Long-term farming systems comparisons in the tropics Participatory technology development

Posterpresentation - Overview - Approaches and Results - Methodological Questions - Discussio

FIR High pass Filter for Improving performance Characteristics of Various Windows

Digital filters can be classified two types finite impulse response and infinite impulse response filters.FIR low pass filter design using Kaiser window is presented. FIR low pass filter digital filter design using Kaiser window for given specifications is compare. Digital Signal Processing is used in many areas where analogue method was difficult. Filters are used to separate or combine different frequencies. FIR high pass filter has been designed and simulated using different windows techniques. Hamming, Hanning, Kaiser and Bartlett Windows techniques are used along with Rectangular window technique for the design analysis by using Matlab.Beta is increase then main lobe width is increase

A Failure Analysis and Remaining Life assessment of Boiler Water Wall tube

This paper presents failure investigation on the SA210GrC water wall tube by visual Site inspection, tube wall thickness measurements, chemical composition test, Hardness test and microstructure analysis with proper evidence collected to identify the exact cause of the failure. The water wall tube was failed with blister, bulging and creep cracks on outer surface located near to the Soot Blower. On-site wall thickness measurements were performed on some of the water wall tubes located at the same level of the ruptured tube. The tubes have significant wall thinning and erosion from outside. Mild corrosion deposition also seen in the inner side. Microscopic examinations on the failed rupture region and some distance away of the as-received tubes are also conducted in order to determine the failure mechanism and root cause. Failure mechanisms are also discussed and relevant data from few months back to the failure gathered to identify the failure reason. The failure mechanism is identified as a result of the combination of the significant wall thinning of water wall tube due to long term overheating and creep. Corrosion due to oxygen is also a cause of wall thinning. Root cause analysis identified that deaerator was not working efficient to remove dissolved gases was reason behind corrosion. Long term overheating was due to operating temperature above the design one. Finally all the parameters checked and rectified properly. Maintenance of Deaerator has been done to put it in the working condition

What socially motivates farmers to grow organic cotton in central India?

India is the largest producer of ‘organic cotton’, as it contributes about three quarters (74%) to the global organic cotton production. The Nimar valley of Madhya Pradesh in central India is important region for organic cotton production. In general, cotton yields are low and variable in the Nimar valley and often do not reach the attainable levels on several farms of the region. With a steeply increasing demand for organic fibre, it is important to safeguard and increase the production of organic cotton in a sustainable manner. The precise understanding of social and biophysical motivations of different farmers for following their respective farming practices is of high importance for sustainable future of organic cotton in central India. The study of the facts related to adoption of organic cotton production systems in the Nimar valley is particularly valuable for policy makers, smallholder farmers and sourcing organizations

A Review on “Churg-Strauss Vasculitisâ€Â

Churg-Strauss syndrome (CSS) is a systemic disorder characterized by asthma, transient pulmonary infiltrates, hypereosinophilia, and systemic vasculitis. Eosinophilicvasculitis may involve multiple organ systems, including the lungs, heart, skin, gastrointestinal tract and nervous system. Thus allergy and angiitis are the two hallmarks of CSS. Conditions in the differential diagnosis of CSS include Wegener's granulomatosis (WG), drug reactions, bronchocentricgranulomatosis, eosinophilic granuloma, fungal and parasitic infections, and malignancy. Onset typically occurs in patients aged from 15 to 70 years.On presentation, patients often have pulmonary infiltrates on chest x-ray, but they may also have sinusitis, neuropathy, constitutional symptoms, or gastrointestinal or cardiac manifestations. It is important to establish a tissue diagnosis by biopsy and exclude other diseases in the differential diagnosis of CSS because treatment differs significantly from that of other eosinophilic lung diseases. Untreated, CSS may have a dire prognosis, but treatment with corticosteroids or cytotoxic agents, or both,usually results in clinical remission. Although the exact etiology of CSS is unknown, this syndrome is likely believed to represent an autoimmune process because of the prominence of allergic features and the presence of immune complexes, heightened T-cell immunity and altered humoral immunity, as shown by elevated immunoglobulin (Ig) E and rheumatoid factor. Treatment consists of glucocorticoid (GC)-monotherapy, data on outcome and affectivity is lacking on other immunosuppressive regimens such as cyclophosphamide (CP) or GC plus CP. Treatment with INF-alpha has been effective in patients refractory to GC plus CP

