New forage crop introductions for the semi-arid highland areas of Kenya as a means to increase beef production.

A UNDP/FAO Development Project has initiated and aided the establishment of a commercial beef cattle finishing sector in Kenya. The feeding systems developed utilize surplus cattle from rural areas which are fed on rations based on maize silage. The project has now initiated a search for forage crops suitable for cultivation under highland conditions, but more drought-resistant than the presently used maize. It appeared in a trial at 3 sites at 1850-1920 m alt. that new introductions of cold-tolerant sorghum cv. from the high-alt. areas of Uganda and Ethiopia produced consistently good yields which were comparable to, or better than, maize. Some of the high-alt. sorghum cv. were completely free from diseases which are typically encountered when 'lowland' cv. are grown above 1600 m in Kenya. In contrast with maize and sunflower, the new sorghum introductions were highly resistant to lodging. Correlation analysis showed that the unwanted tallness of crops is highly associated with the yield of maize and sunflower, whereas with cold-tolerant sorghum cv. there is scope for selection or breeding of high-yielding material which is shorter. The single highest-yielding entry for cold-tolerant sorghum, sunflower and maize produced 30.5, 29.5 and 26.6 t DM/ha, resp. (Abstract retrieved from CAB Abstracts by CABI’s permission

Leaf area determinations in sorghum and maize by the length-width method.

5 plant population trials were carried out in 1974 and 1975 with 5 sorghum and 4 maize cv. Each trial was sample harvested several times during the growing period. In 6080 leaves the leaf area was carefully determined and related to its length and width. By regression calculations an examination was made regarding the construction of the best calibration lines for the estimation of the product of length and width from leaf area. Plant population had no significant effect on the regressions. Drawing the regression lines through the origin was sometimes statistically rejected but if the regression lines were forced through the origin in spite of this, the loss of precision was very small. It is therefore concluded that forcing the regression lines through the origin involves an acceptable estimation error. The resulting regression lines which were established separately for each cv. and harvest proved to estimate the leaf area accurately. The values of the regression coefficients varied between 0.65 and 0.77. The lowest correlation coefficient was 0.968, but 55% of all correlation coefficients were >0.990. If data from different harvests were pooled (although not allowable statistically) the highest mean error of estimation of leaf area at any harvesting date was 8.5%. (Abstract retrieved from CAB Abstracts by CABI’s permission

The forage and grain yield of cold-tolerant sorghum and maize as affected by time of planting in the highlands of Kenya.

In trials with sorghum and maize in the highlands of Kenya the effects of sowing date on the forage and grain yields were studied. Yields were regressed on sowing date in days after the start of the wet season, mean air temp. during the 1st 5 wk post-em. and sowing date index in a yield stability analysis. Grain yields varied more than total DM yields, indicating that correct sowing date was more important if crops were harvested for grain than for forage. Sorghum cv. E 1291 gave the highest grain yields and sorghum cv. E 6518 the highest DM yields under all conditions. The grain yield of E 1291 was less affected by delayed sowing than the grain yield of maize cv. H 613. In a dry yr delayed sowing was beneficial because it allowed a certain soil moisture reserve to be built up, but this beneficial effect disappeared if the duration of crop development exceeded the length of the wet season. If rainfall was heavy immediately after the dry season, delayed sowing had a pronounced negative effect on yields. Under such conditions DM yields decreased by 1.0 t/ha for each wk delay in sowing for both E 6518 and H 613; grain yields decreased by 0.41 t/ha wk and 0.47 t/ha wk for E 1291 and H 613, resp. All grain yields were positively correlated with av. mean air temp. and regression coeff. varied from 0.77 to 3.67 t/ deg C, but temp was confounded with rainfall and more work was needed to separate temp. and rainfall effects. (Abstract retrieved from CAB Abstracts by CABI’s permission

The drawing of the mark of Cain: a socio-historical analysis of the growth of Anti-Jewish stereotypes

Antisemitism is an exceptional historical phenomenon. Its history goes back at least 2000 years and has manifested itself in many countries and in a wide range of societies. However, it is not a universal phenomenon. Many countries have no tradition of anti-Semitism and even in those where anti-Semitism periodically raises its head, there have been long periods where it appears to have lain dormant. But it has never altogether disappeared, and all the large-scale social changes of the past two millennia have given it extra impetus. This definitive study tackles the complex roots and manifestations of anti-Semitism over the centuries, tracing the rise of anti-Jewish stereotypes and the circumstances in which racial prejudice may have tragic concequences. This book will quickly become a classic text for students and researchers in this persistent and worldwide prejudice.Antisemitisme is een uitzonderlijk historisch fenomeen. Het kent een geschiedenis van tenminste 2000 jaar en manifesteerde zich in een groot aantal landen en in zeer verschillende samenlevingen. Toch is het geen universeel verschijnsel. Veel landen kennen geen antisemitische traditie en daar waar het antisemitisme wel de kop opstak, zijn er ook lange periodes waarin het alleen onderhuids aanwezig lijkt te zijn. Verdwenen is het nooit en alle grote maatschappelijk veranderingen van de afgelopen 2000 jaar hebben het antisemitisme eerder versterkt dan verzwakt. In The Drawing of the Mark of Cain behandelt Dik van Arkel deze gecompliceerde problematiek. Hij gaat in op de ontwikkeling van het anti-joodse stereotype en onderzoekt de omstandigheden waaronder anti-joodse vooroordelen kunnen leiden tot vervolgingen

