Production Management Practices Research Articles

Evaluating evapotranspiration estimation methods in APEX model for dryland cropping systems in a semi-arid region

Evapotranspiration (ET), is a major component of the hydrologic budget and therefore it requires accurate estimation. The Agricultural Policy/Environmental eXtender (APEX), a hydrologic and water quality model developed for evaluating the effect of agricultural production management practices on the environment. It has five different methods to simulate ET. The objectives of this study were to: determine the impact of using different ET methods in APEX on sensitive ET parameters in semi-arid environments, determine reasonable range of values for sensitive parameters, and compare performance of these methods using multiple criteria. ET and crop yield data measured in the Lysimeter fields located in the USDA-ARS Conservation and Production Research Laboratory, Bushland, Texas were used to calibrate and validate the model. Results indicated that selection of statistical model performance measure and ET method affects the number of sensitive parameters and parameter rank. The number of sensitive parameters remained relatively stable among ET simulation methods but there was large variability in parameter sensitivity ranks. It is also important that users carefully choose appropriate statistical measure to use depending on the goals of their study. With the exception of maximum rainfall intercept, exponent coefficient rainfall, SCS index coefficient, rain intercept coefficient, and root growth soil strength, all methods had similar ranges of values for the sensitive parameters. In general there were no large differences in the performance of ET methods. However, Penman-Monteith method simulated ET relatively better than the other methods, which may be explained by the fact that it is a physically-based method with many weather variables whose data was available for the study area. However, the study findings indicate that the other ET methods can provide satisfactory results in regions with limited weather data.

ASSESSMENT OF ANTICIPATED CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACT ON WATER RESOURCES IN KRISHNA BASIN

The Krishna, one of the longest rivers in southern India with a cultivable area, 77 per cent is experiencing steady changes in atmosphere with erratic rainfall, increased humidity and decreased temperatures. The prime objective is hydrological assessment of future monsoon and its uncertainties for sustainable crop production and irrigation water management practices in a changing climate. The impact of future climate change is assessed using calibrated and validated ArcSWAT modelling tool. The Basin on an average receives 800 mm rainfall in the monsoon period with least of 300mm in the south and a maximum of 2000mm in the west. The basin has surface water potential of 78.1 km3 and groundwater potential of 26.41 km3. The hydrological assessment of the basin based on the IPRC model shows that by midcentury there would be increase in flash floods with prolonged dry spells. The assessment on spatial and temporal distribution of water availability, precipitation, PET and soil water suggests the need for eco-friendly adaptation technologies along with a planned irrigation development to capture in abundance and supply in the deficient period, when the demand is more and a need for efficient crop model to understand and assist the flooding situation.

Research on the Operation and Inspection System of UHV and Cross-Regional Distribution Network Based on Big Data Technology

With the development of UHV and cross-regional distribution network, the operation and inspection of electric transmission and transformation equipment need to use big data and other new technologies to build a smart grid operation and inspection system, in order to better support the operation and inspection business. This paper analyzes the new development situation of UHV and trans-area power grid and the demand of smart grid operation and inspection service under the new situation. Combining big data analysis technology with production command and management practice, based on data and business requirements, this paper puts forward the data architecture of intelligent operation and inspection system according to big data technology, gives the technical framework and technology selection of intelligent operation and inspection system, then analyzes the application framework of intelligent operation and inspection service. The whole architecture of intelligent operation and inspection system is proposed, which provides better support for the development and application of intelligent operation and inspection system through the key architecture design. It has far-reaching application value and broad application prospect.

Long-term effects of wheat production management practices on some carbon fractions of a semiarid Plinthustalfs

