of labour stimulation in the Russian agricultural companies in terms of market, a labour evaluation and payment system called «Rost» is suggested. It is already implemented in a number of agricultural enterprises of Perm and Chelyabinsk regions, showing high economic and social efficiency.

Set of information technologies and their role in automation of agricultural production

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. V. Al’t

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The modern enterprises of agrarian and industrial complex are characterized by the high level of automation of technological processes. The technological development level conformto 5th and 6th technology revolutions. The automatic and automated technologies in crop production and livestock production use data of internet technologies, Global Positioning Satellite survey and observations, mashine and tractor aggregates automated operating. The models nucleus and row of information models of agricultural objects were designed on the basis of information streams systematization. The analysis of results of simulation of biological objects, cenosises, ecosystems, agro cenosises and agroecosystems showed that the most acceptable type of model is the systemically determined dynamic model of potentially effective type. The Internet-oriented database of innovative development of institutes of an agrarian profile is designed. It contains the information about sorts, machines, mechanization means, electrification and technologies in crop production, livestock production, forage production, feed processing, crop protection, biotechnologies, mechanization, veterinary science and agricultural production processing. The database is positioned as the subject-oriented, retrieval database in web space. The list of indices to which the created architecture of the database corresponds is defined. More than 20 various databases of agricultural purpose which are used in educational process and production are created. These databases are useful to agricultural producers and also organizers of agricultural production, scientists, teachers and students. Information on key indicators of innovative products and institutes – developers of innovative solutions is provided in a basis.

Urban Agriculture Guide

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Visser, A.J.; Jansma, J.E.; Dekking, A.J.G.; Klieverik, M.J.M.

2007-01-01

The Urban Agriculture Guide describes the experiences, learning moments, tips and tricks of those involved in the initiatives of urban agriculture and an indication is provided of what is required to develop urban agriculture further in the Netherlands

Study on Growth of China’s Agricultural Industrial Chain from the Perspective of Large Scale

OpenAIRE

Liu, Jianhui; Zhang, Yingliang; Yang, Taiyan

2014-01-01

The growth of agricultural industrial chain is the result of market demand, fund, technology, industrial development and policy guidance. At present, separate and small peasant operating model has become one of important factors restricting growth of agricultural industrial chain. From growth mechanism of agricultural industrial chain and actual situation of China, this paper analyzed actual factors restricting growth of agricultural industrial chain, and believed that it is required to break...

The eco-evolutionary impacts of domestication and agricultural practices on wild species.

Science.gov (United States)

Turcotte, Martin M; Araki, Hitoshi; Karp, Daniel S; Poveda, Katja; Whitehead, Susan R

2017-01-19

Agriculture is a dominant evolutionary force that drives the evolution of both domesticated and wild species. However, the various mechanisms of agriculture-induced evolution and their socio-ecological consequences are not often synthetically discussed. Here, we explore how agricultural practices and evolutionary changes in domesticated species cause evolution in wild species. We do so by examining three processes by which agriculture drives evolution. First, differences in the traits of domesticated species, compared with their wild ancestors, alter the selective environment and create opportunities for wild species to specialize. Second, selection caused by agricultural practices, including both those meant to maximize productivity and those meant to control pest species, can lead to pest adaptation. Third, agriculture can cause non-selective changes in patterns of gene flow in wild species. We review evidence for these processes and then discuss their ecological and sociological impacts. We finish by identifying important knowledge gaps and future directions related to the eco-evolutionary impacts of agriculture including their extent, how to prevent the detrimental evolution of wild species, and finally, how to use evolution to minimize the ecological impacts of agriculture.This article is part of the themed issue 'Human influences on evolution, and the ecological and societal consequences'. © 2016 The Author(s).

U.S.-State Agricultural Data. Agriculture Information Bulletin Number 512.

Science.gov (United States)

Womack, Letricia M.; Traub, Larry G.

This report presents agricultural information for each state and the United States as a whole for the years 1981-1985. Included are data on population, land use, agricultural production, farm income, value of assets on farms, and selected characteristics of farms. The primary data sources are the "1982 Census of Agriculture," the…

Agricultural Ethics, Environmental Ethics, and Bioethics : the Major Issues of Agricultural Ethics

OpenAIRE

畠中, 和生

2002-01-01

It is the aim of the paper is to make the major issues of agricultural ethics clear by comparing them with the ones of environmental ethics and bioethics. The main topics in this paper are following. 1. The major issues of the debate over agricultural ethics are (1) agricultural threats to public health and safety; (2) government responsibility for controlling agricultural resource depletion; (3) agricultural contributions to ecological disturbance; (4) government responsibility for preservin...

Organisational models in agriculture with special reference to small farmers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zakić Nebojša

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Agricultural value chains can be understood as the systems of people, organizations and activities needed to create process and deliver agricultural products from producers to consumers. Over time and due to huge changes that have happened in the surroundings, agricultural value chains have become very integrated and complex. Small farmers can prosper by joining in modern higher-level agricultural value chains, but there are numerous obstacles, as well. The work presents the typology of organizational models for agricultural production that consists of the models organised by producers, agribusiness companies (processors, retail chains, and intermediaries, facilitators (governments, non-governmental organisations and completely integrated models, established by some big companies. None of these models provides ideal solutions from the perspective of small producers. However, they say that the institutions, such as cooperatives and small farmers' organisations, present important mechanisms for including small producers in modern value chains and realizing the cooperation with agribusiness companies and other important players. This is also important for decision-makers and governmental bodies that should create a suitable environment and provide support so that small farmers and their organisations can integrate in modern value chains in a successful way.

Journal of Agriculture and Social Research (JASR) Vol. 16, No. 2 ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

DR Amadi

The study revealed that agricultural mechanization can be used to carry out different ... reduce drudgery, ensure food sufficiency, encourage foreign exchange ... stressed that fragmentation of land with numerous canals, drainages and narrow ...

THE FORMATION OF INSTITUTIONAL ENVIRONMENT OF AGRICULTURAL LAND CONSOLIDATION IN UKRAINE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andriy Popov

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Every theory requires an application tool. Land consolidation is the multidisciplinary tool for sustainable rural development with its dynamic structure that gives possibilities getting the best solutions for land management decision. That is why the main purpose of the article is a theoretical study and development of scientific and practical recommendations concerning the formation of institutional environment of agricultural land consolidation in Ukraine. The subject of study is the formation of agricultural land consolidation. Methodology. The study used the following methods: dialectical, logical and abstract, system analysis (theoretical and methodological generalizations, defining the essence of the content of institutional environment of agricultural land consolidation. This paper identifies the role of the institutions in economic development and characterised the regulatory, procedural, distributive, informational, development and accumulation functions of agricultural land consolidation institution. As a novelty items offered and provided the detailed description of the main components of the institutional environment of agricultural land consolidation such as: traditional and mental, legal, causal, organizational and structural, and procedural. The essence of institutions of each of these components and their meaning and relationships are presented. Theoretically investigated that the formation of institutional mechanism of consolidation should be a symbiosis of both traditional and market institutions based on democratic principles under community participation. The article focuses on the feasibility of the formation of mechanism for monitoring the effectiveness of institutions. As the result of the study the author proposed to consider the institutional environment of agricultural land consolidation as a regulatory system harmonizing relations of the agricultural production, social and natural resources, designed to optimize the

U.S.-State Agricultural Data. Agriculture Information Bulletin Number 501.

Science.gov (United States)

Womack, Letricia M.; And Others

This report presents agricultural information for each of the 50 states and the United States. Data are provided on population, land use, agricultural production, farm income, value of assets on farms, and selected characteristics of farms, such as size, tenure, and farm organization. Primary data sources are the 1982 Census of Agriculture and the…

System contemplations for precision irrigation in agriculture

Science.gov (United States)

Schubert, Martin J. W.

2017-04-01

This communication contemplates political, biological and technical aspects for efficient and profitable irrigation in sustainable agriculture. A standard for irrigation components is proposed. The need for many, and three-dimensionally distributed, soil measurement points is explained, thus enabling the control of humidity in selected layers of earth. Combined wireless and wired data transmission is proposed. Energy harvesting and storage together with mechanical sensor construction are discussed.

Agricultural Aspects of Nuclear and/or Radiological Emergency Situations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-01-01

This document contains the Proceedings of the NEA/OECD Workshop held at Fontenay-aux-Roses on 12-14 June 1995. The Workshop discussions (20 contributions) were grouped in the following six sessions: 1.Introduction (3 papers); 2. Evaluation and management of agricultural questions (8 papers); 3. Economical and social aspects of the agricultural questions (1 paper); 4. Information exchange mechanisms (3 papers); 5. National strategies in agricultural emergency situations (4 papers); 6. Conclusions and recommendations (1 paper). Summarizing, conclusions were drawn to the following issues: public reaction to foodstuffs containing radioisotope concentrations under the danger standards, possible non-adherence of manufacturers, processors, distributors, et al, to the instructions and guidance from radiation protection specialists, integration of all the food chain factors in the elaboration of the emergency intervention programs, etc. As significant recommendations the following may be mentioned: 1. Differences between different intervention levels and the maximum admissible levels agreed upon by national, regional or international nutrition authorities should be further studied; 2. Problems created by the Chernobyl accident (as for instance, the methods of treatment of food chain products containing unacceptable radioactivity concentrations) are still present and must be solved; 3. Further studies should be done on the socio-cultural aspects of the communication, particularly on the information in rural environment; 4. The preventive measures in agriculture should be implemented as rapidly as possible; 5. In elaborating programmes of agriculture countermeasures, the management of contaminated media, particularly of forests and their effect on agriculture

The School Meals Initiative Implementation Study. Second Year Report. Nutrition Assistance Program Report Series.

Science.gov (United States)

Abraham, Sameer; Chattopadhyay, Manas; Montgomery, Margrethe; Steiger, Darby Miller; Daft, Lynn; Wilbraham, Brooke

This report, authorized by the Food and Nutrition Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, contains information on the School Meals Initiative for Healthy Children (SMI), a reform of school-meals programs aimed at upgrading the nutritional content of school meals. The purpose of the study was to describe and evaluate: (1) overall…

The School Meals Initiative Implementation Study. Third Year Report. Nutrition Assistance Program Report Series.

Science.gov (United States)

Abraham, Sameer; Chattopadhyay, Manas; Montgomery, Margrethe; Steiger, Darby Miller; Daft, Lynn; Wilbraham, Brooke

This report, authorized by the Food and Nutrition Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, contains information on the School Meals Initiative for Healthy Children (SMI), a reform of school-meals programs aimed at upgrading the nutritional content of school meals. The purpose of the study was to describe and evaluate: (1) overall…

7 CFR 801.5 - Tolerance for diverter-type mechanical samplers.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 7 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Tolerance for diverter-type mechanical samplers. 801.5 Section 801.5 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) GRAIN INSPECTION... OFFICIAL PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS FOR GRAIN INSPECTION EQUIPMENT § 801.5 Tolerance for diverter-type...