A Diagnosis of Biophysical and Socio-Economic Factors Influencing Farmers’ Choice to Adopt Organic or Conventional Farming Systems for Cotton Production

Organic agriculture is one of the most widely known alternative production systems advocated for its benefits to soil, environment, health and economic well-being of farming communities. Rapid increase in the market demand for organic products presents a remarkable opportunity for expansion of organic agriculture. A thorough understanding of the context specific motivations of farmers for adoption of organic farming systems is important so that appropriate policy measures are put in place. With an aim of understanding the social and biophysical motivations of organic and conventional cotton farmers for following their respective farming practices, a detailed farm survey was conducted in Nimar valley of Madhya Pradesh state in central India. The study area was chosen for being an important region for cotton production, where established organic and conventional farms operate under comparable circumstances. We found considerable variation among organic and conventional farmers for their social and biophysical motivations. Organic farmers were motivated by the sustainability of cotton production and growing safer food without pesticides, whereas conventional farmers were sensitive about their reputation in community. Organic farmers with larger holdings were more concerned about closed nutrient cycles and reducing their dependence on external inputs, whereas medium and small holding organic farmers were clearly motivated by the premium price of organic cotton. Higher productivity was the only important motivation for conventional farmers with larger land holdings. We also found considerable yield gaps among different farms, both under conventional and organic management, that need to be addressed through extension and training. Our findings suggest that research and policy measures need to be directed toward strengthening of extension services, local capacity building, enhancing availability of suitable inputs and market access for organic farmers

Self-made pest control products for organic cotton production in Nimar region, Madhya Pradesh, India

Homemade organic pest control products offer an ecological, healthy and low-cost alternative to ready-made products. Yet the recipes are not standardised and the products vary in quality and concentration of the active ingredients. bioRe R, together with the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), engages in research activities to address this challenge and improve pest management strategies in organic farming. During the cotton cropping season 2013–14 one on-station and two on-farm trials were conducted with the objective of comparing different spraying intervals of the most commonly used home-made organic pest control products in order to identify an optimum level of crop protection. The study focused on the effect of the spraying intervals on the most important sucking pests. Besides sucking pest incidences, data on plant stress symptoms and yield formation as well as economic parameters were also collected. Additional on-station trials were established to investigate different measures of early stage crop protection and to detect specific effects of three self made products against certain sucking pests. The products were prepared according to recipes standardised by bioRe R after careful research and hands on experience of its associated scientists and extension workers. This knowledge was reproduced in pictorial technical leaflets, which are easy-to-understand for the local farmers. A total of 11 leaflets — on seed treatments, early stage protection measures, pest control sprays, effective spraying technique and growth promoter were designed in both English and Hindi and will be used for dissemination activities. On-station results were inconclusive due to low pest pressure in this season, as well as the small size of the trial plots. Results of on-farm trials revealed that a suitable strategy for pest monitoring is needed for farmers to determine at what time point pest control interventions are indicated. Further research is needed to understand the specific effects of homemade products on the different insect species. Optimised dosage and application techniques have to be worked out along with other options for integrated pest control (e.g. bird perches, border crops, soil enhancement practices) that could reduce the frequency of time-consuming spraying. These activities would best be conducted in on-farm trials

Participatory Technology Development (PTD) Trials in India

Background: bioRe Association is working with (about 5000) organic farmers, to solve their major practical farming problems. PTD-approach offers a great opportunity to work with the organic farmers to find solutions to their problems like in nutrient and pest management

