Local Hadley circulation over the Asian monsoon region associated with the Tropospheric Biennial Oscillation

The Tropospheric Biennial Oscillation (TBO), a major interannual variation phenomenon in the Indo-Pacific region, is the result of strong ocean-atmosphere coupling over the Asian-Australian monsoon area. Along with other meteorological and oceanographic parameters, the tropical circulation also exhibits interannual oscillations. Even though the TBO is the result of strong air–sea interaction, the circulation cells during TBO years are, as yet, not well understood. In the present study, an attempt has been made to understand the interannual variability of the mean meridional circulation and local monsoon circulation over south Asia in connection with the TBO. The stream function computed from the zonal mean meridional wind component of NCEP=NCAR reanalysis data for the years 1950–2003 is used to represent the meanmeridional circulation. Mean meridional mass transport in the topics reverses from a weak monsoon to a strong monsoon in the presence of ENSO, but in normal TBO yearsmean transport remains weak across the Northern Hemisphere. The meridional temperature gradient, which drives the mean meridional circulation, also shows no reversal during the normal TBO cycle. The local Hadley circulation over the monsoon area follows the TBO cycle with anomalous ascent (descent) in strong (weak) monsoon years. During normal TBO years, the Equatorial region and Indian monsoon areas exhibit opposite local Hadley circulation anomalies

Mosquito larvae borne viruses from the central travancore region of kerala: isolation and characterization

The present study was initiated when several massive outbreaks of Chikungunya, Dengue and Japanese Encephalitis were frequently reported across the State of Kerala. Multiple symptoms persisted among the affected individuals and the public health officials were in search of aetiological agents responsible for the out breaks and, other than clinical samples no resources were available. In this context, a study was undertaken to focus on mosquito larvae to investigate the viruses borne by them which remain silently prevalent in the environment. The study was not a group specific investigation limited to either arbovirus or enterovirus, but had a broad spectrum approach. The study encompassed the viral pathogens that could be isolated, their impact when passaged through cell lines, growth kinetics, titer of the working stocks in specific cell line, the structure by means of transmission electron microscopy(TEM), the one step growth and molecular characterization using molecular tools.

Molecular effects on the cross section for pair production and their importance in the evaluation of the total photonuclear cross section of {^16}O in the {\delta-resonance} region

The screening correction to the coherent pair-production cross section on the oxygen molecule has been calculated using self-consistent relativistic wave functions for the one-center and two-center Coulomb potentials. It is shown that the modification of the wave function due to molecular binding and the interference between contributions from the two atoms have both sizeable effects on the screening correction. The so-obtained coherent pair-production cross section which makes up the largest part of the total atomic cross section was used to evaluate the total nuclear absorption cross section from photon attenuation measurements on liquid oxygen. The result agrees with cross sections for other nuclei if A-scaling is assumed. The molecular effect on the pair cross section amounts to 15 % of the nuclear cross section in the {\delta-resonance} region.

Veränderung der Entwicklungspotenziale der Region Nordhessen - Eine empirische Bestandsaufnahme

Ziel dieser Studie war es, zu untersuchen, ob sich die relative Position Nordhessens im Wettbewerb mit den umliegenden Regionen seit der im Jahr 2002 durchgeführten Studie im Hinblick auf Indikatoren für die wissensbasierte Entwicklung verbessert hat. Als Ergebnis kann festgehalten werden, dass sich Nordhessen in einem Aufholprozess befindet: Alle relevanten wissensbasierten Indikatoren, wie etwa die Anzahl der Schulabgänger mit Hochschulreife oder der Anteil der Unternehmen, die der Hoch- oder Spitzentechnologie zuzuordnen sind, haben sich positiv entwickelt. In gleicher Weise haben sich alle Indikatoren auch in Relation zur jeweiligen Ausprägung der Nachbarregionen positiv erändert. Relativ gesehen hat sich die Position der Region also verbessert. Absolut betrachtet bleibt es aber dabei, dass die Region in Hinblick auf zentrale Indikatoren der wissensbasierten Entwicklung einen deutlichen Rückstand hat. So liegt die Hochqualifiziertenquote weiterhin 25%, die Anzahl der Unternehmen der Hochtechnologie 50% unter dem Durchschnitt der von uns untersuchten Vergleichsregionen.

