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Rice is best known as a staple food for half of the world's population. Brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens (Stål) (Hemiptera: Delphacidae) is a serious insect pest of rice crops throughout Asia. In case of a severe attack, the whole crop turns brown called 'hopperburn' and farmers face great yield losses. The experiments were performed to evaluate the planting geometry and nutritional effects on N. lugens abundance and yield attributes of the crop using susceptible rice (var. Basmati 515). Results indicated that planting geometries with more space (60 and 90 cm) after 12 lines with a uniform number of plants in each plot had less incidence of N. lugens as compared to narrow spaced (0 and 30 cm) geometries. More number of N. lugens nymphs (80.0-95.0 number/plant) were recorded with less spaced planting geometry as compared to higher spaced planting geometry (27.0-29.5 numbers/plant) during both years. With different planting geometry, no significant difference was recorded in the agronomic parameters except yield and 1000 grain weight. The highest yield was recorded in a plot with 90 cm path followed by 60, 30 and 0cm path, respectively. Towards different doses of nitrogen and phosphorus on N. lugens, the higher dose of nitrogen had a significant effect on N. lugens nymph survival, adult emergence and survival, while the phosphorus induced a non-significant effect. Therefore, in the absence of N. lugens resistant variety, ecological manipulation and nutrients availability could be a better strategy for shortterm N. lugens management in organic rice production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many developing countries experience a food system transformation with a rapid growth of supermarkets. We analyze impacts of supermarkets on farm household nutrition with survey data from Kenya. Participation in supermarket channels is associated with significantly higher calorie, vitamin A, iron, and zinc consumption. We use simultaneous equation models to analyze impact pathways. Supermarket-supplying households have higher incomes, a higher share of land under vegetables, and a higher likelihood of male control of revenues. Furthermore, income and the share of land under vegetables have positive impacts, while male control of revenues has negative impacts on dietary quality. Policy and further research implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Vitamin D is vital for bone health and has important roles in nonskeletal health and organ function. Most vitamin D is generated in the body by exposure to sunlight, with limited amounts added by the diet. Despite the presence of regular sunshine in Southeast Asia, vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency is being found there more commonly, primarily due to reduction of sunlight exposure as a result of lifestyle changes. Some of these lifestyle changes are unlikely to be reversed, and foods naturally containing vitamin D are not widely consumed, so fortification of foods with vitamin D may raise vitamin D status. Methods. The literature database was searched for studies of vitamin D fortification, and we estimated potential vitamin D intakes from fortified vegetable oil. Results. Almost all of the studies showed that circulating vitamin D (25-hydroxyvitamin D [(25OHD]) increased in a dose-dependent manner with increased intake of vitamin D-fortified foods. However, in a number of studies the additional intake was insufficient to increase vitamin D levels to 50 nmol/L. Vegetable oil fortified with vitamin D at a level of 10 µg/100 g could provide 3.9% to 21% of the Institute of Medicine Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) of vitamin D for adults in Southeast Asia. Conclusions. Fortification of widely consumed foods, such as edible oil, with vitamin D could contribute to improved vitamin D status in Southeast Asian countries. Intake modeling studies should be conducted to calculate the resulting additional intakes, and fortification of additional foods should be considered. More nationally representative studies of vitamin D status in the region are urgently needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]