Responding to Economic Crisis in Sub-Saharan Africa: New Farmer-Developed Pest Management Strategies in Cocoa-Based Plantations in Southern Cameroon

Cocoa is a key or source of income and poverty reduction in the humid forest of Southern Cameroon. Cameroon like other African countries went through a major economic crisis in the early 1980s with a decline in international commodity prices and significant changes in macroeconomic policies. Structural adjustment reforms following the economic crisis led to removal of fertilizers and pesticides subsidies, cocoa price liberalization and the overall withdraw of Government interventions from the cocoa sub-sector. Cocoa input price increases have been compounded by the devaluation of the CFA Franc, which doubled the prices of the imported pesticides which were considered key to the control of cocoa pests. This overall economic shock led to changes in cocoa producer's production decisions as a response to minimize cost. Among the changes the use of alternatives to imported chemicals for cocoa pest control. Farmers responded to the high prices of pesticides by developing, from local botanical knowledge and pest management strategies, which include plant extracts and plant extracts mixed with pesticides at different proportions. This is a major decision given the importance of imported chemical in the cost of production of cocoa. Valuable indigenous knowledge from farmers could be used also as an effective support system for communicating and diffusing modern knowledge and technologies to farmers. The paper describes the farmer knowledge-based alternatives to chemical pesticides for pest control in cocoa fields as a response to high pest control costs. Pest management specialists are urged to take advantage of this shift in practice and assess their effectiveness for further use. Two sets of questions are posed: (1) were the conventional insecticides, with all their problems, really necessary? and (2) are the materials derived from locally grown plants effective pest management agents or are they, in some way, placebos?     

Spatial dependence and the relationship of soil organic carbon and soil moisture in the Luquillo Experimental Forest,Puerto Rico

We used geo-spatial statistical techniques to examine the spatial variation and relationship of soil organic carbon (SOC) and soil moisture (SM) in the Luquillo Experimental Forest (LEF), Puerto Rico, in order to test the hypothesis that mountainous terrain introduces spatial autocorrelation and crosscorrelation in ecosystem and soil properties. Soil samples (n = 100) were collected from the LEF in the summer of 1998 and analyzed for SOC, SM, and bulk density (BD). A global positioning system was used to georeference the location of each sampling site. At each site, elevation, slope and aspect were recorded. We calculated the isotropic and anisotropic semivariograms of soil and topographic properties, as well as the cross-variograms between SOC and SM, and between SOC and elevation. Then we used four models (random, linear, spherical and wave/hole) to test the semi-variances of SOC, SM, BD, elevation, slope and aspect for spatial dependence. Our results indicate that all the studied properties except slope angle exhibit spatial dependence within the scale of sampling (200 – 1000 m sampling interval). The spatially structured variance (the variance due to the location of sampling sites) accounted for a large proportion of the sample variance for elevation (99%), BD (90%), SOC (68%), aspect (56%) and SM (44%). The ranges of spatial dependence (the distances within which parameters are spatially dependent) for aspect, SOC, elevation, SM, and BD were 9810 m, 3070 m, 1120 m, 930 m and 430 m, respectively. Cross correlograms indicate that SOC varies closely with elevation and SM depending on the distances between samples. The correlation can shift from positive to negative as the separation distance increases. Larger ranges of spatial dependence of SOC, aspect and elevation indicate that the distribution of SOC in the LEF is determined by a combination of biotic (e.g., litterfall) and abiotic factors (e.g., microclimate and topographic features) related to elevation and aspect. This demonstrates the importance of both elevation and topographic gradients in controlling climate, vegetation distribution and soil properties as well as the associated biogeochemical processes in the LEF.This revised version was published online in May 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Simulating evolution of glyphosate resistance in Lolium rigidum II: past, present and future glyphosate use in Australian cropping

Glyphosate is a key component of weed control strategies in Australia and worldwide. Despite widespread and frequent use, evolved resistance to glyphosate is rare. A herbicide resistance model, parameterized for Lolium rigidum has been used to perform a number of simulations to compare predicted rates of evolution of glyphosate resistance under past, present and projected future use strategies. In a 30‐year wheat, lupin, wheat, oilseed rape crop rotation with minimum tillage (100% shallow depth soil disturbance at sowing) and annual use of glyphosate pre‐sowing, L. rigidum control was sustainable with no predicted glyphosate resistance. When the crop establishment system was changed to annual no‐tillage (15% soil disturbance at sowing), glyphosate resistance was predicted in 90% of populations, with resistance becoming apparent after between 10 and 18 years when sowing was delayed. Resistance was predicted in 20% of populations after 25–30 years with early sowing. Risks of glyphosate resistance could be reduced by rotating between no‐tillage and minimum‐tillage establishment systems, or by rotating between glyphosate and paraquat for pre‐sowing weed control. The double knockdown strategy (sequential full rate applications of glyphosate and paraquat) reduced risks of glyphosate and paraquat resistance to <2%. Introduction of glyphosate‐resistant oilseed rape significantly increased predicted risks of glyphosate resistance in no‐tillage systems even when the double knockdown was practised. These increased risks could be offset by high crop sowing rates and weed seed collection at harvest. When no selective herbicides were available in wheat crops, the introduction of glyphosate‐resistant oilseed rape necessitated a return to a minimum‐tillage crop establishment system.     

