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Using ecological and field survey data to establish a national list of the wild bee pollinators of crops
No full textThe importance of wild bees for crop pollination is well established, but less is known about which species contribute to service delivery to inform agricultural management, monitoring and conservation. Using sites in Great Britain as a case study, we use a novel qualitative approach combining ecological information and field survey data to establish a national list of crop pollinating bees for four economically important crops (apple, field bean, oilseed rape and strawberry). A traits data base was used to establish potential pollinators, and combined with field data to identify both dominant crop flower visiting bee species and other species that could be important crop pollinators, but which are not presently sampled in large numbers on crops flowers. Whilst we found evidence that a small number of common, generalist species make a disproportionate contribution to flower visits, many more species were identified as potential pollinators, including rare and specialist species. Furthermore, we found evidence of substantial variation in the bee communities of different crops. Establishing a national list of crop pollinators is important for practitioners and policy makers, allowing targeted management approaches for improved ecosystem services, conservation and species monitoring. Data can be used to make recommendations about how pollinator diversity could be promoted in agricultural landscapes. Our results suggest agri-environment schemes need to support a higher diversity of species than at present, notably of solitary bees. Management would also benefit from targeting specific species to enhance crop pollination services to particular crops. Whilst our study is focused upon Great Britain, our methodology can easily be applied to other countries, crops and groups of pollinating insects
Markets, mis-direction and motives: A factual analysis of hoarding and speculation in southern Murray-Darling Basin water markets
Get PDFThere is a long history of concern about speculation in water markets, and potential adverse impacts on agricultural water users. However, applications of traditional analysis into price increase drivers in water markets are challenging due to data limitations. To address this, we use speculation theory, most notably Hirshleifer’s four fundamentals for speculative trade, to examine whether speculation or hoarding price increase drivers are evident in Australia’s largest water market, the southern Murray–Darling Basin. While speculation is likely, and with good reason given the gains possible, we find no evidence of hoarding behaviour in market price or volume trends. It is more plausible that agricultural sectors – notably horticultural users – have driven price increases given their requirements to access water at any cost during periods of low supply. These findings conform to theoretical expectations and help to inform badly needed insights into water market fundamentals required for future analysis. Overall, calls for stricter market controls on non-agricultural water users are not supported by our findings. However, greater transparency in water market and broker activity, arising from substantial improvements in the underlying data and trade regulations associated with water markets, would be an ideal outcome from any public police extension
Enhancement of galanthamine production through elicitation and NMR-based metabolite profiling in Narcissus pseudonarcissus cv. Carlton in vitro callus cultures
Get PDFPlants are the unique sources of secondary metabolites (terpenes, phenolic and alkaloid) used as pharmaceuticals, food additives and industrial produces. However, very limited information is known about their biosynthesis in plants. Elicitors are chemicals often used to activate the accumulation of such metabolites in plant in vitro cultures. Since the ancient past, Narcissus is wellknown
for its ornamental purposes and medicinal versatility with diverse pharmaceutically important alkaloids including
galanthamine, lycorine, haemanthamine and narciclasine. In this research, callus cultures induced from N. pseudonarcissus cv. Carlton bulb explants were subjected to MS media supplemented with growth regulators, yeast extract, methyl jasmonate, chitosan and trans-cinnamic acid for the determination of galanthamine content using GC-MS. Bulbs showed 538 to 1109 μg g−1 FW (fresh weight), and callus cultures subjected to MS medium without elicitors produced 7.88 μg g−1 FW of galanthamine, whereas callus cultures grown on MS with methyl jasmonate, chitosan and 25% sucrose showed approximately 5.6-, 3- and 2-fold increased galanthamine production respectively. NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) depicted that the concentrations of metabolites related to galanthamine production, tyrosine, tyramine, and 3-chlorotyrosine were higher in bulb tissue than callus. However, these metabolites were present in higher concentrations in elicitor-treated calluses, leading to the higher galanthamine accumulation than the non-treated calluses. Furthermore, the notable metabolites detected in elicitor-treated callus cultures were amino acids, phenols and sugar alcohols. The metabolites in media extracts were mainly related to sucrose and galactose metabolism. The results suggested that the application of elicitors could be a potential approach for enhanced production of valuable metabolites in Narcissus in vitro culture
International Market Integration and Competitiveness of Indian Sugar
Get PDFGlobalization and liberalization policies facilitated national and international commodity markets to integrate with each other. This integration facilitated price transmission and market efficiency of commodities at domestic markets, leading traders across the globe to exploit opportunities. India is one of the vibrant and emerging economies in the world absorbing these economic features and integrating its markets with the world. This article, focusing on the Indian sugar market, explores market integration of sugar prices with the US, UK and global average prices and also contributes a policy dimension to enhance the competitiveness of the Indian sugar sector. The article, using Johansen’s co-integration with a vector error correction model (VECM), finds the existence of market integration of Indian sugar prices with international prices. However, the average Indian sugar prices are higher than those in other markets, with the support of government price protection policies. These higher prices motivated to increase sugar production in the country. The lower cane prices of Brazil, Australia and Thailand pose challenges in international markets for Indian sugar. Despite this, the Indian sugar sector has a competitive advantage in becoming a great energy source by focusing on ethanol production, which would lead to reducing its international dependency for oil supplies. In addition, the sector can also contribute to rural socio-economic development through adopting technology to produce other by-products rather than merely concentrating on sugar
Enabling Behaviour Change in Laying Hen Farmers Using Motivational Interviewing
