Ruokaturvan riippuvuus ilmastosta, puista ja maatalouden tuotantomenetelmistä Sudanin puolikuivilla alueilla

ABSTRACT Livelihoods are precarious in arid and semi-arid regions, such as Sudan, as the main food crops are often grown in production systems that heavily depend on climatic conditions and appear to be threatened by several factors. Over 70% of Sudanese are farmers who rely mainly on rain-fed agriculture to secure their livelihoods. Their crop cultivation is constrained by such factors as climate change and variability, as well as low soil fertility, which is aggravated by limited agricultural inputs. Indigenous legume trees, such as acacias, can potentially alleviate the vulnerability of these systems. In practice this is possible by integrating trees with agricultural crops on the same piece of land, thus forming an agroforestry system. Nevertheless, the adoption of agroforestry also remains constrained by several factors, including unclear tree tenure and small farm size. The main objectives of this research were: (I) To classify and compare various land-use systems so as to facilitate an analysis of the socio-economic impacts of farming practices in the semi-arid zone of Sudan; (II) To define the determinants and constraints for agroforestry based on the integration of natural acacia trees with agricultural crops, thus forming the agroforestry parkland system in Sudan; (III) To identify and analyse the main factors underlying the variability of crop yields during the period 2001–2010; and (IV) To characterize the impact of land-use changes between 1972 and 2010 on natural forests and land productivity. The research was conducted at two distinct sites, El Dali and El Mazmum in Sennar state, Sudan (latitudes 12° 5ʹ and 14° 7ʹ N and longitudes 32° 58ʹ and 34° 42ʹ E, respectively). Principal data on households and crop yields were collected from 281 randomly selected households in face-to-face interviews using a pre-structured questionnaire. Soil and rainfall data along with satellite images were obtained from associated institutions in Sudan. Qualitative and quantitative methods were used to analyse crop and household data, and the Excel template MAKESENS was used to study the rainfall data. GIS software applications and economic analysis were used in clarifying land-use changes and crop profitability with various land-use systems, respectively. Agroforestry parklands that consist of the integration of acacia trees with agricultural crops were found to financially be the most profitable system, offering higher crop yields than monoculture systems. The number of people in a household, agro-ecological location, incentives from agricultural associations, and land holding size were the main drivers for farmers to combine acacia trees with agricultural crops, forming an agroforestry parkland system. Constraints for practicing agroforestry included insecurity of tree ownership, poor interaction between farmers and extension agents, lack of tree planting materials (in cases where a farmer would have adopted tree planting as a method to increase the tree cover), uncontrollable livestock movements on farms, and land owners’ preference to rent their entire holding to landless farmers. The yields of most of the studied crops (sorghum, pearl millet and sesame) were affected by interannual variability in rainfall rather than agricultural practices. Land use and land cover have remarkably changed over time, resulting in a negative impact on soil properties and crop performance. This research concludes for the region now studied in Sudan that climatic variability, low soil fertility and inadequate agricultural inputs contribute to a decline in crop yields. The lack of an appropriate tree tenure regime constitutes the strongest disincentive factor inhibiting farmers from practicing agroforestry, obviously the best available land-use option for sustainable crop cultivation and securing rural livelihoods. Key words: Sudan, livelihoods, rain-fed agriculture, agroforestry parklands, crop yields, climate change and variability, tree tenure, acacia treesRuokaturvan riippuvuus ilmastosta, puista ja maatalouden tuotantomenetelmistä Sudanin