Adoption Of Cultural Practices Research Articles

Analyzing The Contribution of Western Acculturation to The Socio-Economic Disenfranchisement of Pakistani Expatriates in the United Arab Emirates

The impact of acculturation on the West has primarily been explored through the favorable and adverse effects of immigration. However, the conversation surrounding the impact of western acculturation on the rest of the world is relatively undeveloped. Here, on the basis that acculturation is the adoption of cultural practices and can exist without the physical presence of a dominant culture, the impact of western acculturation will be associated with the socioeconomic disenfranchisement of an overseas population: Pakistani expatriates in the United Arab Emirates. More specifically, free education and western media are identified as mechanisms of western acculturation. Both media induced and free education induced acculturation constitute a level of agreeability that acclimates workers to the social structure of the capitalistic business model employed in the UAE. Media induced acculturation directly predisposes Pakistani expatriates in the UAE to the socioeconomic disenfranchisement that accompanies the power dynamic in the social structure of the capitalistic business model. Education models in the UAE institutionalize western acculturation, possibly leading to socioeconomic disenfranchisement and deep-rooted cultural change. Deep-rooted cultural change becomes imperative when considering the promotion of globalization in that although globalization may provide a broader cultural perspective, it can also eliminate cultures via acculturation-induced cultural dominance.

Physico-Chemical Characterization of Soils for the Promotion of Precision Agriculture in Irrigated Rice Cultivation in the Zio Valley in Togo

To sustainably improve rice production in the Zio valley, this study characterized the soils of the developed area. More specifically, the study: (i) determined the Physico-chemical properties of soils and (ii) analyzed the impact of rice cultivation on these chemical parameters. Thirty-six (36) fields of producers were selected and distributed in the 4 villages of the irrigated perimeter: 10 in Kovié, 9 in Mission Tové; 9 in Ziwonou, and 8 in Assomé. The samples were manually collected at a depth of 0-30 cm and analyzed at the soil laboratory of the Togolese Institute of Agronomic Research (ITRA). Physically, the soils are sandy-loamy in Kovié (100%), sandy-loamy in Mission Tové (56%), clayey in Assomé (57%), and Ziovonou (78%). Chemically, the soils are acidic with an average pH of 5.57. They present low (0.89%) and moderate (1.3%) limitation levels respectively for nitrogen and organic matter, very severe for assimilable phosphate (2.3±0.16 ppm), and cation exchange capacity (4.64±0.26 meq/100g of soil) and severe for exchangeable potassium (0.14±0.01 meq/100g of soil). The study also showed a significant decrease in the quantities of Nitrogen, Carbon, Potassium exchangeable, and cation exchange capacity respectively of 57%, 72%, 56%, and 85% compared to 1964. The adoption of cultural practices having a less negative impact on the chemical characteristics of the soil combined with an update of the adapted fertilization formulas become imperatives to ensure sustainable exploitation of the perimeter.

Cultural influences on infant and toddler feeding among low-income Latinx mothers.

Latinx infants and toddlers experience higher obesity rates than their black or white counterparts, increasing chronic disease risk later in life. Infant and toddler feeding (ITF) interventions are shown to improve dietary behaviours, but few studies target Latinx populations. Culturally tailoring such interventions is imperative, but cultural influences on Latinx ITF practices remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to characterize how culture influences ITF practices among Latinx mothers of low income. A brief survey and semistructured interview informed by the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) were conducted on Zoom with New York City‐based Latinx mothers of children 4 to 24 months old. A directed content analysis approach was used to identify themes using TPB theoretical codes and inductive codes. Transcripts were coded independently by two researchers using NVivo 12. Survey data were analyzed using descriptive statistics in Excel. Participants (n = 19) were of Dominican, Mexican and Central and South American origin, had low acculturation scores and mean child age was 16.7 months (range: 5–24 months old). The central theme identified was that participants balanced cultural information with evidence‐based health information to determine which ITF practices were most beneficial to infant/toddler health. This resulted in the adoption of evidence‐based ITF recommendations, adoption of cultural practices that aligned with evidence‐based recommendations and dismissal or postponement of cultural ITF practices that contradicted evidence‐based recommendations. The present results can be applied to culturally relevant ITF education as follows: emphasizing the benefits of desirable ITF practices on children's health and promoting healthy cultural ITF practices.

