Effects Of Cultural Practices Research Articles

Effects of cultural practices on weed community and seedbank dynamics in a potato rotation

ContextStagnant yields and declining soil health are common characteristics of high-intensity, low-residue cropping systems, such as potato, particularly in northeastern North America. Incorporating cultural practices including cover cropping and manure application is a way to combat declines in agroecosystem health and potato productivity. However, manure application and the use of cover crops may exacerbate weed issues through seedbank additions. ObjectiveThis study was aimed at investigating how the cultural practices of cover cropping and manure application and their associated management activities can alter weed community dynamics and weed seedbank composition in a northeastern North American potato rotation. MethodsThe study evaluated the use of eight cover crop mixtures—annual and perennial grasses and legumes—grown over two years with/without manure added in year one of the rotation. It also examined the effects of the cover crop mixtures and the presence/absence of manure on the weed community and on seedbank dynamics within a three-year potato rotation between 2019 and 2021. ResultsIn year one of the study and directly after application, manure plots had greater weed seedbank density and species richness; however, this did not result in greater in-season weed biomass. Manure application resulted in a gradual decline in weed seedbank density over time regardless of cover crop treatment. Further, manure application increased the in-season competitive ability of cover crops, resulting in greater weed suppression per unit of cover crop biomass. In contrast, in the absence of manure, weed seedbank density remained largely unchanged through time regardless of cover crop treatment. We found that management practices associated with annual and perennial cover crops had distinct ecological filtering effects throughout the rotation on the weed community and prevented the dominance of any particular species. ConclusionTogether, our results demonstrate that combining the cultural practices of annual or perennial cover cropping and manure application contributes to weed suppression and should be considered an important component of sustainable potato production.

Effect of cultivation practices on the quality of onion bulbs (Allium cepa L.) produced at two sites in northern Senegal: Evaluation of morphological and physicochemical parameters

In Senegal, onions (Allium cepa L.) are an important and widely consumed crop. Several varieties and speculations are cultivated, with yields and bulbs qualities depending on technical itineraries and cultivation areas. The aim of this study is to evaluate the quality of onion bulbs produced at the Kalassane and Nguéthioro sites, using morphological and physicochemical parameters. To this end, an optimized treatment based on the “Société Nationale d’Aménagement et d’Exploitation des terres du Delta” (SAED) technical data sheet, requiring water and fertilizer inputs to be controlled (4455.4 m3 of water/ha, 9 kg/9 m2 of organic matter applied before sowing and 224 g/m2 of N- P-K applied in 4 inputs), another based on the farmers' method using excessive quantities of water and fertilizers (6526.1 m3 water/ha, 12 kg/9 m2 organic matter applied after sowing and 748 g/m2 N-P-K applied in 5 applications), and their combinations were applied on Kalassane. Next, the best method for ensuring quality bulbs at Kalassane was also tested at Nguéthioro. The results show that at Kalassane, onion bulbs from the optimized method are small (67.96 ± 14.40 g) and less waterlogged (Wc 85.44 % ± 0.71, aw 0.83 ± 0.01), with a high total polyphenol content (7.01 mg/100 g ± 0.01), in contrast to those from the farmers’ method, which are 100.80 g ± 14.22; 87.14 % ± 0.69; 0.91 ± 0.01 and 2.11 mg/100 g ± 0.01 respectively. In short, this study leads to the conclusion that optimized practice is the best treatment guaranteeing better quality. In addition, the optimized method showed a difference between the results for the two sites. In the future, repeating this experiment coupled with edaphic characteristics will enable us to determine the influence of soil on the physicochemical and nutritional quality of onions.

Mycorrhizal communities of Vanilla planifolia in an introduction area (La Réunion) under varying cultivation practices

