Agricultural Development Area Research Articles

K. R. S. Morris and Tsetse Eradication in the Gold Coast, 1928-51

This article investigates the anti-tsetse fly work of colonial entomologist K. R. S. Morris in the Northern Territories of the Gold Coast between 1928 and 1951. Morris's main programme was directed at the Lawra District of the north-west, where he claimed to have eliminated the tsetse population and trypanosomiasis by the end of his tenure. This achievement allowed farmers to move into the formerly infested land and reclaim the area for agricultural development. As an added benefit, Morris also claimed, eliminating tsetse flies in the Lawra District reduced the incidence of sleeping sickness in the main market towns of north-west Ashanti. The article charts Morris's work, which is historically significant for a number of reasons. First, it reveals much about the connection between anti-tsetse work and colonial development doctrine in northern Ghana. Second, it highlights the importance of studying colonial practices. Morris's clearing programme appears to have worked, but it was almost certainly based on faulty theories of tsetse ecology. In this sense, the story of anti-tsetse work in the Northern Territories shows that we might learn as much from colonial practices as from colonial ideologies.

Big Cypress regional ecosystem conceptual ecological model

The Big Cypress region of southwest Florida is a diverse mosaic of upland pine flatwoods and hardwood hammocks, herbaceous wet prairies and marshes, and forested wetlands. Besides large natural landscapes, it includes extensive areas of residential and agricultural development. Dominant natural controlling factors are hydrology on the low relief land surface and fire in a subtropical environment with a strong wet-dry seasonal cycle of rainfall. Human influences on the Big Cypress ecosystem are all associated with extensive residential and agricultural development. Lowered water levels and shortened hydroperiods cause shifts to drier communities, which leads to habitat loss and more intense fires. Higher nutrient concentrations associated with agriculture and more mineralized ground-water inputs from a variety of sources favor nuisance and exotic plant species. Fragmentation of the plant community mosaic interferes with seasonal expansion and contraction of wetland water bodies and associated seasonal movements of animal populations. Fragmentation also interferes with wildlife movements and the natural spread of fire across the landscape. Disturbed environments along edges created by fragmentation facilitate invasion of natural plant and animal communities by exotic species. Efforts to eradicate fire have eliminated large areas of early successional communities, while creating high fuel loads that ultimately result in very destructive fires. The spread of exotic plants is resulting in the replacement of large areas of native plant communities, but the effects of exotic animal invasions on native animal populations are poorly known. The objective of this paper is to present a conceptual model of the major human influences on the Big Cypress region, and how they affect natural processes and selected components of the ecosystem.

The economics of hybrid power systems for sustainable desert agriculture in Egypt

Egypt has embarked on an ambitious desert land reclamation program in order to increase total food production. Energy planners for these desert agriculture locations have chosen diesel generation power technology because minimization of the initial capital cost of a power supply system is their top priority. This heavy reliance on diesel generation has negative effects on the surrounding environment including soil, groundwater, and air pollution. Although good solar and wind resource prospects exist for the use of cleaner hybrid power systems in certain desert locations, little research has been done to investigate the economic potential of such systems in Egypt’s desert agriculture sector. Using optimization software, we assess the economics of hybrid power systems versus the present diesel generation technology in a remote agricultural development area. We also consider the emission reduction advantages of using hybrid systems. Interestingly enough, optimization results show that hybrid systems are less costly than diesel generation from a net present cost perspective even with the high diesel fuel price subsidies. Since hybrids are also more environmentally friendly, they represent a strong step towards achieving sustainable desert agriculture.