Ursachen von Schulverweigerung und lokale Lösungsansätze in der Region Kassel

Generell gelten in Deutschland alle Kinder und Jugendlichen als schulpflichtig, deren Aufenthaltsort sich im Land befindet. Weiterhin gilt die Verpflichtung zum Schulbesuch für alle „bildungsfähigen“ Kinder. Der Sachverhalt der Schulverweigerung, der in Kapitel 2 und 3 zu erläutern ist, kann nur in einer Gesellschaft vorliegen, in der ein Schulbesuch gesetzlich festgelegt ist. Im Jahr 1999 lag die Zahl der Verletzungen der Schulpflicht in Hessen, laut Kultusministerium, bei 4.417. Hierbei handelt es sich allerdings nur um Fälle, bei denen ein Ordnungswidrigkeitsverfahren eingeleitet wurde also nicht um Schulversäumnisse, die von Eltern oder Ärzten entschuldigt wurden. Dies zeige allerdings, dass das Phänomen der Schulverweigerung in den letzten Jahren, gerade in den Klassen 7 bis 9 stetig zugenommen habe. Generell gehe man diesbezüglich davon aus, dass gelegentliches unerlaubtes Fernbleiben von der Schule im Jugendalter als entwicklungstypisch eingestuft werden könne. Oppositionelles und autoritätssuchendes Verhalten in der Adoleszensphase sei als ´normale` Entwicklungsstufe anzusehen und kann sich in schulabsentem Verhalten äußern. Schulverweigerung im Sinne einer Aufmerksamkeitserregung bezüglich eines psychosomatischen Krankheitsbildes tritt vorwiegend im Alter von 12 bis 14 Jahren auf. Darüber hinaus veröffentlichten die Hertie- und die Bertelsmann-Stiftung im Jahr 2002 in einer Presseinformation, dass es in Deutschland etwa 500.000 Schulschwänzer gebe. In diesem Zusammenhang würden etwa 10% bis 15% der Schüler in der Bundesrepublik die Schule ohne einen Schulabschluss verlassen, was in Zahlen ausgedrückt knapp 83.000 Kinder und Jugendliche bedeute. Von diesen Zahlen geht auch das Deutsche Jugendinstitut aus. In der Region Kassel existieren zurzeit zwei Projekte zum Umgang mit und der Prävention von Schulverweigerung. Durch das bundesweite „Netzwerk Prävention von Schulmüdigkeit und Schulverweigerung“ koordiniert wurde der 2005 ausgelaufene Modelversuch „Auf Kurs“ der Kasseler Produktionsschule BuntStift GmbH, evaluiert und ins Regelsystem übernommen. Das Projekt „Schulverweigerung - Die 2. Chance“, ausgehend vom Europäischen Sozialfond, läuft in Kassel seit 2007 beziehungsweise 2009 und beinhaltet eine Koordination von Schule und Jugendhilfe. Anknüpfend an das Prozedere bei Erkennung eines Falls von Schulverweigerung ist zu untersuchen, inwiefern und mit welchen Zielsetzungen die Reintegrationsprojekte in der Region Kassel die Ursachen von Schulverweigerung aufgreifen. In diesem Zusammenhang steht eine Kontaktaufnahme mit dem Planer des Projektes „Auf Kurs“ von BuntStift, der Georg-August-Zinn-Schule und der Offenen Schule Kassel Waldau, zwei Kooperationsschulen des Projekts, sowie der Jugendfürsorge von Landkreis und Stadt Kassel, die im Rahmen des Projektes „Schulverweigerung - Die 2. Chance“ mit Schulen und Gemeinden zusammenarbeiten. Ziel beider Projekte ist es, Schülern den Zugang zu sozialen Kompetenzen, der Bereitschaft zur Leistungsentfaltung und der Fähigkeit sich dauerhaft Lehr- und Lerninhalte anzueignen zu verschaffen. Die Darstellung der projektinternen Interventions-, Präventions- und Reintegrationsmaßnahmen vor dem Hintergrund der vielfältigen Ursachen von Schulverweigerung bilden den Schwerpunkt dieser Arbeit. In diesem Zusammenhang entsteht die Frage, inwiefern die Projekte Ursachen von Schulverweigerung präventiv und produktiv aufgreifen, um Schülern einen erfolgreichen Wiedereinstieg in das Bildungssystem zu ermöglichen und welche Rolle die Kooperation zwischen Schulen, Jugendhilfe und Eltern in dieser Hinsicht spielt.

