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Overcoming data gaps in viticulture adaptation strategy development: a case study on diversification of Marlborough, Sauvignon Blanc.
Get PDFViticulture regions and systems are often exposed to climatic hazards such as rising temperatures and extreme weather events. A lack of knowledge on the complexity surrounding climate impacts is one of the key challenges winegrowers face when adapting to climate change. Supporting winegrowers through this challenge has led to an increased interest in approaches that support decision-making under uncertainty. However, to be able to aid growers in decision making, robust data is required, and this is often a limiting factor. This paper proposes a solution to a lack of data by presenting an approach to generating yield data from a biophysical index model to inform economic analysis. The paper describes the methodological approach and presents the application of this methodology to a New Zealand case study: Sauvignon Blanc in the Marlborough wine region. This includes characterisation of the temperature function informing the index, establishing the relationship between the index and observed yield, and assessing the index performance now and in the future. This study contributes to the current body of knowledge by outlining an approach and identifying the challenges to generating biophysical outputs and subsequent economic data. During this process, the study has generated valuable insights into the potential impact of future temperature on key yield components of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. This will be an important component for accelerating the implementation of climate change adaptation strategies in the regio
Endogenous expropriation with non-strategic lobbying
Get PDFThis paper develops a theoretical model of political competition in which a lobby group provides financial support to candidates running for election in return for favorable policy outcomes. The lack of a legally binding contract may lead politicians to use campaign funds for their own personal benefit. However, this expropriation occurs entirely unexpected to the lobby group, which is non-strategic in nature. We find that there is a utility-maximizing fraction based on which politicians should allocate contributions between campaigning and private use. This fraction is increasing in the election winning premium and the proximity of the lobby group’s ideal position. It is less obvious, however, how this fraction relates to the relative importance of money for private consumption in the utility function. This fraction is determined by the comparison between the income effect, which pulls money toward personal consumption, and the substitution effect, which takes money away from personal consumption for campaigning
Microbial biodiversity and metabolic functioning in sediments of coastal dune lakes on a remote island
No full textMolecular-based techniques provide the potential for novel insights into the functioning of ecosystems, especially those that are globally rare such as coastal dune lakes. In the surface sediments of lakes, microbial communities play a vital role in biogeochemical cycling and techniques such as metagenomics can provide information on the roles play in these ecosystems. The current study aimed to investigate the taxonomic and functional composition of six coastal dune lakes on Chatham Island using sediment DNA approaches. The use of metabarcoding (16S rRNA gene) and metagenomics showed that there were distinct differences in the microbial community composition and functional potential amongst the lakes, especially in the lakes with higher salinity. Investigation of metabolic potential with metagenomics showed that the abundance of genes involved in nitrogen cycling were related to the nitrogen:phosphorus ratio while assimilatory sulfate reduction was correlated with sulfur and organic matter concentrations. Analysis showed differences in the carbon fixation strategies amongst the lakes. The lake with the highest salinity levels also had elevated levels of osmoprotectants and related transporters. The sequencing of sediment DNA enables the investigation of the composition and functioning of lake environments providing a basis for the increased understanding of the processes occurring within lakes
Quantifying nutrient harvest indices and uptake patterns for six hard spring wheat genotypes grown under contrasting nitrogen supply