Biodiversity of diazotrophs associated to the plant cover of north sinai deserts: Biodiversität diazotropher assoziiert mit der pflanendecke der wüsten nordsinais

Efforts are made to record biodiversity of microflora and diazotrophs associated with the plant cover of the major agricultural development areas in north Sinai, around the El-Salam canal, a newly-constructed canal that brings Nile water westward across the Suez canal. Natural plant communities were collected from three major areas. Ectorhizosphere, endorhizosphere and phyllosphere samples were examined for total microbial population and diazotrophs. The vegetation of South Qantara (area I) is characterized by the dominance of Stipagrostis scoparia followed by Nitraria retusa, Convolvulus lanatus, Cornulaca monacantha and Filago desertorum. Rabaa-Bir El Abd (area II) is dominated by Artemisia monosperma, Panicum turgidum and Zygophyllum album. Euphorbia terracina, Oligomeris linifolia, Astragalus kahiricus, Hyoscyamus muticus and Thymelea hirsuta represent the major plants of El Ser and Al Quarir (area III). Microorganisms colonized root surfaces of all tested plants ranging from > 105 to 1010 cfu g − 1. Diazotrophs were common residents (1010 cfu g − 1), invaded the root tissue and established endophytically (102 – 106 cfu g − 1). Fifty-one N2-fixing isolates were obtained. Among the 32 bacilli isolates, Bacillus polymyxa and Bacillus circulans were more common compared to Bacillus macerans. BNF Gram-negative isolates belonged to Enterobacter agglomerans, Enterobacter gergoviae, Enterobacter amnigenus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas luteola, Pseudomonas cepacia, Agrobacterium radiobacter and Azospirillum spp.

Biodiversity of microorganisms in semi-arid soils of north sinai deserts

North Sinai environment is currently subjected to changes due to the major agricultural development project of El-Salam canal which brings Nile water to the arid deserts of Sinai. Therefore, intensive efforts are made to record biodiversity of natural microflora and diazotrophs associated to the plant-soil system of the major agricultural development areas around the canal. Fourteen soil profiles were made, during the seasons 1997-2000, representing major sites of the area investigated (South Qantara, Rabaa-Bir El-Abd and El-Ser and Al-Quarir). Physico-chemical and microbiological properties of soils tested are presented. Microbiological profiling included total population of Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria, sporeformers, thermophiles, diazotrophs and spore-forming diazotrophs. Results obtained are discussed to relate physico-chemical properties to soil biofertility in an effort to categorize general fertility levels of soils under investigation.

Study on Evaluation of Delineation under the Low of the Agricultural Development Area and its Actual Condition of Management

Study on Evaluation of Delineation under the Low of the Agricultural Development Area and its Actual Condition of Management

Impact of biotechnology on agriculture in China

China, the most populous developingcountry in the world, facing greatpressures regarding population growth,environmental deterioration and resourcedepletion, has ranked plant biology as one of its highest priorities since theearly 1950s, especially in the area ofagricultural development. Since plantbiotechnology became available, it hasdeveloped rapidly in agriculture-relatedplant biology research.Two crucial innovations – tissue andanther culture and DNArecombination –marked the emergence of plantbiotechnology onto the world stage in the 1960s and 1970s. Unfortunately,China was immersed in the CulturalRevolution during that period, and plantscientists were not allowed to do any basic research, although some researchrelated to crop breeding was permitted.For ~20 years, plant tissue culture andanther culture were among the mostactive research areas in plant science inChina because it was believed to be anefficient tool for plant breeding.Many talented young scientists at thattime devoted their careers to developingand improving the technology [1]. To date, >700 plant species have beencultivated successfully via tissue and/oranther culture [2], and >20 new agronomicvarieties have been obtained using thesetechniques [1].DNArecombination techniques were not introduced into China until theearly 1980s because of a lack of facilities,reagents and personnel with propertraining. Before that, isozyme analysiswith electrophoresis was popular, in part,because people believed that with thisinexpensive and relatively simpletechnique it was possible to investigategenetic as well as physiological changesin breeding and the regulation of plantgrowth. Also, because hybrid rice wasmassively used during that time, therewere demands for molecular markers for screening and quality control of hybrid seeds. During the mid-1980s, the first batch ofvisiting scholars sent to Western countriesafter the Cultural Revolution introducedDNArecombination techniques intoChina. Scientists, mainly those based inthe institutes of the Chinese Academy ofSciences (CAS) such as the Institute ofMicrobiology (Beijing), the ShanghaiInstitute of Plant Physiology, theShanghai Institute of Biochemistry andthe Institute of Genetics (Beijing), startedto work with plasmids, viruses andAgrobacteria. Over about five years, the creation of the National Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics (Shanghai)laid the foundation for plant molecularbiological research in China. Onenoteworthy invention from the Institute of Biochemistry by Guang-Yu Zhou, is the technique of transforming foreigngenes via the pollen tube pathway [3].Although this approach has beencontroversial since it was proposed, many transformations via this approachhave proven successful at the molecularlevel in crops such as cotton, rice, wheat,maize and soybean [4].After the introduction of DNArecombination techniques into China,Chinese scientists eagerly undertookprotoplast manipulation in the mid-1980s.More than 50 plant species have beengenetically engineered in China to date [1]. Although research into protoplast manipulation declined after the establishment of plant transformationwith

