Determinacion del crecimiento vegetativo y frutal en Kiwi cv. Hayward (Actinidia deliciosa), en un huerto de la VII Region

49 p.El estudio se realizó durante la temporada 2004/2005 en kiwis cv. Hayward, de un huerto comercial, ubicado en Linares (35º 49’ L.S.; 71º 32’ L.O.; 145 m.s.n.m.), VII Región. Semanalmente, desde 5 plantas representativas, se extrajo 2 brotes vegetativos y 2 reproductivos, los que se emplearon para determinar área foliar total, peso fresco y seco y número de hojas; además, a 35 frutos se les midió diámetro polar y ecuatorial, peso fresco y materia seca. En otro grupo de 5 plantas, seleccionadas al comienzo de la temporada, se midió la evolución en longitud de 2 brotes vegetativos y 2 reproductivos. Estas mismas plantas se emplearon para medir el área de sección transversal de tronco (ASTT) y determinar el índice de área foliar (IAF) y carga frutal, éstos dos últimos, mediante deshoje manual. Con los datos obtenidos se realizaron curvas de regresión simple en función de grados días acumulados (GDA) y días después de plena flor (DDPF). Los distintos tipos de brotes presentaron dos períodos de incremento en área foliar, con un desarrollo más acelerado desde brotación hasta 40 DDPF. Los brotes reproductivos mostraron un período más prolongado entre cada etapa de crecimiento, sin grandes cambios en emergencia y expansión foliar, como ocurrió en los brotes vegetativos. La tasa de expansión foliar experimentó dos incrementos: 0 - 40 DDPF y 100 - 120 DDPF. La evolución en longitud de brotes vegetativos y reproductivos fue similar, con un rápido crecimiento desde brotación hasta 50 DDPF. La mayor tasa de elongación (2,0 cm/día) ocurrió 20 días antes de plena flor (DAPF), para brotes reproductivos, y 30 DDPF para brotes vegetativos. La mayor ASTT (86,5 cm2) se obtuvo 100 DDPF (1200 GDA), mientras que su tasa de crecimiento presentó tres alzas: 40 DAPF, 70 y 150 DDPF. El crecimiento de los frutos fue acelerado hasta 60 DDPF. El aumento en peso fresco fue constante hasta 120 - 130 DDPF y su tasa presentó dos incrementos: 30 - 35 DDPF y 100 - 120 DDPF. Palabras Claves: Kiwis, cv. Hayward, Área foliar – kiwi, Desarrollo – kiwi, Crecimiento - kiw

Food safety management through the lens of hybrids: the case of fresh fruit and vegetable shippers

Managing the pesticide safety risk to provide end markets with safe fruit and vegetables raises complex issues due to the diversity and stringent nature of public and private safety requirements and the high cost of controlling the product and the production process. More often than not, this leads to the development of diversified and more integrated relationships between growers and their buyers. Our paper is a case study of the hybrid forms underlying such relationships. It begins by developing the analytical framework, drawing on transaction cost, positive agency, and property rights theories with a special focus on the model proposed by Ménard (The Handbook of Organizational Economics, Princeton, 1066–1108, 2013), positioning the hybrid forms along the two dimensions of decision rights and strategic resources. It then presents a selection of quantitative and qualitative findings obtained from data collected through face-to-face interviews with managers of fresh produce shipping firms in France and Chile. Both case studies confirm that the level of centralization increases with the buyer’s commercial reputation, the level of customer safety requirements (a key component in the marketing strategy of the buyer), and the level of asset specificity which is mostly embedded in the technical assistance and training provided by the buyer to the growers. Moreover, our paper establishes a clear divide between firms that only control product safety at the delivery stage and firms that also control safety throughout the production process and may take decisions on behalf of the grower before harvesting

Considering the farm workforce as part of farmers' innovative behaviour: A key factor in inclusive on-farm processes of technology and practice adoption

The literature identifies multiple factors that can affect the adoption of new technologies and practices in agriculture to support farm innovation, such as farmers' socio-economic characteristics and the characteristics of the promoted technology, among others. It has, however, scarcely contemplated the role of the farm workforce in technology and practice adoption. The objective of this study is (i) to describe innovative behaviour and its relation with farmers' ability to collaborate with the workforce in the adoption process; and (ii) to associate this description with the level of adoption of certain technologies and practices. Structural equation modelling (bifactor model) was used to identify the components of innovative behaviour, and correlation analysis was used to determine the relationship between these components and adoption level. The results show that relevant components of innovative behaviour are farmers' ability to generate and implement new ideas, to extend their networks and to involve the workforce in the adoption process. Worker involvement proved to be a key factor within the definition of farmers' innovative behaviour, which additionally shows a positive and significant correlation with the level of adoption of technologies and practices. A main theoretical implication is that research on technology and practice adoption needs to move beyond looking at single owner-managers of (family) farms and incorporate workers into the unit of analysis. The practical and policy implications are that innovation support programmes should give more attention to workforce management, training and skills of owner-managers as transformative and inclusive leaders, as these are essential for technology and practice adoption, and more broadly for innovation capacity