Clay pot irrigation for tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill) production in the north east semiarid region of Ethiopia

Water shortage is one of the major constraints for production of horticultural crops in arid and semiarid regions. A field experiment was conducted to determine irrigation water and fertilizer use efficiency, growth and yield of tomato under clay pot irrigation at the experimental site of Sekota Dryland Agricultural Research Center, Lalibela, Ethiopia in 2009/10. The experiment comprised of five treatments including furrow irrigated control and clay pot irrigation with different plant population and fertilization methods, which were arranged in Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications. The highest total and marketable fruit yields were obtained from clay pot irrigation combined with application of nitrogen fertilizer with irrigation water irrespective of difference in plant population. The clay pot irrigation had seasonal water use of up to 143.71 mm, which resulted in significantly higher water use efficiency (33.62 kg m^-3) as compared to the furrow irrigation, which had a seasonal water use of 485.50 mm, and a water use efficiency of 6.67 kg m^-3. Application of nitrogen fertilizer with irrigation water in clay pots improved fertilizer use efficiency of tomato by up to 52% than band application with furrow or clay pot irrigation. Thus, clay pot irrigation with 33,333 plants ha^-1 and nitrogen fertilizer application with irrigation water in clay pots was the best method for increasing the yield of tomato while economizing the use of water and nitrogen fertilizer in a semiarid environment.

Soil fertility and nutrient status of traditional Gayo coffee agroforestry systems in the Takengon region, Aceh Province, Indonesia

Little is known about the traditional coffee cultivation systems in Central Aceh, Indonesia, where coffee production is a major source of income for local Gayo people. Based on field observations and farmer interviews, 14 representative agroforestry coffee plantations of different age classes (60-70 years, 30-40 years, and 20 years) as well as seven adjacent grassland and native forest sites were selected for this study, and soil and coffee leaf samples collected for nutrient analysis. Significant differences in soil and coffee leaf parameters were found between former native forest and Sumatran pine (Pinus merkusii) forest as previous land cover indicating the importance of the land use history for today’s coffee cultivation. Soil pH as well as exchangeable Na and Ca concentrations were significantly lower on coffee plantations compared to grassland and forest sites. Soil C, N, plant available P, exchangeable K, and Mg concentrations showed no consistent differences between land use groups. Nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) concentrations of coffee leaves were in the sufficiency range, whereas zinc (Zn) contents were found to be consistently below the sufficiency threshold and significantly lower in coffee plantations of previous pine forest cover compared to those of previous native forest cover. While the results of this study provided insights into the nutrient status of coffee plantations in Central Aceh, the heterogeneity of site conditions, limited sampling size, and scarcity of reliable data about the land use history and initial soil conditions of sampled sites preclude more definitive conclusions about the sustainability of the studied systems.