Social capital and farming at the rural–urban interface: the importance of nonfarmer and farmer relations

Because of growth and development in agricultural areas at the rural–urban interface, a variety of farmer adaptations have been identified. While exiting from farming or entrepreneurial adaptations that tap urban markets are frequently identified responses, farmers might also attempt to develop social capital, or neighborly relations, with nonfarm neighbors to mitigate social constraints created by nonfarmer concerns at the rural–urban interface. In a case study of an agricultural region within a large metropolitan area, this research reports data from a survey of farm and nonfarm residents ( N=620). The analysis operationalizes the concept of social capital, nonfarmer trust of farmers and frequency of nonfarmer interaction with farmers, to determine whether these social relations have a discernable impact on nonfarmer support or tolerance of agriculture. Results reveal a relationship, indicating that support and tolerance of agriculture is stronger when nonfarmers report the existence of social capital with farmers. These findings have implications for farm operator adaptations as well as community capacity to preserve or develop local agriculture.

Atmospheric quality and distribution of heavy metals in Argentina employing Tillandsia capillaris as a biomonitor

The atmospheric quality and distribution of heavy metals were evaluated throughout a wide region of Argentina. In addition, the biomonitor performance of Tillandsia capillaris Ruiz & Pav. f. capillaris was studied in relation to the accumulation of heavy metals and to its physiologic response to air pollutants. A sampling area of 50,000 km 2 was selected in the central region of the Argentine Republic. This area was subdivided into grids of 25×25 km. Pools of T. capillaris, where present, were collected at each intersection point. From each pool three sub-samples were analyzed independently. Furthermore, five replicates were collected at 20% of the points in order to analyze the variability within the site. The content of Co, Cu, Fe, Ni, Mn, Pb and Zn was determined by Atomic Absorption Spectrometry. Chemical-physiological parameters were also determined to detect symptoms of foliar damage. Chlorophylls, phaeophytins, hydroperoxy conjugated dienes, malondialdehyde and sulfur were quantified in T. capillaris. Some of these parameters were used to calculate a foliar damage index. Data sets were evaluated by one-way ANOVA, correlation analysis, principal component analysis and mapping. Geographical distribution patterns were obtained for the different metals reflecting the contribution of natural and anthropogenic emission sources. According to our results it can be inferred that Fe, Mn and Co probably originated in the soil. For Pb, the highest values were found in the mountainous area, which can be attributed to the presence of Pb in the granitic rocks. Ni showed mainly an anthropogenic origin, with higher values found in places next to industrial centers. For Zn the highest values were in areas of agricultural development. The same was observed for Cu, whose presence could be related to the employment of pesticides. The foliar damage index distribution map showed that the central and southeastern zones were the ones where the major damage in the bioindicator was found. The central zone coincides with the city of Córdoba whereas the southeastern area is strictly agricultural, so the high values found there could be related to the use of pesticides.

La moyenne vallée de l'Euphrate en Syrie : dynamique et potentiel de peuplement

The middle valley of the Euphrates in Syria: settlement patterns and potential. — The middle valley of the Euphrates in Syria is one of the places where the first organised establishments appeared and was one of the centres for the diffusion of people from Neolithic times. Now it is an area of intense agricultural development, which is about to disappear under the waters of the Tishrin dam. We attempt to understand the reasons behind the changes that have occurred in land use, the relationships between the different sites and the role as a conduit for exchange played by the valley. Supported by cartography and models of the population potential in the interstitial space, we put forward the hypothesis of the early existence of a settlement system, more vast and complex than the sites currently known lead to believe.