puolikuivilla alueilla Mustafa Kamil Mahmoud FAHMI TIIVISTELMÄ Toimeentulo Sudanin kaltaisilla kuivilla ja puolikuivilla trooppisilla alueilla on epävarmaa sen johdosta, että niiden ruoantuotanto riippuu ratkaisevasti ilmaston asettamista rajoituksista ja on uhattuna monista eri syistä. Kaikkiaan Sudanin väestöstä yli 70% on sateenvaraisesta kasvintuotannosta riippuvia viljelijöitä. Heidän tuotantoansa rajoittavia tekijöitä ovat sääolojen voimakas vuotuinen vaihtelu ja ilmastonmuutos sekä maaperän heikko viljavuus, jota kärjistää maatalouden yleinen tehottomuus. Kuitenkin on tunnettua, että näillä alueilla yleiset luontaiset palkokasvipuut kuten akasiat voivat vähentää tuotantojärjestelmien haavoittuvuutta. Käytännössä on siis mahdollista harjoittaa peltometsäviljelyä eli yhdistää nämä puut ruokakasvien viljelyyn. Peltometsäjärjestelmien omaksumista hidastavat kuitenkin monet tekijät, esimerkiksi epäselvyys puihin liittyvistä oikeuksista ja viljelijän hallussa olevan maapinta-alan pienuus. Tämän tutkimuksen tavoitteet olivat seuraavat: (1) Sudanin kuivien ja puolikuivien alueiden maankäyttötapojen luokitus ja niiden yhteiskunnallisten ja taloudellisten vaikutusten analyysi; (2) Luontaisten akasiapuiden ja viljelykasvien yhdistämiseen perustuvan, Sudanissa käytetyn ”puistomaisen peltometsäviljelyn” (parkland agroforestry), edellytysten ja rajoitusten määrittely; (3) Peltokasvien sadonvaihtelun syiden analyysi (ajanjakso 2001-2010); sekä (4) Maankäytön muutosten luonnonmetsiin ja maaperän tuottokykyyn kohdistuvien vaikutusten tarkastelu (ajanjakso 1972-2010). Tutkimus tehtiin kahdella erillisellä alueella, El Dalissa (12° 5ʹ N, 32° 58ʹ E) ja El Mazmumissa (14° 7ʹ N, 34° 42ʹ E), Sudanin Sennarin osavaltiossa. Kotitalouksia ja satomääriä koskevat tiedot kerättiin 281:ltä satunnaisesti valitulta viljelijäperheeltä haastattelemalla näitä edeltä käsin laaditun kyselylomakkeen mukaisesti. Sademäärä- ja maaperätiedot sekä maankäytön muutosten tutkimuksessa käytetyt kaukokartoitusaineistot saatiin asianomaisilta sudanilaisilta organisaatioilta. Satotilastoja ja kotitalouksia koskevia tietoja analysoitiin sekä kvalitatiivisin että kvantitatiivisin menetelmin. Sademäärähavaintoja ´tutkittiin MAKESENS Excel-kaavion avulla. GIS-ohjelmistosovelluksia käytettiin maankäytön muutosten ja ekonomista analyysiä viljelykasvien taloudellisen kannattavuuden selvittämiseksi eri maankäyttötapojen yhteydessä. Puistomaiset peltometsäviljelyjärjestelmät, jotka siis koostuvat yleensä luontaisista akasiapuista ja viljelykasveista, olivat liiketaloudellisesti kannattavampia ja tuottivat myös suuremman viljelykasvisadon kuin pelkkä yhden lajin viljely. Peltometsäviljelyn käyttöönottoa edistivät seuraavat tekijät: perheen jäsenten lukumäärä, suotuisat viljelyolosuhteet, neuvontaorganisaatioiden tarjoama tuki, ja viljelyssä olevan maan suurempi pinta-ala. Vastaavasti esteitä peltometsäviljelyn omaksumiselle aiheuttivat puiden omistusoikeuden epäselvyys, viljelijöiden ja neuvontaorganisaatioiden yhteistyön puute, puiden taimien saannin vaikeus (tilanteissa joissa viljelijä olisi istuttamalla halunnut lisätä puiden määrää), karjan vapaa laidunnus sekä maata omistavien viljelijöiden taipumus vuokrata koko tila maatta omistamattomille vuokraviljelijöille. Tutkittujen viljelykasvien (durra, helmihirssi ja seesam) sadot riippuivat sademäärän vuosittaisesta vaihtelusta enemmän kuin maatalouden tuotantotekniikasta. Maankäyttö ja maan peitteisyys oli suuresti muuttunut tutkitulla ajanjaksolla, mistä on ollut selviä haitallisia seurauksia maaperän viljavuudelle ja viljelykasvien satotasolle. Tutkimuksen perusteella voitiin päätellä, että viljelykasvien satomäärien jatkuva pieneneminen on johtunut sääolojen vaihtelusta, maaperän köyhtymisestä ja kriittisten tuotantopanosten puuttumisesta. Vaikka akasioiden myönteiset vaikutukset sadon määrään ovat yleisesti tiedossa, puiden käyttöoikeudesta vallitseva epäselvyys on suurin yksittäinen tekijä, joka estää viljelijöitä käyttämästä peltometsäviljelyä, joka kuitenkin olisi paras maankäytön vaihtoehto kestävän ruoantuotannon saavuttamiseksi ja maaseudun väestön toimeentulon pysyväksi parantamiseksi näillä Sudanin alueilla