Weiterentwicklung der schulpraktischen Lehrerbildung durch Kooperation der Ersten und Zweiten Phase am Beispiel der Region Nordhessen

Die Kooperation zwischen den beiden Phasen der Lehrerbildung an Universität und Studienseminar und die Qualitätsssteigerung der schulpraktischen Ausbildung werden nicht nur im Hessischen Lehrerbildungsgesetz als eine der Möglichkeiten gesehen, die Ausbildungsqualität angehender Lehrer zu verbessern. Um die Bedingungen für die Intensivierung der Kooperation zwischen den beiden Phasen bestimmen zu können werden in einer Expertenbefragung (Studie 1) die Haltung und Erwartung von Vertretern der universitären Lehrerbildung, des Referendariats und der Bildungsadministration erhoben. Dabei werden die Schulpraktischen Studien als Beispiele für eine phasenübergreifende Kooperation herausgestellt. Die Untersuchung zeigt aber nicht nur geeignete Möglichkeit der Zusammenarbeit auf. Es werden auch Ursachen erforscht, welche Gründe die Kooperation hemmen oder behindern, wie etwa gegenseitige Vorbehalte, fehlende Verbindlichkeit oder institutionalisiertes Ungleichgewicht zwischen den beiden Phasen. Seit der Kritik u. a. von Terhart (2000) an der mangelnden Abstimmung zwischen Erster und Zweiter Phase der Lehrerbildung und der Klage von Oelkers (2000) über den fehlenden Nachweis, wie wirksam die Lehrerbildung ist, sind in den letzten Jahren Studien über die Erste und Zweite Phase der Lehrerbildung entstanden. In die Darstellung des Stand der Forschung zur schulpraktischen Lehrerausbildung werden zwei groß angelegte Untersuchungen (MT21 und COACTIV) einbezogen, deren Ergebnisse die Diskussion um die Wirksamkeit der (Mathematik-) Lehrerbildung und der Bedeutung des (mathematik-)fachdidaktischen Wissens in den letzten Jahren entscheidend geprägt haben. Darüber hinaus werden die Forschungen des Deutschen Instituts für internationale Bildungsforschung (DIPF) zum Referendariat und von Schubarth zur Lehrerausbildung in der Ersten und Zweiten Phase dargestellt. Zu den schulpraktischen Studien werden einschlägige Untersuchungen angeführt (wie die von Hascher oder von Bodensohn u.a.), die ergänzt bzw. kontrastiert werden durch die Ergebnisse kleinerer Evaluationen. Schließlich werden Studien zur Rolle der Mentoren herangezogen, die sich mit den Unterrichtsnachbesprechungen im Rahmen der Schulpraktika oder mit dem Mentorieren auseinandersetzen. In die Ergebnisse der Studie 1 (s.o.) und in den Forschungsstand lassen sich Kooperationsformen zwischen der Ersten und Zweiten Phase der Lehrerbildung einbetten, die in der schulpraktischen Ausbildung verwirklicht werden können. Mit dem Kooperationspraktikum haben Vertreter der Ersten und der Zweiten Phase der Lehrerausbildung gemeinsame eine Form gefunden, wie ohne strukturelle Veränderung und bei möglichst geringem zusätzlichen Aufwand im bestehenden Ausbildungsrahmen eine fünfwöchige Lernpartnerschaft zwischen Referendaren und Studierenden unter Verantwortung eines gemeinsamen Mentors realisiert werden kann. Die Evaluation dieses Kooperationspraktikums (Studie 2) zeigt, dass die Lernpartner diese Art der Zusammenarbeit positiv empfinden. Es werden aber auch Probleme aufgezeigt, die verdeutlichen, mit welchen Schwierigkeiten die Forderung nach phasenübergreifender Kooperation in der konkreten Umsetzung verbunden sein kann. Um die Befunde aus der Evaluation zum Kooperationspraktikum auch wegen der relativ kleinen Stichprobe richtig einordnen zu können, werden sie mit den relevanten Forschungsergebnissen in Verbindung gebracht. Idealisierende Vorstellungen von Kooperation zwischen Erster und Zweiter Phase sind allerdings fehl am Platz. Die Hoffnung auf einen bruchlosen Übergang unterschätzt auch die Anforderungen an den Rollenwechsel vom Studierenden zum Referendaren. Um ein Kooperation durch Lernpartnerschaften im Rahmen eines Kooperationspraktikums zu verwirklichen, sind Gelingens¬bedingungen zu berücksichtigen, zu denen sowohl Rahmenbedingungen als auch die Möglichkeiten zur Institutionalisierung gehören. Beide Ausbildungsphasen haben zwar als gemeinsames Ziel, Lehrer für die Schule zu qualifizieren und sie verbindet zudem der schulpraktische Ausbildungsteil, der in den Schulen stattfindet. Dieser Ausbildungsteil hat aber je nach Phase eine andere Bedeutung und unterscheidet sich zudem nicht nur nach Aufwand und Anspruch, sondern vor allem aufgrund der institutionellen Rolle seiner Akteure. Das Kooperationspraktikum berücksichtigt diese Unterschiedlichkeit und zeigt trotzdem einen Weg auf, gegenseitigen von der Zusammenarbeit zu profitieren. Von daher kann das Kooperationspraktikum einen Beitrag zur Weiterentwicklung der phasenübergreifenden Zusammenarbeit leisten und die Erkenntnisse könnten bei der Konzeption eines Praxissemesters gewinnbringend eingebracht werden.

