Effects of duration of water stress at different growth stages on growth and yield of soybeans (Glycine max (L) Merrill) : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Agriculture in Plant Science at Massey University

Four soybean cultivars (viz. Evans, Geiso, Maple Arrow and S.J.4) were subjected to water stress at three different reproductive growth stages: i)entire reproductive growth stages (R1 to R7) ii) early reproductive growth stages (R1 to R4) and iii) late reproductive growth (R4 to R7). The experiment was conducted in the climate laboratory at the Plant Physiology Division D.S.I.R. Palmerston North, New Zealand, with 31°/23°c (day/night temperature) 70/90% RH (day/night relative humidity) and 14 hours photoperiod. The growth and development of the soybeans were markedly affected by water stress. Leaf area, final plant length, number of nodes and total plant dry weight from the stress treatments were reduced. Seed yield per plant from the three stress treatments were only 10.7, 49.6, and 24.1% relative to that of control treatment. The response of soybean yield depended on both the timing and the duration of stress in relation to growth stages whilst some other plant characters such as plant length and the number of nodes responded more to the timing rather than the duration of stress. Cultivars with the determinate growth type (viz. Evans and Maple Arrow) were apparently more sensitive to stress at the early phase of reproductive growth (R1 to R4) whilst the indeterminate growth type (viz. Geiso and S.J.4) were more sensitive to water stress at the later phase of reproductive growth (R4 to R7). The number of pods per plant was the most important yield component in determining yield although in Evans and the early stress treatment the average seed weight was the most important component. The rank of cultivars, from low to high sensitivity to water stress is Maple Arrow, Evans, Geiso and S.J.4. S.J.4 also reacted differently from the other three cultivars in many aspects. The drought tolerance test estimated through a measurment of electrolyte leakage from the cells was used and discussed. Two methods of genotype x environment interaction analysis (regression analysis and discriminant analysis) were used. The discriminant analysis had some advantages in the study of GE interaction e.g. it could be done with several characters at once and compared with the regression method it could be used with a much lesser number of cultivars and environments. Key words: Soybeans, water stress, growth stages, yield and yield components, drought tolerance test, GE interaction, discriminant analysis, principal component analysis

Soil mapping by farmers in a Thai-Lao village in Northeast Thailand: A test of an ethnopedological research method

Having farmers draw soil maps of their communities has been frequently advocated as a faster, cheaper alternative to scientific soil surveying in developing countries. However, research on the extent to which farmers share common mental soil maps and the extent to which these match scientific maps is lacking. In this study, 11 Thai-Lao farmers were individually asked to draw maps showing the location of different types of soil in their village, and two groups of four farmers each were assembled to draw soil maps collectively. The maps were very different from each other and the extent to which they matched scientific categorizations of village soils was low. The maps of the individual farmers depicted two to five types of soil occupying two to seven zones. The map of one group depicted two types of soil in two zones, while the map of the other group depicted four types of soil in seven zones. When the soil zones on the maps drawn by the individual farmers were compared with scientific categorization of the soils at 26 sampling points, agreement was low, with an average of 11.6 full and partial matches. The performance of the group maps was not necessarily better: One group map had no full matches and only five partial matches while the other group map had 19 full and partial matches. In view of this heterogeneity in the soil knowledge of community members, ways must be found to identify the most knowledgeable farmers to draw the maps if farmer soil mapping is to be a useful research tool. This study found that the maps drawn by individuals who have had worked as hired laborers on plots in many parts of their village were generally more reliable than those drawn by farmers who had only worked on their own plots

Use of Organic Materials to Maintain Soil Quality by Thai-Lao Rice Farmers in Northeast Thailand

Maintaining soil quality is a major problem for traditional farmers in the tropics. Many rely on organic amendments to enhance the productivity of their fields. However, indigenous knowledge about soil organic matter (SOM) and its management has received relatively little attention from researchers. This paper describes the use of organic materials to maintain soil quality by Thai-Lao farmers in a rice-growing village in Northeast Thailand. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with twelve farmers to: 1) identify the indicators of soil fertility they employed; 2) inventory the organic materials they used; 3) determine changes in the use of amendments over time; and 4) understand their concept of SOM. They used many physical and biological indicators of soil quality. They used nine different organic materials:  rice straw and stubble, cattle, buffalo and pig manure, rice husks, sunn hemp plants as green manure, charcoal, commercial compost, homemade compost, and tree leaf litter. Recently, use of livestock manure, rice husks, charcoal, and leaf litter has declined because of supply shortages. They do not appear to have a general concept of organic matter nor is there a commonly used word for “organic” in their language. Most of the farmers would use larger quantities of organic amendments but are constrained by their scarcity and high cost. Ways to increase local supplies of organic materials must be found if the government’s efforts to encourage the adoption of organic agriculture are to be successful