This study evaluated wheat production effects on carbon (C) fractions and soil organic C (SOC) molecular composition of a semiarid Plinthustalf in a trial established near Bethlehem. Treatments applied for 20 consecutive years included two straw management (unburned and burned), three tillage (no-tillage, ploughing and stubble mulch) and two weed control (chemical and mechanical) methods. Samples collected from 0–50 mm depth of specific treatment combinations were analyzed for SOC, soil inorganic C (SIC), permanganate oxidizable C (POXC), cold (CWEC) and hot (HWEC) water extractable C, extractable humic substances (CEX), humic acids, fulvic acids (CFA) and SOC functional groups. Humification (HI) and polymerization (PI) indices and alkyl C/O-alkyl C ratios were calculated. No-tillage combinations demonstrated potential to reverse losses of soil C fractions in the 0–50 mm layer. Increased POXC, CWEC, CEX and CFA revealed the labile nature of accumulated SOC in no-tillage, suggesting that SOC therein could be rapidly lost if no-tilled soils were again cultivated. Although the HI and PI were not always significant, their decrease in the no-tillage combinations suggest minimal decomposition, which is a benefit in Plinthustalfs with low storage capacity. Positive correlations between SIC and SOC fractions implied that an increase in SOC fractions protected SIC, resulting in its accumulation in no-tillage combinations. Functional groups seemed to mimic fractionated SOC fractions because O-alkyl C decreased with concomitant increase in alkyl, aromatic and carbonyl C. These responses highlighted that no-tillage combinations could be ideal to restore SOC quality in drought-prone agro-ecosystems dominated by sandy soils.

Use of soft data for multicriteria calibration and validation of Agricultural Policy Environmental eXtender: Impact on model simulations

Use of soft data and multiple model performance criteria in model calibration and validation are critical to ensure that environmental models capture major hydrologic and water quality processes. The Agricultural Policy/Environmental eXtender (APEX) is a hydrologic and water quality model widely used for evaluating the effect of agricultural production management practices on the environment. However, there are few studies on the impact of soft data on APEX model outputs. This study sought to determine the impact of soft data (i.e., crop yields, evapotranspiration [ET], and drainage) used to constrain calibration on APEX model to simulate outputs (streamflow, total nitrogen [TN], and total phosphorus [TP] losses), as well as the impact of tile drainage on the model outputs to help identify issues with APEX. Long-term measured water quality and quantity data from Rock Creek watershed, northern Ohio, were used for this purpose. Four calibration scenarios were used: (A) streamflow statistics only, (B) streamflow statistics plus soft data, (C) streamflow plus water quality, and (D) streamflow plus water quality plus yields plus soft criteria. The number of parameter sets that meet the criteria decreased from 3,325 to 2, as the number of calibration criteria increased. In general, when soft data were used to constrain the model, the Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) values decreased for all components. For example, NSE for streamflow decreased from 0.79 for scenario A to 0.56 for scenario B when the soft data were used, and NSE for TP decreased from 0.34 for scenario C to 0.30 for scenario D. However, the scenarios that used soft data with lower NSE values simulated the biophysical processes more accurately. For all calibration/validation scenarios, streamflow, TN, and TP values were drastically reduced when the model was run without tile drainage. However, there was hardly any tile drainage impact on ET, surface runoff, or crop yields for all scenarios, indicating that improvements in tile drainage, water table, and crop growth routines may be needed. Overall, the results show the importance of constraining the model parameters to produce reasonable values of crop yield and water balance closure to obtain realistic simulations of various management practices.

Efecto del potasio y la densidad de siembra en la producción de papa Solanum tuberosum Grupo Phureja var. Criolla Guaneña

El potasio es un macronutriente que puede mejorar el crecimiento de los cultivos. Se empleó un diseño en bloques completos al azar con el objetivo de evaluarla influencia de cuatro densidades de siembra (50.000, 41.667, 33.333, 31.250 plantas ha-1) y tres niveles de potasio (300, 250, 200 kg de K2O ha-1), sobre el área foliar (AF), índice de área foliar (IAF), índice de crecimiento de cultivo (ICC) e índice de cosecha (IC) en papa Solanum tuberosum Grupo Phureja var. Criolla Guaneña cultivada en una zona de Botana, Altiplano de Pasto, Nariño, Colombia. Todas las evaluaciones se midieron cada 20 días hasta los 120 días después de la siembra (dds), menos el IC al final del ciclo. Se realizó análisis de varianza, comparación de medias Tukey (P<0,05) y regresión entre lasvariables evaluadas. Las variables fisiológicas presentaron un ajuste significativo a los modelos polinómico de tercer grado, cuadrático y de Hoerl, con coeficientes de determinación superiores a 0,6, indicando que con 31.250 plantas ha-1 y 250 kg K2O ha-1 se lograron incrementos en AF de 6000 cm2 y con 200 kg K2O ha-1 en IAF e ICC de 2,0 y 40 g m2 día-1 entre 60 a 80 y 80 a 100 dds, respectivamente; sin embargo, con 33.333 plantas ha-1y 250 kg K2O ha-1se incrementó el IC (0,70) (P<0,05). Aunque las regresiones mostraron tendencia a aumentos del IAF e ICC con las prácticas de manejo de producción realizada por los agricultores (41.667 plantas ha-1 y 250 kg K2O ha-1) entre 60 a 80 dds, no se recomienda ya quese obtuvo un menor IC (0,60) al final del ciclo.

