Genetically modified (GM) maize cultivation by smallholders in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa: Effects on target and non-target organisms and adoption challenges

The use of genetically modified (GM) maize technology is subject to compliance with stewardship requirements and the adoption of specific management practices that promote the long-term effectiveness and environmental sustainability of the technology. For smallholders to comply with these requirements and adopt the desired management practices to ultimately benefit from the technology, they require information that creates awareness of the value of these requirements. To determine what information farmers receive about GM maize and how this information is disseminated to farmers, face to face interviews were conducted with 81 extension personnel and 210 smallhoder GM maize farmers in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. The effect of Bt maize introduction and management practices in smallholder maize agroecosystems in the Eastern Cape on Bt maize target [Busseola fusca (Fuller) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)] and non-target insect pests [Agrotis segetum (Denis & Schiffermüller) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)] and a snail species, [Cornu aspersum (Müller) (Gastropoda: Helicidae)] was determined through laboratory, field and cage experiments. The effect of smallhoder farmers‟ GM maize cultivation practices on the profitability of GM maize technology was also determined through on-farm trials in different localities of the Eastern Cape identified as hot-spots for stem borer and weed infestation. Results of surveys indicated that extension personnel had a low level of awareness of GM maize technology stewardship requirements. GM maize technology was also largely disseminated to smallholder farmers through non-participatory approaches and print media sourced from GM seed companies. Although farmers had a high level of contact with extension services, they lacked access to information about GM maize technology. Smallholder farmers‟ level of awareness about GM maize and compliance with the requirement for the planting of non-Bt maize refuge areas adjacent to Bt maize was also very low. While Bt maize event (MON810) commonly cultivated by smallholder farmers in the Eastern Cape Province had a variable effect on A. segetum under laboratory conditions, it had no effect on the incidence of plants damaged by A. segetum and C. aspersum under field conditions. The incidence of H. armigera damage on Bt maize plants was however significantly affected by Bt maize. Populations of B. fusca collected from smallholder maize fields in the province were observed to be still highly susceptible to Bt maize. Results of on-farm evaluation of the profitability of GM maize revealed that stem borer pressure, growing conditions, input supplies and market access affect the productivity and profitability of GM maize cultivation. Challenges within the extension and advisory services of the Eastern Cape which can militate against smallholder farmers‟ ability to benefit from GM maize technology and sustain the long-term efficacy of the technology were identified during this study. Given these challenges and the fact that the cultivation of GM maize may not be profitable under typical smallholder maize cultivation conditions and management practices, dissemination approaches that provide farmers the opportunity to evaluate GM maize technology alongside alternate technologies under their conditions, may prove beneficial

Public Financing for Non-Partisan Judicial Campaigns: Protecting Judicial Independence While Ensuring Judicial Impartiality

The selection of state court judges in the United States has been the subject of vigorous debate. The controversy continues to build as some scholars contend that only the appointment of judges ensures the independence of the judiciary by insulating the judge from retaliation for unpopular decisions. Yet volumes of evidence unfold each day to reveal a judiciary under attack for making legal albeit unpopular decisions. While the cloak of a lifetime appointment with no effective method of removal does little to instill confidence in the impartiality of the judiciary, an election riddled with partisan rhetoric or one-sided attacks is no panacea for instilling trust. This state of affairs can be best described as “learning to live within the cesspool that has been created” in a system that requires judges to stand for election, yet avoid the improprieties of campaign misconduct

Design and fabrication of a wind turbine blade

A wind turbine blade design had been studied and fabricated at the CSIR-Institute of Industrial Research, Accra. Earlier turbine blades were manufactured from seasoned wood. The designed blade reported in the study was fabricated from fiberglass and epoxy resin compositions using wood for the mould pattern. The design is of the three-blade type for wind turbines which can be made from simple objects such as barrels. Dimensions and weights were measured to determine the possibilities of its performance. Factors that affect the spinning of the blade include the weight, blade count and its aerodynamic features. The new blades are assumed to be more reliable and efficient than wholly wood design. The calculated wind speed and power density at hub height of 12 m were 4.5 ms-1 and 149 W, respectively. The difference in the blade masses were reduced in the range between 39.2 and 52.6 per cent

Residential Tenancies and the Urban Land Law: The Ghanaian Experience.

This thesis examines the functioning (or rather, in most cases, the non-functioning) of residential tenancy law in urban Ghana. Arising out of a deeply-held conviction that analysis and investigation of law should be rooted in its societal context, the first chapter examines the process of urbanization in Ghana and the housing situation in the urban areas. The interesting juristic issue of the applicablity of customary law to residential tenancies is also examined. The second chapter examines the nature of the residential tenancy in modern urban conditions. This is then compared and contrasted with other seemingly similar institutional arrangements. The substantive and procedural law affecting the creation of the residential tenancy relationship and the informality which characterizes the creation of the relationship is examined in chapter three. Examination of the rights and obligations of landlords and tenants starts from chapter four. The maintenance and repairing obligations of the parties are considered in chapter five. The obligation to pay rent is considered in chapter six - its historical antecedents and the resulting consequences being analysed. Chapters seven and eight deal with the important legal (but also political and socio-economic) issues raised by rent control and security of tenure. The thesis ends where it started from with a consideration of the concrete socio-economic and political realities of Ghanaian society and the resulting divergence between law and practice

