ANALYSING THE LOW ADOPTION OF WATER CONSERVATION TECHNOLOGIES BY SMALLHOLDER FARMERS IN SOUTHERN AFRICA

Natural resource degradation and water scarcity are a global concern, which typically threatens the sustainability of smallholder farmers' livelihoods in semi-arid developing areas. As part of research efforts, a number of water-conservation technologies (WCT) have been developed, yet with low adoption rates in smallholder farming environments. This paper discusses the concepts of adoption and innovation, comparing the perspectives of research operators to the ones of smallholder farmers. Discrepancies are highlighted and ultimately explain low uptake of technologies by farmer. Then it addresses socio-economic factors affecting such adoption. It is argued that WCT show specific traits: (1) diversity and applicability to different time and spatial scales; (2) hence, the dependency upon a context. These traits influence dissemination and adoption of WCT, and should not be ignored, from the early stage of technology development. It is shown that adoption does not only depend on individual farmers willingness, but also upon the role of property rights on resources, and collective action at community level. Other specific issues and factors like the demand for WCT, the role of public sector and research, and related biases are also discusses. It finally draws some recommendations towards rural livelihoods that are more sustainable. Farmers' participation in technology development, taking account of local indigenous knowledge and sound institutional arrangements are among other the pathways that are suggested towards a better integration of technology development and innovation processes.adoption, innovation, water conservation, technologies, collective action, property rights, sustainability, livelihoods, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Oregon's Dungeness crab fishery : an economic analysis of productivity and profitability

Published September 1975. Facts and recommendations in this publication may no longer be valid. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalo

The Oregon wood products labor force : job rationing and worker adaptations in a declining industry

Published December 1978. Facts and recommendations in this publication may no longer be valid. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalo

An analysis of water resource productivity and efficiency of use in Pacific Northwest agriculture

Published May 1973. Facts and recommendations in this publication may no longer be valid. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalo

An economic analysis of public range investments on the Vale project, 1960-1969

Published January 1976. Facts and recommendations in this publication may no longer be valid. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalo

Economic incentives facing Mexican migrant workers at Hood River, Oregon

Published January 1980. Facts and recommendations in this publication may no longer be valid. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalo

New shops on Main Street : a growth industry?

Published May 1981. Facts and recommendations in this publication may no longer be valid. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalo

The Oregon big game resource: an economic evaluation

Published January 1973. Facts and recommendations in this publication may no longer be valid. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalo

1970: Abilene Christian College Bible Lectures - Full Text

THE APOSTLES’ DOCTRINE Being the Abilene Christian College Annual Bible Lectures 1970 Published by ABILENE CHRISTIAN COLLEGE BOOK STORE ACC Station Abilene, Texas 7960

Aptamer-based multiplexed proteomic technology for biomarker discovery

Interrogation of the human proteome in a highly multiplexed and efficient manner remains a coveted and challenging goal in biology. We present a new aptamer-based proteomic technology for biomarker discovery capable of simultaneously measuring thousands of proteins from small sample volumes (15 [mu]L of serum or plasma). Our current assay allows us to measure ~800 proteins with very low limits of detection (1 pM average), 7 logs of overall dynamic range, and 5% average coefficient of variation. This technology is enabled by a new generation of aptamers that contain chemically modified nucleotides, which greatly expand the physicochemical diversity of the large randomized nucleic acid libraries from which the aptamers are selected. Proteins in complex matrices such as plasma are measured with a process that transforms a signature of protein concentrations into a corresponding DNA aptamer concentration signature, which is then quantified with a DNA microarray. In essence, our assay takes advantage of the dual nature of aptamers as both folded binding entities with defined shapes and unique sequences recognizable by specific hybridization probes. To demonstrate the utility of our proteomics biomarker discovery technology, we applied it to a clinical study of chronic kidney disease (CKD). We identified two well known CKD biomarkers as well as an additional 58 potential CKD biomarkers. These results demonstrate the potential utility of our technology to discover unique protein signatures characteristic of various disease states. More generally, we describe a versatile and powerful tool that allows large-scale comparison of proteome profiles among discrete populations. This unbiased and highly multiplexed search engine will enable the discovery of novel biomarkers in a manner that is unencumbered by our incomplete knowledge of biology, thereby helping to advance the next generation of evidence-based medicine