246 research outputs found

    Factors influencing performance of seedplot technique in seed potato quality improvement among small scale farmers.

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    Potato seedborne diseases majorly causes continuous low yields in potato production in East and Central Africa. A small seedplot technology (SSPT) has been developed as a step towards effective management of the seedborne diseases. This was successfully promoted and adapted to varying farming conditions, as a self-sustaining technology for on-farm seed potato production, where disease-free seed is planted at high-density in plots that are apparently free from bacterial wilt. The objectives of the study were to establish the influence of spacing and fertiliser nutrient composition on the performance of small seedplot, and to determine the influence of fertilizer levels on the performance of small seedplot. Trials with 5 potato varieties were conducted in seven locations for three seasons. Different fertiliser types (DAP and NPK) and rates (0, 45, 90 kgNha−1) were used at a spacing of 20×20 cm and 30×30 cm, to optimise management for SSPT. In most locations, tuber numbers were higher with NPK application compared with DAP. When planting in common spacing of 75×30 cm the varieties used in the trials produce about 25 tubers m−1, whereas the SSPT spacings of 20×20 cm and 30×30 cm produced 67 and 54 tubersm−2, respectively. Data was collected on tuber number, size and weight. The results indicated that the spacing of 20×20 cm produced higher tuber number per m2 (51, 71 and 80 at 0, 45 and 90 kgNha−1, respectively) than with a spacing of 30×30 cm (45, 55 and 61 at 0, 45 and 90 kgNha−1, respectively). However, double starter seed is required and handling in planting is more difficult. Moreover, the multiplication rate per tuber was about 20% higher at a spacing of 30×30 cm compared with the spacing of 20×20 cm. Hence, in general if clean land is extremely limited the spacing of 20×20 cm should be chosen to make best use of this part, whereas if clean land is relatively sufficient a spacing of 30×30 cm seems to be more practicable and economically viabl

    Participating in a community of learners enhances resident perceptions of learning in an e-mentoring program: proof of concept

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    Background Community learning and e-mentoring, learning methods used in higher education, are not used to any extent in residency education. Yet both have the potential to enhance resident learning and, in the case of community learning, introduce residents to basic lifelong learning skills. We set out to determine whether residents participating in an Internet based e-mentoring program would, with appropriate facilitation, form a community of learners (CoL) and hold regular community meetings. We also determined resident and faculty perceptions of CoL and Internet sessions as effective learning experiences. Methods A six-month e-mentoring pilot was offered to 10 Radiology residents in the Aga Khan University Postgraduate Medical Education Program in Nairobi, Kenya (AKUHN) with a Professor of Radiology, located at University of Virginia, USA, acting as the e-mentor. Monthly Internet case-based teaching sessions were facilitated by the e-mentor. In addition, residents were coached by a community facilitator to form CoL and collectively work through clinical cases at weekly face-to-face CoL sessions. Event logs described observed resident activity at CoL sessions; exit survey and interviews were used to elicit perceptions of CoL and Internet sessions as effective learning experiences. Results Resident adoption of CoL behaviors was observed, including self-regulation, peer mentoring and collaborative problem solving. Analysis revealed high resident enthusiasm and value for CoL. Surveys and interviews indicated high levels of acceptance of Internet learning experiences, although there was room for improvement in audio-visual transmission. Faculty indicated there was a need for a larger multi-specialty study. Conclusions The pilot demonstrated resident acceptance of community building and collaborative learning as valued learning experiences, addressing one barrier to its formal adoption in residency education curricula. It also highlighted the potential of e-mentoring as a means of expanding faculty and teaching materials in residency programs in developing countries

    Deep reefs of the Great Barrier Reef offer limited thermal refuge during mass coral bleaching

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    Our rapidly warming climate is threatening coral reefs as thermal anomalies trigger mass coral bleaching events. Deep (or "mesophotic") coral reefs are hypothesised to act as major ecological refuges from mass bleaching, but empirical assessments are limited. We evaluated the potential of mesophotic reefs within the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) and adjacent Coral Sea to act as thermal refuges by characterising long-term temperature conditions and assessing impacts during the 2016 mass bleaching event. We found that summer upwelling initially provided thermal relief at upper mesophotic depths (40 m), but then subsided resulting in anomalously warm temperatures even at depth. Bleaching impacts on the deep reefs were severe (40% bleached and 6% dead colonies at 40 m) but significantly lower than at shallower depths (60-69% bleached and 8-12% dead at 5-25 m). While we confirm that deep reefs can offer refuge from thermal stress, we highlight important caveats in terms of the transient nature of the protection and their limited ability to provide broad ecological refuge.XL Catlin Seaview Survey; Waitt Foundation; XL Catlin Group; Underwater Earth; University of Queensland; ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) [DE160101433]; Portuguese Science and Technology Foundation (FCT) [SFRH/BPD/110285/2015]; Australian Research Council (ARC
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