Agricultural transformation and Gender considerations in Caribbean Economics

The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of the gender and social disparities existing in the agricultural and rural sector in Caribbean economies. In this context, agricultural transformation as occasioned by the dismantling of preferential trading arrangements is analysed to identify the most relevant gender discriminatory measures in the current agricultural development policy and programmes. The analysis seeks to provide the basis for enhancing understanding among policy makers, planners and rural development practitioners of the gender and social dimension involved in the formulation of agricultural policy and more specifically in relation to the new policy and institutional arrangements for agriculture in the region. The paper also provides insights regarding what changes should take place to create an enabling environment for more gender-based approaches to policy-making and strategic planning in agricultural development and trade in the Caribbean. The methodology centred on the review of secondary sources that provide references on the new challenges, opportunities and constraints faced by the agricultural sector, in particular small farmers, in the context of globalization and agriculture transformation. Much of the literature for this assignment was obtained from FAO Headquarters in Rome and the FAO Subregional Office in Barbados, as well as the OECS Secretariat in St. Lucia. In the process of the review exercise, due consideration was given to changes in agricultural production patterns, resources allocation and rural livelihoods. Efforts to examine the most relevant policy measures and mechanisms in-place in support to agricultural development in the region were constrained, in the main, by the absence of gender disaggregated data. Documentation as regards the situation of women and men in relation to agricultural labour, rural income and food security situation in regions were limited. The use of the internet served to bridge the communication gap between countries and institutions. The preliminary draft of the paper was presented and discussed at the FAO/ECLAC/UNIFEM regional workshop on mainstreaming gender analysis in agriculture and trade policies, for Caribbean countries, in November 2003. The second draft of the paper was informed by comments from the workshop and additional information acquired through field visits to Barbados, St. Kitts and St. Vincent in March 2004. The three day visits to each of these three countries entailed a review/appreciation of the resource, constraints and institutional capacities for gender mainstreaming within the agricultural sector at the national level. This included visits to some of the major agricultural projects and interviews with farmers (where feasible) in respect of their perspective of the current situation of the agricultural sector and the viability of their farm enterprises. As well, meetings were held with relevant/available officials within the respective ministries of agriculture to discern the gender consideration as regards agricultural policy and planning at the country level. The internet was invaluable to the task of sourcing supplementary information to satisfy the aim of the paper; in respect of the identification of concrete policy measures and actions to formulate and develop more gender/social-responsive agricultural development policies. The final revision, though thwart with resource and communication constraints, was ultimately completed in compliance with the structure and approach proposed in the terms of references for this FAO/ECLAC assignment.

Ecuador: return from migration and entrepreneurship in Loja

Drawing on data from a survey of returning migrants, this study examines the factors behind the decision to launch a business in Loja, Ecuador. The possible explanations fall under various headings: demographic characteristics, work experience abroad, reasons for returning, current situation, intention to re-emigrate, and activity before, during and after migration. The study also considers different concepts of “entrepreneur”, as own-account worker and as employer. The results are analysed, first, using univariate tests and then estimating probit models. The variables most closely associated with a high probability of starting a business after returning from migration are entrepreneurial experience during the migration, and the fact of having returned voluntarily, as well as having worked in the host country in agriculture or the hospitality sector. Having university training and having worked in public administration before migrating are negative factors. Other influential variables are age and the wage or salary received abroad, but these are more nuanced.

Hidrogeologia da área piloto Ponta de Pedras - Ilha do Marajó

Constatou-se um aquífero pouco profundo, substancial para o desenvolvimento da região em estudo: sistema aquífero Ponta de Pedras. Esse aquífero é livre em alguns locais e semi-confinado em sua maior parte. Sua profundidade de topo máxima encontrada foi de 14,0 m, porém, em várias sondagens no ocidente da área e na sondagem em Igarapé Vilar, seu topo não foi atingido, podendo estar a mais de 16,0 m de profundidade. As profundidades de sua base e as espessuras desse aquífero são maiores que 34,0 m e 17,0 m, respectivamente, na sondagem de Mangabeira. Sua alimentação é feita principalmente por águas meteóricas. Taxas de infiltração entre 10⁶ a 10⁷ m³ por dia em 1 Km², foram estimadas para o mês de fevereiro de 1977. Suas porosidades efetivas, estimadas entre 25% e 37%, permitiu calcular um volume de água subterrânea próximo de 250x10⁶m³. O coeficiente de Darcy (K) médio é de aproximadamente 200 litros por dia por centímetro quadrado do sistema aquífero. As águas subterrâneas estudadas têm as seguintes características físico-químicas: pH sempre ácido entre 2,4 e 6,7; condutividade elétrica entre 13 a 2.000 micromhos por centímetro, sendo que as mais condutivas são as da região da bacia do Rio Tijucaquara; sílica com teor médio de 10,4 mg/l; ferro total com teor máximo de 4,0 mg/l; cálcio e magnésio com teores bastante baixos implicando em águas moles na maioria das vezes; manganês com teor máximo de 0,15 mg/l; nitrogênio e fosforo com concentrações bastante baixas. O sódio e potássio são os elementos químicos que visualizam com facilidade a variação sazonal do quimismo dessas éguas. Nos finais dos períodos chuvosos essas águas subterrâneas são menos salinizadas, por outro lado, nos períodos de pequenas precipitações até início da estação chuvosa, o excesso de sais impede a potabilidade de várias dessas águas. O uso doméstico dessas águas está limitado normalmente pelas seguintes características: pH ácido; ferro total acima de 0,3 mg/l com máximo de 4,0 mg/l em várias delas; isentas de fluoretos; excesso de manganês em algumas delas (0,15 mg/l); excesso de cloreto em um piezômetro. O uso dessas águas subterrâneas na agricultura pode estar limitado em alguns locais da área onde: pH menor que 5,0; condutividades altas durante os períodos de menor precipitação; altas porcentagens de sódio (83% a 97%).

