440 research outputs found
Streamlining policies for enhancing rice production in Africa: Past experiences, lessons learnt and the way forward
There is a consensus that African development confronts several challenges, which include alleviating widespread poverty and unemployment, providing basic foods for the people, containing the HIV/AIDS pandemic, eliminating gender disparities and ensuring sustainable management of natural resources. In order to overcome theproblem of food supply, investment policies have focused on certain commodities. Rice (Oryza sativa) has been at the centre of particular policy attention in West Africa since the 1970s, following the formation of West Africa Rice Development Association (WARDA). Even though substantial investments and policy actions have been undertaken, the results belied the efforts made and expectations nursed. Africa today still depends on rice imports at a scale never imagined and domestic rice production programmes have been largely unsuccessful. The question is: What went wrong? Why has Africa been unable to produce enough rice to stem imports? Why did the initial investments in irrigation schemes and programmes fail? Now that attention is on expanding rice cultivation to other parts of Africa, what policy imperatives are essential to ensure sustainable rice production? This paper examines these issues by drawing experiences from several countries across West Africa. The overall objective is to provide appropriate policy framework for the expansion and sustainable production of rice to new areas in Africa. Specifically, the paper examines some of the policies pursued in the past in a number of countries and the reasons for their ineffectiveness. Drawing on the benefits of past experiences, the paper makes proposals forimproved policy environment to support the new initiatives to increase rice output in the continent
Dynamique spatio temporelle de lâagriculture urbaine Ă Ouagadougou : Cas du MaraĂźchage comme une activitĂ© montante de stratĂ©gie de survie
La prĂ©sente Ă©tude fait Ă©tat de la caractĂ©risation de lâagriculture urbaine Ă
Ouagadougou et de son évolution malgré les contraintes auxquelles elle se trouve confrontée.
Elle sâest intĂ©ressĂ©e spĂ©cifiquement Ă sa dynamique spatiale et temporelle depuis plus dâune
décennie. Les premiÚres études confirmées sur le maraßchage à Ouagadougou ont eu lieu en
1992 avec un inventaire spatialisé en 1996 (Cissé, 1997) qui correspond également à la
pĂ©riode de lâadoption de la RĂ©forme Agraire et FonciĂšre (RAF) au Burkina. La RAF nâinterdit
pas explicitement lâagriculture urbaine Ă Ouagadougou mais elle prĂ©cise que les terres
urbaines du Burkina sont destinées principalement aux activités liées à la vie urbaine
(habitation, commerce, lâindustrie, artisanat) et celles rurales sont destinĂ©es Ă
lâagriculture, Ă lâĂ©levage, en sommes aux activitĂ©s liĂ©es Ă la vie rurale (RAF, 1996). Il
sâagit donc dâune interdiction qui ne dit pas son nom depuis 1996, ce qui justifie le choix
pertinent de cette annĂ©e comme rĂ©fĂ©rence dans lâanalyse de lâĂ©volution spatialisĂ©e quâa
connu cette activité. Les résultats obtenus présentent la répartition spatiale des sites
maraĂźchers dans la ville de Ouagadougou en 1996 et 2009, ainsi que les valeurs des
superficies exploitées. Ils analysent la dynamique spatiale observée et identifient les
paramĂštres qui justifient lâĂ©volution observĂ©e malgrĂ© la presque interdiction rĂ©glementaire.