Societal Impact StatementVanilla is one of the most valuable spices in the world. In Madagascar and La Réunion, the world's leading producers, vanilla is of great economic and cultural importance. Like all orchids, vanilla plants associate with mycorrhizal fungi in their roots forming mutualistic associations that allow them to grow and thrive. Understanding the diversity of mycorrhizal fungi adapted to vanilla cultivation, particularly in the Indian Ocean islands where they have never previously been studied, is becoming a necessity for maintaining vanilla crops in these regions in the face of climate change and the emergence of new pathogens.Summary The vanilla orchid (Vanilla spp.) is one of the most valuable cultivated plants worldwide. As with all orchids, vanillas form mycorrhizal associations with fungi in their roots, but their fungal partners have not been investigated outside their native geographic range in Central America. We investigated the whole fungal and mycorrhizal associations in cultivated vanilla (Vanilla planifolia) by sequencing the fungal ITS‐2 marker in the terrestrial and aerial roots using a metabarcoding approach. We selected plants cultivated in three conditions (i.e., cultivation under shade house, in openfield, or in the understory) in one locality of La Réunion island (Indian Ocean) and tested for a possible effect of cultivation practices on fungal communities. Cultivated vanillas in La Réunion mainly associate with Tulasnellaceae (75 OTUs) and Ceratobasidiaceae (8 OTUs). Among the seven most abundant Tulasnellaceae, six are similar to fungi detected in the roots of cultivated vanillas in Central America or in the roots of native orchids in La Réunion. Cultivation practices impacted both total fungal and mycorrhizal community compositions with no clear effect on fungal richness. Notably, Tulasnellaceae and Ceratobasidiaceae were scarce in aerial roots, except in the traditional cultivation in the forest understory. These results shed light on the geographical origins of mycorrhizal fungi of cultivated vanillas in La Réunion and show that they form a pool of both locally and globally distributed fungal partners. These mycorrhizal communities vary according to cultivation practices, and their potential roles in plant nutrition and resistance against pathogens await further attention.

Effect of cultural practices on the entomological biodiversity of agro-ecosystems in Senegal

Effect of cultural practices on the entomological biodiversity of agro-ecosystems in Senegal

Effect of cultural practices in the management of tomato leafminer in Senegal

Effect of cultural practices in the management of tomato leafminer in Senegal

Influence of Cultural and Religious Practices on the Management of Pregnancy at Mbombela Municipality, South Africa: An Explorative Study

Background: Cultural norms bring substantial weight in women’s decision-making, especially concerning the choice of the birth location. Cultural and religious practices may influence how pregnant women respond to Antenatal Care (ANC) services, feel confident about which questions to ask, or participate in the discussions about their care plan or birth options. Purpose: The study aimed to explore and describe the influence of cultural practices on the management of pregnancy in the Mbombela Municipality of Mpumalanga Province. Methods: Using a qualitative approach, pregnant women who failed to completely attend ANC services were purposively sampled, and individual unstructured in-depth interviews were employed to collect data. The study consisted of a sample size of 18 pregnant women, and data saturation was reached. Tech’s method of analysis was followed for data analysis. Results: Study findings revealed a significant theme: cultural practices and pregnancy management, encompassing three sub-themes: cultural practices in pregnancy, cultural medication taken by pregnant women, and the effects of cultural practices on pregnancy management. Conclusion: It is recommended that women should be given health education concerning ANC services every day while they wait in primary health care clinics. Accordingly, the healthcare professionals should encourage the active involvement of all pregnant women in health promotion gatherings and offer chances for clarity seeking. Despite the availability of free maternal healthcare services in primary healthcare clinics, women still consult traditional healers during pregnancy and believe in cultural practices. It is therefore important that programs developed for maternal services be congruent to the cultural practices of women to be serviced.

Carbon Accumulation in Arable Soils: Mechanisms and the Effect of Cultivation Practices and Organic Fertilizers

The organic carbon content of soils is a key parameter of soil fertility. Moreover, carbon accumulation in soils may mitigate the increase in atmospheric CO2 concentration. The principles of carbon accumulation in arable soils are well known. The inclusion of clover/alfalfa/grass within the rotation is a central instrument to increase soil organic carbon. In addition, the regular application of rotted or composted farmyard manure within the rotation can increase soil organic carbon contents much more than the separate application of straw and cattle slurry. Humic substances, as a main stable part of soil organic carbon, play a central role in the accumulation of soil carbon. A major effect of compost application on soil carbon may be the introduction of stable humic substances which may bind and stabilize labile organic carbon compounds such as amino acids, peptides, or sugars. From this point of view, a definite soil carbon saturation index may be misleading. Besides stable composts, commercially available humic substances such as Leonardite may increase soil organic carbon contents by stabilization of labile C sources in soil.

Cultural Survival in B. F. Skinner: Possibilities for Conceptual Refinement.