Agriculture: Climate

Science.gov (United States)

Climate change affects agricultural producers because agriculture and fisheries depend on specific climate conditions. Temperature changes can cause crop planting dates to shift. Droughts and floods due to climate change may hinder farming practices.

Opportunities in utilization of agricultural residues in bio-composite ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

In this paper, corn stalk as an agricultural residue was mixed with oak wood fiber to produce medium density fiberboards (MDF). Urea formaldehyde resin was used as binder. Hygroscopic and mechanical properties were evaluated according to the commercial standards in MDF production. Partial substitution of wood fiber ...

[Brazilian colonization in the Paraguayan agricultural frontier].

Science.gov (United States)

Neupert, R F

1991-04-01

This work briefly describes Brazilian colonization of the Paraguayan agricultural frontier, analyzes factors responsible for expelling population from Brazil and for attracting Brazilians to Paraguay, and assesses the economic and social consequences of immigration to the area. Paraguay's vast and sparsely populated agricultural frontier in areas outside the Central subregion underwent a process of intense colonization from the early 1960s to the mid-1980s. The Paraguayan government initiated an ambitious colonization program in 1963 to increase production, relieve population pressure and subdivision of small parcels in the Central subregion, encourage agricultural modernization, and produce a more diversified agriculture. Paraguayan agriculture in the early 1960s suffered from excessive concentration of land in a few hands and resulting exclusion of around 3/4 of workers from ownership and from any possibility of obtaining credit to fund technological improvements. Results of studies 2 decades after implementation of the colonization plan suggest that it has failed in significant areas. Although a considerable population redistribution alleviated pressure in the Central subregion, it apparently resulted more from spontaneous movement of peasants outside the colonization areas than from the official program. Concentration of lands is now occurring in the colonization area. Assistance for agricultural modernization and diversification of production in the peasant sector has been minimal. On the other hand, production of soy, wheat, and cotton for export increased substantially, because of an entrepreneurial agriculture capitalized by foreign as well as national interests The unmet goals of the colonization program would have required structural reforms rather than simple spatial redistribution of the population. Many of the colonists in the 1970s were Brazilian families displaced by mechanized agriculture in the southern states of Parana, Santa Catarina, and Rio

Agriculture modifies the seasonal decline of breeding success in a tropical wild bird population

Science.gov (United States)

Cartwright, Samantha J; Nicoll, Malcolm A C; Jones, Carl G; Tatayah, Vikash; Norris, Ken

2014-01-01

Habitat conversion for agriculture is a major driver of biodiversity loss, but our understanding of the demographic processes involved remains poor. We typically investigate the impacts of agriculture in isolation even though populations are likely to experience multiple, concurrent changes in the environment (e.g. land and climate change). Drivers of environmental change may interact to affect demography, but the mechanisms have yet to be explored fully in wild populations. Here, we investigate the mechanisms linking agricultural land use with breeding success using long-term data for the formerly Critically Endangered Mauritius kestrel Falco punctatus, a tropical forest specialist that also occupies agricultural habitats. We specifically focused on the relationship between breeding success, agriculture and the timing of breeding because the latter is sensitive to changes in climatic conditions (spring rainfall) and enables us to explore the interactive effects of different (land and climate) drivers of environmental change. Breeding success, measured as egg survival to fledging, declines seasonally in this population, but we found that the rate of this decline became increasingly rapid as the area of agriculture around a nest site increased. If the relationship between breeding success and agriculture was used in isolation to estimate the demographic impact of agriculture, it would significantly under-estimate breeding success in dry (early) springs and over-estimate breeding success in wet (late) springs. Analysis of prey delivered to nests suggests that the relationship between breeding success and agriculture might be due, in part, to spatial variation in the availability of native, arboreal geckos. Synthesis and applications. Agriculture modifies the seasonal decline in breeding success in this population. As springs are becoming wetter in our study area and since the kestrels breed later in wetter springs, the impact of agriculture on breeding success will

National Agricultural Library | United States Department of Agriculture

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Skip to main content Home National Agricultural Library United States Department of Agriculture Ag Terms of Service Frequently Asked Questions Policies and Documentation Ag Data Commons Monthly Metrics News Contact Us Search  Log inRegister Home Home About Policies and Documentation Ag Data Commons

What are the effects of agricultural management on soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Söderström, Bo; Hedlund, Katarina; Jackson, Louise E.

2014-01-01

the physical and biological properties of the soil. Intensification of agriculture and land-use change from grasslands to croplands are generally known to deplete SOC stocks. The depletion is exacerbated through agricultural practices with low return of organic material and various mechanisms......Changes in soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks significantly influence the atmospheric C concentration. Agricultural management practices that increase SOC stocks thus may have profound effects on climate mitigation. Additional benefits include higher soil fertility since increased SOC stocks improve......, such as oxidation/mineralization, leaching and erosion. However, a systematic review comparing the efficacy of different agricultural management practices to increase SOC stocks has not yet been produced. Since there are diverging views on this matter, a systematic review would be timely for framing policies...

Urban Agriculture: Passing Fad or New Prospects for Agriculture and Cities?

OpenAIRE

Moschitz, Heidrun; Kueffer, Christoph

2016-01-01

While urban agriculture might be considered a passing fad, we argue that it is a vehicle to deal with many urgent topics of societal transformation towards a sustainable future. We discuss the potential of urban agriculture to change agriculture and urban life.

Starting a learning progression for agricultural literacy: A qualitative study of urban elementary student understandings of agricultural and science education benchmarks

Science.gov (United States)

Hess, Alexander Jay

Science and agriculture professional organizations have argued for agricultural literacy as a goal for K-12 public education. Due to the complexity of our modern agri-food system, with social, economic, and environmental concerns embedded, an agriculturally literate society is needed for informed decision making, democratic participation, and system reform. While grade-span specific benchmarks for gauging agri-food system literacy have been developed, little attention has been paid to existing ideas individuals hold about the agri-food system, how these existing ideas relate to benchmarks, how experience shapes such ideas, or how ideas change overtime. Developing a body of knowledge on students' agri-food system understandings as they develop across K-12 grades can ground efforts seeking to promote a learning progression toward agricultural literacy. This study compares existing perceptions held by 18 upper elementary students from a large urban center in California to agri-food system literacy benchmarks and examines the perceptions against student background and experiences. Data were collected via semi-structured interviews and analyzed using the constant comparative method. Constructivist theoretical perspectives framed the study. No student had ever grown their own food, raised a plant, or cared for an animal. Participation in school fieldtrips to farms or visits to a relative's garden were agricultural experiences most frequently mentioned. Students were able to identify common food items, but could not elaborate on their origins, especially those that were highly processed. Students' understanding of post-production activities (i.e. food processing, manufacturing, or food marketing) was not apparent. Students' understanding of farms reflected a 1900's subsistence farming operation commonly found in a literature written for the primary grades. Students were unaware that plants and animals were selected for production based on desired genetic traits. Obtaining

"Agricultural budget" and the competitiveness of the Polish agriculture

OpenAIRE

Lenkiewicz, Stanisław; Rokicki, Bartłomiej

2014-01-01

The aim of the publication is to assess the impact of public support on the functioning of the Polish agriculture. In order to achieve this aim the publication includes an analysis of the system of direct payments and rural development policy instruments planned to be implemented in Poland within the CAP 2014-2020. The study also presents an analysis of regional diversity of the Polish agriculture and an assessment of the scale of agricultural investment made in recent years in all the Polish...

Phytoextraction and assisted phytoextraction of metals from agriculture used soil

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Trakal, L.; Neuberg, M.; Száková, J.; Vohník, Martin; Tejnecký, V.; Drábek, O.; Tlustoš, P.

2013-01-01

Roč. 44, č. 12 (2013), s. 1862-1872 ISSN 0010-3624 Grant - others:Norwegian Financial Mechanism(CZ) EEA Grants CZ0092 Institutional support: RVO:67985939 Keywords : phytoextraction * heavy metals * agriculture soil Subject RIV: EF - Botanics Impact factor: 0.423, year: 2013

Biotechnology and Agriculture.

Science.gov (United States)

Kenney, Martin

Even at this early date in the application of biotechnology to agriculture, it is clear that agriculture may provide the largest market for new or less expensive biotechnologically manufactured products. The chemical and pharmaceutical industries that hold important positions in agricultural inputs are consolidating their positions by purchasing…

Issues concerning Development of Consumer Credit Business in China’s Agricultural Bank

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

2012-01-01

This article introduces the status quo of consumer credit business in China’s agricultural bank,indicating that the scale of China’s consumer credit business is expanded year by year;the growth of consumer credit business slows down;housing loans grow rapidly.We analyze issues concerning development of consumer credit business in agricultural bank as follows:single variety of consumer credit business makes the operating scope narrow;the formality of consumer credit business is trivial,abating consumers’ will to borrow;consumers’ consumer attitudes are stale,yet to be further changed;the loan interest of consumer credit is beyond the majority of consumers’ actual ability to pay;the existing regulations and systems are not sound;the risk prevention mechanism is not perfect.Based on this,we put forward the following countermeasures and proposals for further improving consumer credit business in China’s agricultural bank:first,formulate reasonable marketing strategy of consumer credit business;second,establish and improve the internal management mechanism;third,establish and improve risk assessment system;fourth,improve consumer credit legal system.

Agricultural Intensification in the Brazilian Agricultural-Forest Frontier: Land Use Responses to Development and Conservation Policy

Science.gov (United States)

Garrett, R.; Koh, I.; le Polain de Waroux, Y.; Lambin, E.; Kastens, J.; Brown, J. C.

2017-12-01

Agricultural expansion, extensive cattle ranching, and deforestation remain pressing challenges for sustainable development and climate mitigation throughout South America. In response to these challenges, national and local governments, as well as private and non-governmental actors have developed new forest conservation governance mechanisms. The objective of this study is to better understand how conservation policies interact with supply chain development to influence land use. In particular, we endeavor to understand the timing and spatial patterns of crop and cattle intensification, an understudied phenomenon that is critical to understanding the future of agricultural-forest frontiers and the impacts of conservation policies. We focus on Mato Grosso, the largest soy and cattle producing state in Brazil, which spans the Cerrado and Amazon biomes and has experienced higher levels of deforestation for agricultural expansion than any other state globally over the last decade. Using a newly created spatially explicit data set of land use intensity, supply chain development, and forest policy, we find that agricultural intensification is occurring rapidly in the region, but is only partially driven by changes in conservation policies. The intensification of cattle production is the result of improvements in deforestation monitoring, penalties, and enforcement, and increased land scarcity. Crop intensification, in contrast, preceded increases in conservation restrictions, and is associated with the positive spillovers resulting from agribusiness agglomeration and development. These results suggest that intensification is not a foregone conclusion of increasing forest conservation restrictions, but is highly dependent on wider development processes. A combined effort to direct agribusiness development away from forest regions via tax credits and subsidized credit, when applied in concert with stringent conservation requirements, could help promote intensification

77 FR 25122 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request-Report of School...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-04-27

... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Food and Nutrition Service Agency Information Collection Activities... Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 3101 Park Center Drive, Room 640, Alexandria, VA 22302... School Lunch Act (NSLA), as amended (42 U.S.C. 1751, et seq.), and the Child Nutrition Act of 1966, as...