The Socio-Cultural Integration: The Case of Kuti Resettlement Site in Kaffa Zone, South-West Ethiopia

This study investigates the socio-cultural integration of resettler and host communities in Kuti resettlement site in Gimbo woreda one of the resettlement sites selected for the 1985/86 resettlement program. The study was conducted with 20 participants selected from the resettled and host communities. The premise for the selection of the mentioned study site is the absence of prior research in the site and to add some additional knowledge on few researches done in socio-cultural integration aspect of resettlers in general. The research follows the procedures of an exploratory case study design in examining the experiences of socio-cultural integration between the host and resettler communities. Unstructured interview guide and two FGD sessions were used as the data collection instruments. Content analysis technique was applied in this study. This technique used to analyze their socio-cultural experiences and the perceptions towards each other. Three key findings are emerged from this study. The first is that both the resettler and host communities generally have positive regard towards each other. The second finding showed that different strategies of socio-cultural integration are used by the communities such as: intermarriage, sharecropping and adoption of cultural practices. The third major finding showed that the two greatest challenges to integration are lack of equal political participation and stereotyping by both communities. In conclusion, the study findings showed that there are aspects of socio-cultural integration which were manifested socially and culturally. The social manifestations included: intermarriage, God parenting, friendship, sharecropping, borrowing and lending. The cultural manifestation pertained to the adoption of different cultural practices by both communities. The challenges of integration were also perceived by the participants as resolvable in the long run and not severe to threaten future prospects for further integration.

Sugarcane Farmers Perception, Comprehension Regarding Climate Change and its Mitigation Through Adoption of Cultural Practices

Sugarcane is an important cash crop in Pakistan. Recently, the average per hectare production of sugarcane is low due to climatic variation. Therefore, sugarcane farmers are threatened by this emerging issue that has drastically affected their livelihoods, food security, and sustainability. This study was designed to analyze the perception, comprehension, and adoption of cultural practices in the mitigation of the impact of climate change. For this purpose, district Rahim yar khan was selected purposively from the Province of Punjab as the universe of the study; as one of the highly cultivated areas among all districts of Punjab. From selected districts, two tehsils were randomly selected, namely Sadiqabad and Kanpur. From each selected tehsil, 5 villages were selected using randomized sampling technique. In each selected village, 18 sugarcane farmers were selected randomly thus, making a total of 180 respondents. The data were collected through quantitative methods. A pre-tested and well-structured interview schedule was developed for the collection of information from sugarcane farmers. Data were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics through the Statistical Package for Social Sciences. Results indicated that there was a significant difference between the two groups, adopter and non-adopters of mitigation strategies towards climate change. The results revealed that the majority (98.3 % and 75 %) of the growers reported that an increase in temperature and deforestation for the last five years respectively. Moreover, residues burring and deforestation were major causes of climate change followed by an excess of CO2 from agriculture activities and farm operations. The study recommended that the adoption of cultural practices in mitigation of the impact of climate change should be promoted through information sources.

‘Las penas con pan son menos’: Race, Modernity and Wheat in Modern Mexico

In post-revolutionary Mexico, wheat became the gateway to modernity, the element that would transform indigenous peoples into mestizos and the working class into middle class. Growing wheat or transforming its flour into bread was believed to be a way to introduce peasants into the money economy. Meanwhile, having bread or cakes represented the adoption of cultural practices associated with the middle and upper class. This article explores the consumption of wheat bread and cakes, the values identified with these foodstuffs and how changes in eating practices were propelled in mid twentieth-century Mexico. Wheat consumption, I argue, symbolized the process of mestizaje which meant the adoption of western and middle-class practices by the poor and the peasantry in order to modernize the nation. Therefore, modern Mexicans began to eat sandwiches and celebrate birthdays with cakes instead of corn-based meals such as tamales and atole.