An Investigation of Geomechanical and Microstructural Properties of Full-Scale Jet Grout Column Constructed in Organic Soil

Jet grouting methods have recently become one of the soil enhancement technologies utilized to provide strength improvement and solve most problems of weak soils. In this study, a full-scale 1 m diameter and 5 m length jet grout (soilcrete) column was constructed in the field with a water-to-cement ratio of 1 and 400 bar pressure injections. A mechanical, physical, and microstructural investigation was performed on jet grout samples taken from six different depths (0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, and 2.5 m) and at the same depth at five different locations, including the center. For normal conditions, samples were prepared for six periods to study dry and saturated conditions. The following tests are performed on each sample: compressive strength index (I-s) in all conditions, water absorption, density, porosity, and interface friction. Additionally, SEM was performed on selected samples to investigate the microstructures of jet grout columns (JGCs). The test results showed that the I-s varies with depth, and within the same depth, the variation is approximately 20%. Other properties also vary with depth and location; for example, the average percentage of water absorption and porosity are considered minimum values at the same location, which are 53 and 30%, respectively. However, the interface friction angle of organic soil-cement grout gains 48 degrees and 10 kPa cohesion. The theoretical part of this study is to predict the diameter of JGC in organic soil

Effect of Toxicant and Predator Harvesting on a Predator-prey Model with Modified Leslie-Gower

في هذا البحث، تم نمذجة تأثير الملوثات في البيئة على أنواع الفرائس والحيوانات المفترسة وحصاد الحيوانات المفترسة باستخدام معدل الحصاد المعدل ليزلي- جاور وغير الخطي. يتم إثبات الإيجابية وحدود الحل، ويتم تحديد الشروط التي تجعل النموذج دائمة، ويتم دراسة الوجود والاستقرار التقريبي محليًا لكل نقطة توازن محتملة، ويتم إجراء الحل العددي للنموذج المقترح، لإظهار التأثير وتأكيد النتيجة التحليليةIn this paper, the effect of pollutant in environment on prey and predator species and predator harvesting is modeled using modified Leslie-Gower and nonlinear harvesting rate. Positivity and bounded of solution are proved, conditions which make the model permanent is determined, existence and locally asymptotically stable for each of possibly equilibrium point is studied, numerical solution of proposed model is done to show the effect and to confirm the analytical result.   

A pilot study on the use of low level laser therapy in treatment of temporomandibular disorder

Temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) is a collective term that embracing a number of clinical problems that involve the masticatory muscles, Temporomandibular Joint (TMJs), and the associated structures. It characterized by facial pain in the area of TMJ and muscle of mastication, restriction and sound during mandibular movement. Recently physical therapy such as Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) is used as one of the treatment modalities and it is believed to promote wound healing, tissue repair and induce analgesia. Materials and methods: Convenience sampling was used which consist of 22 volunteered patients, 14 were treated with conventional treatment and 8 were treated with combination of LLLT and conventional therapy. Laser machine used was Waterlase/Biolase © 2007 with irradiation 0.5 W- 30 Hz daily for three consecutive days, then once a week review treatment for two weeks. The space between laser beam and skin is 3 cm, applied as small circles for 2-3 minutes. Pain intensity before and after the treatment was recorded by using numerical rating scale (NRS). Statistical data analysis was conducted using SPSS software. Wilcoxon-sign ranked-test and Mann-Whitney U test were used. Results: Pain intensity was reduced significantly in patients whom treated by combination of LLLT and conventional therapy. (p<0.05). Pain intensity after treatment for female were higher (M=1.20, SD=1.10) than for male (M=0.00, SD=0.00). Younger patients have higher pain intensity than older patients. LLLT is effective to be used as adjunct to the current conventional treatment in relieving pain in TMD

Potential Anti-Tuberculosis Activity of the Extracts and Their Active Components of Anogeissus leiocarpa (DC.) Guill. and Perr. with Special Emphasis on Polyphenols

