2,332 research outputs found

    WECOF: A new project developing enhanced weed control through improved crop and plant architecture

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    A primary objective of the EU-funded WECOF project is to optimise the natural competitiveness of winter wheat in reducing weed growth, and thus reduce the need for direct weed control interventions. Crops are characterised by ranking the relative importance of key plant and crop factors in shading weed growth. A series of core trials have been established in Germany, Scotland, Poland and Spain comparing plant structure by the use of different varieties and crop architectural factors by the use of different sowing row widths and direction. Variety trials have also been established in Scotland with constant row width and sowing direction to give more detailed varietal comparisons. Results from the first set of trials in Scotland are described. There are clear varietal differences in weed suppression; row-width has a bigger effect than sowing direction. Results will be used to develop models to assist breeders in producing improved crop ideotypes for organic production, and in production of a decision support system to assist farmers and advisers in variety selection and management for improved weed suppression. WECOF also includes work on allelopathy and photocontrol, and on the related economic factors

    Defining and measuring training activity

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    UK Renal Registry 18th Annual Report : Chapter 12 Epidemiology of Reported Infections amongst Patients Receiving Dialysis for Established Renal Failure in England 2013 to 2014: a Joint Report from Public Health England and the UK Renal Registry

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    From 1st May 2013 to 30th April 2014 there were 35 episodes of Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteraemia in established renal failure patients on dialysis. This is now fairly stable year-on-year equating to a rate of 0.15 episodes per 100 dialysis patient years, following an initial decline in rates from 4.0 episodes per 100 dialysis patient years in 2005 when reporting began. Methicillin sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) bacteraemia rates were slightly higher this year at 2.23 per 100 dialysis patient years (compared with 1.59 episodes per 100 dialysis patient years last year) with 526 episodes of blood stream infection reported. In 2005, the first year this was reported, there were 1,114 MSSA bacteraemias in 54 centres. There were 247 Clostridium difficile infection episodes with a rate of 1.05 per 100 dialysis patient years, slightly higher than last year at 0.55 episodes per 100 dialysis patient years. Escherichia coli infections occurred at a rate of 1.49 per 100 dialysis patient years, very similar to the rate reported last year (1.32 episodes per 100 dialysis patient years). This report has utilised a new methodology to identify cases, linking all established renal failure cases known to the UK Renal Registry (UKRR) with all infections reported to Public Health England and avoids the need for the local microbiology team to flag the patient as a renal patient. This may have increased the reliability of diagnosis at the UKRR level. In each infection for which access data were collected, the presence of a central venous catheter appeared to correlate with increased risk.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio
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