scholarly journals Maize intercropping in the milpa system. Diversity, extent and importance for nutritional security in the Western Highlands of Guatemala

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Santiago Lopez-Ridaura ◽  
Luis Barba-Escoto ◽  
Cristian A. Reyna-Ramirez ◽  
Carlos Sum ◽  
Natalia Palacios-Rojas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Analysis ◽  
Farm Households ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Agricultural System ◽  
Energy Yield ◽  
Common Beans ◽  
Nutritional Security ◽  
Nutrient Adequacy ◽  
Faba Beans ◽  
Total Productivity

AbstractWe present an assessment of the extent, diversity, and nutritional contribution of the milpa through a quantitative analysis of data from a survey conducted in 989 small scale farm households in the Western Highlands of Guatemala (WHG). The milpa is a traditional agricultural system in which maize is intercropped with other species, such as common beans, faba beans, squashes or potatoes. Our study shows that more than two-thirds of the 1,205 plots recorded were under the milpa system, with a great diversity of crop combinations. As shown with the 357 plots for which specific yields were available, milpa systems present higher total productivity than monocropped maize, expressed as total energy yield of the harvested crops in the respective system, and were also better at providing the recommended daily allowances of fourteen essential nutrients, based on a Potential Nutrient Adequacy (PNA) indicator. Maize-bean-potato, maize-potato, and maize-bean-faba intercrops had the highest PNAs, and monocropped maize, the lowest. These results support the implementation of milpa systems tailored to different agro-ecologies in order to improve nutrition in the WHG and a variety of similar regions.

scholarly journals Does adopting legume-based cropping practices improve the food security of small-scale farm households? Panel survey evidence from Zambia

Food Security ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 1463-1478 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine M. Sauer ◽  
Nicole M. Mason ◽  
Mywish K. Maredia ◽  
Rhoda Mofya-Mukuka
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Farm Households ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Panel Survey ◽  
Cropping Practices

scholarly journals Analysis of the national school feeding program in the municipality of Viçosa, state of Minas Gerais

2018 ◽  
Vol 52 ◽  
pp. 16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naruna Pereira Rocha ◽  
Mariana De Santis Filgueiras ◽  
Fernanda Martins de Albuquerque ◽  
Luana Cupertino Milagres ◽  
Ana Paula Pereira Castro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Analysis ◽  
Technical Assistance ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Minas Gerais ◽  
Nutritional Security ◽  
School Feeding ◽  
National School ◽  
Feeding Program ◽  
Food And Nutritional Security ◽  
School Feeding Program

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the implementation of the Brazilian National School Feeding Program as a food and nutritional security policy in public schools. METHODS: This a cross-sectional study, with a quantitative and qualitative approach, carried out with 268 schoolchildren aged eight to nine years from the public school system of Viçosa, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, in 2015. Interviews were carried out using semi-structured questionnaires with the children, parents, cooks, nutritionists, trainer of the Technical Assistance and Rural Extension Company, and president of the School Feeding Council. In order to analyze the implementation of the National School Feeding Program in Viçosa, we evaluated the direct weighing of the food served in the schools using mechanical balances with a capacity of up to 10 kg and the perception of the social players involved in the implementation of the National School Feeding Program. The children were questioned about the acceptance of and adherence to the food offered, in addition to the habit of bringing food from home. Parents reported knowledge about the School Feeding Program and Council. The qualitative analysis consisted of content analysis and quantitative analysis using the chi-square test, Fisher’s exact test, and Mann-Whitney test. We adopted the statistical significance of 5% for quantitative analysis. RESULTS: Children reported low adherence to the school feeding program and most of them used to bring food from home. Irregularities were identified in the implementation of the National School Feeding Program, such as: inadequate number of nutritionists, suspension of Council meetings, inadequate infrastructure in the areas of preparation and distribution of meals, lack of training of cooks, lack of nutritional adequacy of the food offered, and lack of actions on food and nutritional education. The Program complied with the recommendations for purchasing food from family farms. CONCLUSIONS: The National School Feeding Program presented many irregularities in Viçosa. It is important to monitor the problems identified for better reformulation and planning of the Program, in order to guarantee the food and nutritional security of the children served.

