Highly client-oriented breeding,using local preferences and selection,produces widely adapted rice varieties

When explicit measures are taken to account for the needs of clients (farmers and consumers) it results in highly client-oriented breeding. This involves the participation of farmers to specify the design of desirable varieties and, once they are produced, their testing without delay with the target clients in the target environments. The term highly client-oriented breeding (COB) explains the purpose of farmer involvement – the deliberate achievement of a high degree of client orientation – rather than simply explaining the process of farmers participating in plant breeding (participatory plant breeding). Client-oriented breeding is sometimes based on the preferences of relatively few farmers in a small area, so a possible drawback is that it will produce varieties that are too locally adapted. We describe the testing of varieties in the High Barind Tract (HBT) of Bangladesh from a COB programme carried out in Chitwan district, Nepal. The two best lines, Judi 582 and Judi 567, yielded 19–50% more during the T. Aman season and 106% more during the Aus season than check varieties in the HBT. Research to determine farmers’ preferences and adoption consistently showed these varieties were preferred over all available alternatives. The new varieties were broadly adapted as they were superior in all the three rice-growing seasons over varying levels of inputs. This broad adaptation could be explained by the breeding method: the generations were advanced in two contrasting seasons and each generation was grown on a different farmer's field under different management and planting dates. Because the segregating generations were grown under moderate and fluctuating levels of nitrogen, it is to be expected that genotypes with good nitrogen use efficiency will be selected that can also respond to added nitrogen. Overall, the cost-effectiveness of COB was high as it produced widely adapted genotypes from a small breeding programme, and knowledge of farmers’ preferences increased the efficiency of targeting new germplasm.     

Estimating the Demand for Organic Foods by Consumers at Farmers’ Markets in Northwest Arkansas

To answer the question, “How interested in buying organic foods are the majority of the current shoppers at our farmers’ market?,” more than 300 consumers at three diverse farmers’ market locations were surveyed for their organic food purchasing habits. Comparisons were made between purchasers who were new to purchasing organic foods and purchasers who had been buying organic foods for many years. Analysis showed that a majority of respondents (74%) were frequent purchasers of organic foods, buying once or twice a month and a significant percentage (44%) of those had been purchasing organic foods for 7 years or more. Opportunities exist to expand organic sales at these farmers’ markets in Arkansas, where only 42% purchased most of their organic foods and 80% surveyed answered “yes” that they would buy more organic if its price was similar to that of conventional foods.     

Review of The Chinese Medicinal Herb Farm

Collaborative ventures between industry and professional association represent a strategy to maximize resources for a mutual goal. As a cooperative venture, The American Dietetic Association co-sponsored with Kraft General Foods, Inc. and The Good Housekeeping Institute a survey on American's diet and nutrition habits. The survey findings focused on consumer's behaviors, attitudes, knowledge and obstacles toward diet and nutrition. The results from the survey are being used to create and expand nutrition education campaings to the public.     

Seasonal diet composition and forage selectivity of Boer goats in a semi-arid gypsophilous grassland

Botanical and chemical compositions of Boer goat diets, determined with repeated collection of forage samples taken from the goat’s mouth, were studied in a gypsophilous grassland during four seasons of the year. Ten pluriparous goats were used to collect selected forage species. Shrubs were a minor dietary component throughout the year (<7.5%). Goats selected more (p?<?0.01) grass during autumn and winter (34.2–37.8%) than during spring (21.2%) and summer (29.0%). During all seasons goat diets were dominated by forbs (>59%). Diets were lowest (p?<?0.05) in percentage of crude protein during spring, summer and autumn (13.2?±?3.5, 13.2?±?2.4 and 14.2?±?3.9, respectively) than winter (17.5?±?2.9) with levels above the recommended quantities for goats throughout the year. In vitro dry matter digestibility of forages selected by goats did not differ between seasons (range 47.4–53.3%). It was concluded that in this particular ecosystem goats preferred forb species over grasses across all seasons. In addition, goats maintained relatively stable diet quality by forage-class mixing of diets.     

基于消费者倾向调查的南疆文化遗产旅游线路设计

文化遗产旅游是当前旅游的热点,文章通过文案调查、个人访谈调查、问卷调查,对新疆南疆文化遗产旅游者消费倾向进行调查,分析了当前南疆地区文化遗产旅游的主体旅游者构成,旅游者喜欢参与的文化遗产旅游项目,旅游者对南疆文化遗产旅游的实际印象及感受,对南疆地区文化遗产旅游线路进行再设计。以期能够为南疆地区发展文化旅游提供参考,并对我国文化旅游市场提供借鉴。     

Do oribatid mites (Acari: Oribatida) show a higher preference for ubiquitous vs. specialized saprotrophic fungi from pine litter?

