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The genus Octarrhena (Orchidaceae) is distributed predominantly in Malesia and Papuasia. Its presence in eastern Indochina was uncovered as recently as in 2015 simultaneously with a description of O. minuscula from the Central Highlands of Vietnam. Here, we describe two more species of the genus, O. emarginata and O. perpusilla, also endemic to this mountain system. All three Vietnamese species of Octarrhena are local endemics with very limited allopatric distribution. We summarize the current knowledge on the genus in Vietnam and present a key for their identification, and a map with location of all known populations. Finally, we briefly discuss modern views on the worldwide species diversity of Octarrhena.

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is a versatile crop and a source of inexpensive energy in the human diet in many countries. It can be used as fresh products and commercially processed foods such as French fries and chips. Potato varieties development research previously conducted in Ethiopia related to processing quality were limited in their scope of quality parameters. This experiment was conducted at Holetta Agricultural Research Centre, Ethiopia during the main crop season of 2017. Twenty-four potato genotypes were evaluated for 23 quantitative and six qualitative traits in randomized complete block design with three replications to determining the nature and magnitude of common genetic diversity and to screen out genetically diverse parents by using cluster and principal component analysis. The first eight principal components accounted for 90.26% of the observed variations among 24 potato genotypes. The first three PC accounted for 60.43% of the variation. The genetic distances among the 24 potato genotypes ranged from 3.40 to 11.80 and the genotypes were grouped into eight clusters based on quantitative and qualitative traits. Cluster II consisted of 25%, Cluster IV, I, III contained 20.83%, 16.67% and 12.5% of genotypes, respectively, while Cluster VI, VII and VIII each consisted of one genotype. In conclusion, genotypes grouped under Cluster II and VIII worth further evaluation to obtain genotypes with highest total tuber yield, the specific gravity of tuber, dry matter content, total starch content, acceptable tuber physical and frying quality with other desirable traits.

Over the last two decades, coffee growers in Vietnam have faced the same problems as farmers all over the world. Ethnographic research among the community of K’ho Cil coffee growers in Lam Dong Province from 2016 to 2018 documented local initiatives to deal with the problems through the establishment of a K’ho Coffee network, revitalization of traditional production patterns, local integration into the global coffee commodity chain and agritourism entrepreneurship. Conceptualizing the way local K’ho Coffee growers generated and implemented the initiatives, this paper argues that by utilizing their social network, local farmers revitalized their economic production. Negotiating a decent collective position in the world system of the coffee commodity chain offers them a chance to survive the influx of economic deregulation and avert the impacts of climate change.

Herein, we describe a new agamid species of the genus Acanthosaura from Central Highlands of Vietnam: Gia Lai Province, Kon Chu Rang NR, and Kon Tum Province: Kon Plong and Ngoc Linh Mountain based on morphological and molecular data. Acanthosaura prasina sp. nov. is distinguished from all congeners by a combination of the following morphological characters. Acanthosaura prasina sp. nov. differs from A. capra , A. murphyi , and A. nataliae by the presence of a short spine on each side of the neck and a smaller body size. From the known species of « lepidogaster » complex and A. coronata it differs in the arrangement of dorsal crests with a distinct double row of vertebral scales, from A. brachypoda in a smaller body size, longer tail and limbs, fewer supra- and infralabials and coloration patterns with a white area on lips and shoulders; from A. lepidogaster by lacking a dark marking on the nape and the absence of a distinct diastema; from A. phongdienensis by lacking a dark marking on the nape. We provide a cyt b -based estimation of diversity of the genus Acanthosaura . A. prasina sp. nov. differs from A. phongdiensis , A. coronata , A. lepidogaster , A. armata , A. crucigera , A. nataliae , A. phuketensis , and Acanthosaura sp. SK in p -distances of 15.4, 24.5, 14.7, 14.6, 16.3, 14.6, 15.4, and 24.4%, respectively. The new species currently known from three localities from Central Highlands was recorded from 800 to 1700 m a.s.l. in the evergreen polydominant forests in the mountainous regions of Gia Lai and Kon Tum provinces. This is the 16th species of Acanthosaura and the ninth species of the genus from Vietnam.

The productivity of potato is low owing to a number of constraints including poor sprouting due to dormancy, which leads to delayed planting and poor crop emergence and vigor. The study was conducted during 2008-2009 with the objectives to determine the effects of different methods and rates of gibberellic acid (GA3) application on dormancy attributes, tuber yield and quality of potato, and its subsequent generation of Gera cultivar. Five levels of GA3 (0, 250,500,750 and 1000 ppm), as haulm application a week prior to haulm destruction, and five levels of GA3 (10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 ppm), as dipping treatments immediately after harvest for 24hrs, were used as treatments. The treatments were arranged in randomized completed block design with three replications both for planting and storage. The result showed that GA3 application affected dormancy period, tuber yield and quality. Haulm applications of GA3 increased marketable tuber and tuber yield per hill as compared to untreated tubers. Moreover, haulm application of GA3 increased dry matter content as compared to the control, while the increment in the dry matter content was also observed in response to dipping the seed tuber. In the same manner, dipping seed tubers in GA3 solution increased tuber specific gravity of the next generation as compared to the control. Therefore, significant increase in tuber number and weight due to GA3 application contributed to the increase of total tuber yield. Both haulm application and dipping treatments of GA3 at higher rates resulted in high total, marketable tuber yield along with significant dry matter content and tuber specific gravity, which help the producers to boost their produce.

