OPTIMAL DIETARY BLENDING FOR HOUSEHOLD FOOD SECURITY IN SOUTHWESTERN NIGERIA: LESSONS FROM PUBLISHED DATA

The study estimates the optimal dietary intake of Lagos State residents. Analysis of the available data indicates over-consumption of all nutrients which suggests that the common nutrition related health problems in Lagos State could be attributed to excessive nutrient in-take. Consumption at the optimal level would ensure adequate nutrients at a cost within people's income limitations. The results however revealed the inadequacies of using published data for the analysis. An independent diet recall survey is therefore recommended.Food Security and Poverty,

Rural Development in Botswana: A Case Study

Community/Rural/Urban Development,

Consumer Perception of Sorghum Variety Attributes in the Lake Zone Tanzania

Many sorghum varieties have been developed by research institutes in an effort to address food security problems in the semi-arid areas of Tanzania. Although sorghum is better adapted to drier areas than maize, farmer adoption rates for sorghum varieties are always lower than that of maize. In addition, maize based food is more acceptable to urban consumers than sorghum based food. In this study consumer evaluated quality attributes of sorghum ugali based on different varieties in order to determine marketing potential relating to the different improved sorghum varieties. A total of 231 consumers, randomly selected from urban and rural areas participated in a food panel to evaluate ugali prepared from five sorghum varieties (three improved, two local). Conjoint analysis was used to determine consumer perceptions of the variety attributes, while a logistic model was applied to determine preference ranking of different varieties. The results indicated that the color and taste of sorghum ugali were the most important criteria used by consumers to evaluate the quality ugali. The study results indicated that sorghum ugali with white/khaki color and the majority of panel participants preferred neutral or slightly sweet taste. Consumers from rural and urban areas accepted two improved varieties; only consumers from rural areas accepted the remaining variety.Adoption, consumer perception, conjoint analysis, sorghum varieties, Tanzania, Agricultural and Food Policy, Consumer/Household Economics, Demand and Price Analysis, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Food Security and Poverty, Marketing, Productivity Analysis, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,

Production and processing of Cu-Cr-Nb alloys

A new Cu-based alloy possessing high strength, high conductivity, and good stability at elevated temperatures was recently produced. This paper details the melting of the master alloys, production of rapidly solidified ribbon, and processing of the ribbon to sheet by hot pressing and hot rolling

Farming Systems Research in a Declining Donor Environment

Demand and Price Analysis, Farm Management,

Biotechnology and Economic Development: The Economic Benefits of Maize Streak Virus Tolerant Maize in Kenya

For countries that could not benefit from the Green Revolution due to heterogeneous and unfavorable biophysical environments, agricultural biotechnology potentially provides a means of improving the quality and quantity of agricultural production. This paper analyses some of the major issues relating to the utilization of biotechnology in Kenya. A partial equilibrium trade model is applied to Kenya's corn market to study the potential of genetically modified maize that is tolerant to the Maize Streak Virus. The model accounts for home production and consumption; the positive results of the welfare estimation are disaggregated between consumers, large and small Kenyan corn farms.Community/Rural/Urban Development, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,

DETERMINANTS OF KANSAS FARMERS' PARTICIPATION IN ON-FARM RESEARCH

On-farm research (OFR) has increased in popularity in the U.S. in recent years due to heightened interest in sustainability issues, the likely decline in resources available for agricultural research, and increasing pressures for accountability and responsiveness to state and local needs. Information relating to OFR was obtained from 431 commercial Kansas farmers. Data were analyzed to determine the degree of OFR being implemented, and three models were estimated to identify which farmer/farm characteristics influenced its implementation. The results indicate that OFR is commonly implemented, and that several farm/farmer characteristics are related to the degree of OFR initiated. It is proposed that to maximize the return from externally initiated OFR, there would be merit in focusing attention on farms/farmers with those characteristics.Farmer attitudes, Farmer participation, Farming systems research, On-farm research, Sustainable agriculture, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,

The Effect of Projection on Derived Mass-Size and Linewidth-Size Relationships

Power law mass-size and linewidth-size correlations, two of "Larson's laws," are often studied to assess the dynamical state of clumps within molecular clouds. Using the result of a hydrodynamic simulation of a molecular cloud, we investigate how geometric projection may affect the derived Larson relationships. We find that large scale structures in the column density map have similar masses and sizes to those in the 3D simulation (PPP). Smaller scale clumps in the column density map are measured to be more massive than the PPP clumps, due to the projection of all emitting gas along lines of sight. Further, due to projection effects, structures in a synthetic spectral observation (PPV) may not necessarily correlate with physical structures in the simulation. In considering the turbulent velocities only, the linewidth-size relationship in the PPV cube is appreciably different from that measured from the simulation. Including thermal pressure in the simulated linewidths imposes a minimum linewidth, which results in a better agreement in the slopes of the linewidth-size relationships, though there are still discrepancies in the offsets, as well as considerable scatter. Employing commonly used assumptions in a virial analysis, we find similarities in the computed virial parameters of the structures in the PPV and PPP cubes. However, due to the discrepancies in the linewidth- and mass- size relationships in the PPP and PPV cubes, we caution that applying a virial analysis to observed clouds may be misleading due to geometric projection effects. We speculate that consideration of physical processes beyond kinetic and gravitational pressure would be required for accurately assessing whether complex clouds, such as those with highly filamentary structure, are bound.Comment: 25 pages, including 7 Figures; Accepted for publication in Ap

THE EFFECTS OF WATER RIGHTS AND IRRIGATION TECHNOLOGY ON STREAMFLOW AUGMENTATION COST IN THE SNAKE RIVER BASIN

Three species of salmon in the Snake River Basin have been listed as endangered. Recovery efforts for these fish include attempts to obtain increased quantities of water during smolt migration periods to improve habitat in the lower basin. Agriculture is the dominant user of surface flows in this region. This study investigates farmer cost of a contingent water contract requiring the agricultural release of stored irrigation supplies in low flow years during critical flow periods. Results show that contingent contracts can provide substantial quantities of water at a relatively modest cost without significantly affecting the agricultural base of the area.Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,