Organic farming and resource efficiency

The Chapter discusses the efficiency of nutrient and energy use in organic farming, regarding the pressing need to make efficient use of natural resources. Nutrient recycling, the use of adapted plant varieties and energy-saving through the ban of synthetic nitrogen fertilizer are organic farming practices that enhance resource efficiency

New Challenges in Underprivileged Regions Call for People-Centered Research for Development

The need for enhancing food production and availability in underprivileged regions of the world requires the attention of scientists. This article explores the possibilities for rethinking agricultural research for development (R4D) in the light of new challenges characterized by a high degree of scientific uncertainty along with associated intense political differences of interest. New challenges that particularly influence food production in underprivileged regions include global climate change, globalization of food chains, and emerging low-carbon energy systems. We argue that by applying the people-centered sustainable livelihoods approach as a research paradigm in R4D, researchers may be more successful in producing knowledge that is useful to entrepreneurial smallholder farmers. Without such rethinking, traditional scientific approaches and logic may limit the contribution that agricultural R4D can make toward the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals of halving extreme hunger by 2015 and improving the livelihoods of all

Research in sub-saharan African food systems must address post-sustainability challenges and increase developmental returns

The article argue that the livelihood approach is relevant for Research in sub-saharan African food systems, which must address post-sustainability challenges and increase developmental return

Urinary oestrogen levels in myocardial infarction

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Micronutrient deficiencies in South African infants and the effect of a micronutrient-fortified complementary food on their nutritional status, growth and development

Consequences of micronutrient deficiencies in infants often include linear growth retardation, impaired psychomotor development and reduced appetite. Fortification of complementary food is one way of addressing micronutrient deficiencies in this age group. Knowledge about these deficiencies, food consumption patterns and appetite in infants is essential in planning micronutrient fortification intervention studies. In this thesis four studies are described, two of which studied the prevalence of micronutrient deficiency and linear growth retardation in rural and urban disadvantaged South African infants. The third study determined the adequacy of the appetite of infants at the age of 6 months. The final study is an intervention study with the aim to study the effect of a micronutrient fortified complementary food on the nutritional status, growth and development of 6-12-month-old poor urban infants.The results from the first two studies showed a high prevalence of vitamin A, iron and zinc deficiency in both rural and urban infants. The low socio-economic status of the urban community and sub-optimal feeding practices may explain the similarity of deficiencies observed between rural and urban infants. The third study demonstrates that appetite was adequate in infants at the age of 6 months and not yet affected by micronutrient deficiencies. The consumption of a micronutrient-fortified complementary food appeared to reduce the decline in both serum retinol and iron concentrations in the experimental group. No effect was observed on serum zinc concentration, linear growth and psychomotor development.In conclusion, the findings of this study demonstrate similar levels of nutritional deficiencies in both poor urban and rural children. Significant differences between urban disadvantaged coloured and black infants with respect to micronutrient deficiencies and linear growth exist. This highlights the importance of including assessment of micronutrient status in addition to anthropometric measurements when assessing nutritional status. The observation of an adequate appetite in infants at the age of 6 months is important for the introduction of micronutrient-fortified complementary food. The observed positive effect of a micronutrient-fortified complementary food on serum retinol and iron concentrations in 6-12-month-old infants should be investigated further.</p

Isolation of cowpea genes conferring drought tolerance: Construction of a cDNA drought expression library

The main objective of this study was to identify and isolate the genes conferring drought tolerance in cowpea. A cDNA library enriched for cowpea genes expressed specifically during responses to drought was constructed. A procedure called suppression subtractive hybridisation (SSH) was successfully employed to obtain these differentially expressed transcripts. The library consists of 4 160 individual clones. Preliminary sequencing results identified two clones to be known stress-related plant genes (GST (glutathione-S-transferase) and PR-1 (pathogenesis-related protein-1)). Micro-array analysis will be performed on the library’s clones to verify their differential expression during drought conditions, and to identify additional clones for further investigation. Promising genes can eventually be used to genetically engineer crops for drought tolerance to improve food security in water-stressed areas.Keywords: cowpea, drought tolerance, suppression subtractive hybridisation (SSH

Isolation of cowpea genes conferring drought tolerance: Construction of a cDNA drought expression library#

The main objective of this study was to identify and isolate the genes conferring drought tolerance in cowpea. A cDNA library enriched for cowpea genes expressed specifically during responses to drought was constructed. A procedure called suppression subtractive hybridisation (SSH) was successfully employed to obtain these differentially expressed transcripts.The library consists of 4 160 individual clones. Preliminary sequencing results identified two clones to be known stress-related plant genes (GST (glutathione-S-transferase) and PR-1 (pathogenesis-related protein-1)). Micro-array analysis will be performed on the library’s clones to verify their differential expression during drought conditions, and to identify additional clones for further investigation. Promising genes can eventually be used to genetically engineer crops for drought tolerance to improve food security in water-stressed areas

Significance of Brettanomyces and Dekkera during Winemaking: A Synoptic Review

Wine comprises a complex microbial ecology of opportunistic microorganisms, some of which could potentially inducespoilage and result in consequent economic losses under uncontrolled conditions. Yeasts of the genus Brettanomyces,or its teleomorph Dekkera, have been indicated to affect the chemical composition of the must and wine by producingvarious metabolites that are detrimental to the organoleptic properties of the final product. These yeasts can persistthroughout the harsh winemaking process and have in recent years become a major oenological concern worldwide.This literature review summarises the main research focus areas on yeasts of the genera Brettanomyces and Dekkerain wine. Specific attention is given to the spoilage compounds produced, the methods of detection and isolation fromthe winemaking environment and the factors for controlling and managing Brettanomyces spoilage