Fertilizer response of cold-tolerant sorghums under semi-arid high-altitude conditions.

5 fertilizer trials were carried out in 1974-5 at 3 different high-alt. locations in Kenya. In 3 of the 5 trials the yield response of a grain-type sorghum cv. was compared with the response of a forage-type cv. to N and P. In the other 2 trials the yield response of a grain-type sorghum to N, P, K and Mg + Zn, B and Cu was studied. Rainfall during the field period of the crop varied from 225 mm to 811 mm. There was no interaction with yr, but the responses varied greatly with trial site. Although DM yields obtained from the grain type in the driest trials were considered good (4.9 t DM/ha on 255 mm and 7.2 t DM/ha on 294 mm), no response to N or P was observed. Under wetter conditions it appeared that N increased the total DM yield of the forage-type cv. and the grain yield of the grain-type cv.; the type was accentuated. P increased the grain yield and total DM yield of the grain-type cv. Both N and P increased the CP content of the forage sorghum, but with the grain sorghum only N increased CP content whereas P decreased it. K and trace elements had a positive influence on yield in 2 experiments, but more work is needed to evaluate this effect in detail. Yield and forage quality differences resulting from different fertilizer applications were small. One possible reason for this is N-fixation in the soil, but more research is needed to substantiate this. In the trials with the lowest rainfall, the earlier maturing grain type outyielded the forage type, but if rainfall was less limited the forage type had a clear advantage over the grain type. (Abstract retrieved from CAB Abstracts by CABI’s permission

The forage and grain yield of sorghum and maize as affected by soil moisture conservation, lodging and harvesting losses.

The effects of early ploughing (before the start of the dry season) and late ploughing on the grain and DM yields of a forage maize and cold-tolerant forage and grain sorghum crops are reported. It appeared that on a shallow soil no significant effects on crop production could be shown, but on a deep soil with good water-holding capacity, crop yields were increased considerably by reducing soil moisture evaporation in the dry period prior to the growing season. In DM yield forage sorghum outyielded maize, a difference which was accentuated when mechanized harvesting systems were used in lodged crops. Forage sorghum proved to be more lodging-resistant than maize but, even when lodged, was harvestable without too much difficulty. The use of small-plot maize yield trials is considered to have limited applicability to mechanized harvesting systems when presently available Kenyan maize hybrids are used. Lodging was the major limiting field factor for the harvesting of heavy maize crops. The highest net yields recorded for maize and sorghum were 12.0 and 23.7 t DM/ha, resp. The higher yield of sorghum was probably not due to better drought resistance but to lower lodging susceptibility and a longer growing period. (Abstract retrieved from CAB Abstracts by CABI’s permission

On the biomechanics of ligaments and muscles throughout the range of hip motion

At the limits of the range of hip motion, impingement, subluxation and edge loading can cause osteoarthritis in natural hips or early failure hip replacements. The aim of this PhD was to investigate the role of hip joint soft tissues throughout the range of hip motion to better understand their role in preventing (or perhaps even causing) these problematic load cases. A musculoskeletal model was used to investigate the muscular contribution to edge loading and found that in the mid-range of hip motion, the lines of action of hip muscles pointed inward from the acetabular rim and thus would stabilise the hip. However, in deep hip flexion with adduction, nearly half the muscles had unfavourable lines of action which could encourage edge loading. Conversely, in-vitro tests on nine cadaveric hips found that the hip capsular ligaments were slack in the mid-range of hip motion but tightened to restrain excessive hip rotation in positions close to the limits of hip motion. This passive restraint prevented the hip from moving into positions where the muscle lines of action were found to be unfavourable and thus could help protect the hip from edge loading. The ligaments were also found to protect the hip against impingement and dislocation. Out of the labrum, the ligamentum teres and the three capsular ligaments, it was found that the iliofemoral and ischiofemoral ligaments were primary restraints to hip rotation. These two capsular ligaments should be prioritised for protection/repair during hip surgery to maintain normal hip passive restraint. Whilst this can be technically demanding, failing to preserve/restore their function may increase the risk of osteoarthritic degeneration or hip replacement failure.Open Acces