In Sudanese traditional medicine, decoctions of the stem bark of Anogeissus leiocarpa are used for the treatment of tuberculosis (TB). However, this plant has not been investigated before for its antimycobacterial effects. Our screening results show, for the first time, that many extracts of various parts of A. leiocarpa exhibit growth inhibitory activity against Mycobacterium smegmatis. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values ranged between 625 and 5000 µg/mL, with an ethyl acetate extract of the root showing the lowest MIC value. The good antimycobacterial effects of the root part could be due to its high concentration of ellagic acid derivatives, ellagitannins, and flavonoids. Thin layer chromatography (TLC) fractionation resulted in some fractions with better activity than the starting point crude methanol extract (MIC 2500 µg/mL). Those fractions with the lowest MIC values contained a high number of antioxidant compounds. Fractions 3 and 4 (MIC 1500 and 1000 µg/mL, respectively) contained high concentrations of di-methyl ellagic acid ([M-H]− 329.0318). Fraction 6 (MIC 2000 µg/mL) contained a lower concentration of di-methyl ellagic acid and was not as growth inhibitory as fractions 3 and 4. Moreover, in fraction 3, an acetylated ellagic acid derivative ([M-H]− 343.0477) and di-methyl-ellagic acid xyloside ([M-H]− 461.0739) were tentatively characterized. Di-methyl ellagic acid xyloside was also present in fraction 4 and could strongly contribute to the antimycobacterial effect of this fraction. Additionally, protocatechuic acid ([M-H]− at m/z 153.0196) was present in fraction 4. Our antimycobacterial results obtained from this research justify the use of A. leiocarpa in Sudanese folk medicine against cough related to TB. Roots, stem bark, and leaves of A. leiocarpa are sources for new potent anti-TB drug lead compounds

Potential Anti-Tuberculosis Activity of the Extracts and Their Active Components of Anogeissus leiocarpa (DC.) Guill. and Perr. with Special Emphasis on Polyphenols

In Sudanese traditional medicine, decoctions of the stem bark of Anogeissus leiocarpa are used for the treatment of tuberculosis (TB). However, this plant has not been investigated before for its antimycobacterial effects. Our screening results show, for the first time, that many extracts of various parts of A. leiocarpa exhibit growth inhibitory activity against Mycobacterium smegmatis. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values ranged between 625 and 5000 µg/mL, with an ethyl acetate extract of the root showing the lowest MIC value. The good antimycobacterial effects of the root part could be due to its high concentration of ellagic acid derivatives, ellagitannins, and flavonoids. Thin layer chromatography (TLC) fractionation resulted in some fractions with better activity than the starting point crude methanol extract (MIC 2500 µg/mL). Those fractions with the lowest MIC values contained a high number of antioxidant compounds. Fractions 3 and 4 (MIC 1500 and 1000 µg/mL, respectively) contained high concentrations of di-methyl ellagic acid ([M-H]− 329.0318). Fraction 6 (MIC 2000 µg/mL) contained a lower concentration of di-methyl ellagic acid and was not as growth inhibitory as fractions 3 and 4. Moreover, in fraction 3, an acetylated ellagic acid derivative ([M-H]− 343.0477) and di-methyl-ellagic acid xyloside ([M-H]− 461.0739) were tentatively characterized. Di-methyl ellagic acid xyloside was also present in fraction 4 and could strongly contribute to the antimycobacterial effect of this fraction. Additionally, protocatechuic acid ([M-H]− at m/z 153.0196) was present in fraction 4. Our antimycobacterial results obtained from this research justify the use of A. leiocarpa in Sudanese folk medicine against cough related to TB. Roots, stem bark, and leaves of A. leiocarpa are sources for new potent anti-TB drug lead compounds

EVALUASI KEBIJAKAN PEMERINTAH DI BAGIAN INFRASTRUKTUR UNTUK MENDUKUNG KOTA TIDORE KEPULAUAN SEBAGAI KOTA JASA BERBASIS AGROMARINE