Role of Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria in Agricultural Sustainability—A Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pravin Vejan

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR shows an important role in the sustainable agriculture industry. The increasing demand for crop production with a significant reduction of synthetic chemical fertilizers and pesticides use is a big challenge nowadays. The use of PGPR has been proven to be an environmentally sound way of increasing crop yields by facilitating plant growth through either a direct or indirect mechanism. The mechanisms of PGPR include regulating hormonal and nutritional balance, inducing resistance against plant pathogens, and solubilizing nutrients for easy uptake by plants. In addition, PGPR show synergistic and antagonistic interactions with microorganisms within the rhizosphere and beyond in bulk soil, which indirectly boosts plant growth rate. There are many bacteria species that act as PGPR, described in the literature as successful for improving plant growth. However, there is a gap between the mode of action (mechanism of the PGPR for plant growth and the role of the PGPR as biofertilizer—thus the importance of nano-encapsulation technology in improving the efficacy of PGPR. Hence, this review bridges the gap mentioned and summarizes the mechanism of PGPR as a biofertilizer for agricultural sustainability.

Role of Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria in Agricultural Sustainability-A Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Vejan, Pravin; Abdullah, Rosazlin; Khadiran, Tumirah; Ismail, Salmah; Nasrulhaq Boyce, Amru

2016-04-29

Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) shows an important role in the sustainable agriculture industry. The increasing demand for crop production with a significant reduction of synthetic chemical fertilizers and pesticides use is a big challenge nowadays. The use of PGPR has been proven to be an environmentally sound way of increasing crop yields by facilitating plant growth through either a direct or indirect mechanism. The mechanisms of PGPR include regulating hormonal and nutritional balance, inducing resistance against plant pathogens, and solubilizing nutrients for easy uptake by plants. In addition, PGPR show synergistic and antagonistic interactions with microorganisms within the rhizosphere and beyond in bulk soil, which indirectly boosts plant growth rate. There are many bacteria species that act as PGPR, described in the literature as successful for improving plant growth. However, there is a gap between the mode of action (mechanism) of the PGPR for plant growth and the role of the PGPR as biofertilizer-thus the importance of nano-encapsulation technology in improving the efficacy of PGPR. Hence, this review bridges the gap mentioned and summarizes the mechanism of PGPR as a biofertilizer for agricultural sustainability.

Gender in crop agriculture

OpenAIRE

Food and Agriculture Organization; The World Bank; IFAD

2008-01-01

Metadata only record This is a module in the "Gender in Agriculture Sourcebook" published by the World Bank, UN Food and Agriculture Organization, and International Fund for Agricultural Development. This module examines the role of gender in crop agriculture as an essential component of development and poverty reduction. Gender is an integral aspect of crop agriculture because women's roles in crop production and household subsistence, as well as their knowledge of complex production syst...

Standards for Quality Programs in Agricultural Occupations in the Secondary Schools and Area Vocational Centers of Illinois. Phase II. A Progress Report.

Science.gov (United States)

Stitt, Thomas R.; And Others

The purpose of this project was to prepare materials to be used in the review and evaluation of an agricultural occupations program. Based on standards validated by Illinois agricultural occupations teachers, a standards workbook was developed that included standards specific to agricultural production, agricultural sales and service, agricultural…

World oil and agricultural commodity prices: Evidence from nonlinear causality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nazlioglu, Saban

2011-01-01

The increasing co-movements between the world oil and agricultural commodity prices have renewed interest in determining price transmission from oil prices to those of agricultural commodities. This study extends the literature on the oil-agricultural commodity prices nexus, which particularly concentrates on nonlinear causal relationships between the world oil and three key agricultural commodity prices (corn, soybeans, and wheat). To this end, the linear causality approach of Toda-Yamamoto and the nonparametric causality method of Diks-Panchenko are applied to the weekly data spanning from 1994 to 2010. The linear causality analysis indicates that the oil prices and the agricultural commodity prices do not influence each other, which supports evidence on the neutrality hypothesis. In contrast, the nonlinear causality analysis shows that: (i) there are nonlinear feedbacks between the oil and the agricultural prices, and (ii) there is a persistent unidirectional nonlinear causality running from the oil prices to the corn and to the soybeans prices. The findings from the nonlinear causality analysis therefore provide clues for better understanding the recent dynamics of the agricultural commodity prices and some policy implications for policy makers, farmers, and global investors. This study also suggests the directions for future studies. - Research highlights: → This study determines the price transmission mechanisms between the world oil and three key agricultural commodity prices (corn, soybeans, and wheat). → The linear and nonlinear cointegration and causality methods are carried out. → The linear causality analysis supports evidence on the neutrality hypothesis. → The nonlinear causality analysis shows that there is a persistent unidirectional causality from the oil prices to the corn and to the soybeans prices.

Adapting Agriculture Platforms for Nutrition: A Case Study of a Participatory, Video-Based Agricultural Extension Platform in India.

Science.gov (United States)

Kadiyala, Suneetha; Morgan, Emily H; Cyriac, Shruthi; Margolies, Amy; Roopnaraine, Terry

2016-01-01

; and enhancement of message diffusion mechanisms to reach pregnant women and mothers of young children at scale. Understanding the experience of developing and delivering this intervention will benefit the design of new nutrition interventions which seek to leverage agriculture platforms.

LANDSCAPE ECOLOGICAL METHOD TO STUDY AGRICULTURAL VEGETATION: SOME EXAMPLES FROM THE PO VALLEY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. GIGLIO

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Vegetation is the most important landscape component, as regards to its ability to catch solar energy and to transform it, but also to shape the landscape, to structure the space, to create the fit environment for different animal species, to contribute to the maintenance of a correct metastability level for the landscape, etc. It is a biological system which acts under the constraints of the principles of the System Theory and owns the same properties of any other living system: so, it is a complex adaptive, hierarchical, dynamic, dissipative, self-organizing, self-transcendent, autocatalytic, self-maintaining system and follows the non-equilibrium thermodynamic. Its ecological state can be investigated through the comparison between “gathered data” (pathology and “normal data” (physiology for analogous types of vegetation. The Biological Integrated School of Landscape Ecology provides an integrated methodology to define ecological threshold limits of the different Agricultural Landscape types and applies to agricultural vegetation the specific part of the new methodology already tested to studying forests (the Landscape Biological Survey of Vegetation. Ecological quality, better and worst parameters, biological territorial capacity of vegetated corridors, agricultural field, poplar groves, orchards and woody remnant patches are investigated. Some examples from diverse agricultural landscapes of the Po Valley will be discussed. KEY WORDS: agricultural landscape, vegetation, landscape ecology, landscape health, Biological Integrated Landscape Ecology, Landscape Biological Survey of vegetation.

LANDSCAPE ECOLOGICAL METHOD TO STUDY AGRICULTURAL VEGETATION: SOME EXAMPLES FROM THE PO VALLEY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. GIGLIO

2006-05-01

Full Text Available Vegetation is the most important landscape component, as regards to its ability to catch solar energy and to transform it, but also to shape the landscape, to structure the space, to create the fit environment for different animal species, to contribute to the maintenance of a correct metastability level for the landscape, etc. It is a biological system which acts under the constraints of the principles of the System Theory and owns the same properties of any other living system: so, it is a complex adaptive, hierarchical, dynamic, dissipative, self-organizing, self-transcendent, autocatalytic, self-maintaining system and follows the non-equilibrium thermodynamic. Its ecological state can be investigated through the comparison between “gathered data” (pathology and “normal data” (physiology for analogous types of vegetation. The Biological Integrated School of Landscape Ecology provides an integrated methodology to define ecological threshold limits of the different Agricultural Landscape types and applies to agricultural vegetation the specific part of the new methodology already tested to studying forests (the Landscape Biological Survey of Vegetation. Ecological quality, better and worst parameters, biological territorial capacity of vegetated corridors, agricultural field, poplar groves, orchards and woody remnant patches are investigated. Some examples from diverse agricultural landscapes of the Po Valley will be discussed. KEY WORDS: agricultural landscape, vegetation, landscape ecology, landscape health, Biological Integrated Landscape Ecology, Landscape Biological Survey of vegetation.

Beliefs and Attitudes of Secondary Agriculture Teachers about Global Agriculture Issues

Science.gov (United States)

Hurst, Sara D.; Roberts, T. Grady; Harder, Amy

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the beliefs and attitudes of secondary agriculture teachers regarding global agricultural issues. A randomized national sample of 417 teachers were surveyed using a modified version of the International Agricultural Awareness and Understanding Survey (Wingenbach, Boyd, Lindner, Dick, Arispe, & Haba,…

The Impact of Agricultural Science Education on Performance in a Biology Course

Science.gov (United States)

Ernest, Byron L.

The lack of student achievement in science is often cited in U.S. educational reports. At the study site, low student achievement in science has been an ongoing concern for administrators. The purpose of this mixed methods study was to investigate the impact of agricultural science education on student performance in a Biology course. Vygotsky's constructivist theory and Gardner's multiple intelligences theory provided the framework for the study. The quantitative research question examined the relationship between the completion of Fundamentals of Agriculture Science and Business course and student performance in Biology I. Teacher perceptions and experiences regarding the integration of science and agricultural curriculum and traditional science curriculum were examined qualitatively. A sequential explanatory design was employed using 3 years of data collected from 486 high school students and interviews with 10 teachers. Point-biserial correlation and chi square tests revealed statistically significant relationships between whether or not students completed Fundamentals of Agriculture Science and Business and Biology I course performance, as measured by the end of course assessment and the course grade. In the qualitative sequence, typological and inductive data analyses were applied to the interview data, and themes of student impact and teacher experience emerged. Social change implications may be possible through improved science education for students in this program. Agriculture science courses may be used to facilitate learning of complex science concepts, designing teacher collaboration and professional development for teaching science in a relevant context, and resultant improved student performance in science.

7. Food and agriculture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Livernash, R.

1992-01-01

Global food production has increased substantially over the past two decades, but factors such as population pressures and environmental degradation are undermining agriculture's current condition and future prospects. This chapter discusses the following: global trends; production trends (livestock and fisheries); per capita production trends (population density and agriculture); environmental trends (soil degradation, inputs of fertilizers, pesticides, and freshwater); economic trends (agricultural commodity prices, declining investment in irrigation, World Bank lending); trade liberalization and the Gatt negotiations; conventional agriculture and alternative agriculture; problems with the conventional model (on-farm impacts, off-farm impacts); agricultural policies - creating a new environment; policy impacts - distorted price structures; new policy options (reducing input subsidies, land conservation programs, management agreements, taxes, fees, and tax incentives, strengthening regulations, subsidizing conversion); the economics of alternative agriculture

AGRICULTURAL POLICIES AND COMPETITION IN WORLD AGRICULTURE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Raluca Duma

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Agricultural policies have had a guiding role inagriculture development and implicitly in their marketing. Usually they belongto each state and government and are issued in accordance with their specificclimate, social-economic and cultural background which includes food andgastronomic traditions. Agricultural policies have in view home and foreignmarket demand, as well as the socio-demographic, political and military contextat a certain point in the socio-economic development

Public Relation as a Tool for Promoting Rural and Agricultural ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The current trend in the institutional support mechanisms for agriculture at state, national and international levels underscores its significance to the attainment of a number of millennium development goals in Nigeria. Extension institutions and technology transfer programmes exist in almost every developing country yet; ...