The concept of cultural survival is fundamental when describing the selection processes involved in cultural evolution. However, its application by Skinner was inconsistent. As a result, distinct and sometimes contradictory interpretations regarding what it means for a culture to survive occasionally emerge in the behavior-analytic literature. In this article, we aim to identify the stimuli that prompted Skinner to emit the verbal response “cultural survival.” Our analysis suggests two problems: (a) the concept of cultural survival is used by Skinner to identify both the effects of cultural practices on the physical survival ofmembers of the culture and their effects on the survival of specific sets of social reinforcement contingencies via operant reinforcement, and (b) the concept is applied to two different phenomena—namely, first, the relation between the complete range of social reinforcement contingencies maintained by the human species and the physical survival of humankind, and, second, the relation between specific sets of these contingencies and the physical survival of particular groups. Finally, we argue for the importance of the precise identification of the groups and social contingencies that compose any “culture” submitted to a behavioral analysis.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42822-020-00044-w.

Efficiency of complex protective measures in cultivating perennial grasses in radioactively contaminated floodplain meadows

In a stationary, factorial experiment established in 1994 on radioactively contaminated natural floodplain fodder lands, the effect of cultural practices in combination with agrochemical measures was studied in order to produce organic feed (hay) which complies with the applicable standards of VP 13.5.13/06-01 in terms of specific activity of cesium in them - 137. The translocation sizes of 137Сs in the soil-plant system were determined by a complex of agrotechnical and agrochemical measures. The highest effectiveness of protective counter-measures in the framework of the research was obtained with amelioration of the flood meadow. Transition of cesium-137 from the soil into the feed, and from the feed into the livestock products (milk, meat) was calculated. Application of full mineral fertilizer with a N:K ratio of 1:1.5 both against surface and root treatment reduces the 137Cs transition into livestock production, that accordingly reduces the risk of a high internal irradiation dose to people consuming these products to the levels conforming radiation safety standards.

The effect of cultural practices and perceptions on global climate change response among Indigenous peoples: a case study on the Tayal people in northern Taiwan

Many Indigenous peoples are disproportionately affected by global climate change. Current research is focused on how Indigenous adaptation and mitigation strategies can be integrated into mainstream climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies. Through a mixed-methods approach, this study explored the effects of culture and local perceptions on coping strategies and adaptations to climate change among Indigenous communities, of which knowledge is inadequate, with a specific focus on two Indigenous Tayal communities in northern Taiwan (N = 101). From our findings, we developed a typology based on a polychoric factor analysis, which includes four key aspects: commercialized response; experience and anticipation; culture, preparedness and recovery; and external support and institutions. The typology shows that cultural practices and perceptions profoundly shape how Indigenous households respond to climate-related disasters and should therefore be incorporated more comprehensively into climate change adaptation and mitigation policy. Our findings reflect a nuanced understanding of Indigenous peoples’ complicated relationship with global climate change. The proposed typology could be used as a theoretical and/or policy-oriented framework to advance an agenda for strengthening Indigenous livelihood resilience to global climate change.

Effect of Cultural Practices on Neopamera bilobata in Relation to Fruit Injury and Marketable Yields in Organic Strawberries.

Simple SummaryThe strawberry seed bug is a native insect that has recently been causing injury to strawberries in Florida. This study examined the effects of two common cultural practices on the strawberry seed bug: cover cropping and runner removal. Cover cropping is used only in organic strawberry production while runner removal is common to both production systems. The effects of cultivar were also examined. Lastly, small bags were tied around strawberry fruits and different numbers of nymphal and adult seed bugs were released into the bags to examine the effects of their feeding on strawberry fruits. The use of cover crops did not impact seed bug populations. The results for runner removal were inconsistent but it was clear that removing runners does not increase seed bug populations or their injury to fruit. The cultivar “Florida Brilliance” received less injury likely because its seeds are recessed in the flesh of the fruit, making them more difficult for seed bugs to access. Both adults and nymphs caused injury to ripe fruit. Adults did not feed on unripe fruit, so injury to unripe fruit is likely caused by nymphal feeding.The strawberry seed bug, Neopamera bilobata (Say), is an emerging pest of organic and conventional strawberries in Florida. There is limited information on this Rhyparochromidae species. Thus, the type of injury caused is not clearly documented and management recommendations are lacking. In this study, we evaluated the effect of strawberry cultivars, cover crops, and the presence of runners on N. bilobata populations and yield. We also investigated the effect of select cultivars and the presence of runners on N. bilobata injury levels. In addition, we used fruit bagging experiments to investigate the effects of N. bilobata population and life stage (nymph vs. adult) on strawberry fruits. There was no effect of cover crop or cultivar on N. bilobata populations. In the 2017–2018 season, strawberry plots with runners contained higher N. bilobata populations compared with plots without runners, and adult infestation was significantly higher than nymphal infestation. In the 2018–2019 season, the trend was reversed with higher numbers of N. bilobata collected in plots with runners removed. In the 2019–2020 season, there was no significant difference in N. bilobata populations in plots with and without runners. In both 2018–2019 and 2019–2020, nymphal infestation was higher than adult infestation. Less injury was recorded in “Florida Brilliance” compared with the other cultivars tested. In the 2019–2020 season, less injury was recorded from plots without runners while the difference was not significant in 2017–2018 or 2018–2019. Releasing five and ten adult N. bilobata on ripe (red) fruit produced a similar level of injury while no injury to unripe (green) fruit was observed. Both adults and nymphs cause injury to ripe fruit. These findings can help contribute to the development of an integrated pest management program for strawberry N. bilobata.