No full textWheat nutritional quality can be characterised by nutrient concentrations in the grain. This is the sum of nutrient uptake by the roots and re-translocation from other organs during grain filling. It is quantified by the Nutrient Harvest Index (NuHI: the fraction of total accumulated nutrient that is allocated to the grain). In contrast to nitrogen (NHI), there has been little quantification of NuHIs among modern hard spring wheat genotypes, when grown under contrasting N supply. We investigated NuHIs for six macro- and four micro-nutrients among six hard spring wheat genotypes, both under field and glasshouse conditions. There was consistency in element-specific NuHI values between experiments and amongst genotypes. Values ranged from 0.09 to 0.86, with highest NuHI found for phosphorus (P; 0.86) and N (0.82) and lowest values (<0.25) for calcium, copper, iron and potassium. NuHIs were higher under low N supply for all elements, except P, manganese and zinc, which were unaffected by N supply. This reflects the greater deposition of carbohydrate in higher yielding (N fertilised) crops. Thus, NuHIs for the hard spring wheat genotypes tested were highly element specific, and decreased with N supply within a given environment. HIGHLIGHTS Nutrient Harvest Index (NuHI) was similar between field and controlled environment NuHIs were consistent across six modern spring wheat genotypes NuHIs were in large element-specific ranging from 0.09 for potassium to 0.86 for phosphorus Limited N supply increased NuHIs mainly through reduced grain yiel
Family entrepreneurship and regional digital finance access: Evidence from household entrepreneurship in China
No full textUsing data from the China Household Finance Survey (CHFS) conducted in 2015, 2017, and 2019, in conjunction with the regional digital financial inclusion index developed by Peking University, we investigate the influence of regional digital finance accessibility on Chinese household entrepreneurship. The findings reveal that households in regions with better digital finance access exhibit a greater inclination towards household entrepreneurship. Among the–sub-indicators, the breadth of coverage and the use of credit exert the most significant influence. Furthermore, by employing casual mediation analysis in instrumental variable settings, we find that the physical bank outlet networks act as a negative transmission mechanism in the relationship between regional digital finance access and household entrepreneurship. This negative mediation effect amplifies with the proliferation of bank outlets. Heterogeneity analysis shows that the positive impact of regional digital finance access is particularly significant among households without commercial insurance and financial literacy. We recommend that governments advocate broader commercial insurance access and promote financial literacy in communities
Understanding the bioaccessibility of grape phenolics in association with milk proteins : A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Lincoln University
No full textPhenolics are compounds that are widespread in plants and abundant in many fruits. Grapes and their products contain high concentrations of phenolics, particularly anthocyanins, and flavanols such as catechins and epicatechins. phenolics have been reported to have various health benefits, but these may be limited by their low uptake, low bioavailability, and rapid degradation owing to enzymatic and non-enzymatic reactions during digestion. Research has explored several protected delivery options to increase the bioavailability of phenolics in different fruits. Milk proteins have been identified as effective delivery agents for several bioactive compounds including phenolics. Although milk proteins are effective delivery agents for phenolic compounds, the specific interactions of the phenolics with the milk proteins, and factors affecting phenolic-protein interactions require to be understood to facilitate the utilisation of these delivery systems in food, nutraceutical, and pharmaceutical applications.
Commercially available extracts of red grape skin from Pinot Noir, grape seed from Sauvignon Blanc, and sodium caseinate 180 were used in this study. Grape extracts and Na-casein protein stock solutions were separately prepared and mixed at different phenolic-to-protein weight ratios, 5:40, 10:40, and 15:40, phenolic-alone controls (5:0, 10:0, and 15:0) and casein-alone control (0:40) in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). The protein phenolic complex samples were then freeze-dried. In the casein-based grape samples, the total extractable phenolic contents increased from a phenolic-toprotein ratio of 5:40 to 15:40. The percentages were 47.0% in CSK5 to 69.1% in CSK15 and 41.3% in CSE5 to 54.8% in CSE15 in casein-based skin and seed FD samples respectively. Further analysis by HPLC found that catechin, epicatechin, epigallocatechin gallate, gallic acid, and quercetin-3-glucoside were the abundant phenolics in casein-based skin whereas in casein-based seed samples, procyanidin B1, procyanidin B2, catechin, epicatechin and epigallocatechin gallate were the major phenolics. The antioxidant capacity was reflected in the total extractable phenolic content and strong positive linear correlations were found between the total extractable phenolic content and the antioxidant activity and between ABTS and DPPH assays in FD samples. The free phenolic results from the loading efficiency study and total extractable phenolic contents revealed that grape phenolics are more likely to bind with casein when a sample contains a higher protein