The Earliest Neolithic Cultures of Northeast China: Recent Discoveries and New Perspectives on the Beginning of Agriculture

Although north China has long been recognized as one of the nuclear centers of agriculture, it is surprisingly absent from most recent publications on the beginnings of agriculture. New discoveries made in this region during the last 15 years are important contributions to our understanding of the transition to agriculture. Moreover, through these discoveries we can challenge the common view of north China as a homogeneous area of agricultural development. Through the introduction of the Xinglongwa (ca. 8000–6800 B.P.) and the Zhaobaogou (ca. 6800–6000 B.P.) cultures, the earliest sedentary societies in northeast China, I attempt to progress beyond generalizations, such as the useful model of the Chinese Interaction Sphere, and examine more thoroughly the developments in one subregion of north China. The data presented are used to address important issues associated with the transition to agriculture as well as to point to new avenues for future research in this field.

Capitalization of Exclusive Agricultural Zoning into Farmland Prices

development in agricultural areas (Coughlin et al. 1981). This exclusive agricultural zoning differs from traditional rural zoning in that it limits development and is often strictly enforced. Economists have argued that conceptually, agricultural zoning lowers land values by restricting non-farm development, and three recent empirical studies support the hypothesis (Knaap 1985; Vaillancourt and Monty 1985; Nelson 1988). But in fact, economic theory predicts both positive and negative price effects, distributed differentially among farmland parcels depending on parcel characteristics. The purpose of this research is to test the hypothesis that the price effect of exclusive agricultural zoning varies with the characteristics of parcel subject to the regulations. The research results suggest that economists investigating the land price effects of zoning should use methodologies that distinguish between positive and negative price effects deriving from parcel characteristics.

Analysis on Conversion of Farmland Use in the Agricultural Development Area

Analysis on Conversion of Farmland Use in the Agricultural Development Area

市町村独自の農振除外の運用方針 農振地域の管理による集落土地利用の制御手法ー（２）

Under the Law for the Improvement of Agricultural Development Area, the conversion of farmland into non-farmland is generally prohibitted in “Agricultural Land Zone”. So, the formland cancerned must be cancelled from the designation of “Agricultural Land Zone” for it. Now, there is nopractical regulation for cancelling the designation of “Agricultural Land Zone”. Therefore, it causes disordered land use in urban-fringe.In this paper, we analyze the unique method of cancelling the designation of “Agricultural Land Zone” of Matsuto local government. By the method, the local government can permit to cancel the designation of “Agricultural Land Zone” when the farmlands abut roads or housing lands on at least twosides. we discuss the availability of the method. The results are summarized as follows.1. The method is mostly available for cancelling the designation of “Agricultural Land Zone”.2. Even if we apply it, inadequate cancellation can be sometimes permitted, such as in case of the farmlands located far from rural living areas.3. It can be improved, if we take form of the farmland adjacent to rural living area into consideration.

農村集落の土地利用制御のための白地農用地配置の評価手法

The argumennts are incresingry made, that it is nesessary to push foward the conversion of landuse from agriculturaluse to urbanuse, in order to solve the land prices problem. But for all regulation on landuse under the Law of Readjustment of Agricultural Promotion Area, it is difficult to have a ordinary control over the landuse of rural settlement. We are afraid that, if the restrictions on landuse were relaxed unpreparedly, tendency to spraul of urban development might be driven. Now, the understanding is becoming common, that it is needed to develop a proper landuse method in order to take ordinary controllon rural landuse.From the aforementiond point of view, we descrive two points.One is the necessity of development of evaluation method for landuse arrangement, in the zone of non agricultural development area provided by the Law of Readjustment of Agricultural Promotion Area.One is to show principles for landuse arrangement evalution method, as the basic study of ordinary landuse constitution.

Administration of government budgets and the private sector in Nigerian agriculture

This paper examines the position of agriculture in Federal and State governments' budgets. It also looks at the role of the private sector in Nigerian agriculture with reference to the need to revamp the economy. The main conclusions are that despite current incentive packages, the influence of government policy on the private sector has continued to be negative in the area of agricultural development in Nigeria. It is suggested that the private sector of the Nigerian economy has a crucial role to play. It can assist in a number of ways which are enumerated in the paper.