The role of Diabetes mellitus comorbidity on Tuberculosis treatment outcomes in Nepal: A prospective cohort study

Aim: The Objective of this study was to assess the effect of Diabetes Mellitus (DM) on treatment outcomes of tuberculosis (TB) patients in the Central Development Region of Nepal. Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted in central Nepal. The study population of n=408 was consecutively recruited from treatment centers of all 19 districts of central Nepal. The TB cases (n=306) and TB with DM (n=102) cases were followed up for the estimation of blood glucose level, HbA1c level, and sputum examination on 2, 5, and 6 months after TB treatment started. The Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) was performed to identify the risk ratio among TB and TB with DM cases on treatment outcome. Results: Our study identified that the magnitude of treatment failure among the tuberculosis cases was 19.7% (95% CI: 17.44-21.95). The GEE analysis observed that factors associated with the treatment failure had uncontrolled DM (HbA1C ≥7 %) (adj.RR=5.24, 95% CI: 2.58-10.62, P value <0.001), aged ≥ 45 (adj.RR= 6.13, 95% CI: 2.55-14.76, P value <0.001), had inadequate financial status (adj.RR= 2.33, 95% CI: 1.07-5.06, P value 0.033) and had prior TB (adj.RR=2.33, 95% CI: 1.09-4.97, P value 0.028) respectively.  Conclusion: The prevalence of worsening TB treatment among patients with TB and DM was significantly higher than those who had TB only. Poor glycaemic control, increasing age, inadequate financial status, and previous history of tuberculosis were strong predictors of worsening tuberculosis treatment outcomes

Factors Associated with Chemical Pesticide use among Farmers in Eastern Part of Cambodia

BACKGROUND: Chemical pesticides are known to have adverse impact on human health. However, little is known about the magnitude and factors influencing chemical pesticide use in Cambodia. The study aimed to describe and determine factors influencing chemical pesticide use among farmers in the Eastern part of Cambodia. SUBJECT AND METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study. A total of 287 farmers were selected by multistage random sampling proportional to size of the population from 8 communes in the Eastern part of Cambodia. The questionnaire was developed to measure variables under study. A multiple logistic regression was applied to estimate the factors influencing chemical pesticide use. RESULTS: 53.66% of the sample was female. Mean age= 41.01, and SD= 10.8 years old. The average monthly income was 460,000 Riel (112 US$). The illiteracy rate was 15.68%. All of these farmers planted rice, cassava and caisim. 72.13% of all farmers used chemical pesticide. 68.13% of 182 rice farmers used 2,4-D. 92.48% of 133 cassava farmers used glyphosate, and 54.89% used 2,4-D. 71.43% of 35 caisim farmers used fipronil, and 68.57% used malathion. Factors significantly associated with chemical pesticide use were illiteracy (OR= 2.60; 95% CI= 1.02 to 6.62; p= 0.045) and increase in farm size per m2 (OR= 2.12; 95% CI= 1.59 to 2.84; p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Chemical pesticide use was very high in Cambodia. Some used prohibited chemical. Illiteracy and farm size affect chemical pesticide use among farmers in Cambodia. Keywords: chemical pesticide use, Cambodia, farme

FAKTOR RISIKO ERGONOMI PADA KARYAWAN DI PABRIK PEMBUATAN MINUMAN KEMASAN, INDONESIA

Implementation of inappropriate ergonomics in worker can cause health problems. Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) is one of the health problems that often occur due to improper application of ergonomics. Every step in this beverage factory mostly has the potential for ergonomic risk. This research is a quantitative research with cross sectional study design. Thetotal sample size of 309 has been systematic randomly selected from each department with proportional to size of the population. Data collection tools using BRIEFTM Survey and analyze the data with STATA. BRIEFTM igured the risk associated with posture, force, duration and incidence frequency of nine areas of the body. The results showed the prevalence of ergonomic risk occurring on the left and right sides of the elbows (73.14%). The prevalence of middleergonomic risk on the left side and wrist is 55.99% and right side 55.02% then the left side of the shoulder is 77.02% and the right side 63.11% after being behind is 55.02%. Suggestions for the company should perform particular program about the proper ergonomic position and working order in each department at the beverage factory

The Relationship between Exposure to Anti-Smoking Campaign, Knowledge, Family Support, and Smoking Habit, Among Male Workers in East Borneo, Indonesia