Get PDFLaying hens with poor feather cover eat more feed, are less productive, and have higher levels of morbidity and mortality. This welfare and sustainability issue is complex, requiring a proactive, multi-pronged approach. The aim of this UK study was to test a support approach for commercial implementation and uptake of evidence-based strategies aimed at reducing injurious pecking (IP) in 29 flocks of free range (FR), aviary and enriched cages (EC). This was accomplished by using motivational interviewing (MI) to facilitate farmer ownership over maintaining feather cover by co-developing bespoke feather cover action plans (FCAP). Recruitment included farmers with a range of initial attitudes, from not regarding IP as a priority, to engaged first adopters. The MI approach resulted in 80% of farmers making changes to their management and resource provision, with 90% of farmers of FR and half of those using EC making changes. Up to nine actions were planned in their FCAP (average 3 on FR farms), and 67% of all planned changes had been achieved on average 9 months later. While some changes were inexpensive and durable, such as providing rope or plastic objects, others were capital investments like verandas, planting trees, renewing and strategically placing artificial shelters, frequently replenishing Lucerne, or removing capped litter, plus adding pecking rings in enriched cages. Reflecting on the value of their FCAP, farmers recognised that being part of the project not only raised their awareness of IP and the importance of maintaining good feather cover, but also motivated them to make changes. They recognised the value of the facilitator and noted that successful outcomes gave incentive to make further progress. Half the farmers felt their FCAP had been successful in reducing IP within their flocks. This approach therefore has potential to improve both the sustainability of egg production and hen welfare
Transcriptomic analysis for differential expression of genes involved in secondary metabolite production in Narcissus pseudonarcissus field derived bulb and in vitro callus
Get PDFThe Amaryllidaceae genus Narcissus contains diversified secondary metabolites, which are important sources of biologically active alkaloids. The biochemical pathways for secondary metabolite production require primary metabolites to undergo a series of modifications catalyzed by several enzymes but the knowledge on their biosynthesis is very limited. This study is undertaken to reveal the differential expression of transcripts related to secondary metabolites biosynthesis in Narcissus basal plate and in vitro callus.
RNA-seq analysis of Narcissus basal plate (field) and in vitro callus ensued total 2153 differentially expressed transcripts and 83.46 % of those were annotated. The largest gene group was designated as uncharacterized proteins (10.24 %) and the second largest group was genes responsible for secondary metabolite production (8.88 %). The genes involved in the biosynthesis of alkaloids; cytochrome P450s, O-methyltransferases (OMTs), NADP/NADPH dehydrogenases or reductases, SAM-synthetases or decarboxylases, 3-ketoacyl-CoA, acyl-CoA, cinnamoyl-CoA, cinnamate 4-hydroxylase, alcohol dehydrogenase, caffeic acid, N-methyltransferase, and NADPH-cytochrome P450s were present in both basal plate and callus. However, cytochrome P450s, and OMTs which are responsible for regulating the later stage of alkaloids biosynthesis were mainly up-regulated in field samples. Whereas, the enzymes involved in initial biosynthetic pathways, fructose biphosphate adolase (FBA), aminotransferases, dehydrogenases, hydroxyl methyl glutarate (HMT), and glutamate synthase (GS) leading to the biosynthesis of precursors of secondary metabolites; tyrosine, phenylalanine, and tryptophan were up-regulated in callus. Furthermore, Gene Ontology (GO) annotation of the transcripts and associated Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and Plant Reactome pathway maps were postulated. This knowledge on probable genes or enzymes involved in secondary metabolism, their networking pathway and molecular regulation in field and in vitro callus would provide a deep insight into the Narcissus plant biology related to valuable metabolite production
Do farmers adopt advice on good pesticide practices? A case study of plant doctor recommended pesticide use in maize and tomato production
Get PDFPesticides are now widely used to manage the recent outbreak of crop pests such as fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda, FAW) and Phthorimaea absoluta (syn. Tuta absoluta).
However, reports on farmers’ pesticide use practices are often insufficient. Hence, this study aimed to assess how Kenyan maize and tomato farmers’ use of pesticides aligns with plant doctor recommendations. We collected data from 600 randomly selected maize and tomato farmers (clinic users and non-clinic users) using a pre-tested structured questionnaire and key informant interviews with plant doctors and extension officers. Results suggest farmer
practices matched plant doctor recommendations in over 80% of clinic users' cases. However, there were significant differences in recommended pesticide use and actual practices between Do farmers adopt advice on good pesticide practices? A case study of plant doctor recommended
pesticide use in maize and tomato production plant clinic users and non-plant clinic users. Although plant clinic users were significantly more likely to wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) while working with pesticides, we
observed inadequate PPE use among most farmers. This contributed to reported incidences of dizziness, headaches, and other acute pesticide health symptoms. Occasionally farmer practice does not match plant doctor recommendations due to the high cost of inputs, and lack of money to purchase the recommended inputs. Overall, this study shows that plant clinic participation resulted in more judicious use of pesticides and PPE wearing by farmers. The divergence in views means that there is a need to reconcile farmer actions and ideal situations through seminars, farmer field schools, barazas, and other information dissemination
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The Impact of Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Education on Regional Development
No full textThe paper explores the ways in which enterprise and entrepreneurial education (EEE), delivered by HEI’s, impacts regional development. To do this we analysed several datasets from The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) and the Office for National Statistics (ONS) focusing on the ways in which HEI start-up activity impacts indicators including GDP and employment. This highlights where further research and investment is needed to ensure a consistent regional development policy which we believe aligns with the conference's focus on connecting practitioners and policymakers to create a genuine change in regional disparities
Forgotten children: A socio-technical systems analysis of the 2004 and 2015 forced child labour reports from Indian cottonseed farms.
No full textNayak, R., & Manning, L. Forgotten children: A socio-technical systems analysis of the 2004 and 2015 forced child labour reports from Indian cottonseed farms. 2021 conference of the European Society of Criminology 10th September 202