The Contribution of Small-Scale Forestry-Based Enterprises to the Rural Economy in the Developing World: The Case of the Informal Carpentry Sector, Sudan

Small-scale forestry-based enterprises connected with wood processing are becoming of growing importance in the rural economy of developing countries. Little attention has been paid to the characteristics of these enterprises and their role in supporting economic development. The objectives of this study are to: (1) determine the socioeconomic characteristics of the operators of these enterprises; (2) assess the contribution of the informal carpentry sector to operators’ income; and (3) identify the factors limiting the expansion of the sector. The study was carried out in the Singa district, Sinnar State in 2011. Snowball sampling was used to select 250 operators from five markets in the district. The quantitative and qualitative data were collected using Participatory Rural Appraisal methods. The results revealed that most operators involved in the informal carpentry sector are males aged <30 years and their businesses have been in existence for <10 years. Operators’ incomes ranged between USD 100 and 500 monthly on average. The results also indicated that the operators face many constraints (e.g. finance shortage, lack of raw materials, insecure market, lack of technology and lack of organization) to expanding the informal carpentry sector. The study concluded that the informal carpentry sector has potential to contribute to rural economic development through increasing income and reducing rural poverty.     

Identification and quantification of betalains from the fruits of 10 mexican prickly pear cultivars by high-performance liquid chromatography and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

Qualitative and quantitative analyses of betalain pigments in 10 cultivars/lines of prickly pear (Opuntia spp.) fruit grown in Mexico were conducted with reverse phase high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection (HPLC-DAD) coupled with electrospray mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). Betacyanins and betaxanthins were identified by comparison with the UV/vis and mass spectrometric characteristics as well as the retention times of semisynthesized reference betaxanthins. Data revealed that the ratio and concentration of betalain pigments are responsible for the color in the different cultivars, showing the highest betalains content in the fruit of purple colored Camuesa (O. robusta Wendl.) (8.1 mg/g dry fruit), which is comparable to that found in red beet Beta vulgaris L. ssp. Var. Pablo) (8.6 mg/g dry tissue). Yellow betalains were absent in Reyna (O. alba-carpa) prickly pear cultivar. A total of 24 known/unknown betalains were present in the prickly pear fruit samples studied, including 18 betaxanthins and 6 betacyanins. Our results indicate that prickly pear cultivars can be considered as a potential source of yellow and red natural colorants.     

Evaluation of limb autotomy as a promising strategy to improve production performances of mud crab (Scylla olivacea) in the soft‐shell farming system

Soft‐shell crab, a newly moulted crab having non‐calcified and hydrated soft exoskeleton, farming has been increasing tremendously in recent years throughout the world due to its high market price and consumer preferences. However, high aggressiveness and cannibalistic behaviour of mud crab limit its culture to an individual chamber system which ultimately makes the soft‐shell mud crab farming space and labour‐intensive. Therefore, the aim of this study was to improve the efficiency of soft‐shell crab production by autotomy of the claw and/or walking legs to reduce the moulting duration and intensify the culture system through double stocking in the existing individual chamber culture system. To achieve our objectives, a series of experiment were conducted at both indoor and on‐farm levels by removing the claw and/or walking legs of Scylla olivacea for two consecutive moulting cycles. Results showed that both claw ablation significantly (p < .01) shortened the moulting duration and increased the carapace width, weight gain, specific growth rate, feeding efficiency and yield parameter compared to the non‐ablated crabs more prominently at 1st moulting than the 2nd moulting in both indoor and on‐farm trials. Ablation of all walking legs while keeping the claw intact did not significantly influence (p > .05) the moulting duration and carapace width, but significantly (p < .01) improved the specific growth rate, weight gain, feeding efficiency and yield parameters at 1st moulting compared to the non‐ablation and unilateral three walking leg ablation groups. However, ablation of all appendages (both claw and walking legs) showed significant (p < .01) improvements of carapace width, weight gain, specific growth rate, feeding efficiency and yield parameters, and shortened the moulting duration up to 23 days from 34 days during 1st moulting and up to 27 days from 40 days at 2nd moulting. The survivals of different autotomized mud crabs were statistically non‐significant (p > .05) to the non‐autotomized crabs in various indoor and on‐farm trials. Besides improving the production performances, ablation of bilateral claw and all appendages allowed to double the stocking density in the existing individual chamber‐based soft‐shell crab farming that enhanced the production about threefold higher than the existing individual chamber‐based culture system. Finally, our results suggest that autotomy could be a promising technology for the commercial farming of soft‐shell mud crab in near future.     

Cryopreservation of Black Bengal buck semen: Effects of diluents and freezing on sperm motility and morphology

Semen from Black Bengal bucks was collected to establish a cooling protocol (to −196°C) for buck semen preservation, and to study the effect of freezing on sperm motility and morphology. Semen was diluted with diluents (Triladyl & Tris) and cryoprotectants, filled into straws, sealed, cooled (to 5°C) and equilibrated. After dilution, motility ranged from 75.00% to 76.67% and from 73.33% to 80.00% in Triladyl and Tris diluents, respectively. Motility of sperm after cooling to 5°C in Triladyl and Tris diluents ranged from 65.00% to 66.67% and from 63.33% to 70.00%, respectively. After equilibration in straws, the semen was subjected to a freezing protocol in a computer-controlled biofreezer CL-3000 (cooling at 10°C per minute, from 5°C to −80°C) and plunged into liquid nitrogen. Sperm motility of re-thawed semen varied from 38.33% to 43.33% and from 6.00% to−6.67% in Triladyl and Tris diluents, respectively. Sperm morphology of re-thawed semen was studied and head damage or cryoinjury was found in 2–3% of sperm in Triladyl diluents and 3–6% in Tris diluents. Whether the differences of sperm motility and head damage reflect fertility after artificial insemination is yet unknown and needs to be studied further.     