BasĂ©s sur une sĂ©rie de travaux de terrains (enquĂȘtes, entretiens, levĂ©s au Global
Positioning System - GPS) et une étude de la documentation existante couplée aux
possibilitĂ©s dâacquisition de donnĂ©es et dâanalyse spatiale offertes par les systĂšmes
dâinformations gĂ©ographiques (SIG), les rĂ©sultats de lâĂ©tude rĂ©vĂšlent que, en 13 ans, le
nombre de sites agricoles Ă Ouagadougou nâa cessĂ© de croitre malgrĂ© lâinterdiction et les
diverses pressions. MĂȘme si la localisation des grandes zones agricoles nâa pas beaucoup
changé, les superficies cultivées sur place ont presque triplé. Cette croissance spatiale
sâest doublĂ©e de la croissance du nombre dâexploitants et par consĂ©quent, du nombre de
personnes vivant de cette activitĂ© ⊠autant de paramĂštres fondamentaux qui justifient Ă
Ouagadougou une reconnaissance et une institutionnalisation de lâactivitĂ© maraĂźchĂšre qui se
prĂ©sente aujourdâhui comme une activitĂ© de subsistance en ville dans les pays en voie de
développement. (Koc et al 2000 ; Mougeot, 2006 ; IAGU 2008 ; FAO 1996 - 1999 -
2009)The present study characterizes the different types of urban agriculture in
Ouagadougou and defines their spatial distribution. The study was specifically interested in
the spatial and temporal dynamics for more than a decade. The first studies on truck farming
in Ouagadougou took place in 1992 with a spatial inventory in 1996 (Cissé, on 1997) which
also corresponds to the period when the agrarian and land Reform was adopted in Burkina (RAF
stands for RĂ©forme Agraire et FonciĂšre). The RAF does not explicitly prevent urban
agriculture within the city of Ouagadougou, rather it says that the urban fields of Burkina
are mainly used for activities related to the needs of the urban life (housing, trade,
industry, arts crafts), while rural fields are mainly for agriculture, cattle breeding (or
livestock), and to other rural activities in general (RAF, 1996). This reason justifies the
relevant choice of this year as reference in the analysis of this spatial dynamics. The
results present the spatial distribution of the sites of agriculture in the city of
Ouagadougou between 1996 and 2009, as well as the total surface area exploited in the truck
farming according to the seasons. They analyze the spatial and temporal dynamics observed
according to the urban land pressure and to the availability of the water, which is an
indispensable resource for the survival of the activity. Therefore, this is an inexplicit
prohibition which exists since then, which explains the pertinent choice of 1996 as the
reference in the analysis of the spatial evolution of this activity. The results present the
spatial distribution of the sites of agriculture in the city of Ouagadougou between 1996 and
2009, as well as the total surface area exploited in the truck farming according to the
seasons. They analyze the spatial and temporal dynamics observed according to the urban land
pressure and to the availability of the water, which is an indispensable resource for the
survival of the activity
An on-farm study of Striga as constraint to improved sorghum cultivar production in Mali
Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) is the most important food
crop in savanna areas of the West and Central Africa
(WCA) region, including Mali, where grain yield averaged
0.71 t in 1999 (FAO 2001). Improved caudatum sorghum
cultivars have not been widely adopted in Mali (Yapi and
Debrah 1998). However, some of these cultivars such as
ICSV 1063 and ICSV 1079 were introduced in the
Kolokani area (about 130 km north of Bamako) by
Catholic missionaries in the late 1980s. They have since
spread and are being cultivated under the name
âGadiabaniâ by many farmers in over 100 villages (SEPD
1995)
Combined on-farm effect of plot size and sorghum genotype on sorghum panicle-feeding bug infestation in Mali
The reaction of four sorghum cultivars to panicle-feeding bugs was assessed in small (15 m2) and large (0.5â1.0 ha) plots for 2 years in three villages of the Kolokani region (Mali). The aim was to explain the somewhat contradictory earlier observations of pest infestation and damage in small experimental plots (on-station and on-farm) as well as in farmersâ field surveys. Irrespective of the plot size, the local guinea sorghum cultivar Bibalawili was consistently the least infested and damaged, followed by bug-resistant compact-headed cv Malisor 84-7, whereas the improved caudatum cultivar Gadiabani, which had been disseminated for nearly a decade in the region, and the improved hybrid ICSH 89002, were the most heavily damaged. When located along the border of large plots of a susceptible cultivar, small plots of the four cultivars overall were less infested and damaged than when located along the border of plots of resistant cultivars. However, they were more infested and damaged when located in the centre of large plots of susceptible cultivars than when they were in the centre of resistant cultivar plots. In large plots, bug populations and damage decreased from the border to the centre. These results suggest that, in addition to the mere plot size, plant breeders should take the genotypic environment of their experimental plots into account, namely the vicinity of large plots of pest-susceptible or -resistant cultivars, and the position of the test plots (border or centre) relative to these large plots
