Yield and Quality Parameters of an Interspecific Hybrid \u3cem\u3ePennisetum Purpureum\u3c/em\u3e Schum. (Elephant-Grass) \u3cem\u3eX Pennisetum Glaucum\u3c/em\u3e (L.) R. Br. Stuntz (Pearl Millet)

Elephant-grass is a tropical forage grass used either as a supplement fodder or for direct grazing. It usually shows regular nutritive value (6-13% crude protein, CP, and 55-60% forage digestibility) (Alcantara et al., 1981). Most of the available cultivars produce no viable seeds. On the other hand, pearl millet has high seed yielding potential along with high quality forage (\u3e15% CP and 70% forage digestibility). However, it shows poor forage production, low field persistence under grazing and low regrowth potential after cutting or grazing. During the 90\u27s, an interspecific hybrid between the two species was developed, trying to combine the elephant-grass adaaptability and forage yielding potential with the pearl millet forage quality and seed yielding potential (Schank et al., 1993; Schank, 1996). The new genetic material was able to produce viable seeds in variable amounts (Diz et al., 1995). The main aim of this research was to produce selected populations with high phenotypic uniformities, showing high average forage production and quality

New Pigeon Pea (\u3cem\u3eCajanus Cajan\u3c/em\u3e) Hybrids With Desirable Forage Traits

Pigeon pea is a tropical forage legume usually sown in mixed pastures with tropical forage grasses. Most of the available cultivars shows erect and tall plants with poor tillering potential, breakable thick stems, low leaf/stem ratios (fresh/dry matter) and low persistence under animal grazing. It shows a high dry matter production, due to low leaf/stem ratios (Barnes & Addo, 1997). Pigeon pea shows good crude protein levels/dry matter (ranging from 14-23%) and regular in vitro digestibility indexes (52-58%) (Karachi & Matata, 1996); animal consumption is affected by high tannin levels of young leaves. Being a self-pollinated species, the variability for forage traits occurs among cultivars available at germplasm banks. No significant variation is observed for any forage character within a given population. Effective selection and releasing of new genetic materials bearing desirable morpho-agronomic and forage traits is mostly dependent on increases of genetic variation, which may be accomplished through artificial crossings between selected parentals. This research work was aimed at the synthesis of new pigeon pea hybrids, hopefully bearing new desirable forage characters

Agricultura apoiada pela comunidade: poderia a experiência dos agricultores americanos ser útil para os agricultores urbanos brasileiros?

O objetivo deste trabalho foi obter algumas informações sobre o projeto Agricultura Apoiada pela Comunidade (AAC) nos EUA e avaliar se consumidores e produtores urbanos pobres de uma cidade brasileira de baixa renda aceitariam se engaja neste tipo de projeto

Logarithmic Corrections for Spin Glasses, Percolation and Lee-Yang Singularities in Six Dimensions

We study analytically the logarithmic corrections to the critical exponents of the critical behavior of correlation length, susceptibility and specific heat for the temperature and the finite-size scaling behavior, for a generic $\phi^3$ theory at its upper critical dimension (six). We have also computed the leading correction to scaling as a function of the lattice size. We distinguish the obtained formulas to the following special cases: percolation, Lee-Yang (LY) singularities and $m$-component spin glasses. We have compared our results for the Ising spin glass case with numerical simulations finding a very good agreement. Finally, and using the results obtained for the Lee-Yang singularities in six dimensions, we have computed the logarithmic corrections to the singular part of the free energy for lattice animals in eight dimensions.Comment: 18 pages. We have extended the computation to lattice animals in eight dimensions. To be published in Journal of Physics

Assessment of the Potential of an Organizational Enterprise for Coco Coir Production and Marketing in Misamis Oriental, Northern Mindanao, Philippines

An assessment identifying the needs on technology and facilities of Sugbongcogon Agrarian Reform Benefi ciaries Multipurpose Cooperative (SARBEMCO) in Sugbongcogon, Misamis Oriental to implement an enterprise on Coco Coir Production and Marketing was conducted in order to strategize and recommend feasible plan for capacity development efforts and empower members of the identified organization. Through a purposive sampling technique, a total of 58 members answered the TNA questionnaires and results were validated through FGD and site reconnaissance. Findings were then categorized according to the existing condition of the organization, environmental scan and SWOT analysis of the organization and financial capacities. The study revealed that Coco Coir Production and Marketing for SARBEMCO as an organization, is a very promising enterprise due to abundant supply of raw materials, labor and presence of market. Implementation of the said enterprise in the area would address the needs of its members and other farmers since farming in the locality is coco based. Conducting an in-depth training for coco coir production and marketing, and the provision of village level machineries to complete the cycle of production from fiber to coco net products is one potential enterprise that could contribute to the increase of household incomes of its members, as well as job generation within the community. With constant monitoring of these Agrarian Reform Communities by DAR, the strong organizational structure of SARBEMCO plus the positive support from the Local Government Unit of Sugbongcogon who is willing to assist the project by providing an initial funding assistance will contribute favorably to the sustainability of the project

Logarithmic Corrections in Dynamic Isotropic Percolation

Based on the field theoretic formulation of the general epidemic process we study logarithmic corrections to scaling in dynamic isotropic percolation at the upper critical dimension d=6. Employing renormalization group methods we determine these corrections for some of the most interesting time dependent observables in dynamic percolation at the critical point up to and including the next to leading correction. For clusters emanating from a local seed at the origin we calculate the number of active sites, the survival probability as well as the radius of gyration.Comment: 9 pages, 3 figures, version to appear in Phys. Rev.