Morphological Traits Associated with Drought Stress Tolerance in Six Moroccan Durum Wheat Varieties Released Between 1984 and 2007

Journal of Crop Science and Biotechnology - Drought is one of the main environmental factors affecting grain yield and plant architecture in durum wheat. The present work was conducted to evaluate...     

Identification and quantification of xanthophyll esters, carotenes, and tocopherols in the fruit of seven Mexican mango cultivars by liquid chromatography-atmospheric pressure chemical ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry [LC-(APcI(+))-MS

A liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) method was developed to simultaneously identify and quantify carotenoids and tocopherols in the fruit of seven mango cultivars grown in Mexico. Fruit maturity was characterized objectively, and carotenoids and tocopherols were isolated by solvent extraction and analyzed by HPLC coupled to a C30 stationary phase and diode array, fluorescence, and mass (time-of-flight) detectors. All cultivars had a similar carotenoid pattern, in which all-trans-beta-carotene and dibutyrates of all-trans-violaxanthin and 9-cis-violaxanthin were the most abundant. The content of all-trans-beta-carotene ranged between 0.4 and 2.8 mg/100 g, and 'Haden' and 'Ataulfo' mangoes had the highest amount. The amounts of all-trans-violaxanthin and 9-cis-violaxanthin (as dibutyrates) ranged between 0.5 and 2.8 mg/100g and between 0.4 and 2.0 mg/100 g, respectively. The content of alpha-tocopherol was low (200-500 microg/100 g). The results of this study indicate that all-trans-beta-carotene, all-trans-violaxanthin, and 9-cis-violaxanthin are the most abundant carotenoids in mango grown in Mexico.     

Serogrouping of United States and some African serotypes of bluetongue virus using RT-PCR

The diagnostic potential of RT-PCR for detection of bluetongue virus (BTV) ribonucleic acid (RNA) sequence in cell culture and tissue samples from infected ruminants from United States, Sudan, South Africa and Senegal, was evaluated. The non structural protein 1 (NS1) gene of North American BTV serotype 11 was targeted for PCR amplification. The United States BTV serotypes 2, 10, 11, 13 and 17 and the Sudanese BTV serotypes 1, 2, 4 and 16 and BTV serotype 4 from South Africa and BTV serotype 2 from Senegal were studied. RNAs from all BTV field isolates used in this study, propagated in cell cultures, were detected by the described RT-PCR-based assay. The first specific 790bp BTV PCR products were amplified using a pair of outer primers (BTV1 and BTV2). Specificity of the PCR products was confirmed by a nested amplification of a 520bp PCR product using a pair of internal (nested) primers (BTV3 and BTV4). The BTV PCR products were visualized on ethidium bromide-stained agarose gels. Amplification products were not detected when the RT-PCR-based assay was applied to RNAs from closely related orbiviruses including, epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV) prototypes serotypes 1, 2, 4; RNA from Sudanese isolate of palyam orbiviruses serogroup and total nucleic acid extracts from uninfected Vero cells. Application of the nested BTV RT-PCR to clinical samples resulted in amplification of BTV RNA from blood and serum samples from goats experimentally infected with BTV4 and from naturally infected sheep, goats, cattle and deer. The results of this study indicated that this RT-PCR assay could be applied for rapid detection of BTV, in cell culture and clinical samples from susceptible ruminants during an outbreak of the disease, in the United States and African.     

Remobilization of Phosphorus in Tea Plants

Tea [Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze] is a highly phosphorus (P) deficiency-tolerant species, however, involving mechanisms have not been investigated so far. In this work, mechanisms for intrinsic efficiency of P utilization were studied in tea seedlings grown hydroponically without or with adequate P supply. The contribution of P reserve in cotyledons to the P nutrition of tea seedlings and the role of mature leaves were examined at two contrasting P supply levels in plants with intact or severed cotyledons. During three subsequent harvest intervals, distinct reduction of P content was observed not only in cotyledons, but also in the mature leaves, stem and roots of plants supplied with low P. In plants supplied adequately with P, in contrast, a continuous rise of P content was detected. It was concluded that the cotyledons of tea plants are a major source of P but not organic compounds for growth of the young seedlings.     

Relative performance of two Nile tilapia ( Oreochromis niloticus Linnaeus) strains in Egypt: The Abbassa selection line and the Kafr El Sheikh commercial strain

The Abbassa selection line (developed by selective breeding) and the Kafr El Sheikh commercial strain (widely used in Egypt), both Oreochromis niloticus, were compared at two stocking densities (two and four fish m^?2). Harvest weight, length, depth, width and head length were recorded. The Abbassa line showed a superior harvest weight (28 per cent) over the Kafr El Sheikh strain. Males were heavier than females, but the between‐sex difference was greater in the commercial than in the Abbassa line (39 and 31 per cent respectively). Females in the Abbassa line grew almost as fast as males in the commercial line. Both strains grew faster at the lower density, and the percentage reduction in harvest weight at the higher density was about the same for both strains (27 per cent). The advantage of the Abbassa line was 28 per cent at both densities. Both strains had a similar survival rate (approximately 80 per cent) during the grow‐out period. We conclude that the Abbassa line is ready for release to the tilapia industry in Egypt. Further evidence is being sought in currently underway on‐farm evaluations. Measures should be taken to ensure the long‐term viability of the Abbassa line.