scholarly journals Thermal and Torrefaction Characteristics of a Small-Scale Rotating Drum Reactor

Processes ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 489
Author(s):  
Nitipong Soponpongpipat ◽  
Suwat Nanetoe ◽  
Paisan Comsawang
Keyword(s):  
Heat Loss ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Reactor Wall ◽  
Energy Yield ◽  
Exhaust Gas ◽  
Mass Yield ◽  
Rotating Drum ◽  
Reactor Types ◽  
Purge Gas ◽  
Rotating Drum Reactor

The small-scale rotating drum reactor (SS-RDR) was designed and constructed without using purge gas for the purpose of household application. The thermal and torrefaction characteristics of SS-RDR were studied and compared with other reactor types. It was found that the heat loss at the reactor wall and heat loss from exhaust gas of the SS-RDR were in the range of 6.3–12.4% and 27.9–42.8%, respectively. The increase of flue gas temperature resulted in the decrease of heat loss at the reactor wall and the increase of heat loss from exhaust gas. The heating rate of the SS-RDR was in the range of 7.3–21.4 °C/min. The higher heating value (HHV) ratio, mass yield, and energy yield ofthe SS-RDR were in the range of 1.2–1.6, 35.0–81.0%, and 56.2–96.5%, respectively. A comparison of torrefaction characteristics of various reactor types on HHV ratio-mass yield-iso-energy yield diagram indicated that the torrefaction characteristics of the SS-RDR were better than that of the rotating drum reactor with purge gas.

Quantitative Analysis of Human Platelet Adhesions Under a Small-Scale Flow Device

2010 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 295-300 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katsuko S. Furukawa ◽  
Keigo Nakamura ◽  
Yuji Onimura ◽  
Masaki Uchida ◽  
Atsuo Ito ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Analysis ◽  
Human Platelet ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Flow Device

The Effect of Boundary Proximity Upon the Wake Structure of Horizontal Axis Marine Current Turbines

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. E. Myers ◽  
A. S. Bahaj ◽  
R. I. Rawlinson-Smith ◽  
M. Thomson
Keyword(s):  
Flow Field ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Tidal Energy ◽  
Wake Flow ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Energy Yield ◽  
Novel Approach ◽  
Marine Current ◽  
Downstream Flow ◽  
Hydraulics Laboratory

An experimental and theoretical investigation of the flow field around small-scale mesh disk rotor simulators is presented. The downstream wake flow field of the rotor simulators has been observed and measured in the 21m tilting flume at the Chilworth hydraulics laboratory, University of Southampton. The focus of this work is the proximity of flow boundaries (seabed and surface) to the rotor disks and the constrained nature of the flow. A three-dimensional Eddy-viscosity numerical model based on an established wind turbine wake model has been modified to account for the change in fluid and the presence of a bounding free surface. This work has shown that previous axi-symmetric modelling approaches may not hold for marine current energy technology and a novel approach is required for simulation of the downstream flow field. Such modelling solutions are discussed and resultant simulation results are given. This work has been conducted as part of a BERR-funded project to develop a numerical modelling tool which can predict the flow onto a marine current turbine within an array. The work presented in this paper feeds into this project and will eventually assist the layout design of arrays which are optimally spaced and arranged to achieve the maximum possible energy yield at a given tidal energy site.

scholarly journals THE SHOEMAKER’S CHILDREN GO BAREFOOT. THE PROBLEM OF FOOD INSECURITY IN SMALL-SCALE FARMS IN POLAND

2019 ◽  
Vol XXI (3) ◽  
pp. 352-360
Author(s):  
Agnieszka Poczta-Wajda
Keyword(s):  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Farm Households ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Household Food ◽  
Daily Diet ◽  
Research Gap ◽  
Household Members ◽  
Small Scale Farmers ◽  
Food Insecurity Access