Armazenamento refrigerado e processamento mínimo de alface americana cultivada em hidroponia com diferentes doses de silício

Pós-graduação em Agronomia (Produção Vegetal) - FCAV

Comparing support vector machines and artificial neural networks in the recognition of steering angle for driving of mobile robots through paths in plantations

The use of mobile robots turns out to be interesting in activities where the action of human specialist is difficult or dangerous. Mobile robots are often used for the exploration in areas of difficult access, such as rescue operations and space missions, to avoid human experts exposition to risky situations. Mobile robots are also used in agriculture for planting tasks as well as for keeping the application of pesticides within minimal amounts to mitigate environmental pollution. In this paper we present the development of a system to control the navigation of an autonomous mobile robot through tracks in plantations. Track images are used to control robot direction by pre-processing them to extract image features. Such features are then submitted to a support vector machine and an artificial neural network in order to find out the most appropriate route. A comparison of the two approaches was performed to ascertain the one presenting the best outcome. The overall goal of the project to which this work is connected is to develop a real time robot control system to be embedded into a hardware platform. In this paper we report the software implementation of a support vector machine and of an artificial neural network, which so far presented respectively around 93% and 90% accuracy in predicting the appropriate route. (C) 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. Selection and peer review under responsibility of the organizers of the 2013 International Conference on Computational Science

Chemical changes in an oxisol treated with pyroligneous acid

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Implications of stillage land disposal: A critical review on the impacts of fertigation

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Concentrações de nitrogênio e potássio na solução nutritiva do pimentão cultivado em substrato sem drenagem

Pós-graduação em Agronomia (Produção Vegetal) - FCAV

Liberação controlada de nutrientes e novos sistemas para avaliação de espécies químicas empregadas na fertilização

Pós-graduação em Química - IQ

Herbicide detection in groundwater in Córrego Rico-SP watershed

Due to the large amount of pesticides applied in agriculture, mainly herbicides, there is a growing concern about a possible environmental contamination with these products, including water bodies. Given the above, the aim of the present work was to detect and quantify herbicides through multiresidue analysis in water samples collected in semi-artesian wells and springs in a rural area of the city of Jaboticabal (SP). Samples were collected from 32 wells and 13 water springs, in three different seasons: October 2010, February 2011 and May 2011. Additionally, samples at a residence in the urban area were also collected. Analysis using high performance liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry was performed and herbicides ametryn, amicarbazone, clomazone, diclosulan, diuron, hexazinone, imazapic, imazapyr, isoxaflutole, S-metolachlor, sulfentrazone, sulfometuron-methyl, and tebuthiuron were evaluated. In semi-artesian wells, an incresed quantity of herbicides was found in comparison with the water springs. Among the tested herbicides, hexazinone, imazapyr and sulfentrazone were detected in measurable amounts in accordance with the analytical method applied, while clomazone was the most common herbicide being detected in more than 60% of the samples. Ametryn, diuron and amicarbazone herbicides were also detected. Diclosulan, imazapic, isoxaflutole, S-metolachlor, sulfometuron-methyl, and tebuthiuron were not detected in any sample. Inappropriate use of these products without prior knowledge of the behavior of the soil can lead to groundwaters and water springs contamination, thus an ongoing monitoring of this resource becomes very important.

Application of nanotechnology for the encapsulation of botanical insecticides for sustainable agriculture: Prospects and promises

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Polymeric and solid lipid nanoparticles for sustained release of carbendazim and tebuconazole in agricultural applications

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Histopathological changes in the perivisceral fat body of Rhinocricus padbergi (Diplopoda, Spirobolida) triggered by biosolids

Human activities generate a great amount of sewage daily, which is dumped into the sewer system. After sewage-treatment processes, sewage sludge is generated. Such byproduct can be treated by different methods; the result of treatment is a stabilized compost of reduced pathogenicity that has a similar inorganic chemical composition to the raw sewage sludge. After such pretreatment, sewage sludge is called a biosolids, and it can be used in agriculture. In this contest, the present study evaluated the effects of a sample of biosolids on the perivisceral fat body of a diplopod. These invertebrates are soil organisms that play an important role in the dynamics of terrestrial ecosystems, and as a consequence, they are in contact with xenobiotics present in this environmental compartment. Special emphasis is given on the interpretation of the effects of complex mixtures in target organs of diplopods. A semiquantitative analysis for the evaluation of histopathological changes in the perivisceral fat body was proposed. The sample-induced histopathological and ultrastructural changes in individuals exposed to it, and the severity of the effects was positively related to the exposure time, resulting in the deaths of exposed individuals after 90 days. Thus, the results indicate the need for caution in the use of biosolids as well as the need for improving waste management techniques, so they will produce environmentally innocuous final products.

Efeito do silicato de potássio em plantas de mamoeiro sobre a infestação do ácaro-rajado, tetranyhcus urticae koch

Pós-graduação em Agronomia - FEIS

Socio-eco-efficiency of integrated and non-integrated systems of crop, forestry and livestock in the Ipameri city, at brazilian Cerrado

Pós-graduação em Ciências Ambientais - Sorocaba