Effect of cultural practices on quality and yield of onion (Allium cepa L. Var. Safid e Paisaye)

Onion (Allium cepa L.) is among the most cultivated vegetable crops in the world. Afghanistan is thought to be the origin as several local and wild varieties are found in different parts of the country. Safid e Paisaye is a local variety grown in central parts of Afghanistan in the Ghorband valley. This variety has long storability and high market demand among restaurants in the region, but little research has been done to increase the quality and its availability to the market to increase its market share in Afghanistan. Conducted under supervision of Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Noida, India, at Agriculture Faculty Research Farm of Kabul University, this investigation looks at plough depth, land preparation methods, and planting date on quality and yield of onion bulb; it also studied other cultural practices including irrigation and fertilization dose and frequency. The parameters studied in this investigation include neck diameter (cm), bulb diameter (cm), neck to bulb ratio, bulb weight (gr), bulb volume (cm3), bulb density (gr/cm3), Total Soluble Solids (TSS) (Brix), firmness (Kg/cm2), marketable yield (MT/Ha), and total yield (MT/Ha). The data revealed that planting date has significant influence on bulb quality and yield of onion. The highest bulb diameter (6.95 cm), bulb weight (121 gr), bulb volume (128 cm3), marketable yield (32.54 MT/Ha), and total yield (34.24 MT/Ha) and the lowest neck to bulb ratio (0.04) were recorded for the first planting date (seed sown in nursery on 10 March - seedlings planted in field on 10 May). Land ...

Effect of cultural practices on quality and yield of onion (Allium cepa L. Var. Safid e Paisaye)

Effect of cultural practices on quality and yield of onion (Allium cepa L. Var. Safid e Paisaye)

Effects of Cultural Practices on Cold Protection

The relation of cultural practices to freeze damage will refer to radiation freezes (windy conditions) unless otherwise stated. Advective freezes, such as those that occurred in the 1980s, behave differently. Most of the principles in this documente apply for all freezes but are less effective during windy freezes because of the rapid air movement and transport of cold air during these events. First published in June 1992.

The Effects of Cultural Practices and Substance Abuse among Male Students at One South African College Campus

The Effects of Cultural Practices and Substance Abuse among Male Students at One South African College Campus

Conservation of Neem Tree in Katsina State, Northwest Nigeria

The study on the conservation of Neem tree (<i>Azadirachtaindica</i>) in Katsina state, Nigeria was conducted in which nine local government areas were covered based on the predominant nature of the Neem tree and desertification nature of the Area. Structured questionnaire were designed set to address some key questions as well as the field observation of the vegetation cover with emphasis on the Neem tree. Most of the respondent on the effect of cultural practices on the conservation of neem indicate47.22% of the respondents indicate their desire to using charcoal while 40% prepare to use Kerosine source and 12.78% choose other source of energy. Also on the Perception of farmers on the importance of conservation it was found that about 60% of the respondents consider the conservation of Neem tree as very important for forest conservation and management, while 29.44% see it as less important; last category that respond with they don’t care which amounts to 10.55% as such, the study recommend public enlightments and provision of sustainable way that make farmers reduce over relying on the deforestation to get fuel wood and source of income.

Kinship Structure &amp; Women: Evidence from Economics

Economists are increasingly interested in understanding how culture shapes outcomes for women and the origins of these cultural practices. I review recent work in economics on how culture affects the well-being of women in developing countries, much of which is motivated by work in anthropology. I present evidence on the role of kinship structure, particularly matrilineal relative to patrilineal systems, for shaping women's preferences, exposure to domestic violence, and the health and education of children. Additionally, I discuss research on the effects of cultural practices, such as bride-price, and how the organization of production affects gender norms. Economists, with a careful focus on causal identification, contribute to the evidence that culture is an important determinant of outcomes for women.