Phenological growth stages of the cashew tree (Anacardium occidentale L.) according to the extended BBCH scale

AbstractThe cashew is an important nut crop cultivated in the tropical regions. It is known for its economic and nutritional value. Phenology is the study of seasonal timing of recurring events in the annual growth cycle. A generic scale such as the Biologische Bundesantalt, Bundessortenamt and Chemische Industrie (BBCH) scale defines developmentally similar growth stages of different crops and within it, more specific scales for individual species can be developed. In the current study, detailed descriptions and codes are proposed for the growth stages of cashew using a modified three‐digit scale of BBCH. Seven principal growth stages viz. bud, leaf and shoot development, inflorescence emergence, flowering, fruit development, and fruit maturity were described. A total of thirty‐seven secondary growth stages were identified and described within the seven principal growth stages. Due to the importance of phenological growth stages in crop management and crop improvement, the proposed phenological scale is expected to facilitate better adoption of cultural practices, efficient germplasm characterisation and help in studying the impact of climate change on cashew production.

Codling moth and its area wide integrated pest management in Kargil, Ladakh

The present study was aimed to understand the impact of area wide pest management capsule against codling moth (CM) in Kargil region. Different management strategies implemented include pheromone traps for monitoring and mass trapping, three consecutive sprays with three different insecticides each and cultural practices like destruction of infested fruits and burlapping of tree trunks. Time of application of different tools of pest management from biofix to overwintering of larvae yielded significant results in reducing the damage in comparison to control. Average captures of codling moth/trap/week were 7.73 and 6.52 during I and II year, respectively. The mean fruit injury during I year was recorded at 19.62% against control at 70.65%, while, during II year, it was recorded at 14.38% against control (67.18%). Overall impact of the pest management module recorded significant reduction in pest infestation and consequently in CM fruit injury in comparison to control during both the years of study. Results of the two year study revealed that, installation of pheromone traps for monitoring and mass trapping, combined with timely application of three consecutive insecticide sprays and adoption of cultural practices like removal and destruction of infested fruits and burlapping of tree trunks, effectively controlled the larval infestation in the field.

Evolution and perspective of the temperate fruit crops in São Paulo state, Brazil

This work was carried out to show the current situation of the temperate fruit crops in São Paulo state, Brazil, with an emphasis on grapes, peaches, apples, plums, nectarines and pears crops. Current economic data of crops, major growing regions, main cultivars produced, as well as the new technologies generated by research are presented. Regarding the grape crop, a decrease in the national production as well as in the major growing states was observed. The main grapes growing centers in São Paulo state are presented, highlighting its peculiarities regarding cultivars, cultural crop management and current researches. A trend has been observed toward increasing Niagara Rosada grape growing area rather than the fine table grape cultivars. It was also observed the adoption of cultural practices, aiming to increase productivity, to improve the fruits quality and to reduce manpower necessity. In terms of stone fruits, peaches are the most widely cultivated in São Paulo state, followed by plums and nectarines. Both for stone fruits crop and for apples and pears crops, statistics and comments are presented on the crops evolution as well as the current researches results and the requirements of these fruit crops in São Paulo state, Brazil.

Factors that Affect Development of Collar Rot on Tobacco Seedlings Grown in Greenhouses.

Collar rot, caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, is an important disease of tobacco transplants produced under greenhouse conditions. Factors that affect the development of the disease were studied, including age of seedlings, presence of an external source of nutrients (leaf extract), clipping (leaf removal) practices, exposure to low temperature, and leaf injury caused by heat and a chemical. Flue-cured tobacco seedlings, cultivar K-326, were grown in polystyrene cell trays floating on a nutrient solution. Trays were maintained in a phytotron growth chamber with a 28/18°C day/night temperature regime. Seedlings were inoculated with ascospores of S. sclerotiorum at the desired stage of growth by placing mature apothecia in the growth chamber and inducing ascospore release and deposition. Disease incidence was determined by examining seedlings for the presence of stem lesions over the next 15 to 21days. Seedlings between 35 and 53 days old were more susceptible to collar rot than younger or older seedlings. Inoculum efficiency was highest and disease was most severe when an external source of nutrients was present on leaf surfaces. Clipping of leaf tips did not increase disease, but if the leaf pieces created by clipping were left on seedlings, collar rot development was enhanced compared with treatments where debris was removed. Heat and chemical injuries that resulted in necrotic tissue provided highly susceptible infection courts for ascospores of S. sclerotiorum, but exposure to low temperature, which caused no visible injury, did not enhance infection. Adoption of cultural practices that minimize accumulation of leaf debris and eliminate factors that cause necrotic injury on leaves should greatly reduce the severity of collar rot of tobacco seedlings.