Urban and peri-urban agricultural production along railway tracks: a case study from the Mumbai Metropolitan Region

Urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) contributes to food security, serves as an opportunity for income generation, and provides recreational services to urban citizens. With a population of 21 Million people, of which 60 % live in slums, UPA activities can play a crucial role in supporting people’s livelihoods in Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). This study was conducted to characterize the railway gardens, determine their role in UPA production, and assess potential risks. It comprises a baseline survey among 38 railway gardeners across MMR characterized by different demographic, socio-economic, migratory, and labour characteristics. Soil, irrigation water, and plant samples were analyzed for nutrients, heavy metals, and microbial load. All the railway gardeners practiced agriculture as a primary source of income and cultivated seasonal vegetables such as lady’s finger (Abelmoschus esculentus L. Moench), spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.), red amaranth (Amaranthus cruentus L.), and white radish (Raphanus sativus var. longipinnatus) which were irrigated with waste water. This irrigation water was loaded with 7–28 mg N l^(−1), 0.3–7 mg P l^(−1), and 8–32 mg K l^(−1), but also contained heavy metals such as lead (0.02–0.06 mg Pb l^(−1)), cadmium (0.03–0.17 mg Cd l^(−1)), mercury (0.001–0.005 mg Hg l^(−1)), and pathogens such as Escherichia coli (1,100 most probable number per 100 ml). Levels of heavy metals exceeded the critical thresholds in surface soils (Cr, Ni, and Sr) and produce (Pb, Cd, and Sr). The railway garden production systems can substantially foster employment and reduce economic deprivation of urban poor particularly slum dwellers and migrant people. However this production system may also cause possible health risks to producers and consumers.

Sustainability of Small Scale Farming in a Mountain Region: Case Study of the Khaling Rai Population of the Solukhumbu, Nepal

The Khaling Rai live in a remote area of the mountain region of Nepal. Subsistence farming is central to their livelihood strategy, the sustainability of which was examined in this study. The sustainable livelihood approach was identified as a suitable theoretical framework to analyse the assets of the Khaling Rai. A baseline study was conducted using indicators to assess the outcome of the livelihood strategies under the three pillars of sustainability – economic, social and environmental. Relationships between key factors were analysed. The outcome showed that farming fulfils their basic need of food security, with self-sufficiency in terms of seeds, organic fertilisers and tools. Agriculture is almost totally non-monitized: crops are grown mainly for household consumption. However, the crux faced by the Khaling Rai community is the need to develop high value cash crops in order to improve their livelihoods while at the same time maintaining food security. Institutional support in this regard was found to be lacking. At the same time there is declining soil fertility and an expanding population, which results in smaller land holdings. The capacity to absorb risk is inhibited by the small size of the resource base and access only to small local markets. A two-pronged approach is recommended. Firstly, the formation of agricultural cooperative associations in the area. Secondly, through them the selection of key personnel to be put forward for training in the adoption of improved low-cost technologies for staple crops and in the introduction of appropriate new cash crops.