Microbial Phosphorus Solubilization and Its Potential for Use in Sustainable Agriculture

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Elizabeth T. Alori

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The use of excess conventional Phosphorus (P fertilizers to improve agricultural productivity, in order to meet constantly increasing global food demand, potentially causes surface and ground water pollution, waterway eutrophication, soil fertility depletion, and accumulation of toxic elements such as high concentration of selenium (Se, arsenic (As in the soil. Quite a number of soil microorganisms are capable of solubilizing/mineralizing insoluble soil phosphate to release soluble P and making it available to plants. These microorganisms improve the growth and yield of a wide variety of crops. Thus, inoculating seeds/crops/soil with Phosphate Solubilizing Microorganisms (PSM is a promising strategy to improve world food production without causing any environmental hazard. Despite their great significance in soil fertility improvement, phosphorus-solubilizing microorganisms have yet to replace conventional chemical fertilizers in commercial agriculture. A better understanding of recent developments in PSM functional diversity, colonizing ability, mode of actions and judicious application should facilitate their use as reliable components of sustainable agricultural systems. In this review, we discussed various soil microorganisms that have the ability to solubilize phosphorus and hence have the potential to be used as bio fertilizers. The mechanisms of inorganic phosphate solubilization by PSM and the mechanisms of organic phosphorus mineralization are highlighted together with some factors that determine the success of this technology. Finally we provide some indications that the use of PSM will promote sustainable agriculture and conclude that this technology is ready for commercial exploitation in various regions worldwide.

Nanotechnology in agriculture: prospects and constraints

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mukhopadhyay SS

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Siddhartha S Mukhopadhyay Electron Microscopy and Nanoscience Laboratory, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, India Abstract: Attempts to apply nanotechnology in agriculture began with the growing realization that conventional farming technologies would neither be able to increase productivity any further nor restore ecosystems damaged by existing technologies back to their pristine state; in particular because the long-term effects of farming with “miracle seeds”, in conjunction with irrigation, fertilizers, and pesticides, have been questioned both at the scientific and policy levels, and must be gradually phased out. Nanotechnology in agriculture has gained momentum in the last decade with an abundance of public funding, but the pace of development is modest, even though many disciplines come under the umbrella of agriculture. This could be attributed to: a unique nature of farm production, which functions as an open system whereby energy and matter are exchanged freely; the scale of demand of input materials always being gigantic in contrast with industrial nanoproducts; an absence of control over the input nanomaterials in contrast with industrial nanoproducts (eg, the cell phone and because their fate has to be conceived on the geosphere (pedosphere-biosphere-hydrosphere-atmosphere continuum; the time lag of emerging technologies reaching the farmers' field, especially given that many emerging economies are unwilling to spend on innovation; and the lack of foresight resulting from agricultural education not having attracted a sufficient number of brilliant minds the world over, while personnel from kindred disciplines might lack an understanding of agricultural production systems. If these issues are taken care of, nanotechnologic intervention in farming has bright prospects for improving the efficiency of nutrient use through nanoformulations of fertilizers, breaking yield barriers through bionanotechnology, surveillance and

Climate Change, Agriculture and Migration: A Survey

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Chiara Falco

2018-05-01

Full Text Available This paper proposes a selective review of the classical economics-based literature on climate change and migration, focusing on the extent to which agriculture might be considered a key mediating channel linking climate change to migration. Overall, climate change is expected to have large and negative effects on the global economy. These effects are even more evident whenever the economic sector considered is the agricultural one, particularly in developing countries. Hence, migration can be viewed as a specific form of adaptation implemented by individuals and households, enabling them to cope, among other things, with weather-induced risk. We show that the importance of agriculture emerges from both plenty of micro-level country studies and relatively few macro-level analyses using cross-sectional data over longer time periods. Thus, policy actions targeted to sustainable agriculture and rural development can both help tackle the challenges posed by climate change and create opportunities in the face of growing migration issues. However, we also stress that much of the current evidence is based on statistical associations that have nothing to do with causal inferences. This calls for the use of a more structural approach and more sophisticated research designs, enabling the researchers to better discriminate among different mechanisms concurrently at work. In addition, further research should be addressed to the role played by food security, a complex dimension largely missing in the current debates on climate change and migration.

Agricultural Exposures, Multiple Myeloma Etiology: Profile of Jonathan Hofmann

Science.gov (United States)

Tenure-track investigator Jonathan Hofmann, Ph.D., M.P.H., has established a research program in the Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch focused on the role of agricultural exposures in the etiology of multiple myeloma and other cancers, and on understanding the biological mechanisms that influence the development and progression of multiple myeloma.

Modeling of Structural Equation Teachers’ Job satisfaction in Agricultural High School, Mazandaran Province, Iran

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M. Alikhani Dadoukolaei

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Job satisfaction is a positive or pleasant emotional state resulting from a person’s appreciation of his/her own job or experience. The study purpose was to model job satisfaction for teachers working in Agricultural institutes within Mazandaran province of Iran. The study used a descriptive-correlative design . The statistical population (including all instructors working for agricultural Institutes within Mazandaran Province of Iran was es 127 teachers. Using Cochran’s formula, the sample size was estimated at 85 teachers. To increase the viability of the study, the planned sample size was determined att 110 teachers from which 108 teachers completed the questionnaires. The study was conducted using questionnaire. The content validity of the questionnaire was assessed by a group of extension specialists. In order to measure the reliability of research questionnaires, 29 teachers who were randomly selected. completed some questionnaires. Cronbach's alpha, ordinal theta and combination reliability were calculated by 0.95, 0.92 and 0.87 respectively. The results indicate that the magnitude of job satisfaction for %85.2 of instructors working in Agricultural institutes within Mazandaran province was moderate and relatively high. Based on the estimated Structural equation model, the highest effect on the job satisfaction was related to the environmental factor with the path coefficient of 0.64. Motivational factor with the path coefficient of 0.26 had a significant effect on job satisfaction. In addition, the environmental factor with the path coefficient of 0.55 had a significant effect on the Motivational factor.

K-12 School Food Service Staff Training Interventions: A Review of the Literature

Science.gov (United States)

Stephens, Lacy; Shanks, Carmen Byker

2015-01-01

Background: School food service professionals are vital to implementing national nutrition standards in school meal programs. Appropriate and effective training for these professionals may be one key to producing healthful meals that students are excited to eat and also meet United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) nutrient guidelines. A…

40 CFR 161.55 - Agricultural vs. non-agricultural pesticides.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... pesticides. 161.55 Section 161.55 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) PESTICIDE PROGRAMS DATA REQUIREMENTS FOR REGISTRATION OF ANTIMICROBIAL PESTICIDES General Provisions § 161.55 Agricultural vs. non-agricultural pesticides. Section 25(a)(1) of FIFRA instructs the...

76 FR 54196 - Public Meeting, Cherokee National Forest Secure Rural Schools Resource Advisory Committee

Science.gov (United States)

2011-08-31

... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service Public Meeting, Cherokee National Forest Secure Rural Schools Resource Advisory Committee AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: In accordance with the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self Determination Act of 2000 (Pub. L. 106-393), [as...

Agriculture. Pt. 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-01-01

The climatic effects of agriculture and nutritional habits of the West German population are investigated. Changes in solar UV-B radiation and methods of measuring them are described. The climatic relevance of ecological and conventional agricultural techniques are compared. The agricultural policy of the European Communities is presented and discussed. The climatic effects of the totality of agricultural production techniques and processing stages of the food industry, as well as of transport and trade, are analyzed. Sociological investigations are made of the nutritional habits of the population, and the consequences for the global climate are compared. (SR) [de

An Evaluation of the Agriculture Science Project in Mauritius. African Studies in Curriculum Development & Evaluation No. 102.

Science.gov (United States)

Jeeroburkhan, M. Fazal

This study evaluated the Agricultural Curriculum Project which is being implemented in 16 secondary schools in Mauritius. Specific areas examined included: (1) the relevance, appropriateness, and practicability of the project's general objectives; (2) the relevance, balance, and organization of the course content; (3) the effectiveness and…

Conflicts between urbanization and agricultural activity in the outlying districts of Beni Mellal

Science.gov (United States)

Kehal, Driss; El makssoudi, Aziz

2017-04-01

On 13 May 2016, the IRD and the AviTem - Villa Méditerranée organized an international meeting in Marseilles, within the framework of "villes en question". This innovative pedagogical project has mobilized high school students from both sides of the Mediterranean (France, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia). Accompanied by researchers, mediators and their teachers, they were introduced throughout the school year to the scientific approach. Their objective: to carry out surveys to decipher social links in the neighborhoods of their city. Highlight of the project, the international meeting, labeled by the Grand Tour, is held at the Villa Méditerranée. It enabled the 180 participants (high school students, teachers, researchers, partners) to discuss the question of how urban residents live together, a key issue for our urban societies in the 21st century. This international meeting on social ties in neighborhoods in the Mediterranean was an opportunity for high school students to present their surveys and share their experiences. They also exchanged views with a jury made up of representatives from the world of research and education, who awarded the "Villes en question" prize, which was again in favor of the health and environment club of Al Amria high school for the second consecutive year. The topic we discussed is: "Conflicts between urbanization and agricultural activity in the outlying districts of Beni Mellal". Six scrupulously selected science students traveled to Marseilles with 2 life sciences and earth teachers. Indeed, Béni Mellal, a city in central Morocco, has experienced in recent years the phenomenon of urbanization which has resulted in an expansion of the territory of the city to the peripheral zones in which there remain agricultural areas. How is this coexistence and this evolution experienced by the inhabitants? Students conducted on-site investigations. They were particularly interested in the representations, perceptions and practices of the

Developing the organizational-economic relations during agricultural-industrial integration

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Svetlana A. Okladchik

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Objective to substantiate the need for economic integration of agricultural enterprises. Methods abstractlogical monographic. Results economic integration in agriculture is needed due to the destruction of economic relations in the period of economy liberalization and decrease in efficiency and productivity in agriculture. The solution to the problems of financing pricing and marketing of agricultural products lies in the sphere of forming integrative relations between enterprises producing processing and marketing agricultural products. Basing on the analysis of theoretical provisions the main forms of enterprises integration is identified such as contractual relationship without creating new legal entities formation of associations unions holding companies financialindustrial groups. It was found that the most effective are those forms of associations that form a complete closed cycle of production and sales i.e. holdings and financialindustrial groups. Basing on the analysis of the economic integration principles the necessity was determined of implementing the principle of stability of economic relations which will allow to overcome the crisis in the agrarian sector. In addition the author has formulated principles for the implementing the economic mechanism in integrated groups based on equality freedom and integrity of such groups. The key components of economic relations in terms of integration were identified ndash organizational unity of the technological process as well as the transformation of the interests of technologically related actors towards a common result. Scientific novelty the principle of stability of economic links during integration of agricultural enterprises was formulated. The necessity was proved of integrating the enterprises providing comparable levels of capacity utilization and the possibility of complete product sales as well as the necessity of forming integration relations as a single object of ownership