The application of climatic data for planning and management of sustainable rainfed and irrigated crop production

Sustainable food production will depend on the judicious use of water resources as fresh water for human consumption and agriculture is becoming increasingly scarce. To meet future food demands and growing competition for clean water, a more effective use of water in both irrigated and rainfed agriculture will be essential. Options to increase water use efficiency include the conservation of rainfall, the reduction of irrigation water losses and the adoption of cultural practices that will increase production per unit of water. Water use for crop production is depending on the interaction of climatic parameters that determine crop evapotranspiration and water supply from rain. The compilation, processing and analysis of meteorological information for crop water use and crop production will therefore constitute a key element in developing strategies to optimize the use of water for crop production and to introduce effective water management practices. In the 1970s, FAO developed practical procedures to estimate crop water requirements and yield response to water stress which have become widely accepted standards in the planning and management of irrigated and rainfed agriculture. As a follow-up to recommendations of a panel of high-level experts convened in 1990, further studies have been carried out which have led to the development of revised procedures for reference evapotranspiration and crop evapotranspiration. The new procedures and guidelines have been recently published in the FAO Irrigation and Drainage series and include the adoption of the Penman–Monteith approach as the new standard for determining reference crop evapotranspiration (ET o) calculations. Procedures have been developed to use the method also in conditions when no or limited data on humidity, radiation and wind speed are available. Procedures for estimating crop evapotranspiration are revised with an update of the crop coefficients that allow more accurate estimates for a wide range of crops and for various crop, soil and water management practices. Daily ET o calculations are included by separating soil evaporation and crop transpiration estimates through the dual crop coefficient. The use of climatic data for the development of practical criteria in planning and management of irrigated and rainfed crop production is demonstrated at the hand of some examples using the FAO computer programmes and climatic database. Agrometeorology needs to play a key role in the looming global water crisis. Appropriate strategies and policies need to be defined, including strengthening of national capacities in the use of climatic data for planning and management of sustainable agriculture and drought mitigation. Cooperation between FAO and WMO in this field may serve as an example of such efforts.

Environmental problems from practicing agriculture in Prespa National Park, Greece

Prespa National Park is situated at the northwestern corner of Greece bordering Yugoslavia and Albania and covers 25,690 ha of which 8,114 ha are lake. The remaining area is forest, rangeland and arable land in the vicinity of twelve villages. The objectives of the park authority are to preserve the wetland with its special fauna of rare bird species, its flora, the geomorphological formations of the lake and the natural environment. The nucleus of the park is comprised by Lake Mikri Prespa and the surrounding wetland. It is in this wetland that an exceptional assemblage of rare and endangered species breed. However, the park is recently undergoing rapid development of its agroecosystems in terms both of higher subsidiary energy inputs, notably irrigation, and of acreage, i.e. of substituting some of the wetland for cropland. The objective of this study was to assess the potential environmental hazards from practicing agriculture in the park and to propose measures of abatement. Assessment was based on field surveys, administration documents and interviews. Cropland is not intensively used at present. Two thirds is covered by winter cereals and the remaining by other row crops (beans and potatoes). There are no deciduous orchards. Practices are carried out without regard for environmental conservation. Farmers' attitudes towards the wildlife range from indifference to hostility because they attribute the lag in their economic development to the past restrictions imposed by the National Park Administration. The main environmental consequences from the ongoing agricultural development in Prespa are assessed to be a dramatic increase of nonpoint agricultural pollution of the lake, with phosphorus and pesticides as the primary pollutants. Moreover, accidents in the use of pesticides may lead to immediate deterioration of the nucleus wildlife habitats. Since irrigated agroecosystems are there to stay and grow in subsidiary energy, measures are needed to prevent harmful consequences. Such measures are the alleviation of the land ownership problem, adoption of cultural practices to limit soil erosion, rational use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides and education of farmers. It is concluded that the internationally invaluable natural ecosystems of the park are definitely threatened by the development of the irrigated agroecosystems. The measures proposed will limit this threat and at the same time will help to perpetuate the productivity of the agroecosystems themselves.