concentration (e.g. 5:40 phenolic-to-protein ratio containing sample). In the same way, DH% results displayed that protein hydrolysis of casein-based grape skin FD samples was significantly increased during in-vitro digestion, and the increasing order being CSK0 < CSK5 < CSK10 < CSK15 shows that protein hydrolysis is more favourable with the sample having a lower proportion of protein. Significant increases (p<0.05) in phenolic release were noted in three different phenolic-to-protein ratios after one hour of pepsin addition. In contrast, phenolic-alone skin samples showed significant reductions (p<0.05) in phenolic release under acidic pH conditions one hour after adding pepsin indicating rapid phenolic degradation. Even though, both casein-based and phenolic-alone grape skin samples showed a notable increase in phenolic content one hour after pancreatin addition, again it declined during the final two hours in the phenolic-alone skin samples. No differences were found in the phenolic content of three casein-based samples after five hours of digestion resulting in a slower release of phenolics during in-vitro digestion even with the sample having a lower phenolic-to-protein ratio. Reliable with the trends noted in DH% and phenolic release, the antioxidant activity was increased in casein-based grape samples. FT-IR results discovered that grape phenolics interact with casein mainly via non-covalent bonding like hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic, and electrostatic interactions, and no covalent bonds were formed during the formation of casein-grape phenolic complexes. In addition, grape phenolics appear to alter casein's secondary structure by decreasing β-sheet and random coil contents and increasing β-turn and α-helix structures, reflecting increased hydrogen bonding and protein conformational changes, leading to flexible and disordered protein structure and antioxidant activity of casein. The findings of the fluorescence quenching study revealed that adding different concentrations of grape skin and seed phenolics caused to significant decrease in fluorescence intensity of the main emission band of Nacaseinate and the shift of the emission peak slightly toward a higher wavelength. Moreover, both dynamic and static quenching mechanisms were involved with samples at a higher phenolic-to-protein ratio. The highest modified Stern–Volmer quenching constant (K), 4.6 x 10³ M⁻¹ and quenching constant (Kq), 1.5 x 10¹² M⁻¹s⁻¹ at 280 nm excitation wavelengths at room temperature of grape skin phenolics showed stronger quenching interactions and greater binding affinity towards casein protein indicating higher radical scavenging activity in casein. Furthermore, the binding constants (KA) for casein-based skin, 3.49 x 10⁷ M⁻¹ at 290 nm excitation wavelength revealed stronger static quenching interactions between skin phenolics and casein protein. Overall, findings based on protein hydrolysis, phenolic release, antioxidant activity during in-vitro digestion, and the interactions between grape phenolics and casein protein, which together enhance bioaccessibility during digestion, this study confirmed that casein-based grape FD powders are an effective food complex, beneficial for the nutraceutical and food industries
Extending the influence of terroir through the spontaneous fermentation of Pinot Noir in the vineyard: A case study of Greystone Vineyard fermentation
No full textThis study investigates the influence of vintage and fermentation environment on the microbial diversity, chemical composition, and volatile profiles of Pinot Noir wines, with a focus on comparing vineyard (outdoor) and winery (indoor) fermentations across two consecutive vintages, 2019 and 2020. Grapes were hand-harvested from a single vineyard and subjected to spontaneous fermentations in three tanks for each fermentation environment. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) and PERMANOVA analyses revealed significant differences in fungal community composition between fermentation environments and vintages. Vineyard fermentations consistently exhibited higher levels of non-Saccharomyces yeasts during fermentation, which contributed to increased production of microbial-derived esters, such as hexyl acetate and isobutyl acetate. Winery fermentations, in contrast, showed higher concentrations of anthocyanins, contributing to enhanced color intensity and stability. Vintage effects were more evident than fermentation environment, with the 2019 vintage favoring higher concentrations of phenolics, anthocyanins, higher alcohols (e.g. isoamyl alcohol), and volatile phenols (e.g. guaiacol and eugenol), while the 2020 vintage enhanced the retention of esters and floral terpenes (e.g. linalool). These findings highlight the distinct wine styles achievable through vineyard and winery fermentations, as well as the interplay between climatic conditions and fermentation environment. This work provides novel insights into the potential of vineyard fermentations for expressing microbial terroir and offers practical strategies for optimizing wine production under varying climatic and site-specific conditions