EU enlargement and the Common Agricultural Policy: The case of Slovenia

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S. KAVCIC

2008-12-01

Full Text Available The paper aims at assessing the economic effects of Slovenia ’s accession to the EU.For this purpose, a sector model of Slovenian agriculture APAS-PAM has been constructed.The methodological framework allows for assessment of market, income and competitiveness effects for ten key agricultural products with consideration of two accession scenarios (optimistic EUe and pessimistic EUpthat describe the whole range of possible accession effects.Slovenia ’s accession to the EU will not increase agricultural production significantly.Accession under the scenario of complete acceptance of the CAP mechanisms and quasi equal treatment by the EU (EUewill not bring significant changes to aggregate production and income levels with moderate changes on commodity basis. Discrimination of the candidate countries in the field of direct payments and non-competitive down-stream sector assumed by the EUp– subscenario will significantly deteriorate the income situation of domestic producers. This holds especially for cereal and beef production. For many commodities,the competitiveness of the food processing industry assuming different price levels for raw materials could have much greater impact on the economic situation of agricultural production than agricultural policy environment itself.;

Assessing the Impact of a Semester-Long Course in Agricultural Mechanics on Pre-Service Agricultural Education Teachers' Importance, Confidence, and Knowledge of Welding

Science.gov (United States)

Leiby, Brian L.; Robinson, J. Shane; Key, James P.

2013-01-01

This study sought to assess the perceptions of Oklahoma pre-service agricultural education teachers regarding the importance of identified welding skills standards and their confidence to teach them, based on a semester-long course on metals and welding. This study also sought to determine pre-service teachers' knowledge of welding prior to and at…

Nanotechnology in agriculture: prospects and constraints.

Science.gov (United States)

Mukhopadhyay, Siddhartha S

2014-01-01

Attempts to apply nanotechnology in agriculture began with the growing realization that conventional farming technologies would neither be able to increase productivity any further nor restore ecosystems damaged by existing technologies back to their pristine state; in particular because the long-term effects of farming with "miracle seeds", in conjunction with irrigation, fertilizers, and pesticides, have been questioned both at the scientific and policy levels, and must be gradually phased out. Nanotechnology in agriculture has gained momentum in the last decade with an abundance of public funding, but the pace of development is modest, even though many disciplines come under the umbrella of agriculture. This could be attributed to: a unique nature of farm production, which functions as an open system whereby energy and matter are exchanged freely; the scale of demand of input materials always being gigantic in contrast with industrial nanoproducts; an absence of control over the input nanomaterials in contrast with industrial nanoproducts (eg, the cell phone) and because their fate has to be conceived on the geosphere (pedosphere)-biosphere-hydrosphere-atmosphere continuum; the time lag of emerging technologies reaching the farmers' field, especially given that many emerging economies are unwilling to spend on innovation; and the lack of foresight resulting from agricultural education not having attracted a sufficient number of brilliant minds the world over, while personnel from kindred disciplines might lack an understanding of agricultural production systems. If these issues are taken care of, nanotechnologic intervention in farming has bright prospects for improving the efficiency of nutrient use through nanoformulations of fertilizers, breaking yield barriers through bionanotechnology, surveillance and control of pests and diseases, understanding mechanisms of host-parasite interactions at the molecular level, development of new-generation pesticides and

Rudolf Steiner Farm School, Hawthorne Valley.

Science.gov (United States)

Rudolf Steiner Farm School, Harlemville, Ghent, NY.

The goal of the Rudolf Steiner Farm School (which employs the spiritual/scientific path of knowledge described by Rudolf Steiner in the early 1900's) is to awaken and cultivate the capacities of the full human being through education, the arts, and agriculture, in direct relationship with nature, the spiritual universe, and current times. The…

Matching Students to Schools

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Dejan Trifunovic

2017-08-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we present the problem of matching students to schools by using different matching mechanisms. This market is specific since public schools are free and the price mechanism cannot be used to determine the optimal allocation of children in schools. Therefore, it is necessary to use different matching algorithms that mimic the market mechanism and enable us to determine the core of the cooperative game. In this paper, we will determine that it is possible to apply cooperative game theory in matching problems. This review paper is based on illustrative examples aiming to compare matching algorithms in terms of the incentive compatibility, stability and efficiency of the matching. In this paper we will present some specific problems that may occur in matching, such as improving the quality of schools, favoring minority students, the limited length of the list of preferences and generating strict priorities from weak priorities.

The Importance of Specifying and Studying Causal Mechanisms in School-Based Randomised Controlled Trials: Lessons from Two Studies of Cross-Age Peer Tutoring

Science.gov (United States)

Morris, Stephen P.; Edovald, Triin; Lloyd, Cheryl; Kiss, Zsolt

2016-01-01

Based on the experience of evaluating 2 cross-age peer-tutoring interventions, we argue that researchers need to pay greater attention to causal mechanisms within the context of school-based randomised controlled trials. Without studying mechanisms, researchers are less able to explain the underlying causal processes that give rise to results from…

[Henri-Léonard Bertin and the development of agriculture in the Age of Enlightenment].

Science.gov (United States)

Pédro, Georges

2012-05-01

This meeting of the Committee on the History of Science and Epistemology takes place as we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the creation of the world's first veterinary schools, a major event among all those that, in the wake of the Physiocrat movement initiated by Quesnay and DuPont de Nemours, shaped the modernisation of agriculture in France during the 18th century. Henri-Léonard Bertin (1720-1792) was the impetus to the restructuring process. He was well aware that farming should not remain an activity that solely provides a livelihood for the population, but that it needed to be modernised, i.e. it should produce more, and better. His view was that agriculture could become a great source of riches for France and therefore, a true economic and even political force. He used the various official positions he occupied during that period (Intendant of Lyon (1754-1757), Controller General of Finances (1759-1763), Minister-Secretary of State for Agriculture (1763-1780) to initiate a number of reforms that brought about the modernisation of the kingdom's agricultural world. Copyright © 2012 Académie des sciences. Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.

An Assessment of Internet Uses, Practices, and Barriers for Professional Development by Agricultural Science Teachers in Lagos State

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Olatomide Waheed Olowa

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The paper reports a study carried out on the utilisation of the Internet by agricultural science teachers in Lagos state focusing on uses, practices, and barriers. A questionnaire was developed based on literature and was administered to 300 agricultural science teachers in Lagos schools. 275 questionnaires properly completed were analyzed. Data reveal that 130 teachers are using the Internet for teaching agricultural science in classrooms as well as for various activities that enhance their professional development. Nevertheless, it was found that agricultural science teachers in Lagos State have not fully utilised the Internet because of barriers related to time factor, accessibility, and facilities. It is suggested that for the proliferation of Internet practices, there needs to be an increase in funding for technology, an introduction of computer/technology education, a provision of pedagogical training for teachers, and a provision of administrational support.

Biomass valorisation, a new dynamics for French agriculture. Colloquium proceedings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2006-04-01

This document brings together the summary of the presentations given at this colloquium on French agriculture and biomass valorisation and the slides of the available presentations as well. The colloquium started with the opening talk by D. Bussereau (Ministry of agriculture and fisheries) who presented an international overview of biomass activities. The colloquium was divided in two parts with presentations and round-tables: 1 - the post-petroleum era: energy context and raw materials market (P. Chalmin, Cyclope); first round-table on biofuels today and tomorrow; back to the basics (C. Roy); 2 - Biomass and industry: second round-table on cellulose - an oldie promised to a bright future; status of biomass valorisation (M. Pappalardo, ADEME); third round-table: the boom of green chemistry; closing talk by C. Roy. Sixteen presentations (slides) are attached to the document: 1 - Opening talk (D. Bussereau, Ministry of agriculture and fisheries); 2 - Biomass, agriculture, forestry and climate, some basics (C. Roy); 3 - Role of biomass in the fight against climate change and in supplies diversification (M. Pappalardo, Ademe); 4 - The 2005/2006 shock on world markets: energy and raw materials (P. Chalmin, Cyclope); 5 - Actions in the energy domain (A. Chosson, CLCV); 6 - Ethanol production (A. Jeanroy); 7 - The 'biofuels' commitment of PSA Peugeot Citroen car maker (Beatrice Perrier-Maurer, PSA); 8 - Bio-diesel development (Bernard Nicol, Diester Industrie); 9 - First round-table on biofuels today and tomorrow: biofuels and conventional fuels - for an harmonious development of resources and outlets (J.B. Sigaud, Petroleum and Engines School); 10 - Agriculture biomass: source of cellulose (C. Burren, Ungrains, Arvalis); 11 - Electrical and thermal valorisations of biomass (C. Jurczak, MINEFI/DGEMP); 12 - Some elements of thought on new uses of biomass as 'material' (Jacques Sturm, Afocel) 13 - Presentation of Agrice (Agriculture for chemistry and energy) research

Energy in agriculture

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Le Roux, E J

1980-02-01

Agriculture is an important component of Canadian energy policy. There are many opportunities for both the production of energy from agricultural processes and the conservation of energy in agricultural production. These opportunities, as well as current practices and research in progress, are outlined in this report. Energy sources in agriculture include biomass (straw and other residues), methane production from manure, and oil and alcohol from crops. Alternate energy sources such as solar and wind power conserve conventional resources, and additional conservation opportunities exist in the use of greenhouses, waste heat and energy-efficient farming processes. Research programs and possible trends are outlined. 10 figs., 3 tabs.

Understanding the plant-microbe interaction molecular mechanisms for better exploitation of bio-control agents to enhance sustainable agricultural practices

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Indu Kumari

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Trichoderma spp. are well-known bio-control agents which promote the plant growth and suppress the pathogen infection. The beneficial effects are attributed to the production of phytohormones, antibiotics, siderophores and secondary metabolites (SM. Trichodermin and Harzianum A, SMs have documented anti-fungal activities as well. Tri5 gene encodes for trichodiene synthase (TS contains a terpene fold and involved at the initial step of the biosynthetic pathway of these molecules. Furthermore, domain analysis of proteins from diverse organisms showed that the terpene fold has functional diversity with diverse applications in agriculture, medicine and applied biotechnology. These proteins can be classified into single and multi-domains based on their structures. It was observed that multi-domain proteins carry additional helices which may regulate the catalytic efficiency. Further, activity enhancing mutations with potentially higher catalytic activities were screened. In an offshoot to the above work, we have analyzed binding of Trichodermin with the 25S rRNA that constitutes the petidyltransferase centre (PTC. The trichodermin resistance protein (60S ribosomal protein L3 was reported to overcome the inhibitory effects of trichothecene compounds. Normal mode analysis and MD of trichodermin resistance protein and 25S consisting of PTC showed that the W-finger region of the protein may move towards 25S rRNA and may block the binding pocket of the trichodermin. These results may lead to develop strategies for higher TS activity and the mechanism of action of these molecules involved in plant-microbe interactions. These may be further exploited for enhancing the efficiency of these biotechnological agents used in sustainable agriculture.