Assessing Irrigation Aquifer Depletion: Introduction

Assessing Irrigation Aquifer Depletion: Introduction

Ogallala Aquifer Program: A Catalyst for Research and Education to Sustain the Ogallala Aquifer on the Southern High Plains (2003–2017)

AbstractThe Ogallala Aquifer Program (OAP) was created in 2003 with support from Congressmen from Kansas and Texas. The OAP is a research‐education consortium seeking solutions from problems arising from declining water availability from the Ogallala Aquifer in western Kansas and the Texas High Plains. The consortium is led by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) laboratories in Bushland and Lubbock, TX, and the university partners are Kansas State University, Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Service, Texas Tech University, and West Texas A&M University. The OAP has provided over $40 million to support research and education activities. About half of these funds were used to support permanent ARS scientists and ARS hired post‐docs. The other half were used by university scientists to supplement on‐going projects by providing support for supplies, sample analyses, temporary employees, etc. Initially, OAP activities were focused on seven priorities. In 2013, four objectives replaced the original seven priorities. A fifth priority was added in 2017. The current objectives are: 1) Develop and evaluate water management strategies and technologies that could reduce water withdrawals for irrigation by 20% in 2020 compared to 2012; 2) Develop and evaluate management strategies and technologies that would increase the productivity and profitability of dryland cropping systems; 3) Improve the understanding of hydrological and climatic factors that affect water use and agricultural profitability; 4) Determine the impacts of alternative water withdrawal/use policies on the economic viability of the agriculture industry of the Southern Ogallala Aquifer Region; and 5) Develop best management practices for production of high value and alternative crops for both dryland and irrigated systems. The objectives of the program and distribution of resources are decided by an executive committee with a member from each of the four universities, two from ARS, one from Bushland, and the other from Lubbock. Proposed projects that utilize resources from more than one participating institution, leverage existing resources, and address the stated objectives are more likely to be provided support. The impact of the OAP on research directed at agriculture on the High Plains has been recognized by three prestigious awards.

AGRO-ECOSYSTEM SERVICES ASSESSMENT OF SILVOPASTORAL EXPERIENCES IN CHIAPAS, MEXICO: TOWARDS A METHODOLOGICAL PROPOSAL

SUMMARYIn response to the current needs of humanity with regard to food production, environmental disasters and climate change, it is important to define (livestock) production systems and management practices that are both productive and ecologically sustainable. We qualitatively assessed advanced silvopastoral experiences in five ecologically and culturally distinct regions in Chiapas, Mexico, given their ability to provide key services: internal (productivity and productive resiliency) and external (climate change mitigation and biodiversity conservation). We propose 20 indicators that reflect management, resources, use of external inputs, availability of food, commercial products and animal feed and trees in grazing and forest areas. Sets of some indicators form criteria for dependence on external inputs, productive diversification with emphasis on food security, soil conservation, tree cover and landscape connectivity, among others. Indicators and thresholds were adjusted to critical (traffic light) levels, based on field data. Comparing the levels reached by the studied experiences, we found that most of the resulting services go hand in hand; so ‘win–win’ situations are possible to be achieved. The elements and practices that affect both internal and external services were explored. The red light critical points in each production unit were identified so that they could be attended. Experiences that presented higher levels in assessment criteria could serve as examples to enable the improvement of livestock systems under similar conditions. We propose this assessment as a tool for rapid intervention that can be widely applied to livestock systems, from conventional to organic or diversified, because of the criteria used. However, it can be more flexible, as new criteria can be added and thresholds can be adjusted for other types of production systems, always reflecting local and desired conditions. The proposed indicators can be also used as a basis for a quantitative agroecosystem assessment.