Aménagement de l'espace et mouvements de populations au Togo : l'exemple du pays kabyè.

A.-M. Pillet-Schwartz—Space Management and Migratory Movements in Togo: the Kabye Case. Since the accession to power, in 1967, of a military officer of Kabye origin, an attempt has been made to build up a northern pole of development intended to match the southern one in Lome. A high population density coupled with intensive agricultural methods are characteristic of Kabyeland which has long remained self-contained, opening only recently to disseminate migrants into the central plain and the adjacent massifs. This diaspora is essentially rural, with a population (236,000) outnumbering that (139,000) of its original home. The planned development sets up the urban elite against the peasantry, the latter being able to secure its survival outside as well as inside a region where the State's aims pertain more to politics than to economies. Will this ensure success for an enterprise calling for the urbanization and stabilization of the inhabitants? Unsurprisingly, Kara's attraction of the Kabye peasants remains weak, the striking fact being that this goes as well for the agricultural development areas. Is it that they are unwilling to submit to modem Systems of intensive cultivation because for them emigration implies liberation through extensive methods? Or do they look at the proposed development as not worthwhile in regard of what would be left behind? They are challenging the significance of a prestige operation, unlikely to devitalize the concerned area. Would purely economie goals be more valuable for the population? Which is the role assigned to the people in this scheme? In short, what is the true nature of power in today's Togo?

The Value of Focus Group Research for Social Action Programs

In both developed and developing countries, social action programs funded by governments and private foundations provide a wide range of services in health care, education, family planning, agricultural extension work, sanitation, rural development, and other areas. Most of these programs conduct actionoriented research to guide them in designing their service delivery activities to meet people's needs as effectively as possible. Among the techniques employed, survey research typically plays a major role, along with evaluation of service statistics data. Anthropological research techniques are employed by some programs, as are various types of operations research geared to answer specific questions about the management and implementation of services. There is widespread feeling among program managers, however, that these techniques are often too unwieldy, costly, and time consuming to provide the kind of guidance they often need to make practical decisions about program design and operations. In recent years, public sector and not-for-profit groups, especially those engaged in social marketing projects, have begun to look to the private sector for potentially useful applied research techniques to as

The Development and Role of Sunken Field Agriculture on the Peruvian Coast

In a most improbable area for agricultural development, pre-Hispanic peoples on the desert coast of Peru dug below the surface sand to reach a moist zone for crop growing. A wide range of crops was produced including maize, beans, gourds, roots and fruit crops, cotton and reeds. It is also likely xhatquinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) was grown. In view of the richness of offshore resources, it seems likely that coastal agriculture, particularly that of sunken fields, would originally have developed subsidiary to a dependence on fishing. Although prone to salinisation, the general success of these plots probably derived from their capability of all year round production when compared with systems dependent on floodwater. Their viability must also have owed much to the high frequency of fogs which greatly reduce annual evapotranspiration and also to the particle size of the soils. Sunken fields appear to have developed relatively late in the pre-Hispanic sequence, probably commencing with a simple layout which became more complex as watertables fell. The fields have been in use for more than a thousand years, being exploited actively in the Chimu and Inca periods.

SELECTING RECONNAISSANCE STRATEGIES FOR FLOODPLAIN SURVEYS1

ABSTRACT: Multispectral aircraft and satellite data over the West Branch of the Susquehanna River were analyzed to evaluate potential contributions of remote sensing to floodplain surveys. Multispectral digital classifications of land cover features indicative of floodplain areas were used by interpreters to locate various floodprone area boundaries. The boundaries thus obtained were found to be more striking and continuous in the Landsat data than in the low altitude aircraft data. The digital approach permitted satellite results to be displayed at 1:24,000 scale and aircraft results at even larger scales. Results indicate that remote sensing techniques can delineate floodprone areas more easily in agricultural and limited development areas than in areas covered by a heavy forest canopy. At this time it appears that the remote sensing data would be best used as a form of preliminary planning information or as an internal check on previous or ongoing floodplain studies. In addition, the remote sensing techniques can assist in effectively monitoring floodplain activities after a community enters into the National Flood Insurance Program.