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Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is a root crop grown in tropical and subtropical regions. Cassava production faces an increasing number of new diseases and arthropod pests, especially in Southeast Asia, where its area and trade have expanded. An efficient plant-multiplication system is required to provide disease-free plants to farmers to sustain production. Cassava is generally propagated vegetatively by planting properly lignified stem cuttings in soil. Vegetative multiplication is a simple approach and has the advantage of producing vigorous plants. The generation of new plants from seed, however, is not a common practice. Notably, properly lignified stems, rather than young and non-lignified stems, are required for successful vegetative propagation. On average, it takes approximately 8–12 months to produce lignified stems of sufficient size to establish an efficient and cost-effective propagation system. In the present study, an aeroponic culture system for producing cassava was developed, which is simple, low-cost, and enables the use of young stems (4–6 weeks old) for propagation. Additionally, we have demonstrated that the survival ratio and plant growth are improved in comparison with general propagation in soil. We propose that aeroponic culture can serve as an efficient method for producing disease-free cassava planting material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Academic interest on domestic regulatory (and re-regulatory) impacts of retail foreign direct investment remains surprisingly under-researched, despite high-profile campaigns, particularly in Southeast Asia, to rein in the expansion of retail transnational corporations. This paper focuses on the trends of re-regulation of foreign retailers, particularly in the food sector, in Vietnam before and after the accession to the World Trade Organization ( WTO) in 2007. The findings reveal a complex layering of regulation, some of it a holdover from the pre-2007 period and some of it occurring since WTO accession, in the form of the controversial Economic Needs Test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Coastal mangrove habitats are threatened by human-induced drivers and natural-induced forces, in particular driven by impacts of climate change and sea-level rise. This paper reviews the state of knowledge of drivers of changes in coastal mangrove habitats in Southeast Asia, with great emphasis of State-forest allocation policy drivers of change in coastal mangroves in Kien Giang, Vietnam. A large number of studies considered the relation of coastal land-use changes and the dynamics of coastal mangrove forests, while few studies examined the effects of coastal development policy on and local participation in mangrove conservation. Based on this review, key important issues are addressed a direct future study related to policy and regulations of mangrove conservation in Kien Giang, Vietnam. This paper argues that a policy with great emphasis of local rights and responsibilities over coastal mangroves and a clear statement of economic benefits sharing over coastal resources are keys of successful mangrove conservation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]