Adoption of silvicultural practices in smallholder timber and NTFPs production systems in Indonesia

Many factors influence adoption of smallholder agroforestry systems as part of the farm business. This paper reports farm and household factors affecting the adoption of timber and non-timber forest product management practices by farmers in Gunungkidul, Sumbawa and Timor Tengah Selatan districts in Indonesia; and how understanding those factors can facilitate the adoption of silvicultural practices for enhancing timber and NTFPs production. The research uses logistic regression models to identify the significant factors influencing farmers’ agroforestry adoption and management decisions. When considering a total of 16 factors equally, the models confirmed that farmers who have access to extension services, farmers’ groups and knowledge of government policy are more likely to adopt timber and NTFPs production technologies. The probability of management practices increasing with the greater land area was due to space for growing more timber and NTFPs species. Also, the possibility of adopting timber and NTFPs management increased as farmers had more income from on- and off-farm activities. These findings suggest that when designing extension programs farm and household factors should be considered by policy makers, researchers and extension providers.

Knowledge level of shrimp farmers on better management practices (BMPs) of Penaeus vannamei farming: a comparative assessment of east and west coasts of India

Shrimp farmers need to have adequate knowledge and adopt better management practices (BMPs) for successful crop production. A study conducted among 240 proportionate random sample of shrimp farmers along the east and west coasts of the country has revealed that mean knowledge level of respondents was 52 and 44% respectively which needs improvement. Therefore, public-public and public-private partnership models integrating the efforts of research and development agencies, farmers groups and input companies need to be implemented for the capacity enhancement, increased access to quality inputs and services for the farmers. East coast has utilised 16% of its potential area and contributed 91% of country’s shrimp production while west coast developed only 4% of potential area and contributed 9%. Limited access to quality inputsand services constrained their production vis-a-vis potential in the west coast. It is suggested that a strategic aquaculture development plan for the west coast states of India involving aquaculture research and development agencies as well as input companies is the urgent need of the hour for developing hatcheries, diagnostic laboratories, recommending locationspecific production systems and better management practices to enhance the capacity of farmers and production in the west coast states.

A probabilistic collocation based iterative Kalman filter for landfill data assimilation

Abstract Accurate forecast of landfill gas (LFG) transport has remained as an active research area, due to the safety and environmental concerns, as well as the green energy potential. The iterative ensemble Kalman filter (IEnKF) has been used to characterize the heterogeneous permeability field of landfills. As a Monte Carlo-based method, IEnKF requires a sufficiently large ensemble size to guarantee its accuracy, which may result in a huge computational cost, especially for large-scale problems. In this study, an efficient probabilistic collocation based iterative Kalman filter (PCIKF) is developed. The polynomial chaos expansion (PCE) is employed to represent and propagate the uncertainties, and an iterative form of Kalman filter is used to assimilate the measurements. To further reduce the computational cost, only the zeroth and first-order ANOVA (analysis of variance) components are kept in the PCE approximation. As demonstrated by two numerical case studies, PCIKF shows significant superiority over IEnKF in terms of accuracy and efficiency. The developed method has the potential to reliably predict and develop best management practices for landfill gas production.

Profitability of Alternative Management Practices in a Wheat–Soybean, Double‐Crop Production System in Arkansas

Core Ideas Wheat and soybean yields were estimated using combinations of management practices. The estimated yields were used to simulate profitability differences by combination. Six combinations were 7 to 118% more profitable than the traditional combination. Growing concerns about the sustainability of soil and water resources in the highly agriculturally productive lower Mississippi River Valley, particularly in the Delta region of eastern Arkansas, require the investigation of traditional and alternative agricultural management practices and their comparative long‐term profitability. Therefore, this study used a simple, but robust, two‐step novel procedure, econometrics and simulation, to evaluate the long‐term effects of a combination of management practices. It consisted of tillage (conventional tillage [CT] or no‐tillage [NT]), wheat residue burning (burn [B] or no burn [NB]), wheat‐residue level (low [L] and high [H] achieved with differential N fertilization), and irrigation (irrigated [I] or non‐ irrigated [NI]), on net farm revenue in a wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) –soybean (Glycine max L. [Merr.]), double‐crop production system in the region. Results from the last 10 yr of a 15‐yr‐long field study on a silt‐loam soil showed that the alternative combinations of NT–B–H–I, NT–NB–L–I, NT–B–L–I, CT–B–L–I, NT–NB–H–I, and NT–B–H–NI were 7 to 118% more profitable than the traditional set of management practices (CT–B–H–I) for soybean production. Results suggest that leaving wheat residue on the soil surface unburned followed by NT soybean production can be equally to more profitable for producers, while at the same time providing extra benefits to improve the long‐term sustainability of soil resources. The NT–B–H–NI can conserve both soil and water.