Persiapan pembangunan dari segi fisik infrastruktur prioritas dapat melalui identifikasi potensi dan serta perencanaan induk dalam mendukung pengembangan Kota Tidore Kepulauan sebagai kota jasa berbasis agromarine. Dengan basis Agromarine yang merupakan percepatan dan mengoptimalkan pembangunan dan percepatan pemanfaatan sumber daya potensial dan unggulan di darat maupun di laut yang meliputi sektor perikanan, pariwisata, pertanian untuk mewujudkan kesejahteraan masyarakat. Infrastruktur menjadi faktor utama untuk mendukung terwujudnya Kota Tidore Kepulauan sebagai kota jasa berbasi agromarine, karena pola agromarine di tekankan harus didukung dengan pembangunan infrasktruktur yang memawadai. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui Kota Tidore Kepulauan menjadi kota jasa berbasis agromarine dengan mengidentifikasi dan mengevaluasi 5 bidang pendukung di program infrastruktur.Penelitian ini mengunakan metode analisis Deskrpitif Kualitatif dan evaluatif dengan mengidentifikasi data yang sudah ada di 5 bidang pada program infrastrukutur, dan mengevaluasi menggunakan parameter yang telah di tentukan.Hasil rangkaian analisis yang di lakukan, di peroleh bahwa 5 bidang khususnya program infrastruktur tahun 2016-2018 dari 5 bidang belum semua mencapai target (100%) di antaranya di bidang Petanian 2016, 33% 2017, 33%, 2018, 66%, di bidang perikanan 2016, 50%. 2017, 50%, 2018 50%, di bidang kelauatan 2016, 50%, 2017, 50%, 2018, 50%, di bidang pariwisata 2016, 66%, 2017, 33%, 2018, 66%, di bidang pekerjaan umum 2016, 42%, 2017, 50%, 2018, 65%. 5 bidang pada pogram Infrastruktur banyak yang belum sesuai dengan kebijakan yang di buat oleh pemerintah.Kata Kunci: Agromarine, Program, Infrastruktur, Kota Tidore Kepulauan

An Investigation of Toilet Cleanliness Assessment and People Monitoring at Rest and Service Area (R&R) X and Y

Facility management services are essential for maintaining the effective functioning and safety of buildings. Soft facility management services aim to enhance the work environment by improving efficiency and safety. Poor toilet hygiene due to inadequate care poses a threat to human health and safety. The objectives are to measure the effect of public toilet cleanliness based on the number of people and to analyse the relationship between the level of toilet cleanliness and the number of people. Observation methods were employed to monitor the number of people and evaluate toilet cleanliness from 9:00 a.m. to 17:30 p.m. at R&amp;R X and Y. Linear regression analysis were conducted to determine R2 values for each location and using a one-way ANOVA. The R2 values represent the relationship between the star rating and the number of people. The result shows the R2 valuesfor men’s and women’s toilets at R&amp;R X on weekdays and weekends are R2 = 0.7643, R2 = 0.7784, R2 = 0.2479, and R2 = 0.2245. For men’s and women’s toilets at R&amp;R Y on weekdays and weekends, R2 = 0.1733, R2 = 0.2583, R2 = 0.5591, and R2 = 0.6939. In conclusion, it was found that the R2 values on the men’s toilets at R&amp;R X and the women’s toilets at R&amp;R Y had a strong and moderate relationship to the number of people and star rating. Meanwhile, women’s toilets at R&amp;R X and men’s toilets at R&amp;R Y have a weak relationship between the number of people and the star rating. It important to maintain the cleanliness, user comfort and safety, as well as the overall satisfaction of use, to maintain 5-star rating to ensure thatusers who use public toilets feel comfortable

Impact of agroforestry parklands on crop yield and income generation : case study of rainfed farming in the semi-arid zone of Sudan

National food security has been a major policy goal in Sudan since the country gained its independence in 1956. One of the fundamental reasons is to ensure the social welfare for people living in rural areas. In this study we aimed to analyse how farmers secure their food and generate income in the semi-arid Sennar state in Sudan, using two selected sites, El Dali and El Mazmum, as examples. We interviewed 281 randomly sampled household heads, of which 145 at El Dali and 136 at El Mazmum, between July and November 2011. We identified four distinct land use systems, of which three consist of monocropping and one of cultivation in agroforestry parklands. Several statistical techniques and economic analysis were applied on the study data. Our results show that, in the two areas, the highest average yields over a 10-year period for the three crops studied, sorghum, pearl millet and sesame, were achieved in agroforestry system, except for the case of sesame at El Mazmum. Economic returns for the farmers, as indicated by net present value or benefit/cost ratio, followed the same pattern. The study concludes that farmers should rely more on agroforestry to improve their food security and cash income generation. Land use and land right policies, which currently discourage farmers from growing trees on their lands, should be revised, so as to give more incentive to them to adopt ecologically and economically more sustainable land use practices.Peer reviewe