Understanding Immigrant Entrepreneurship: A Home-country Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Perspective

Purpose – Given the importance of immigration and immigrant entrepreneurs in advanced economies, the authors take an entrepreneurial ecosystem perspective to study the home-country benefits possessed by immigrant entrepreneurs and how home-country entrepreneurial ecosystem factors affect immigrant entrepreneurial motivations, activities and outcomes. Design/methodology/approach – This conceptual research paper follows McGaghie, Bordage and Shea’s (2001) four-step new theory creation process, which suggests that new theories can be created through facts extraction from the extant literature. Findings – The authors propose that although immigrant entrepreneurs are unable to take full benefit of the host-country entrepreneurial ecosystem due to blocked mobility, they do have capabilities to access and use their home-country entrepreneurial resources and opportunities. The authors further propose that homecountry entrepreneurial capital can be systemically analyzed through the framework of the entrepreneurial ecosystem. The results imply that immigrant entrepreneurship as a social and economic phenomenon can be studied more holistically from both host- and home-country perspectives compared to the traditional research boundary of the host-country only. Research limitations/implications – The research focuses on the identification of home-country effects on immigrant entrepreneurship through the lens of the entrepreneurial ecosystem. Testable propositions provide directions for future empirical research on the field of immigrant entrepreneurship from a home-country perspective. The research concludes that a holistic immigrant entrepreneurship study should consider dual (host- and home-country) entrepreneurial ecosystems. Practical implications – Immigrant entrepreneurs benefit from both host- and home-country entrepreneurial ecosystems. This paper suggests co-effects of dual entrepreneurial ecosystems lead to a high rate of entrepreneurship and business success within some immigrant groups. Policymakers can increase economic activities by developing and deploying programs to encourage immigrants to embed in host- and home-country entrepreneurial ecosystems. Originality/value – Based on the framework of the entrepreneurial ecosystem, this paper brings a novel perspective to examining home-country effects on immigrant entrepreneurship. It theoretically conceptualizes that immigrants have higher entrepreneurship rates than native-born populations because they have access to extra home-country entrepreneurial capital

The Effect of Demand-Side Issues in Accessing External Funds on Performance of SMEs in Thailand

Several factors have been identified in the literature as affecting SME performance, in particular ability to access finance. Access to finance is in turn influenced by variables in both the enterprise's internal and external environment. It is held that SMEs are unable to access external finance because they are not investment ready. They lack the necessary information and knowledge of their businesses to approach finance providers or to be successful in accessing funds if they do. Face-to-face interviews using structured questionnaire were conducted to collect primary data from 407 SMEs operating in the trading sector in 3 provinces-Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Khon Kan. Results of the structural equation modeling (SEM) reveal that quality of financial information has significant positive effect on performance and on owner-managers' perception of their ability to access external capital. A significant positive effect of ability to access capital on performance was also found

Solar Absorption by Each Element in a Glazing/Shading Layer Array

©2006, American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Inc. (www.ashrae.org). Published in ASHRAE Transactions, Volume 112, Part 2. For personal use only. Additional reproduction, distribution, or transmission in either print or digital form is not permitted without ASHRAE’s prior written permission.Window solar gain can strongly influence building energy consumption and peak cooling load. Shading devices such as venetian blinds, roller blinds, and drapes are routinely used to control solar gain. There is a strong need for models that allow shading layers to be included in glazing system analysis. This paper presents methods by which existing solar optical models for systems of specular glazing layers can be extended to include the effect of layers that create scattered, specifically diffuse, radiation in reflection and/or transmission. Spatially averaged optical properties (i.e., “effective” optical properties) can be used to characterize shading layers, including their beam-diffuse split. Solution techniques can be formulated on the basis of matrix reduction. However, an alternative technique has been developed with the goal of computational simplicity and speed. These attributes are important in the context of hour-by-hour building energy analysis. Sample calculations are presented.Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (Canada

Simplified Solar Optical Calculations For Windows With Venetian Blinds

Solar gain through a window represents the most variable heat gain imposed on an indoor space. It is also likely to represent the largest heat gain of the indoor space. Shading devices like venetian blinds roller blinds and drapes are routinely used to control solar gain through windows and their potential for reduction of building load and annual energy consumption is recognized to be large. As such, there is a strong need for models that allow shading layers to be included in glazing system analysis. In this paper, three sets of calculations are presented for a window with light- and dark-coloured venetian blinds using simplified models and computational procedures. For each of the three sets; hourly transmitted, reflected and absorbed fluxes are calculated for both summer and winter conditions. In the first set, the venetian blind is placed on the indoor-side of the window. For the second set the venetian blind is placed between the glazings. Finally, the third set of results is obtained by placing the venetian blind on the outdoor-side of the window.Natural Sciences and Engineering Council (Canada