Geomorphological characterization of conservation agriculture

Science.gov (United States)

Tarolli, Paolo; Cecchin, Marco; Prosdocimi, Massimo; Masin, Roberta

2017-04-01

Soil water erosion is one of the major threats to soil resources throughout the world. Conventional agriculture has worsened the situation. Therefore, agriculture is facing multiple challenges: it has to produce more food to feed a growing population, and, on the other hand, safeguard natural resources adopting more sustainable production practices. In this perspective, more conservation-minded soil management practices should be taken to achieve an environmental sustainability of crop production. Indeed, conservation agriculture is considered to produce relevant environmental positive outcomes (e.g. reducing runoff and soil erosion, improving soil organic matter content and soil structure, and promoting biological activity). However, as mechanical weed control is limited or absent, in conservation agriculture, dependence on herbicides increases especially in the first years of transition from the conventional system. Consequently, also the risk of herbicide losses via runoff or adsorbed to eroded soil particles could be increased. To better analyse the complexity of soil water erosion and runoff processes in landscapes characterised by conservation agriculture, first, it is necessary to demonstrate if such different practices can significantly affect the surface morphology. Indeed, surface processes such erosion and runoff strongly depend on the shape of the surface. The questions are: are the lands treated with conservation and conventional agriculture different from each other regarding surface morphology? If so, can these differences provide a better understanding of hydrogeomorphic processes as the basis for a better and sustainable land management? To give an answer to these questions, we considered six study areas (three cultivated with no-tillage techniques, three with tillage techniques) in an experimental farm. High-resolution topography, derived from low-cost and fast photogrammetric techniques Structure-from-Motion (SfM), served as the basis to

Clustering of agricultural enterprises

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michaela Beranová

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Agricultural business is a very specific branch which is characterized by very low financial performance while this characteristic is given mainly by external factors as market pricing of agricultural commodities on one side, and production costs of agricultural commodities on the other side. This way, agricultural enterprises recognize negative values of gross margin in the Profit and Loss Statement but positive value of operating profit after even there are items of costs which are deducted. These results are derived from agricultural production subsidies which are recognized as income in the P/L Statement. In connection with this fact, the government subsidies are a substantial component of financial performance of agricultural enterprises.Primary research proceeded on the statistical sample of one hundred agricultural companies, has shown that also other specifics influencing financial performance of these businesses exist here. In order to determine the influences, the cluster analysis has been applied at using more than 10 variables. This approach has led to construction of clusters (groups of agricultural business entities with different characteristics of the group. The objective of this paper is to identify the main determinants of financial performance of agricultural enterprises and to determine their influences under different economic characteristics of these business entities. For this purpose, the regression analysis has been subsequently applied on the groups of companies coming out from the cluster analysis. Besides the operating profit which is the main driving force of financial performance measured with the economic value added (EVA in agricultural enterprises, also capital structure and cost of capital have been observed as very strong influences on financial performance but these factors have different directions of their influence on the economic value added under different financial characteristics of agricultural

7 CFR 1945.18 - United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Agriculture Council (FAC).

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 13 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Agriculture Council (FAC). 1945.18 Section 1945.18 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) RURAL HOUSING SERVICE, RURAL BUSINESS-COOPERATIVE SERVICE, RURAL UTILITIES SERVICE...

ASSESSMENT OF THE HEALTH STATUS OF PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN PARTICIPATING IN SCHOOL FEEDING PROGRAM IN NUSA TENGGARA BARAT AND NUSA TENGGARA TIMUR, INDONESIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dwi Susilowati

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Background: School feeding program provided vital nourishment for students, improved their health and school attendance. Objective: To investigate the effects of provision of food distributed at targeted primary schools. To measure the change of anemia prevalence rate, to assess the prevalence of some illness and to assess related knowledge and practices of health, nutrition and hygiene among primary school students. Methods: The sample was randomly selected from 30 clusters of primary schools who received WFP food supplement for at least 6 months in Nusa Tenggara Barat (NTB and Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT provinces during the year 2008. The sample was calculated on the basis of the formula of a single cross-sectional survey comparing two sub-groups. The data was analyzed by using SPSS for Windows version 15. Results: The head of households, whom mostly males, worked as unskilled agricultural wage labors and vendor of agricultural products. The education of parents was generally low. Most of them lived in single house and used latrine. The mean hemoglobin of students was 11.8 gr/dl (SO 1.3; Cl (11 .7-11.9. The anemia prevalence rate was 37 6%, it was 25.8% higher as compared to previous year. There were significant decreased of morbidity rates of diarrhea, Acute Respiratory lnfection and fever as compared to previous years. Practice in hygiene as indicated by drinking boiled water showed a decreased m coverage in the previous years. However, hand washing before meals was increased steadily while hand washing after defecation was decreased. There were more household used latrines.Key words: school feeding, primary school children, anemia, knowledge attitude and practice

Successes and Challenges in School Meal Reform: Qualitative Insights from Food Service Directors

Science.gov (United States)

Asada, Yuka; Ziemann, Margaret; Zatz, Lara; Chriqui, Jamie

2017-01-01

Background: The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (HHFKA) directed the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to revise school meal standards to increase healthy food offerings. A critical stakeholder in the implementation of standards is Food Service Directors (FSDs). We sought to examine FSDs' perspectives on revised school meal standards to…

The Availability of Competitive Foods and Beverages to Middle School Students in Appalachian Virginia Before Implementation of the 2014 Smart Snacks in School Standards.

Science.gov (United States)

Mann, Georgianna; Kraak, Vivica; Serrano, Elena

2015-09-17

The study objective was to examine the nutritional quality of competitive foods and beverages (foods and beverages from vending machines and à la carte foods) available to rural middle school students, before implementation of the US Department of Agriculture's Smart Snacks in School standards in July 2014. In spring 2014, we audited vending machines and à la carte cafeteria foods and beverages in 8 rural Appalachian middle schools in Virginia. Few schools had vending machines. Few à la carte and vending machine foods met Smart Snacks in School standards (36.5%); however, most beverages did (78.2%). The major challenges to meeting standards were fat and sodium content of foods. Most competitive foods (62.2%) did not meet new standards, and rural schools with limited resources will likely require assistance to fully comply.

Linking meteorological drivers of spring-summer drought regimes to agricultural drought risk in China

Science.gov (United States)

Dai, L.; Wright, J. S.; Yu, C.; Huang, W. Y.

2017-12-01

As a drought prone country, China has experienced frequent severe droughts in recent decades. Drought frequency and severity are projected to increase in China under climate change. An understanding of the physical processes that contribute to extreme droughts is essential for seasonal forecasting, but the dominant physical mechanisms responsible for droughts in most parts of China are still unclear. Moreover, despite numerous studies on droughts in China, there are few clear connections between the meteorological and climatological drivers of extreme droughts and the associated agricultural consequences. This knowledge gap limits the capacity for decision-making support in drought management. The objectives of this study are (1) to identify robust spring-summer drought regimes over China, (2) to investigate the physical mechanisms associated with each regime, and (3) to better clarify connections between meteorological drought regimes and agricultural drought risk. First, we identify six drought regimes over China by applying an area-weighted k-means clustering technique to spatial patterns of spring-summer Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) obtained from the ten-member ERA-20CM ensemble for 1900-2010. Second, we project these drought regimes onto agricultural drought risk maps for the three major cereal crops (rice, maize, and wheat) in China. Taking into account historical harvest areas for these crops, we then evaluate the potential impact of each drought regime on agricultural production. Third, the physical mechanisms and meteorological context behind each drought regimes are investigated based on monthly outputs from ERA20CM. We analyze the preceding and concurrent atmospheric circulation anomalies associated with each regime, and propose mechanistic explanations for drought development. This work provides a new perspective on diagnosing the physical mechanisms behind seasonal droughts, and lays a foundation for improving seasonal drought prediction and

Economic Drought Impact on Agriculture: analysis of all agricultural sectors affected

Science.gov (United States)

Gil, M.; Garrido, A.; Hernández-Mora, N.

2012-04-01

The analysis of drought impacts is essential to define efficient and sustainable management and mitigation. In this paper we present a detailed analysis of the impacts of the 2004-2008 drought in the agricultural sector in the Ebro river basin (Spain). An econometric model is applied in order to determine the magnitude of the economic loss attributable to water scarcity. Both the direct impacts of drought on agricultural productivity and the indirect impacts of drought on agricultural employment and agroindustry in the Ebro basin are evaluated. The econometric model measures losses in the economic value of irrigated and rainfed agricultural production, of agricultural employment and of Gross Value Added both from the agricultural sector and the agro-industrial sector. The explanatory variables include an index of water availability (reservoir storage levels for irrigated agriculture and accumulated rainfall for rainfed agriculture), a price index representative of the mix of crops grown in each region, and a time variable. The model allows for differentiating the impacts due to water scarcity from other sources of economic losses. Results show how the impacts diminish as we approach the macro-economic indicators from those directly dependent on water abstractions and precipitation. Sectors directly dependent on water are the most affected with identifiable economic losses resulting from the lack of water. From the management perspective implications of these findings are key to develop mitigation measures to reduce drought risk exposure. These results suggest that more open agricultural markets, and wider and more flexible procurement strategies of the agro-industry reduces the socio-economic exposure to drought cycles. This paper presents the results of research conducted under PREEMPT project (Policy relevant assessment of the socioeconomic effects of droughts and floods, ECHO - grant agreement # 070401/2010/579119/SUB/C4), which constitutes an effort to provide

Determination of Some Mechanical Properties of Almond Seed ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Akorede

I. INTRODUCTION. Information on mechanical properties of agricultural products as a function of moisture content is needed in the design and adjustment of machines used during harvest, separation, cleaning, handling and storage. It is also used in processing these agricultural materials into food. The properties useful for ...

Gender and agricultural markets

OpenAIRE

Food and Agriculture Organization; The World Bank; IFAD

2008-01-01

Metadata only record This is a module in the "Gender in Agriculture Sourcebook" published by the World Bank, UN Food and Agriculture Organization, and International Fund for Agricultural Development. This module examines the traditional division of labor within agricultural markets, where women farmers are primarily responsible for subsistence and household crop production while male farmers dominate the commercial sector. Challenging these gendered roles by increasing women farmers' acces...