BACKGROUND: Indonesia has the highest (46.16%) prevalence of smokers among the ASEAN countries. Some anti-smoking measures had been implemented. However, little was known for their effect. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of smoking, and the relationship between exposure to anti-smoking campaign, knowledge, family support, and smoking habit, among male workers in East Borneo, Indonesia. SUBJECT AND METHODS: This was a cross sectional study conducted in Samarinda, East Borneo, Indonesia. A sample of 311 male workers was selected at random from 10 subdistrics in Samarinda. The dependent variable was smoking behavior. The independent variable included exposure the anti-smoking campaign, knowledge about the damaging effect of tobacco smoking, and family support. A structured questionnare was developed to collect the data. A logistic regresion was used to analyze the data. RESULTS: The prevalence of smokers was 45.6% (95%CI=40.09 to 51.23). Un-exposure to anti-smoking campaign (OR=2.24, 95%CI= 1.10 to 4.68; p=0.032), lacking in knowledge of the health damaging effect of tobacco smoking such as mouth and throat cancers (OR=2.43; 95%CI=1.16 to 5.06; p=0.018), and weak family support (OR= 2.07; 95%CI=1.09 to 4.50; p=0.006), were all associated with an increased probability of smoking. CONCLUSION: Nearly half of the Indonesian male workers living in Samarinda were smokers. Un-exposure to anti-smoking campaign, lacking in knowledge of the health damaging effect of tobacco smoking such as mouth and throat cancers, and weak family support, were all associated with an increased probability of smoking. The government should increase the frequency of anti-smoking campaign and improve its access. Keywords: anti-smoking campaign, smoking behavior, male worker

Survival probability and prognostic factors for breast cancer patients in Vietnam

BackgroundBreast cancer is becoming a public health problem in Vietnam. The mortality to incidence ratio of the disease was ranked second among the most common cancers in women. This study estimates the survival probability at 1, 3, and 5 years following diagnosis and determines prognostic factors for breast cancer mortality in Vietnam.MethodsA survival analysis was conducted based on retrospective data from Hue Central Hospital and the Cancer Registry in Ho Chi Minh City. Using the Kaplan-Meier method, the survival probability of patients with breast cancer was estimated at 1, 3, and 5 years following diagnosis. The covariates among prognostic factors for survival time were studied using an extended Cox proportion hazards model, including time-dependent predictors.ResultsOverall survival rates at 1, 3, and 5 years following diagnosis were 0.94, 0.83 and 0.74 respectively. Marital status, education level, stage at diagnosis, and hormone therapy were prognostic factors for mortality. For the stage at diagnosis, the relation to the risk of death for breast cancer was 1.32 (95% CI, 1.22–1.41). Married women faced a risk of death nearly 1.59 times higher than unmarried women (95% CI, 1.09–2.33). Women with higher levels of education and who received hormone therapy had approximately 10% (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.92; 95% CI, 0.89–0.96) and 80% (HR: 0.22; 95% CI, 0.12–0.41) risk reduction of death respectively, compared with those classified as illiterate and those without hormone therapy.ConclusionsThe 5-year survival probability of breast cancer was lower in Vietnam than in countries with similar distributions of the stage at diagnosis. Screening programs and related support policies should be developed to increase the life expectancy of women with breast cancer in Vietnam

The sensitivity and specificity of methylene blue spray to identify the parathyroid gland during thyroidectomy

Background Hypocalcemia is a common complication of thyroidectomy resulting from an injury to the parathyroid gland. Methylene blue, which is a medication and dye that has been used for more than a century, is safe and readily available. The previous study has found that methylene blue spray on the surgical field is absorbed by the parathyroid gland faster than in the perithyroidal area. This study was aimed to evaluate the diagnostic value of methylene blue spray to identify the parathyroid gland during thyroid lobectomy. Methods Patients who underwent thyroid lobectomy were recruited. After the recurrent laryngeal nerve was identified, methylene blue was sprayed onto the thyroid bed. After 5 min, the thyroid bed was inspected for areas in which the blue color had been rapidly absorbed. Biopsies were conducted for histopathology at both the stained area and the area in which the color had faded. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) were calculated. Results A total of 47 patients participated in this study. The sensitivity of methylene blue spray to identify the parathyroid gland during thyroid lobectomy was 92.31% (95% CI [63.97–99.81]) and specificity was 56.79% (95% CI [45.31–67.76]). The PPV was 25.53% (95% CI [20.34–31.53]) and NPV was 97.87% (95% CI [87.39–99.67]). There were no patients with post-operative hypocalcemia, allergic reactions to the methylene blue, or methylene blue toxicity. Conclusion The methylene blue spray could serve as a screening tool for identification of the parathyroid gland