Interrelatedness of grazing livestock with vegetation parameters and farmers’ livelihoods in the Mahafaly region, southwestern Madagascar

The study aims to get deeper insight into the highly extensive system of animal husbandry in the Mahafaly region of southwestern Madagascar. It tries to understand the major drivers for pastoral dynamics, land and resource use along a gradient in altitude and vegetation to consider the area’s high spatial and temporal heterogeneity. The study also analyzes the reproductive performance of local livestock as well as the owners’ culling strategies to determine herd dynamics, opportunities for economic growth, and future potential for rural development. Across seasons, plateau herds from both livestock species covered longer distances (cattle 13.6±3.02 km, goats 12.3±3.48 km) and were found further away from the settlements (cattle 3.1±0.96 km, goats 2.8±0.98 km) than those from the coastal plain (walking_dist: cattle 9.5±3.25 km, goats 9.2±2.57 km; max_dist: cattle 2.6±1.28 km, goats 1.8±0.61 km). Transhumant cattle were detected more vulnerable through limited access to pasture land and water resources compared to local herds. Seasonal water shortage has been confirmed as a key constraint on the plateau while livestock keeping along the coast is more limited by dry season forage availability. However, recent security issues and land use conflicts with local crop farmers are gaining importance and force livestock owners to adapt their traditional grazing management, resulting in spatio-temporal variation of livestock numbers and in the impending risk of local overgrazing and degradation of rangelands. Among the 133 plant species consumed by livestock, 13 were determined of major importance for the animals’ nutrition. The nutritive value and digestibility of the natural forage, as well as its abundance in the coastal zone, substantially decreased over the course of the dry season and emphasized the importance of supplementary forage plants, in particular Euphorbia stenoclada. At the same time, an unsustainable utilization and overexploitation of its wild stocks may raise the pressure on the vegetation and pasture resources within the nearby Tsimanampetsotsa National Park. Age at first parturition was 40.5±0.59 months for cattle and 21.3±0.63 months for goats. Both species showed long parturition intervals (cattle 24.2±0.48 months, goats 12.4±0.30 months), mostly due to the maintenance of poorly performing breeding females within the herds. Reported offspring mortality, however, was low with 2.5% of cattle and 18.8% of goats dying before reaching maturity. The analysis of economic information revealed higher than expected market dynamics, especially for zebus, resulting in annual contribution margins of 33 € per cattle unit and 11 € per goat unit. The application of the PRY Herd Life model to simulate herd development for present management and two alternate scenarios confirmed the economic profitability of the current livestock system and showed potential for further productive and economic development. However, this might be clearly limited by the region’s restricted carrying capacity. Summarizing, this study illustrates the highly extensive and resources-driven character of the livestock system in the Mahafaly region, with herd mobility being a central element to cope with seasonal shortages in forage and water. But additional key drivers and external factors are gaining importance and increasingly affect migration decisions and grazing management. This leads to an increased risk of local overgrazing and overexploitation of natural pasture resources and intensifies the tension between pastoral and conservation interests. At the same time, it hampers the region’s agronomic development, which has not yet been fully exploited. The situation therefore demonstrates the need for practical improvement suggestions and implication measures, such as the systematic forestation of supplemental forage plant species in the coastal zone or a stronger integration of animal husbandry and crop production, to sustain the traditional livestock system without compromising peoples’ livelihoods while at the same time minimizing the pastoral impact on the area’s unique nature and environment.