Technical efficiencies and yield variability are comparable across organic and conventional farms

Cotton is essentially a smallholder crop across tropical countries. Being a major cash crop, it plays a decisive role in the livelihoods of cotton-producing farmers. Both conventional and organic production systems offer alternative yet interesting propositions to cotton farmers. This study was conducted in Nimar valley, a prominent cotton-producing region of central India, with the aim of categorically evaluating the contribution of management and fixed factors to productivity on conventional and organic cotton farms. A study framework was developed considering the fixed factors, which cannot be altered within reasonable limits of time, capacity and resources, e.g., landholding or years of age and/or practice; and management factors, which can be altered/influenced within a reasonable time by training, practice and implementation. Using this framework, a structured survey of conventional and organic farms operating under comparable circumstances was conducted. Landholding and soil types were significant contributors/predictors of yield on organic farms. In contrast, landholding was not the main factor related to yields on conventional farms, which produced the highest yields when led by farmers with more than five years of formal education and living in a joint family. Nitrogen application, the source of irrigation (related to timely and adequate supply), crop rotation and variables related to adequate plant population (seed source, germination rate and plant thinning) were the main management factors limiting cotton yields among conventional and organic farms. Both organic and conventional farms in the Nimar valley exhibited a similar pattern of variation in cotton yields and technical efficiency. This study highlights the enormous scope for improving cotton productivity in the region by improving technical efficiency, strengthening extension services and making appropriate policy interventions

Influence of the Fast Spread of Bt Cotton on Organic Cotton Production: Examples from India and Burkina Faso

COTTON is grown in more than 120 countries by over 20 million cotton producers on 35 million ha in 2012 (Truscott, 2010, www.fas.usda.gov). In 2011, around 27 million tons of cotton were produced, mostly by smallholder producers in 'developing' countries which cultivate cotton as a cash crop on their own land averaging under 2 ha in size, or as contracted workers for bigger land owners. Cotton is usually grown as a monoculture. In industrialised countries, the level of mechanisation is high, thus cotton production does not provide a lot of work in rural communities. In contrast, in developing countries, the cultivation and harvest is mostly done by hand labour and thus provides a lot of work for the rural population. Cotton, particularly as a monoculture, uses significant amounts of pesticides, fertilisers, fossil fuels and water (Truscott, 2010). There are four commercially exploited cotton species: Gossypium hirsutum and G. barbadense, the 'New World Species', and G. arboreum and G. herbaceum, the Old World Species. Though Old World cottons are still grown in some areas of Africa and Asia, they have been almost totally replaced by New World cottons. Most dominant today are G. hirsutum cultivars, which are spread across 45 countries. About 90% of the annual global cotton harvest is derived from G. hirsutum. One negative outcome of the wide cultivation of G. hirsutum cultivars is the increased pest attacks, particularly by the American bollworm. Hence, cotton cultivation had a very bad reputation as the single largest user of pesticides in the world (Truscott, 2010). In the mid-1990s, conventional cotton production posed a serious threat to the environment, farmers' health and the economy. At one stage cotton accounted for the use of 15% of the world's pesticides and 25% of the world's insecticides.This resulted in two major responses. One response was the development of genetically modified (GM) insect-resistant cotton cultivars, which were rapidly adopted by many countries since its first commercial introduction in 1996. Approximately 82% of the world's cotton-growing area was grown under genetically modified cotton in 2011 (www.isaaa.org2). The other response was the adoption of organic methods of cotton production by farmers who believed that holistic, earth-friendly responses, optimised crop rotation and organic fertiliser could reverse the trend of the soaring use of chemical pesticides. The rapid spread of GM seeds in cotton has resulted in problems for the organic cotton sector, a few of which can be briefly examined, taking India and Burkina Faso as examples (Truscott, 2010)