University of Minnesota, Duluth
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Evaluación de tres raciones alimenticias en la producción familiar de patos Pekin (Anas platyrhynchos)
No full textThe production of duck meat is of great importance in addressing food security challenges, especially when obtaining quality proteins is difficult. Ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) provide a valuable source of protein and nutrients, and their ability to adapt to environmental conditions is less demanding than other birds, making them a significant resource for food production. The purpose of the study was to conduct a comparative analysis of the body development of ducks fed with three types of rations, and determine which of them yields the best results in terms of body weight gain, economic profitability, and market acceptance, within a family production system. Ninety-six ducks were used, and four feeding treatments were applied: i) T1 (B70-M30) balanced 70%, corn and passion fruit 30%; ii) T2 (B50-C50) balanced 50%, corn and alfalfa 50%; iii) T3 (B/M30- A/W20) balanced 30%, corn 30%, oats 20%, wheat 20%; and, iv) T0 (M100) 100% corn. The main results revealed that treatment T3 (B/M30- A/W20) showed the most efficient feed conversion (4.35) and also achieved adequate carcass performance, indicating a more effective use of food resources in their nutrition. Additionally, this treatment stood out in the economic analysis of cost-benefit (1.86), demonstrating a significant difference compared to other treatments, indicating it would yield higher profits. On the other hand, market acceptance of the product found that consumers prefer slaughtered duck as it is the healthier option for them compared to smoked duck, for example. This suggests that the food combination in T3 (B/M30- A/W20) would be the most suitable option for raising ducks in a family production system, as it would lead to greater development and economic benefit
Impact of Rural Out-Migration on Crop Productivity of Migrant-Sending Rural Households in Oromia Region of Ethiopia
No full textThis study quantified the impact of rural out-migration on crop productivity using the multinomial endogenous switching model as an analytical model in the Oromia region of Ethiopia. Cross-sectional data were gathered from a random sample of 384 rural households. The descriptive analysis revealed that the rate of rural-rural migration in Ethiopia decreased from 55.8 to 24.6% while the rate of rural-urban migration increased from 28.7 to 33.8 % between 1984 and 2021. The proportion of migrants in the total urban population increased from 17.2 to 49.2% in the Oromia region between 1999 and 2021. The regression results found that land size, use of irrigation, tropical livestock unit, dependency ratio, and education level of household head decrease the likelihood of participating in migration, whereas family size, number of plots, being female-headed households, and age of household head increase the probability of participating in migration. The participation in rural-urban and international migration increases the productivity of wheat producers by 341.28 and 707.21kilograms, respectively. Similarly, the participation in rural-urban and international migration increases the productivity of teff producers by 502.05 and 257.04 kilograms, respectively. This finding also supports the credit and risk hypotheses of the new economics labour migration theory. Enhancing access to finance or credit markets, agricultural land, and enhanced technology for youth in migrant-sending rural communities can leverage the gains from rural out-migration. Provision of pre-migration training, rural non-farm employment, awareness creation, promotion of safe migration, and better rural public services would capitalize the net benefit from out-migration
FALL 2025 FARM INCOME OUTLOOK FOR NORTH DAKOTA
No full textIn September 2025, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Economic Research Service (ERS) released state-level farm income estimates through calendar year 2024 and national farm income projections for calendar year 2025. The present report published by the Rural and Farm Finance Policy Analysis Center (RaFF) and the Center of Agricultural Policy and Trade Studies (CAPTS) at North Dakota State University (NDSU) provides an updated outlook for North Dakota farm income in calendar years 2025 and 2026. It intends to inform policymakers, industry analysts, and agricultural practitioners about the state agricultural sector’s expected profitability and its main drivers
Wading Through Murky Waters: A Case Study of Regulatory Ineffectiveness in Sri Lanka’s Import Tax Exemption Schemes
No full textThe predictability, efficiency and openness of regulatory procedures are critical to enhance their effectiveness. In the absence of these features, procedures will fail to generate expected outcomes. Such opaque processes are also prone to abuse. This policy brief highlights and examines this problem by analysing the mechanisms that currently govern import tax exemption schemes for selected product categories
Study on Antibacterial Effects of Extracts from Pinus massoniana Lamb. Needles
No full text[Objectives] To study the antibacterial effects of extracts from Pinus massoniana Lamb. needles. [Methods] In this experiment, the components from Pinus massoniana Lamb. needles were extracted by systematic solvent extraction method, and the antibacterial activity against four common bacteria, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Aspergillus flavus and the antibacterial active component were examined for by punch method. [Results] Different solvent extraction rate was different, the rates of petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate, n-butanol, water extracts were 4.2%, 16.7%, 17.4%, 21.1%, 40.6%. All extracts showed inhibitory effect against test bacteria. It was observed that the inhibition of G+ was stronger than G-, and the extracts had the best antibacterial activity to Staphylococcus aureus while the weakest to Aspergillus flavus. The antibacterial activity of the components decreased in the order: ethyl acetate extract > n-butanol extract > chloroform extract > petroleum ether extract > aqueous phase. The extracts were stable under ultraviolet radiation (UV) light and long term storage. The antibacterial activity of the extracts was weaker with the increase of pH value when the pH value ≤ 8. [Conclusions] It is inferred that the antibacterial components in the extract of Pinus massoniana needles are widely distributed, and the components with medium polarity or above are the main antibacterial components
Construction and Practice of Transformation System of Scientific and Technological Achievements in Agriculture：A Case Study of Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences
No full textAccelerating the transformation of agricultural scientific and technological achievements is a key link in implementing innovation-driven development strategy and rural revitalization strategy, and improving development quality and core competitiveness. How to build a scientific and systematic transformation system of scientific and technological achievements and improve the overall management level of scientific and technological achievements transformation of agricultural scientific research institutes is one of the key tasks to measure how a scientific research institute supports industry and serves society. Taking the Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences as an example, this paper explores the construction and practice of its scientific and technological achievements transformation system since the 13th Five-Year Plan period. By arranging the current situation of resource elements for the transformation of scientific and technological achievements, analyzing the progress of the construction of the scientific and technological achievements transformation system, summarizing the practical results of the scientific and technological achievements transformation system, this paper puts forward 10 strategies and measures (implementing key projects for the transformation and application of scientific and technological achievements; striving to promote the transformation and application of on-duty scientific and technological achievements; accelerating the development and utilization of advantageous and characteristic resources; strengthening the use and protection of intellectual property rights; actively expanding cooperation activities between government, industry and research; increasing special financial support for the transformation of scientific and technological achievements; innovating state-owned asset management to accelerate scientific and technological development; piloting equity incentives to expand scientific and technological development channels to increase income; striving to create a relaxed environment for the transformation of scientific and technological achievements, effectively create scientific and technological value, enhance the development strength of the institute, and promote high-quality industrial development) in order to provide a useful reference for the transformation of scientific and technological achievements of agricultural research institutes
Isolation and Identification of Potassium Releasing Bacteria from Sugarcane Rhizosphere Soil and Optimization of Fermentation Condition
No full text[Objectives]To isolate and optimize the potassium releasing bacteria from sugarcane rhizosphere soil in Baitu Town, Gaoyao District, Zhaoqing City, Guangdong Province, and then evaluate their potassium-releasing ability, and optimize the fermentation conditions of the strains with the best potassium-releasing ability, so as to provide a scientific basis for the development and production of potassium releasing bacteria fertilizer. [Methods] Potassium-solubilizing bacteria were isolated from sugarcane rhizosphere soil using potassium-feldspar powder as the potassium source of isolation medium by dilution coating method and plate streaking method. The isolated strains were identified by 16s rRNA sequence analysis. The potassium-releasing ability of each strain was determined by sodium tetraphenylborate (STPB) method, and the strain GK-37 with the optimal potassium-releasing ability was selected. The fermentation conditions of GK-37 strain were further optimized, and the effects of different carbon sources on its growth were mainly investigated. [Results] Seven strains of potassium-solubilizing bacteria were isolated and purified, and identified by 16s rRNA. They belonged to Pseudomonas knackmussii, Pseudomonas, Pseudomonas insulaes and Caballeronia zhejiangensis. Among the tested strains, strain GK-37 had the best potassium-releasing ability, and its potassium-releasing capacity was 26.99 mg/L. By optimizing the fermentation conditions of GK-37 strain, it was found that when the fermentation medium was sucrose as carbon source, the growth of the strain was the best. [Conclusions] In this study, the potassium releasing bacteria were successfully isolated and identified from the rhizosphere soil of sugarcane, and the strain GK-37 had high potassium-releasing ability. Through the optimization of fermentation conditions of GK-37 strain, sucrose was determined as the optimal carbon source. This study is expected to provide a valuable reference for the further development and production of potassium releasing bacteria fertilizer
The Milk Supply of Boston and Other New England Cities
No full textContents: Population --- Milk Supply: Transportation, Distribution, Statistics – Boston (Cars – Cans – Historical – Wholesale Methods – The Wholesalers or Contractors – Statistics – Milk Producers' Union – Prices Paid, Several Years – Grading the Price – Contractors' Surplus – Retailing – Returning Clean Cans – Methods of Producers and Shippers – Boston System Summed Up – Other Milk Supply) – Providence – Other Cities --- The Cream Trade --- Skim Milk --- Condensed Milk --- Milk Consumption Per Capita --- Milk Laws and Inspection (Legal Standard and Adulteration – Official Inspection – Sanitary Laws and Inspection – Health Orders) --- Quality of Milk Sold --- Need of Advanced Practices
Determinants of Land Rent and Food Security in Malawi: A Partial Spatial Panel Approach
No full textAgricultural land remains a key agricultural production factor, crucial for attaining food security. Nonetheless, different assessments reveal persistent hunger levels across space and time in Malawi, despite access to and ownership of land among rural farming households. This study used the Integrated Household Panel Survey balanced dataset for 2016 to 2019 and sampled 1,147 rural maize farmers to determine agricultural land rent factors and its effect on food security. The study employed a Spatial Durbin model (SDM) and Spatial Auto Regressive model (SAR) to determine agricultural land rent factors and food consumption score in a spatial framework, respectively. The study further estimated Multivariate Probit (MVP) and Conditional Mixed Process (CMP) to account for unobserved heterogeneity, endogeneity and self-selection. Empirical findings revealed spatial dependence in land rent and food security. Renting-in and renting-out land was spatially clustered in the central and southern region; while self-owned land clustered in the northern region. Renting-in land directly increased food consumption score by 28.61% in the same location and 11.03% in neighboring locations in panel assessment. Notably, self-owned land associated with low food consumption score by -32.8% in the same location and -12.5% in neighboring locations. Southern region had the lowest food consumption score, followed by central region, then northern region. The findings propose for regional specific interventions that address specific regional food security vulnerabilities