两系稻制种穗期病害发生较重的原因及防治措施

调查分析稻粒黑粉病、穗颈稻瘟等两系杂交稻制种穗期主要病害的发生原因,提出了清除菌源、轮换制种、健身栽培、对口药剂防治等防治措施。     

森林生态保护与效益补偿法律机制研究

回顾了森林生态保护与效益补偿机制研究现状与存在问题 ,分析了传统的生态保护政策法律手段的作用和历史局限性 ,指出在市场经济条件下 ,法律机制是生态保护和效益补偿机制的主要保障。着重研究了森林生态补偿法律关系中的主体、客体、补偿强度、补偿方法 ;从立法、执法、监督以及产权改革等方面 ,系统提出了建立我国森林生态补偿法律机制的途径和措施     

Pocono mesic till barrens in retreat: topography,fire and forest contagion effects

The Pocono mesic till barrens (PMTB) are a unique assemblage of fire-maintained shrub communities that support numerous rare species. Historically these barrens covered a large area in the vicinity of Long Pond, Pennsylvania, USA. However, due largely to regional fire suppression instituted in the early 1960s, over 70% of the area covered by barrens succeeded to fire-intolerant forest that does not support the rare species. We investigated the influence of forest proximity on barrens succession across three geomorphic types during periods of high fire frequency and fire suppression, testing the hypothesis that forest processes such as seed rain, shading, and detrital enrichment of soils enhances barrens succession through a contagion effect. Evidence of a forest contagion effect should be shown by increased rates of barrens succession with increasing proximity to the nearest forest edge. In order to detect a forest contagion effect, barrens persistence and barrens succession were modeled in proximity zones of 0-50 m, 50-100 m, 100-200 m, and greater than 200 m from the nearest forest edge. We used existing GIS data layers for fire, geomorphology, and vegetation distribution in 1938, 1963, and 1992. The layers were modified and overlain using ArcView software to determine persistence and succession rates for each unique combination of layers in each proximity zone from 1938 to 1963 (pre-fire suppression) and 1963 to 1992 (post-fire suppression). ANCOVA results indicate that proximity to the nearest forest edge significantly affected barrens persistence rates in both time periods, but succession rates were significantly affected in 1938 to 1963 only. Twenty-eight percent of the 1938 barrens succeeded to forest by 1963; 56% of the 1963 barrens became forest by 1992. Results support previous findings that barrens persistence is enhanced by increased fire frequency, and that barrens persist longer where they overlie flat glacial till than on other geomorphology types.     

检疫害虫稻水象甲的控制技术研究进展

稻水象甲(Lissorhoptrus。oryzophilus Kuschel)是一种毁灭性的水稻害虫，也是一种重要的检疫害虫。近年来在很多省市发生为害，且发生程度不断加重并呈扩大蔓延趋势。本文概述了近年来稻水象甲大发生危害的情况及原因，深入分析了其发生规律，提出了加强植物检疫、农业防治、化学防治、生物防治、物理防治等综合治理的措施。     

Improving management for higher reproduction accelerates genetic improvement in closed herd of swine

The present study compared responses to selection at different conception rates and litter sizes at weaning in a simulated closed herd in a swine breeding program. The base population consisted of 10 males and 50 females, and 10 generations of selection was practiced by using individual phenotype or best linear unbiased prediction of breeding values for a trait with heritability (h²) of either 0.2 or 0.5. The probability of conception in a single mating was assumed to be 0.8, 0.9 or 1.0. Litter size at weaning was sampled randomly from a normal distribution with mean 8, 10 or 12 and variance 8.1225. Genetic response increased by approximately 6% for h² = 0.2 and approximately 5% for h² = 0.5 at generation 10 when conception rate was increased from 0.8 to 1.0. However, litter size at weaning did not affect response to selection. In conclusion, improving conception rate by environmental management increases genetic response indirectly in a breeding program of a closed swine herd.     

The effect of sowing date, stale seedbed, row width and mechanical weed control on weeds and yields of organic winter wheat

Three field experiments were carried out in organically grown winter wheat in Denmark. The treatments were sowing time (normal or late sowing) and false seedbed, row width (12 and 24 cm) and weed control method [untreated; mechanical weed control (weed harrowing at 12 cm supplemented with inter‐row hoeing at 24 cm); and herbicide weed control]. Weed biomass in midsummer was greatest on plots sown at the normal sowing time (compared with delayed sowing) and was reduced by mechanical or chemical weed control (compared with untreated plots). Row width alone had no influence on weed biomass, but in the experiment with high weed pressure, the more intensive mechanical weed control used at a row width of 24 cm reduced weed biomass. Normal sowing time tended to give higher yields, but this was only statistically significant in one of the three experiments. Wide rows gave a yield decrease in the experiment with low weed pressure. The effect of weed control on yield was dependent on the weed pressure. At low weed pressure, mechanical weed control caused a yield decrease compared with untreated or herbicide treated. At intermediate weed levels there were no differences, whereas at high weed pressure, mechanical weed control and herbicide treatment caused a yield increase compared with untreated. False seedbeds were shown to contribute to a decrease in the soil seed reserve.