Previous studies of oribatid mite feeding preferences for different saprotrophic fungi were limited to ubiquitous fungal species, whereas saprophytes specialized to decompose particular substrates have been neglected. We examined the preference of seven oribatid mite species (Adoristes ovatus, Eniochthonius minutissimus, Eueremaeus silvestris, Nothrus silvestris, Oppiella subpectinata, Porobelba spinosa and Spatiodamaeus verticillipes) for nine autochthonous saprotrophic fungi from Scots pine litter (Pinus sylvestris). Among the fungal species offered were specific coniferous litter colonizers (Allantophomopsis lycopodina, Ceuthospora pinastri, Hormonema dematioides, Scleroconidioma sphagnicola, Verticicladium trifidum, Marasmius androsaceus and Sympodiella acicola) and two ubiquitous species (Cladosporium herbarum and Oidiodendron griseum). The fungi were inoculated on fragments of pine needles and offered simultaneously and separately to the mites. Our main hypothesis, that oribatid mites (usually occurring in more than one type of ecosystems) would prefer the ubiquitous fungal species rather than those specific to pine litter, was supported only partly. The ubiquitous C. herbarum was highly preferred by all studied mites, but most of them preferred one or more of the specialized fungi with similar intensity. The basidiomycete M. androsaceus along with sterile needles were consistently avoided by all mites in all experiments. Our results do not support the hypothesis, that the “true” fungivorous oribatid mites in traditional sense are more selective fungal feeders than are the “unspecialized” panphytophagous ones. We observed no gradation in preference of fungi for oribatid mites as a group, but rather a discontinuous and dynamic mosaic with particular mites preferring particular fungal species. This heterogeneous mosaic shapes the feeding niches occupied by particular oribatid mite species and probably reduces competition for food source among numerous species coexisting in a given habitat and time.     

国外网络用户健康信息服务研究进展及启示

介绍了国外用户健康信息系统的应用现状和几个成功的实例,通过不同种类用户健康信息系统的比较,分析用户健康信息系统的发展趋势和理想健康信息服务的标准,为我国图书情报机构开展用户健康信息服务提供了新的发展思路。

     

Uptake of soil mineral nitrogen by Acacia mangium and Eucalyptus urophylla × grandis: No difference in N form preference

The introduction of N₂‐fixing tree species in fast growing tree plantations is a sustainable management option aiming to reduce the risk of nitrogen (N) deficiency due to a large and frequent exportation of nutrients at harvest. Differences in soil mineral N preferences between Eucalyptus urophylla × grandis and Acacia mangium may, in addition to facilitation related to atmospheric N₂ fixation, contribute to the success of mixed‐species plantations of the two species on nutrient‐poor soils of the coastal Congolese plains. We tested whether these two species differ in their preference for nitrate or ammonium by supplying either ammonium or nitrate enriched in ¹⁵N to six‐month‐old potted trees growing in an open‐air nursery. Although the uptake of nitrate tended to be higher than that of ammonium by both species, the difference was not significant and there was no significant difference between the species regarding their preferred form of soil mineral N. Despite much lower N contents in foliage, stems, and roots of eucalypt compared to acacia, the specific rates of N uptake were up to three times higher for eucalypt than acacia, which suggests that atmospheric N₂ was the major source of N in the six‐month‐old acacias. We conclude that N₂ fixation rather than complementarity for soil mineral nitrogen alleviates the competition between species in successful mixed eucalypt and acacia plantations.     

Factors Influencing U.S. Consumers' Preference for Positively Versus Negatively Framed GM Food Symbols

This study explores the factors that may have a bearing on consumers' preference for positively and negatively framed symbols on food products containing genetically modified ingredients. An online survey tested the influence of three categories of variables—individual cognitive-psychological attributes, media and information-related variables, and demographic characteristics—on consumers' preference for symbols that have been framed in a positive or negative way. The findings indicated that consumers' preference for positively framed symbols was determined by their objective knowledge of genetic modification, education, and income, while preference for negatively framed symbols was influenced by objective knowledge and exposure to food labels.     

The flavor of high-quality beef – a review

Flavor of beef has been recognized as an equal quality trait to tenderness and lately high correlations between beef flavor and overall liking of beef have been demonstrated. In this review, we evaluate the effect of breed, sex, age, feeding, growth rate, slaughter method and aging on beef flavor. A common determinator for these factors is their influence on intramuscular fat (IMF) where more IMF increase the overall flavor liking. Feeding can, however, affect the flavor of beef beyond that of the amount of IMF. In several studies, pasture or pasture-based silage lead to a beef flavor characterized as fishy, gamey and grassy in contrast to concentrate-fed beef cattle. A geographical difference in flavor preferences of high-quality beef exists, most clearly illustrated among US consumers who prefer beef from concentrate-fed cattle, whereas European consumers tend to prefer beef from cattle fed a mixed diet on pasture and concentrate.