Potential of corn hybrids for fresh consumption

The objective of this work was to evaluate the potential of corn hybrids for grain productivity and fresh produce marketability in two crop seasons. The experiment applied the completely randomized block design with three replications, during 2013-14 and 2014-15 crops. Ten hybrids indicated for the Midwest region of Goiás state were used, namely 2B512PW, 2B587PW, 2B707PW, 30F35HR, 30F53YH, BRS1055, BM3061, P3646H and P3862YH. Hybrid AG1051 was used as control. The studied variables were ear height (EH), unhusked ear productivity (UEP), husked ear productivity (HEP), marketable ear productivity (MEP), marketable ear length (MEL), marketable ear diameter (MED), grain mass (GM), and gross revenue (GR). Records show that hybrid P3646H achieved results lower than the control in all the analyzed variables, regardless of the crop season, whereas hybrids 2B512PW, BRS1055 and P3862YH showed figures similar to AG1051 in 2013/14 crop and lower ones in 2014/15. Therefore, would not represent direct market competitors, as the control hybrid holds a significant share in the domestic market. Hybrids 2B587PW, 30F35HR, 30F53YH and BM3061 presented the greatest suitability for fresh corn consumption, as featured the highest number of favorable traits for that market.

A Protocol for a Market of Machine Learning Models

This paper describes a protocol for a market of machine learning models. The economic interaction involves two types of agents: data providers- agents that have some data and want to use it to get a predictive model, and model providers- agents able to use the data to generate predictive models. First, we will show that the process is informationally asymmetric, therefore a standard direct market can not function. Then, we design a protocol with the aim of creating a viable and efficient market mechanism for these particular services, under the specific challenges of information asymmetries. The protocol is theoretically analysed, to establish it’s correctness and computational complexity. We also propose a simple reference implementation based on a HTTP API. The implementation is then used in a few case studies, and analysed empirically.

The capacity building of an agroforestry demonstration plot: participatory market chain approach

Establishing the Cempaka forestry partnership agroforestry demonstration plot in the Batutegi Forest Management Unit, Lampung Province, should increase small-scale farmers’ participation in planting and enhancing their welfare. They need facilitation and supporting programs to evolve continuously, grow business rapidly, and enable forest sustainability. From previous research, the existing training and the extension supporting programs focus on technological improvements in agroforestry demonstration plots, such as modern nurseries training and incentives awarding. There is minimal understanding of small-scale farmers about the broader market chain beyond their direct market. However, improving the market chain will be sustaining the process of innovation and environmental empowerment. The upscale market chain has an impact on poverty alleviation by enhancing institutional capacity and market linkages. Therefore, integrating a market chain perspective is a crucial priority for planning the demonstration plot capacity program. This research intends to design the procedures for linking small-scale farmers to the market chain using a three-sequence phase usually elaborated in the Participatory Market Chain Approach (PMCA). The data were collected by applying a questionnaire, and then they were described by using a narrative-based qualitative method. The emerging results from this study are the policy implications for improving the performance of the market chain in a standard timeline, namely the assessment phase, the innovation phase, and the action phase. Ideally, policy leaders should pay attention to the assessment phase that identifies interactions among market chain actors. The innovation phase develops on-site learning exercises and tests shared innovation. The action phase promotes in topic meetings and action groups.

THE PANDEMIC AND THE ECONOMIC CONUNDRUM: HOW ISLAMIC FINANCE CAN HELP

This paper examines the economic and financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the responses that governments undertook. Though large and unprecedented in size, policy response has mostly been the same. Huge monetary stimulus, rate cuts, direct market intervention like bond purchases and debt moratoriums. Many of these were techniques used in the previous global financial of 2007–2009. Economies were already fragile and in a vulnerable state when the pandemic struck in late 2019. Continued use of the same policies did prevent a potential meltdown but has increased system vulnerability. The global debt burden is now much larger but governments may have fully expended all their monetary ammunition. Fiscal stimulus though much needed and more appropriate is seriously constrained by budget deficits and lack of fiscal space. Adding more debt to fund fiscal expansion is not really an option. Yet, the pandemic has made vulnerable, several parts of the economy that need to be salvaged. The SME sector which forms the spine of most developing economies is verging on collapse due to cash flow disruptions arising from lockdowns. The domestic banking sector which had funded these SMEs is exposed to a potential meltdown unless restructuring is done. The loan moratoriums widely adapted do not solve but merely postpone the problem. Governments, given their precarious fiscal position are in no position to provide the huge financial infusion needed to shore up the SMEs and banks. Islamic finance, which has risk-sharing alternatives can provide a way out of this conundrum. The paper proposes a shariah compliant risk sharing alternative to resolve this problem.