Prospective analysis agriculture energy 2030. Agriculture and the challenges of energy - Synthesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vert, Julien; Portet, Fabienne; Even, Marie-Aude; Herault, Bruno; Laisney, Celine; Mahe, Thuriane

2010-01-01

The present overview document contains the main results of the Agriculture Energy 2030 prospective study, based on the work of the group led by the CEP [Centre d'etudes et de prospective/Centre for studies and strategic foresight] at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food, Fisheries, Rural Affairs and Spatial Planning. Energy in agriculture is all too often seen as a purely cyclical problem whereas it is a major issue for the future due to its economic consequences for agricultural holdings, its links with environmental and climatic issues, and its influence on food supply chains and spatial planning. Based on the scenario method, this analysis initially involved describing the whole range of links between agriculture and energy in France and organising them into a system of variables before going on to draw up an inventory of the knowledge available. Starting out from this diagnostic approach, the group constructed four scenarios over the period to 2030: 'Regionalization and sobriety to confront the crisis', 'Twin track agriculture and energy realism', 'Health Agriculture with no major energy constraints' and 'Ecological agriculture and energy savings'. These scenarios do not form an exhaustive panorama of all possible developments of the agriculture-energy system - they are rather formalised images of what the future might hold. However, quantification and comparison of the scenarios has led to the identification of major room for progress in energy efficiency in French farming. By helping gain greater awareness of future difficulties and issues or, conversely, opportunities to be grasped, these scenarios provided input for the strategic analysis phase, the concluding stage of this exercise, and the identification of general objectives and levers for public action. (authors)

Forestry and agriculture in an energy crisis. The flow of energy in Swedish forestry and agriculture in 1956 and 1972

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Renborg, U; Uhlin, H E

1975-01-01

A report issued by the Energy Committee of the Kungl Skogsoch Landbruksakademi under the chairmanship of U. Renborg (published as Meddelanden Nos. 64 and 65, Institut fur Ekonomi och Statistik, Landburkshogskolan, 1975) is summarized. The flow of resources in both years of comparison is described separately for agriculture and forestry in physical, monetary, and energy terms. Energy input is subdivided into solar energy, direct auxiliary energy (in forestry, chiefly fossil fuel) and indirect auxiliary energy (e.g., fertilizers). Forestry is considered to be still very energy extensive (at 1972 prices, the cost per ha of auxiliary energy was 10% of proceeds vs 18% in agriculture (or 14 vs 384 dr/ha in money terms). Recommendations are made for increasing the input of auxiliary energy (e.g., mechanization and greater use of fertilizers) and for research into its more economic use.

Pesticide use and biodiversity conservation in the Amazonian agricultural frontier.

Science.gov (United States)

Schiesari, Luis; Waichman, Andrea; Brock, Theo; Adams, Cristina; Grillitsch, Britta

2013-06-05

Agricultural frontiers are dynamic environments characterized by the conversion of native habitats to agriculture. Because they are currently concentrated in diverse tropical habitats, agricultural frontiers are areas where the largest number of species is exposed to hazardous land management practices, including pesticide use. Focusing on the Amazonian frontier, we show that producers have varying access to resources, knowledge, control and reward mechanisms to improve land management practices. With poor education and no technical support, pesticide use by smallholders sharply deviated from agronomical recommendations, tending to overutilization of hazardous compounds. By contrast, with higher levels of technical expertise and resources, and aiming at more restrictive markets, large-scale producers adhered more closely to technical recommendations and even voluntarily replaced more hazardous compounds. However, the ecological footprint increased significantly over time because of increased dosage or because formulations that are less toxic to humans may be more toxic to other biodiversity. Frontier regions appear to be unique in terms of the conflicts between production and conservation, and the necessary pesticide risk management and risk reduction can only be achieved through responsibility-sharing by diverse stakeholders, including governmental and intergovernmental organizations, NGOs, financial institutions, pesticide and agricultural industries, producers, academia and consumers.

Biosurfactants in agriculture.

Science.gov (United States)

Sachdev, Dhara P; Cameotra, Swaranjit S

2013-02-01

Agricultural productivity to meet growing demands of human population is a matter of great concern for all countries. Use of green compounds to achieve the sustainable agriculture is the present necessity. This review highlights the enormous use of harsh surfactants in agricultural soil and agrochemical industries. Biosurfactants which are reported to be produced by bacteria, yeasts, and fungi can serve as green surfactants. Biosurfactants are considered to be less toxic and eco-friendly and thus several types of biosurfactants have the potential to be commercially produced for extensive applications in pharmaceutical, cosmetics, and food industries. The biosurfactants synthesized by environmental isolates also has promising role in the agricultural industry. Many rhizosphere and plant associated microbes produce biosurfactant; these biomolecules play vital role in motility, signaling, and biofilm formation, indicating that biosurfactant governs plant-microbe interaction. In agriculture, biosurfactants can be used for plant pathogen elimination and for increasing the bioavailability of nutrient for beneficial plant associated microbes. Biosurfactants can widely be applied for improving the agricultural soil quality by soil remediation. These biomolecules can replace the harsh surfactant presently being used in million dollar pesticide industries. Thus, exploring biosurfactants from environmental isolates for investigating their potential role in plant growth promotion and other related agricultural applications warrants details research. Conventional methods are followed for screening the microbial population for production of biosurfactant. However, molecular methods are fewer in reaching biosurfactants from diverse microbial population and there is need to explore novel biosurfactant from uncultured microbes in soil biosphere by using advanced methodologies like functional metagenomics.

Policy options and system supplies on socialization standard management of city agricultural laborers

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

SUN Yujuan

2007-01-01

It is a social system engineering to solve problems of city agricultural laborers, inevitably concerning series of social phenomenon and the social issues of the city and countryside relations, the government function, the city management, the fair efficiency, the population flows, the labor employment, the social security, and so on. Furthermore, it also involves the profoundly political and economic system reforms, the transformation of government functions, the system perfection, legal administration, the social stability in China. The city government, as the direct superintendent of the agricultural laborers, should adopt the conception of the system engineering to construct anew mechanism of the city agricultural laborers socialization standard management, which has a profound theoretical and practical significance.

76 FR 51935 - Availability to School Food Authorities of Nutrition Information and Ingredient Lists for Foods...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-08-19

... information sources, such as the Child Nutrition Database, USDA Foods nutrition fact sheets, and information... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Food and Nutrition Service Availability to School Food Authorities of Nutrition Information and Ingredient Lists for Foods Used in School Food Service: Request for Information...

Sorption of phosphate and zinc onto hematite and magnetite as mechanism of attenuation of contamination in agricultural soils

OpenAIRE

Martínez Martínez, María del Rosario; Martí, Vicens; Giménez Izquierdo, Francisco Javier

2014-01-01

Excess of natural and synthetic fertilizers applied to agricultural soils is a well-known source of contamination of nitrates and potential source of contamination of metals (copper and zinc) and phosphates (Alloway 2010). Mineral phases such as iron oxides, are present in agricultural soils and they might play a main role in the retardation of the transport of different contaminants (Giménez et al. 2007). The present communication shows the experimental study of sorption of phosp...

Agricultural Research Service

Science.gov (United States)

... Menu United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service Research Research Home National Programs Research Projects Scientific Manuscripts International Programs Scientific Software/Models Databases and Datasets Office of Scientific Quality ...

[Agriculture and food in the Algerian reforms: a place for the farmers?].

Science.gov (United States)

Chaulet, C

1991-01-01

agricultural producers including expropriated landowners, agricultural capitalists, agronomists and similar technicians, entrepreneurs and bankers, and middlemen and traders of various kinds. The uncertainties of the present situation in Algeria are not fundamentally different from those of other countries dismantling centralized state control and introducing market mechanisms; the problems and conflicts are substantially the same in the East European countries. But unfavorable natural conditions, limited modernization, dependence on food imports, and poorly informed public opinion add to the difficulties in Algeria.

Enhanced thermo-mechanical performance and strain-induced ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Enhanced thermo-mechanical performance and strain-induced band gap reduction of TiO2@PVC nanocomposite films ... School of Chemical Engineering, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan 712-749, Republic of Korea; School of Mechanical Engineering, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan 712-749, Republic of Korea ...

Low Energy Technology. A Unit of Instruction in Florida Agriculture. Crop Protection with Integrated Pest Management.

Science.gov (United States)

Florida Univ., Gainesville. Inst. of Food and Agricultural Sciences.

This unit of instruction on integrated pest management was designed for use by agribusiness and natural resources teachers in Florida high schools and by agricultural extension agents as they work with adults and students. It is one of a series of 11 instructional units (see note) written to help teachers and agents to educate their students and…

Smart Farming: A Transdisciplinary Data Revolution for Agriculture

OpenAIRE

Brym, Zack

2018-01-01

This is a presentation for the 1st University of Florida Data Symposium.Major advances in knowledge and technology have transformed farming throughout history; examples include the plow, selective breeding, chemical fertilization, mechanized cultivation, and genetically modified organisms. Systems that integrate these advances are often billed as revolutions for the benefits they deliver to farmers and the food system. Yet, advancements in agriculture are only beginning to respect the collect...

Adapting Agriculture Platforms for Nutrition: A Case Study of a Participatory, Video-Based Agricultural Extension Platform in India.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Suneetha Kadiyala

to champion nutrition; and enhancement of message diffusion mechanisms to reach pregnant women and mothers of young children at scale. Understanding the experience of developing and delivering this intervention will benefit the design of new nutrition interventions which seek to leverage agriculture platforms.

HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF AGRICULTURAL ACCOUNTING AND DIFFICULTIES ENCOUNTERED IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF AGRICULTURAL ACCOUNTING*

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zeki Doğan

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Agricultural sector, from past to present, had assumed very important duties on economic and social development of societies. It became a globally indispensable and strategic sector due to its various attributes such as: direct/indirect contributions to population nourishment, national income, employment, capital transfers, raw material supply for industry, exportation, biological diversity and ecological balance. Since the dawn of humankind, agricultural sector had gone through a variety of phases in terms of production activities and land proprietorship. Agricultural activities that emerged in the period of hunter-gatherer societies have been superseded by today’s specialized and planned agricultural enterprises utilizing information and technology. Agricultural accounting has also experienced a significant change in parallel with those improvements. This study aims to investigate historical development of agricultural accounting and difficulties encountered during its implementation. Research studies indicate that agricultural assets were initially recorded and inventory controls were performed by Sumerians. Until the Middle Ages, agricultural accounting did not experience any development, whereas it still encounters various difficulties eve

Improving the School Environment to Reduce School Violence: A Review of the Literature

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Sarah Lindstrom

2009-01-01

Background: School violence can impact the social, psychological, and physical well-being of both students and teachers and disrupt the learning process. This review focuses on a new area of research, the mechanisms by which the school environment determines the likelihood of school violence. Methods: A search for peer-reviewed articles was made…

So Much More than a Humble Hall: World War I Memorials in NSW Schools of Arts & Mechanics' Institutes

Science.gov (United States)

Morris, Roger K.; Parkinson, Robert J.; Ryan, Melanie J.

2015-01-01

This paper outlines the important role that School of Arts and Mechanics' Institutes played in the story of Australian adult education and highlights their significance in acknowledging those members of their local communities who had served in World War I, in honoring who had fallen, and in stressing the great cost of war to the community. [For…

Agriculture: Land Use

Science.gov (United States)

Land Use and agriculture. Information about land use restrictions and incentive programs.Agricultural operations sometimes involve activities regulated by laws designed to protect water supplies, threatened or endangered plants and animals, or wetlands.