DEVELOPMENT OF A TRACEABILITY MODEL APPLIED TO GOAT AND SHEEP MEAT PRODUCTION

ABSTRACT: The goat and sheep meat producer chain has developed in last years, thus, it is imperative to organize and structure the supply chain and to adopt reliable policies for products' traceability, as a tool to achieve these requirements. The study aimed to make a management program with a traceability model for goat and sheep meat production, with emphasis on ensuring product origin and management practices' transparency at the animal production unit. For this purpose, it was made a reference model in order to emit an origin certificate which, in turn, provides specific information concerning the final product from each unit. Secondly, the program was developed using Hipertext Preprocessor (PHP) technology and as for the Database Management System, it was used MySQL. The schematic model proposed meets the requirements of a traceability system for goat and sheep meat. Furthermore, the program can work as a tool for farm management, by reports and real-time remote access to information.

Study on beef cattle production management practices and constraints in Gondar town North West, Ethiopia

Study on beef cattle production management practices and constraints in Gondar town North West, Ethiopia

Enhanced change detection index for disaster response, recovery assessment and monitoring of buildings and critical facilities—A case study for Muzzaffarabad, Pakistan

The availability of Very High Resolution (VHR) optical sensors and a growing image archive that is frequently updated, allows the use of change detection in post-disaster recovery and monitoring for robust and rapid results. The proposed semi-automated GIS object-based method uses readily available pre-disaster GIS data and adds existing knowledge into the processing to enhance change detection. It also allows targeting specific types of changes pertaining to similar man-made objects such as buildings and critical facilities. The change detection method is based on pre/post normalized index, gradient of intensity, texture and edge similarity filters within the object and a set of training data. More emphasis is put on the building edges to capture the structural damage in quantifying change after disaster. Once the change is quantified, based on training data, the method can be used automatically to detect change in order to observe recovery over time in potentially large areas. Analysis over time can also contribute to obtaining a full picture of the recovery and development after disaster, thereby giving managers a better understanding of productive management and recovery practices. The recovery and monitoring can be analyzed using the index in zones extending from to epicentre of disaster or administrative boundaries over time.

A survey of management practices and flock performance and their association with flock size and ewe breed type on Irish sheep farms

SUMMARYA detailed survey was undertaken to assess the rate of production and current management practices on Irish sheep farms and quantify their associations with flock size and ewe breed type. A total of 39 questions relating to the farm production system and farm management practices were devised, including: producer age, location, farm size, livestock numbers and type, in addition to flock management data such as flock breeding policy, lamb finishing strategy, flock health, lambing date, winter housing and feeding practices. A total of 717 sheep producers were surveyed across 45 different discussion groups. The surveyed respondents were sub-divided into four groups depending on flock size (very small, small, medium and large) and into three groups depending on ewe breed type (maternal, terminal and hill). The average survey respondent was 48 years old, with a flock size of 150 breeding ewes on a farm size of 58 ha. The average stocking rates were 6·55 and 3·14 ewes/ha and weaning rates were 1·44 and 1·02 lambs per ewe joined to the ram for the lowland and hill flocks, respectively. Relative to very small flocks (<62 ewes), larger flocks (>190 ewes) had higher stocking rates (6·98v.5·66 ewes/ha) and ewe to ram ratios (40v.30), and tended to lamb later in the year. The rate of technology adoption such as faecal egg sampling and pregnancy scanning was greater on larger flocks compared with smaller flocks. Flocks with maternal ewe breeds had higher scanning and weaning rates, and drafted a greater proportion of lambs off grass compared with flocks with terminal and hill ewe breeds. Flocks with maternal and terminal ewe breed types were more likely to winter house ewes, lamb indoors, test silage quality and have a handling unit compared with flocks with hill-type ewe breeds. Results from the present study provide a bank of knowledge on current Irish sheep industry performance and show that flock size and ewe breed type have a significant impact on key flock performance variables.