Agriculture Mechanization for Sustainable Development
No full textThis presentation highlights the vital role of agricultural mechanization in promoting sustainable agricultural and rural development in Asia. With increasing labor scarcity and rising rural wages, mechanization offers timely, efficient, and scalable solutions to address farm labor shortages while enhancing productivity, reducing drudgery, and supporting the expansion of farm operations. Drawing on recent empirical studies, the presentation demonstrates how mechanization improves crop yields—especially in rice, wheat, and maize—through enhanced land preparation, pesticide application, and irrigation efficiency. Mechanization also contributes to increased land productivity and mitigates cropland abandonment in rural China. Beyond production benefits, evidence reveals that mechanization facilitates non-farm employment, particularly among rural women, thus improving household welfare, income diversification, and social outcomes. The presentation introduces a forthcoming special issue and two edited volumes that synthesize regional insights from Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, and Nepal, providing nuanced analysis of mechanization’s impacts on smallholder farming, gender, and policy innovation. Together, these findings underscore the need for inclusive, context-sensitive policies to harness mechanization for resilient and equitable food systems
Development and characterisation of functional walnut oil blends enriched with marine omega-3 fatty acids : A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Food Innovation at Lincoln University
No full textWalnut oil is rich in PUFAs, particularly linoleic acid (50-63%) and alpha-linolenic acid (11-19%). However, it lacks long-chain omega-3 fatty acids like docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), essential for brain health and development. It also has a high n-6/n-3 ratio (4:1) which is not ideal for a balanced fatty acid profile. This study aimed to enhance walnut oil’s DHA and EPA content by blending it with four marine-based oils: krill, algal, mussel, Hoki fish oils, at varying concentrations (10%, 20% and 30%, w/w) and to develop functional walnut oil blends. To achieve the goal, this study assessed their fatty acid composition, the effect of blending on the positional distribution of omega-3 fatty acids and the oxidative stability (PV, AV) at room temperature (22℃) over storage periods (0, 3, 6, 9, 30 days). Results showed that walnut oil blended with 30% algal oil (walnut+30% algal) had the highest n-3 content (31.21 g/100 g fatty acids) and DHA concentration (12.8 g/100 g). In contrast, the walnut+30% mussel and walnut+30% Hoki oil blends had lower DHA levels (3.5 and 2.8 g/100 g, respectively). EPA content was similar across walnut+30%-marine based oil (krill, algal and mussel) blends (5.5 - 4.9 g/100 g). ALA was highest (15 g/100g each) in the walnut+10% krill and walnut+10% mussel oil blends, slightly lower in walnut+10% Hoki (14.9 g/100 g) and walnut+10% algal (14.6 g/100 g) oil blends. Positional distribution of fatty acids in triglycerides (TAG) revealed that DHA was mainly retained at sn-2 position in the 30% algal oil blends. EPA was consistently positioned at sn-2 position in all 30% blends. Oxidative stability tests showed that walnut+30% krill oil blend had the best stability (PV, 5.75 meq O2/kg oil after 30 days) while walnut+30% algal oil blend was more prone to oxidation (PV, 14.45 meq O2/kg). However, walnut+30%krill oil blend were more susceptible to hydrolysis (AV, 3.91 mm KOH/g) whereas walnut+30%algal oil blend was more resistant (AV, 3.44 mm KOH/g). This study concluded that walnut+30% krill oil blend offered the best balance of oxidative stability and omega-3 enrichment. The walnut+30% algal oil blend had the highest omega-3 content with DHA predominantly retained at the sn-2 position. These findings suggest that blending walnut oil with marine oils can enhance the nutritional value, making it a potential functional food ingredient. Future studies should investigate storage stability under acceleratetd conditions to better understand shelf life
Carbon transition risk, emissions trading schemes, and firm performance: International evidence
No full textThis study investigates the impact of carbon transition risk and emissions trading schemes (ETSs) on the firm performance using a sample of 401,692 firm-quarter observations from 64 countries and territories during the 2010–2019 period. Using the Paris Agreement 2015 as the quasi-natural experiment, our difference-in-differences analysis provides robust evidence of carbon transition risk enhancing heavy polluter firms' performance in countries that implemented ETS, but it is not the case for their counterparts. Our findings suggest the importance of ETS implementation in the sustainable development and demonstrate strong heterogeneity in the impact of carbon transition risk on corporate outcomes