The Distribution of Income and Wealth in Ireland

Ensuring a fair and efficient distribution of economic resources in society is one of the most important public policy challenges facing democratic governments. This chapter notes how the emergence of new and better data on the composition and distribution of income and wealth has heightened interest in economic inequality. Data on the distribution of both income and wealth are presented, highlighting how Ireland, as a liberal market economy, has high levels of direct market income inequality but the welfare state plays a significant role in redistribution. The provision of robust wealth data is a recent phenomenon for Ireland, one absent from our understanding of living standards, well-being, and redistributive public policies for some time. Wealth is more unequally distributed than income, and it is notably concentrated in housing capital. The chapter concludes by highlighting the relevance and potential of these new insights.

Winter Survival and Second-year Spring Yields of Day-neutral Strawberry Are Influenced by Cultivar and the Presence of Low Tunnels

Day-neutral (DN) strawberry (Fragaria ×ananassa) cultivars have potential to produce high yields in New England and greatly extend the period of regional strawberry production each year. However, DN strawberries have primarily been evaluated as an annual crop in cold climates; thus, winter hardiness and subsequent second-year spring yields are not well understood. Separate DN plantings were established as dormant bare-rooted plants in Durham, NH (U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zone 5b) in 2017 and 2018. During their first year of growth and fruit production, plants were grown under one of two cover treatments: a plastic-covered low tunnel or the traditional open field environment (open beds). In November, plants were covered with either straw much (Winter 2017–18) or rowcover (Winter 2018–19) for low-temperature protection during the winter months. In the spring of the second year when winter protection was removed, the same cover treatments (low tunnel or open bed) were re-administered to plants. Plant survival was affected by year and cultivar, with average survival rates of 82% and 98% in Spring 2018 and Spring 2019, respectively. Plant survival ranged from 34% (‘Monterey’) to 99% (‘Aromas’) in 2018, and 92% (‘Albion’) to 100% (‘San Andreas’ and ‘Seascape’) in 2019. Cultivar significantly affected total and marketable yields in both years, and marketable yields ranged from 35.8 to 167.3 g/plant in 2018 and 121.6 to 298.6 g/plant in 2019. The greatest marketable yields were produced by ‘Aromas’, ‘Cabrillo’, ‘San Andreas’, ‘Seascape’, and low-tunnel ‘Sweet Ann’. In 2019, ‘Cabrillo’, ‘San Andreas’, and ‘Seascape’ produced greater marketable yields during the 6-week second-year season than they had during the plants’ first year of fruit production the previous year, which spanned 18 weeks. Low tunnels hastened fruit ripening in the spring and result in earlier fruit harvests, and in 2019, marketable yields were significantly greater under low tunnels for the first 1 to 3 weeks, depending on cultivar. Total and marketable yields were unaffected by low tunnels in 2018, but were significantly greater under low tunnels in 2019. For cultivars in the 2019 experiment, the increase in marketable yield under low tunnels (compared with open beds) ranged from 92.3 to 166.5 g/plant, except for Sweet Ann, for which marketable yields were 256.6 g/plant greater under low tunnels than on open beds. Using a conservative direct market rate of $4.50/lb, the second-year spring yields produced in the present study had a direct market value of between $3899/ha and $95,647/ha, depending on cultivar and year. We demonstrate that it is not only possible to overwinter DN strawberry plants in northern New England, but that the second-year yield may even exceed first-year production. The results from the present study indicate great potential for profitability from an overwintered DN crop.

Designing a dual-channel supply chain network considering dependent demand and discount

Nowadays, organizations are faced with the growth of markets, satisfying customers’ demand and empowering in competing with rivals imposed new communication channels. Along with the rapid advancement of the Internet, many suppliers are interested in creating an electronic channel in addition to the traditional retailer channel for direct market participation. This distribution system which includes retailer channels and direct channels is called a dual-channel supply chain. This study reviews a leather supply chain network that has created a discounted online channel to expand its market share. In this study, a multi-period multi-product mathematical model is developed to maximize the profit and examine the effect of different discount schemes on demand and sales. To verify the proposed model, a real-world case study is conducted. The sensitivity analyses examined the important model parameters. The obtained results show that the responsiveness of the main retailers could be more than 95%. According to the sensitivity analysis, an appropriate discount rate is reported in the direct channel.