The problem of food insecurity of small-scale farms is often addressed in the literature, but there is a research gap with regard to food insecurity of small-scale farms in developed countries. This issue is important especially in countries with a fragmented agrarian structure, including Poland. Hence, this article aims to identify the level of food insecurity of small-scale farms in Poland and its determinants. It is based on a survey (710 questionnaires) distributed among small-scale farmers in Poland. The survey was conducted in 2018 and included the modified Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS). According to the HFIAS algorithm, 56.5% of small-scale farms in Poland declared to be food secure, 23.5% of farms were classified as mild food insecure, 11.3% as moderate food insecure and 8.6% as severe food insecure. In order to find determinants of the level of food insecurity of small-scale farms, a zero-inflated Poisson regression model was used. Results revealed that farm households with an older manager, with children, with a higher disposable income per capita and using own products in the daily diet experienced a lower level of food insecurity. Farm households producing dairy cows and having five or more household members experienced higher food insecurity.

scholarly journals A Visual Analytics Web Platform for Detecting High Wind Energy Potential in Urban Environments by Employing OGC Standards

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 707
Author(s):  
Athanasios Koukofikis ◽  
Volker Coors
Keyword(s):  
Wind Energy ◽  
Visual Analytics ◽  
Smart Cities ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Energy Yield ◽  
High Wind ◽  
Energy Potential ◽  
Web Architecture ◽  
Wind Energy Potential ◽  
Ogc Standards

Moving into the third decade of the 21st century, smart cities are becoming a vital concept of advancement of the quality of life. Without any doubt, cities today can generate data of high velocity which can be used in plethora of applications. The wind flow inside a city is an area of several studies which span from pedestrian comfort and natural ventilation to wind energy yield. We propose a Visual Analytics platform based on a server-client web architecture capable of identifying areas with high wind energy potential by employing 3D technologies and Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) standards. The assessment of a whole city or sub-regions will be supported by integrating Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) outcomes with historical wind sensor readings. The results, in 3D space, of such analysis could be used by a wide audience, including city planners and citizens, for locating installation points of small-scale horizontal or vertical axis wind turbines in an urban area. A case study in an urban quarter of Stuttgart is used to evaluate the interactiveness of the proposed workflow. The results show an adequate performance, although there is a lot of room for improvement in future work.

scholarly journals 352 Using Winter Cover Crops For Seedless Watermelon Production

HortScience ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 453A-453
Author(s):  
M. Rangappa ◽  
H.L. Bhardwaj
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Inorganic Nitrogen ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Nutritional Requirements ◽  
Agricultural System ◽  
Inorganic Nitrogen Source ◽  
Crimson Clover ◽  
Seedless Watermelon

Cover crops offer an excellent source of nutritional requirements for production of vegetables in sustainable agricultural system. By using this concept, field experiments were conducted in l998 at three locations in Virginia; Petersburg, James City, and King and William County, and five cover crop treatments; Hairy Vetch (HV), Crimson Clover (CC), HV+Rye, CC+Rye, and a conventional bare-ground control were used for their potential support of nutritional requirements for production of a seedless watermelon crop. The results indicated that the yield levels of seedless watermelon following cover crop treatments had significantly higher number of fruits per acre and the crimson clover treatment had higher fruit size in one of the sites (King William County) as compared to the other four treatments and two sites suggesting that cover crop/crops alone have the potential to support nutritional requirements for seedless watermelon to sustain production, thus becoming a viable and profitable alternative to using inorganic nitrogen source. The effects of cover crops on chemical composition of seedless watermelon were generally not significant. The results also indicated that watermelons produced using sustainable crop production methods are comparable to those produced using conventional methods. Our studies support using seedless watermelon as a viable alternative and high-value cash crop for Virginia farmers' especially tobacco growers, other small-scale producers, and limited resource farmers.

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