Calf muscle stimulation with the Veinoplus device results in a significant increase in lower limb inflow without generating limb ischemia or pain in patients with peripheral artery disease
OBJECTIVE: Increase in arterial inflow to the lower limbs is important to obtain functional improvement in peripheral artery disease (PAD) patients with claudication. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of electrical stimulation of calf muscles on arterial inflow and tissue oxygen content in PAD in the area of stimulation.METHODS: Fifteen adult patients [mean (standard deviation) age, 62 (12 ) years; height, 165 (8)cm; weight, 76 (13) kg; lowest ankle-brachial index 0.66 (0.19)] with stable arterial claudication were recruited. All patients performed a treadmill test (3.2 km/h, 10% slope) associated with a transcutaneous oximetry test expressed as decrease from rest of oxygen pressure (DROP) index values (calf changes minus chest changes from rest) with a maximum walking distance (median [25th/75th percentiles]) of 295 [133-881] m. The DROP index on the symptomatic side was -25 [-18/-34] mm Hg. On another day the patients underwent electrical stimulation in the seated position on the leg that was the most symptomatic on the treadmill. After resting values were recorded, the gastrocnemius was stimulated for 20minutes at increasing contraction rates at 5-minute steps of 60, 75, 86, and 100bpm on the most symptomatic side. Arterial blood inflow with duplex Doppler ultrasound scanning of the femoral artery, DROP transcutaneous oxygen pressure value, and oxygen concentration (O2Hb) from the near-infrared spectroscopic signal of the calf were recorded on both sides. Patients were instructed to report eventual contraction-induced pain in the stimulated calf. Results are given as mean (standard deviation) or median [25th/75th percentiles] according to distribution, and the level of statistical significance was set at P < .05 on two-tailed tests. RESULTS: Lower limb inflow (mL/min) was 64 [48/86] vs 63 [57/81] (P> .05) before stimulation, 123 [75/156] vs 57 [44/92] (P < .01) at 60bpm, 127 [91/207] vs 49 [43/68] (P < .01) at 75bpm, 140 [84/200] vs 57 [45/71] (P < .01) at 86bpm, and 154 [86/185] vs 55 [46/94] (P < .01) at 100bpm on the stimulated vs nonstimulated limb, respectively. No apparent decrease or significant leg difference was observed in DROP index or O2Hb values. None of the patients reported contraction-induced pain in the leg. CONCLUSIONS: Electrical stimulation of calf muscle with the Veinoplus device results in a significant increase of arterial inflow without measurable muscle ischemia or pain. Potential use of this device as an adjuvant treatment to improve walking capacity in PAD patients remains to be evaluated
Etude de la germination de cinq provenances de Tamarindusindica L. en conditions de stress hydrique au Sénégal
Ce prĂ©sent travail se propose dâĂ©valuer le comportement germinatif de cinq provenances de tamarinier (Tamarindus indica L.) dans des conditions de stress hydrique. Six concentrations croissantes 0 ; - 1,4 ; - 2,8 ; - 4,2 ; - 5,6 ; -7 bar de polyĂ©thylĂšne glycol (PEG 6000) ont Ă©tĂ© testĂ©es. Les rĂ©sultats ont montrĂ© une variabilitĂ© de la germination de lâespĂšce en fonction de lâintensitĂ© du stress et de la provenance. Le seuil critique de germination des provenances du tamarinier est de -7 bar. La provenance Sakkal de la zone sahĂ©lienne sâest montrĂ©e plus tolĂ©rante au stress hydrique avec un taux de germination de 2% en conditions de stress sĂ©vĂšre. Toutefois, ces faibles rĂ©sultats sont imputables aux conditions de conservation des graines. Ces informations sur l'Ă©cologie et la physiologie de la germination du tamarinier sont vitales, non seulement pour comprendre les variations gĂ©nĂ©tiques des diffĂ©rentes populations de tamarinier au SĂ©nĂ©gal, mais aussi pour dĂ©velopper des stratĂ©gies pour la conservation de la biodiversitĂ© et la restauration des forĂȘts tropicales.Mots clĂ©s : Germination, provenances, Tamarindus indica L., stress hydrique, SĂ©nĂ©gal
Intestinal parasite infections and associated risk factors in communities exposed to wastewater in urban and peri-urban transition zones in Hanoi, Vietnam
BACKGROUND: Infections with intestinal parasites (helminths and intestinal protozoa) are endemic in Southeast Asia and inappropriate management and reuse of wastewater might exacerbate the risk of human infections. In rapidly growing urban settings, little is known about the extent of intestinal parasite infections. We assessed the point-prevalence and risk factors of intestinal parasite infections in population groups differently exposed to wastewater in urban and peri-urban transition zones in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam.
METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was carried out between April and June 2014 in people agedââ„â18 years at risk of wastewater exposure from To Lich River: workers maintaining wastewater treatment facilities; urban farmers reusing wastewater; and urban dwellers at risk of flooding events. For comparison, two peri-urban population groups living in close proximity to the Red River were chosen: farmers using river water for irrigation purposes; and people living in the same communities. A single stool sample was subjected to Kato-Katz and formalin-ether concentration methods for the diagnosis of helminth and intestinal protozoa infections. A questionnaire was administered to determine risk factors and self-reported signs and symptoms.
RESULTS: A total of 681 individuals had complete data records. Highest point-prevalence rates of intestinal parasite infections were observed for peri-urban farmers (30 %). Hookworm and Trichuris trichiura were the predominant helminth species (25 % and 5 %, respectively). Peri-urban farmers were at higher odds of infection with intestinal parasites than any other groups (adjusted odds ratio 5.8, 95 % confidence interval 2.5 to 13.7). Lack of access to improved sanitation and not receiving deworming within the past 12 months were associated with higher infection risk, while higher educational attainment and socioeconomic status were negatively associated with intestinal parasite infections.
CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that exposure to wastewater was not directly associated with infection with helminths and intestinal protozoa in different population groups in Hanoi. These findings might be explained by a high level of awareness of health risks and access to safe sanitary infrastructure in urban areas. The high prevalence rates observed in peri-urban farmers call for specific interventions targeting this population group
Phosphorus recovery: a need for an integrated approach
Increasing cost of phosphate fertilizer, a scarcity of high quality phosphate rock (PR)and increasing surface water pollution are driving aneed to accelerate the recovery and re-use ofphosphorus (P) from various waste sectors. Options to recover P occur all along the open P cycle from mining to households to oceans. However, P recovery as a regional and global strategy towards P sustainability and future food, bio energy and water security is in its infancy because of a number of technological, socio-economic and institutional constraints. There is no single solution and resolving these constraints requires concerted collaboration betweenrelevant stakeholders and an integrated approach combiningsuccessful business models withsocio-economic and institutional change. We suggest that an operational framework is developed for fast tracking cost-effective recovery options
Acceptance of exotic beverages with health benefits in Europe: a crosscountry comparison of hibiscus products
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Détermination du débit de filtration glomérulaire (DFG) au cours du diabÚte : Cockroft et Gault, MDRD ou CKD-EPI ?
Plusieurs paramĂštres peuvent ĂȘtre Ă©tudiĂ©s pour Ă©valuer le rein. Parmi ceux-ci, le dĂ©bit de filtration glomĂ©rulaire (DFG) a Ă©tĂ© dĂ©terminĂ© avec les formules de Cockroft et Gault (CG), du Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) et du Chronic Kidney Disease EPIdemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) et la formule la mieux adaptĂ©e pour le diabĂ©tique a Ă©tĂ© recherchĂ©e. Chez 59 diabĂ©tiques de type 1 (DT1) et 70 diabĂ©tiques de type 2 (DT2), le DFG a Ă©tĂ© dĂ©terminĂ© avec les formules de CG, du MDRD et du CKD-EPI. Avec lâanalyse statistique, les seuils de significativitĂ© ont Ă©tĂ© fixĂ©s pour p<0,05 ; T0α>1,96 et Z0α>1,96. Le MDRD est superposable au CKD-EPI chez les DT1 et DT2. Chez les DT1, le DFG moyen et la corrĂ©lation entre 1/crĂ©atininĂ©mie et DFG ne varient pas si CG ou CKD-EPI ; cependant, les sujets Ă DFG rĂ©duit (< 90 ml/min/1,73 mÂČ) sont plus nombreux avec CG plutĂŽt quâavec CKD-EPI (66,10% vs 47,46% ; T0α=2,05). Chez les DT2, le DFG moyen et la proportion de sujets Ă DFG rĂ©duit sont indĂ©pendants de la formule utilisĂ©e, mais la corrĂ©lation entre 1/crĂ©atininĂ©mie et DFG est plus forte si CKD-EPI que CG (0,961 vs 0,632 ; Z0α=7,02). Ainsi, la formule la mieux adaptĂ©e pour la dĂ©termination du DFG serait CG chez les DT1 et CKD-EPI chez les DT2, sachant que CKD-EPI est Ă©quivalent Ă MDRD quel que soit le type de diabĂšte.Mots clĂ©s : Cockroft et Gault - MDRD - CKD-EPI â dĂ©bit de filtration glomĂ©rulaire (DFG) â diabĂšte
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