Adjusting maize plant density to different climatic conditions across a large longitudinal distance in China

Climatic conditions, including temperature range and solar radiation, are closely linked to maize (Zea mays L.) growth and development. Adjusting plant density is one of the most effective measures for maximizing maize yield under different climatic conditions. The objectives of this study were (1) to determine the optimum plant density as well as the corresponding leaf area index (LAI) and yield in different maize producing regions in China and (2) to learn how climatic conditions influence maize growth and grain yield. The 3-year (2013–2015) field experiment used a hybrid maize cultivar (‘Zhengdan 958’) with six plant density treatments: 4.5, 6, 7.5, 9, 10.5, and 12plantsm−2. Three different ecological regions were chosen for the study: Gongzhuling (Jilin Province, China), Yinchuan (Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China), and Qitai (Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China). Comparing the same plant density treatment at different sites, grain yield and dry matter accumulation decreased in the order Qitai>Yinchuan>Gongzhuling. The optimum plant densities (i.e., treatments with greatest yield) were 12plantsm−2 at Qitai, 10.5plantsm−2 at Yinchuan, and 7.5plantsm−2 at Gongzhuling. At the optimum plant density, the LAIs at silking and physiological maturity were, respectively, 8.94 and 4.27 at Qitai, 7.50 and 1.85 at Yinchuan, and 6.18 and 1.67 at Gongzhuling. Climatic factors, especially solar radiation and diurnal temperature range, exerted significant influences on maize yield. These observations will be useful for determining best management practices for maize production under different climatic conditions across large areas and for providing helpful suggestions for maize breeders.

Photosynthetic Response of Maize to Nitrogen Fertilization in the Semiarid Western Loess Plateau of China

Agriculture in rainfed dry areas is often challenged by inadequate water and nutrient supplies. Responses to these challenges include adequate fertilization, but it is unknown whether different nitrogen (N) rates from that commonly used in the Loess Plateau can alleviate this issue. Field experiments were conducted over three cropping seasons to investigate the effect of different N fertilization levels on soil water dynamics, photosynthetic activity, and grain yield of maize (Zea mays L.) grown in the Western Loess Plateau of China. Fertilizer was applied at planting at rates between 0 and 300 kg N ha−1 at regular increments of 100 kg N ha−1 (referred to as N0 and N300, respectively), and treatments were arranged in a complete randomized block design. Results showed that water use efficiency in the N200 and N300 treatments was ∼60% higher than N0 and N100 (P < 0.05), which translated into increased crop biomass and therefore grain yield (≈70–80%). These observations were consistent with all measurements of photosynthetic traits and suggested that, under the conditions of this study, the ecophysiological response of the crop may be optimized at N application rates in the range of 200 to 300 kg ha−1, depending on soil water availability. Agronomic efficiency calculations at this level of N fertilization reported consistently higher values and consequently suggested that environmental losses of applied fertilizer N were small. The current experimental results for the N application rates in the range of 200 to 300 kg ha−1 could be useful for improving N fertilizer and soil water management practices of maize production while maintaining a relatively stable yield level in rainfed dry areas. Future work should focus on optimizing timing and improving the placement of fertilizer N applied to maize.

Implementation of lean production practices and manufacturing performance

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of lean production practices and lean duration (the duration for which lean production is in operation) on manufacturing performance.Design/methodology/approachThe survey was used as the main method of data collection. In addition to survey data collected from 1,189 respondents from export-based textile and apparel firms operating in Sri Lanka, longitudinal data were collected over a period of seven months from a firm in the study sample to corroborate the survey findings.FindingsThe findings revealed that lean production practices significantly enhance manufacturing performance. Further findings revealed the importance of the duration of lean production in operation in achieving higher levels of manufacturing performance. This provides empirical support for the contention that the adoption of lean production can only be achieved through time.Practical implicationsFindings have implications for practices of export-based textile and apparel producing countries from Asia, Latin and Central America, the Caribbean, Eastern Europe, and North Africa, which are competing intensively with each other for their market share in the global export-based textile and apparel production.Originality/valueManufacturing firms are adopting production methods and management practices to become leaner and fitter to create a new labour intensive production model that generate distinctive internal capabilities for survival and growth in international markets. Academics and practitioners in the field of manufacturing technologies will be interested in better understanding how lean production practices would enhance manufacturing performance from a non-western developing country context.