Healthier Standards for School Meals and Snacks: Impact on School Food Revenues and Lunch Participation Rates.

Science.gov (United States)

Cohen, Juliana F W; Gorski, Mary T; Hoffman, Jessica A; Rosenfeld, Lindsay; Chaffee, Ruth; Smith, Lauren; Catalano, Paul J; Rimm, Eric B

2016-10-01

In 2012, the updated U.S. Department of Agriculture school meals standards and a competitive food law similar to the fully implemented version of the national Smart Snack standards went into effect in Massachusetts. This study evaluated the impact of these updated school meal standards and Massachusetts' comprehensive competitive food standards on school food revenues and school lunch participation. Revenue and participation data from 11 Massachusetts school districts were collected from 2011 to 2014 and analyzed in 2015 using multilevel modeling. The association between the change in compliance with the competitive food standards and revenues/participation was assessed using linear regression. Schools experienced declines in school food revenues of $15.40/student in Year 1 from baseline (p=0.05), due to competitive food revenue losses. In schools with 3 years of data, overall revenues rebounded by the second year post-implementation. Additionally, by Year 2, school lunch participation increased by 15% (p=0.0006) among children eligible for reduced-price meals. Better competitive food compliance was inversely associated with school food revenues in the first year only; an absolute change in compliance by 10% was associated with a $9.78/student decrease in food revenues over the entire school year (p=0.04). No association was seen between the change in compliance and school meal participation. Schools experienced initial revenue losses after implementation of the standards, yet longer-term school food revenues were not impacted and school meal participation increased among children eligible for reduced-price meals. Weakening the school meal or competitive food guidelines based on revenue concerns appears unwarranted. Copyright © 2016 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Nigeria Agricultural Journal: Submissions

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Author Guidelines. NATURE OF PAPERS. Papers should be of agricultural interest and include: full reports of original research not previously elsewhere, research notes which consist of brief or new findings; techniques and equipment of importance to agricultural workers; evaluations of problems and trends in agricultural ...

Work-related agricultural fatalities in Australia, 1982-1984.

Science.gov (United States)

Erlich, S M; Driscoll, T R; Harrison, J E; Frommer, M S; Leigh, J

1993-06-01

Work-related agricultural fatalities were examined as part of a larger population-based study of all work-related fatalities in Australia in the period 1982-1984. A total of 257 farm-related fatalities were identified, of which 223 were deaths of persons in the employed civilian labor force (19.4 deaths per 100,000 persons per year) and 34 were deaths of children less than 15 years of age. The fatality incidence was higher among men, older age groups, and nonmanagers in general and in certain occupations in particular. Mobile mechanical equipment (particularly tractors) was the main fatal agent, roll-overs accounting for many of the fatalities. Better provision of information to agricultural workers, improvements in compliance to and enforcement of legislation, and changes in farming work practices are recommended to improve the safety of farms and farm work.

School Nutrition Professionals' Usage and Perceptions of USDA Recipes and the Impact of Student Enrollment

Science.gov (United States)

Rushing, Keith; Johnson, J. T.

2015-01-01

Purpose/Objectives: The purpose of this study was to explore the frequency of usage of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Recipes for Schools and investigate factors influencing their usage. The relationship between these variables and school district size (student enrollment) was also investigated. Methods: An expert panel…

An estimate of intensity of windy resuspension during imitation of agricultural work

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Drugachenok, M.A.; Kudryashov, V.P.; Mironov, V.P.

1996-01-01

Estimation of intensity of wind rising at imitation of agricultural works. During special experiment for imitation of the agricultural activity which has been carried out in the summer of 1993, the characteristics of radioactive contamination of a surface of ground, density of radioactive fallout, concentration of radionuclides and their distribution on height of surface layer of atmosphere are measured. The value of intensity of secondary wind rising in conditions of dry weather are received. At mechanical influence on ground the intensity of wind rising exceeds on 3-4 order a background value of this parameter which are (4-6)*10 -11 1/c. The received numerical value of intensity of wind rising can be used for forecasting of inhalation intake of radionuclides in organism of the person during agricultural works. 3 tabs., 10 refs

The rise of Brazilian agriculture

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Hans Grinsted; Vink, Nick; Sandrey, Ron

2014-01-01

of Brazilian agricultural policies, namely farmer support, the research and technology transfer system and land issues. The implications for South African agriculture can be summarized as the recognition that history, geography, the development path and agricultural policies all matter. The article......The purpose of this article is to explore some of the possible lessons for South African agriculture from the Brazilian experience. To this end, the article discusses the performance of Brazilian agriculture in terms of land and labour use, production, and exports. This is followed by aspects...... then identifies five important lessons for agricultural development in South Africa....

Does the Recent Growth of Aquaculture Create Antibiotic Resistance Threats Different from those Associated with Land Animal Production in Agriculture?

Science.gov (United States)

Done, Hansa Y; Venkatesan, Arjun K; Halden, Rolf U

2015-05-01

Important antibiotics in human medicine have been used for many decades in animal agriculture for growth promotion and disease treatment. Several publications have linked antibiotic resistance development and spread with animal production. Aquaculture, the newest and fastest growing food production sector, may promote similar or new resistance mechanisms. This review of 650+ papers from diverse sources examines parallels and differences between land-based agriculture of swine, beef, and poultry and aquaculture. Among three key findings was, first, that of 51 antibiotics commonly used in aquaculture and agriculture, 39 (or 76%) are also of importance in human medicine; furthermore, six classes of antibiotics commonly used in both agriculture and aquaculture are also included on the World Health Organization's (WHO) list of critically important/highly important/important antimicrobials. Second, various zoonotic pathogens isolated from meat and seafood were observed to feature resistance to multiple antibiotics on the WHO list, irrespective of their origin in either agriculture or aquaculture. Third, the data show that resistant bacteria isolated from both aquaculture and agriculture share the same resistance mechanisms, indicating that aquaculture is contributing to the same resistance issues established by terrestrial agriculture. More transparency in data collection and reporting is needed so the risks and benefits of antibiotic usage can be adequately assessed.

Development of instructional manual encouraging student active learning for high school teaching on fluid mechanics through Torricelli's tank experiment

Science.gov (United States)

Apiwan, Suttinee; Puttharugsa, Chokchai; Khemmani, Supitch

2018-01-01

The purposes of this research were to help students to perform Physics laboratory by themselves and to provide guidelines for high school teacher to develop active learning on fluid mechanics by using Torricelli's tank experiment. The research was conducted as follows: 1) constructed an appropriate Torricelli's tank experiment for high school teaching and investigated the condition for maximum water falling distance. As a consequence, it was found that the distance of the falling water measured from the experiment was shorter than that obtained from the theory of ideal fluid because of the energy loss during a flow, 2) developed instructional manual for high school teaching that encourages active learning by using problem based learning (PBL) approach, which is consistent with the trend of teaching and learning in 21st century. The content validity of our instructional manual using Index of Item-objective Congruence (IOC) as evaluated by three experts was over 0.67. The manual developed was therefore qualified for classroom practice.

Agricultural Technology, Risk, and Gender

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Arndt, Channing; Tarp, Finn

2000-01-01

Interactions between agricultural technology improvements, risk-reducing behavior, and gender roles in agricultural production in Mozambique are examined. The analysis employs a computable general equilibrium (CGE) model that explicitly incorporates key features of the economy. These include......: detailed accounting of marketing margins, home consumption, risk, and gender roles in agricultural production. Our results show that agricultural technology improvements benefit both male and female occupants of rural households. Due to economic interactions, agricultural technology improvements...

The Emergence of the Common School in the U.S. Countryside. Mellen Studies in Education, Volume 36.

Science.gov (United States)

Parkerson, Donald H.; Parkerson, Jo Ann

This book uses agricultural production statistics, school records, and records on births and families to provide a new interpretation of how agriculture's development in a market economy impacted the formation of elementary education during the 19th century. It provides background on the competing purposes underlying compulsory state-supported…

State-private partnership: aspects of application in the agricultural sphere

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. R. Zakirova

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The relevance of the study is determined by the importance of using the mechanism of public-private partnership in the agro-industrial complex, which allows, under conditions of mutual benefit for the state and business, to expand the resource base and channel untapped resources to sustainable agricultural development. The aim of the article is to study theoretical approaches and substantiate practical recommendations aimed at improving the mechanism of public-private partnership in the Russian agro-industrial complex. In preparing the article, general scientific methods of research were used: analysis and synthesis, generalization, comparison, classification. Results. The mechanism of public-private partnership in modern conditions is investigated, its definitions and essence are analyzed, its importance as an effective form of realization of investment activity is defined. The benefits of implementing public-private partnership projects for the state, business and the whole economy are systematized. Key risks for participants of public-private partnership are highlighted. The foreign experience of realization of joint projects of the state and business is analyzed. Features of public-private partnership in Russia are considered, tendencies of its development are determined. It is established that the agro-industrial complex as a sphere of application of public-private partnership needs special attention, since it is responsible for life support and ensures food security of the country. The program-targeted approach is analyzed, which is implemented in the form of the State Program for the Development of Agriculture and Regulation of Agricultural Products, Raw Materials and Foodstuffs of the Russian Federation. The government benefits from investing in the development of the agro-industrial complex are determined. The directions of methodical work in the sphere of the implementation of public-private projects are singled out. It is concluded

Virus in Groundwater: Characterization of transport mechanisms and impacts on an agricultural area in Uruguay

Science.gov (United States)

Gamazo, P. A.; Colina, R.; Victoria, M.; Alvareda, E.; Burutaran, L.; Ramos, J.; Lopez, F.; Soler, J.

2014-12-01

In many areas of Uruguay groundwater is the only source of water for human consumption and for industrial-agricultural economic activities. Traditionally considered as a safe source, due to the "natural filter" that occurs in porous media, groundwater is commonly used without any treatment. The Uruguayan law requires bacteriological analysis for most water uses, but virological analyses are not mentioned in the legislation. In the Salto district, where groundwater is used for human consumption and for agricultural activities, bacterial contamination has been detected in several wells but no viruses analysis have been performed. The Republic University (UDELAR), with the support of the National Agency for Research and Innovation (ANII), is studying the incidence of virus in groundwater on an intensive agriculture area of the Salto district. In this area water is pumped from the "Salto Aquifer", a free sedimentary aquifer. Below this sedimentary deposit is the "Arapey" basaltic formation, which is also exploited for water productions on its fractured zones. A screening campaign has been performed searching for bacterial and viral contamination. Total and fecal coliforms have been found on several wells and Rotavirus and Adenovirus have been detected. A subgroup of the screening wells has been selected for an annual survey. On this subgroup, besides bacteria and viruses analysis, a standard physical and chemical characterization was performed. Results show a significant seasonal variation on microbiological contamination. In addition to field studies, rotavirus circulation experiments on columns are being performed. The objective of this experiments is to determinate the parameters that control virus transport in porous media. The results of the study are expected to provide an insight into the impacts of groundwater on Salto's viral gastroenterocolitis outbreaks.

Evaluation Of Farmer Field School On Integrated Pest | Rustum ...