Diversity, local uses and availability of medicinal plants and wild yams in the Mahafaly region of south-western Madagascar

Short summary: This study was undertaken to assess the diversity of plant resources utilized by the local population in south-western Madagascar, the social, ecological and biophysical conditions that drive their uses and availability, and possible alternative strategies for their sustainable use in the region. The study region, ‘Mahafaly region’, located in south-western Madagascar, is one of the country’s most economically, educationally and climatically disadvantaged regions. With an arid steppe climate, the agricultural production is limited by low water availability and a low level of soil nutrients and soil organic carbon. The region comprises the recently extended Tsimanampetsotsa National Park, with numerous sacred and communities forests, which are threatened by slash and burn agriculture and overexploitation of forests resources. The present study analyzed the availability of wild yams and medicinal plants, and their importance for the livelihood of the local population in this region. An ethnobotanical survey was conducted recording the diversity, local knowledge and use of wild yams and medicinal plants utilized by the local communities in five villages in the Mahafaly region. 250 households were randomly selected followed by semi-structured interviews on the socio-economic characteristics of the households. Data allowed us to characterize sociocultural and socioeconomic factors that determine the local use of wild yams and medicinal plants, and to identify their role in the livelihoods of local people. Species-environment relationships and the current spatial distribution of the wild yams were investigated and predicted using ordination methods and a niche based habitat modelling approach. Species response curves along edaphic gradients allowed us to understand the species requirements on habitat conditions. We thus investigated various alternative methods to enhance the wild yam regeneration for their local conservation and their sustainable use in the Mahafaly region. Altogether, six species of wild yams and a total of 214 medicinal plants species from 68 families and 163 genera were identified in the study region. Results of the cluster and discriminant analysis indicated a clear pattern on resource, resulted in two groups of household and characterized by differences in livestock numbers, off-farm activities, agricultural land and harvests. A generalized linear model highlighted that economic factors significantly affect the collection intensity of wild yams, while the use of medicinal plants depends to a higher degree on socio-cultural factors. The gradient analysis on the distribution of the wild yam species revealed a clear pattern for species habitats. Species models based on NPMR (Nonparametric Multiplicative Regression analysis) indicated the importance of vegetation structure, human interventions, and soil characteristics to determine wild yam species distribution. The prediction of the current availability of wild yam resources showed that abundant wild yam resources are scarce and face high harvest intensity. Experiments on yams cultivation revealed that germination of seeds was enhanced by using pre-germination treatments before planting, vegetative regeneration performed better with the upper part of the tubers (corms) rather than the sets of tubers. In-situ regeneration was possible for the upper parts of the wild tubers but the success depended significantly on the type of soil. The use of manure (10-20 t ha¹) increased the yield of the D. alata and D. alatipes by 40%. We thus suggest the promotion of other cultivated varieties of D. alata found regions neighbouring as the Mahafaly Plateau.

Poverty targeting and income impact of subsidised credit on accessed households in the Northern Mountainous Region of Vietnam

This paper uses the data of 1338 rural households in the Northern Mountainous Region of Vietnam to examine the extent to which subsidised credit targets the poor and its impacts. Principal Component Analysis and Propensity Score Matching were used to evaluate the depth of outreach and the income impact of credit. To address the problem of model uncertainty, the approach of Bayesian Model Average applied to the probit model was used. Results showed that subsidised credit successfully targeted the poor households with 24.10% and 69.20% of clients falling into the poorest group and the three bottom groups respectively. Moreover, those who received subsidised credit make up 83% of ethnic minority households. These results indicate that governmental subsidies are necessary to reach the poor and low income households, who need capital but are normally bypassed by commercial banks. Analyses also showed that ethnicity and age of household heads, number of helpers, savings, as well as how affected households are by shocks were all factors that further explained the probability at which subsidised credit has been assessed. Furthermore, recipients obtained a 2.61% higher total income and a 5.93% higher farm income compared to non-recipients. However, these small magnitudes of effects are statistically insignificant at a 5% level. Although the subsidised credit is insufficient to significantly improve the income of the poor households, it possibly prevents these households of becoming even poorer.