Spatio-temporal variability and controls of soil respiration in a furrow-irrigated vineyard

An investigation of soil respiration (Rs) is critical to determining the CO2 emissions and carbon balance in grapevines, but unfortunately, there is a lack of information about the magnitude of vineyard Rs and the effects of cultivation practices and environmental factors on this important process. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the spatial and temporal variability and controls of Rs in a furrow-irrigated vineyard. An automatic CO2 exchange system was used to measure Rs for a three-year period. The hourly Rs ranged between 0.45–2.20 μmol m−2 s−1 on the ridge and between 0.23–1.62 μmol m−2 s−1 in the furrow, respectively. The spatio-temporal variability in Rs was mainly affected by soil temperature, and soil moisture played a second role. This study failed to separate Rs into the autotrophic and heterotrophic components by measuring Rs in the plant and bare areas, which could be attributed to the deeper distribution of grape roots as well as the fewer root biomass. Continuous measurement of houly Rs showed statistically non-significant differences before and after irrigation in the furrow and on the ridge, respectively. The diel hysteresis between soil respiration and temperature was found in our study. The shape and direction of the hysteresis loops and the time lag were mainly influenced by soil moisture. Finally, based on an empirical temperature-moisture model, the vineyard seasonal total and daily average Rs were estimated to be 470.6, 461.4 and 495.4 g CO2 m−2, and 2.83, 2.64, and 2.74 g CO2 m−2 day−1 in 2013, 2014 and 2015, respectively.

Cultivation strategy to improve chemical profile and anti-oxidant activity of Sideritis perfoliata L. subsp. perfoliata

Due to the remarkable medicinal properties of Sideritis spp, the commercial demand for the plant is continuously on the rise both in the European and in the global market. Cultivation of Sideritis species have been occurred to successfully meet the need for mass production of high-quality plant material. The present study was undertaken in order to investigate the impact of different cultivation practices (conventional versus organic cultivation; full versus deficit irrigation) in the yield and phytochemical profile of S. perfoliata L. subsp. perfoliata from Cyprus, under two harvestings for biomass production. Deficit irrigation decreased plant growth, but increased dry matter content. The content of chlorophylls and the nitrogen and potassium content decreased in organically grown plants. Both organic cultivation and/or deficit irrigation increased total phenolics, flavonoids, vitamin C and antioxidants. Essential oil yield increased under deficit irrigation at the 2nd harvest, while essential oil composition fluctuated among the treatments. Infusions of each plant material were prepared according to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) monograph. Based on their NMR spectra, the deficit-irrigated plants from conventional cultivation were the most rich in secondary metabolites and chosen for further chemical analysis. Six iridoids such as three flavonoids, two phenylethanoid glucosides and one phenolic acid have been isolated indicating new knowledge on the effects of cultivation practices on plant secondary metabolisms with putative industrial applications and interest.

Efficiency of Cultural Practices of Mulching and Nipping in the Management of Eggplant Infestation and Damage by Leucinodes orbonalis Gueéne (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

The objective of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of cultural practices of mulching and nipping in the management of eggplant infestation and damage by Leucinodes orbonalis Guenée (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). Therefore, a field experiment using six eggplant varieties was carried out under tropical mean ambient temperature (30.4 oC) and relative humidity (73.3 %). The experimental site was Teaching and Research Farm of Faculty of Agriculture, University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria. Each bed measured 2 m x 1.3 m and eggplant varieties were planted at a distance of 0.3 m x 0.4 m. The experiment was arranged in a randomized complete block design, left to natural infestation and had three replications. The eggplants were mulched and nipped every two weeks in the study. The results revealed that all the test varieties were susceptible to attack by the insect pest under the two management techniques. Fruit weight of all varieties increased progressively (25.06 g) up to the third week after planting and declined thereafter (18.09 g) probably due to damaging effect of L. orbonalis. Mulching and nipping supported good fruit weight but were not highly effective in protecting eggplants against L. orbonalis infestation and damage. There was no significant difference (P &gt; 0.05) in their individual ability to manage L. orbonalis attack irrespective of resistance status except at second-week after maturity in the number of exit holes/fruit and number of larvae/fruit (P &lt; 0.001).