Work and technological innovation in organic agriculture

Organic agriculture is a sustainable cultivation ecologically, economically and socially. Several researches in organic agriculture have been made from technical perspectives, economic traits or related to ecological aspects. There are practically no investigations into the nature of the technology used in organic agriculture, especially from an ergonomic perspective. From the activity analysis, this study aimed to map the technology used in the production of organic vegetables. Properties producing organic vegetables were selected representing the State of São Paulo. It was applied an instrument (questionnaire and semi-structured interview) with their managers and it was made visual records to identify adaptations, innovations and technological demands that simultaneously minimize the workload and the difficulties in performing the tasks and increase work productivity. For some of the technological innovations a digital scanner was used to generate a virtual solid model to facilitate its redesign and virtual prototyping. The main results show that organic farmers have little technology in product form. The main innovations that enable competitive advantage or allow higher labor productivity occur in the form of processes, organization and marketing.

Ceramic raw materials from the State of Maranhao, Brazil. Part 1: chemical and mineralogical characterization and technological properties of clays from Sao Luis, Rosario, Pinheiro and Mirinzal

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Apatite coatings onto titanium surfaces submitted to laser ablation with different energy densities

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Production of Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus and freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii stocked at different densities in polyculture systems in Brazil

The effect of stocking prawns Macrobrachium rosenbergii at increasing densities in ponds with Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus reared at low density was evaluated. Twelve 0.01-ha earthen ponds were stocked with 1 tilapia/m2 and 0, 2, 4, or 6 post-larvae prawn/m2. Three replicates were randomly assigned to each prawn density. Postlarval prawns were stocked a week prior to tilapia juveniles and both were harvested 175 d after the beginning of the experiment. Tilapia final average weight, survival, production, and food conversion rates did not differ significantly among treatments (P > 0.05); the averages were 531 g. 67%, 3,673 kg/ha, and 1.91, respectively. Prawn survival rates did not differ for the three stocking densities (mean 90%). However, final weight and production were significantly different (P < 0.05) as follows: 34.0, 23.0, and 14.7 g and 639, 909, and 818 kg/ha, respectively for 2, 4, and 6 prawns/m2 densities. Stocking densities up to 6 prawn/m2 did not affect tilapia production and required neither additional feeding nor significant changes in management. The polyculture system allowed an increase in total production with the same amount of supplied feed, thus improving the system sustainability.

Urban and suburban malaria in Rondônia (Brazilian Western Amazon) II. Perennial transmissions with high anopheline densities are associated with human environmental changes

Longitudinal entomological surveys were performed in Vila Candelária and adjacent rural locality of Bate Estaca concomitantly with a clinical epidemiologic malaria survey. Vila Candelária is a riverside periurban neighborhood of Porto Velho, capital of the state of Rondônia in the Brazilian Amazon. High anopheline densities were found accompanying the peak of rainfall, as reported in rural areas of the region. Moreover, several minor peaks of anophelines were recorded between the end of the dry season and the beginning of the next rainy season. These secondary peaks were related to permanent anopheline breeding sites resulting from human activities. Malaria transmission is, therefore, observed all over the year. In Vila Candelária, the risk of malaria infection both indoors and outdoors was calculated as being 2 and 10/infecting bites per year per inhabitant respectively. Urban malaria in riverside areas was associated with two factors: (1) high prevalence of asymptomatic carriers in a stable human population and (2) high anopheline densities related to human environmental changes. This association is probably found in other Amazonian urban and suburban communities. The implementation of control measures should include environmental sanitation and better characterization of the role of asymptomatic carriers in malaria transmission.

Structural reforms, productivity and technological change in Latin America

Includes bibliography

Piezoelectric composite film for acoustic emission detection

The continuous technological advances require materials with properties that conventional material cannot display. Material property combinations are being the focus to the development of composite materials, which are considered a multiphase material that exhibits properties of the constituent phases. One interesting material to be studied as sensing material is the composite made of ferroelectric ceramic and polymeric matrix as a two-phases composite material. In that case, the combinations properties intended are the high piezo and pyroelectric activities of the dense ceramic with the impact resistance, flexibility, formability and low densities of the polymer. Using the piezoelectric property of the composite film, it can be used to detect acoustic emission (AE), which is a transient elastic wave generated by sudden deformation in materials under stress. AE can be applied for evaluating the health of structures in a nondestructive way and without any lapse of time. The preliminary result indicates that the composite Pz34/PEEK can be used as sensing material for nondestructive evaluation. ©2009 IEEE.

Export performance, technological upgrading and foreign direct investment strategies in the Asian newly industrializing economies: with special reference to Singapur

Includes bibliography

Structural reforms, technological gaps and economic development: a Latin American perspective

Includes bibliography

Development of technological capabilities in an extremely volatile economy. The industrial sector in Argentina

Includes bibliography

Infrared thermography applied to the evaluation of metabolic heat loss of chicks fed with different energy densities

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

Technological evaluation of biotechnology capability in Amazon institutions

Includes bibliography

Basic issues emerging from recent research on technological behaviour of selected Latin American metalworking plants

Includes bibliography

Steelplant technological development in Latin America: a comparative study of the selection and upgrading of technology in plants in Argentina, Brasil, Colombia, Mexico and Peru

Includes bibliography

Technological transition and the new skills required by the agribusiness sector

Adoption of new technologies throughout the agribusiness chain is necessary to meet the higher food and fuel needs of a growing and wealthier population. However, modern technologies require the development of new skills and changes in working patterns and relationships at all levels of the organization. Companies that invest in technology without investing in human capital development will not reach their full potential. © 2012 International Food and Agribusiness Management Association (IFAMA).