Little work has been done to evaluate the progress made in potato improvement in Ethiopia during the past three decades and information about traits most contributing to progress in yield is scarce. Hence, this experiment was conducted to estimate rate of genetic improvement made over time in yield and to determine traits most contributing to progress in tuber yield. Twenty varieties of potato released in Ethiopia between 1987 and 2013 and one farmers` cultivar were evaluated at Holetta and Adaberga, central highlands of Ethiopia in 2017 main cropping season. The experiment was arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Analysis of variance for tuber yield and tuber related traits showed the existence of highly significant (P < 0.01) differences between varieties for all traits. There was a total tuber yield increment of 137.39 and 0.851% over farmers` cultivar and the oldest variety, respectively. The relative rate of gain was 1.15 and 1.42% year-1 for total tuber yield and marketable tuber yield, respectively. The annual rate of genetic progress was found to be 0.3177 and 0.3401 ton year-1 for total tuber yield and marketable tuber yield, respectively. Key words: Genetic progress, tuber yield, yields related traits, Solanum tuberosum L., regression.

Landslides, mainly triggered by rainfall, are one of the most common natural hazards in the northern and central highlands of Ethiopia, resulting in the loss of human life and property. As part of the Ethiopian highlands, Mgulat Mountain (88.6 km2) is a typical example for the occurrence of landslides and associated damages. The main aim of this research was to generate landslide susceptibility map (LSM) for the first time by considering various causative factors typical for the Mgulat Mountain area. The methods used include frequency ratio (FR) and kinematic analysis (KA) supported by GIS tools. The research involved conventional fieldwork (e.g., geological mapping, landslides inventory) and analysis and interpretation of images. From the geological mapping, major rock units were identified: quaternary deposit, basalt, red sandstone, tillite, and white sandstone. A total of 220 landslides (15.45 km2) were identified in the study area from field survey, Google Earth and aerial photo interpretation. Five causative factors (lithology, slope steepness, distance from drainage, land use-land cover (LULC), and slope aspect) were selected based on their contribution to landslide initiation as the landslide conditioning factors for generation of the LSM. From the five causative factors, lithology and slope steepness were found to be influential as landslide conditioning factors. Specifically, lithology (red sandstone and tillite), distance to stream (0 to 300 m), LULC (bare land and settlement), and slope steepness (> 25°) have FR > 1, indicating a high relationship with landslide occurrence. Based on the generated LSM, five susceptibility classes or zones were identified (very low, low, moderate, high, and very high susceptibility). The area of each class as percentage of total area was found to be 19.53, 24.15, 22.57, 18.74, and 15.01%, for the very low to the very high class, respectively. The results of KA show potentially and marginally planar, topple, and wedge failures. The generated LSM can serve as an important tool or guide for further land-use planning and to prevent and mitigate landslide-related risks. Consequently, to consider cost-effective and technically sound mitigation measures, detailed and site-specific multidisciplinary investigations are recommended.

A new species, Lasianthus konchurangensis V.S.Dang, T.B.Tran & T.D.Ha (sect. Lasianthus), is described and illustrated from Kon Chu Rang Nature Reserve, Gia Lai Province, the Central Highlands of Vietnam. Lasianthus konchurangensis resembles L. foetidissimus but differs in having larger leaves, more secondary veins, larger calyx and purple corolla. Photographs, vernacular name, preliminary conservation assessment, and a table comparing L. konchurangensis with L. foetidissimus are provided.

Linseed is one of the most important oil seed crop in the central highlands of Ethiopia for which yield enhancement is the major breeding purposes and genotypic variability is important for selection in any breeding programs. However, shortage of improved varieties' that provides optimum seed yield is one of the major constraints of the crop. Therefore, this study was carried out to assess the genetic variability and association among quantitative traits of 36 linseed genotypes. The experiment was conducted in 2018 main cropping season by using simple lattice design. The analysis of variances reveled highly significant difference among the genotype for most of traits considered in present study. High phenotypic and genotypic coefficient of variation was recorded for tiller per plant, harvest index, oil yield (kg ha-1), and seed yield (ton ha-1) number of capsules per plant. High heritability along with genetic advance was observed for seed yield (tones ha-1), oil yield (kg ha-1) harvest index which indicates selection of these traits at early generation would be effective. Oil yield (kg ha-1) harvest index and number of capsules plant -1 showed highly significant positive with seed yield (ton ha-1). Cluster analysis revealed that 36 linseed genotypes were grouped into two clusters and four genotypes remain ungrouped. The maximum inter clusters distance was observed between clusters II and the local check. The data set was reduced into four significant principal components (PCs) that comprise (80%) of the variance. The first PC accounted for 34% of the variances that implies greater proportion of variable information explained by PC1. The traits, which contributed more to PC1, were seed yield per plant, primary branches per plant, secondary branches per plant and plant height showed positive association and had positive direct effect on seed yield. This indicates that any improvement of oil yield and harvest index would result in substantial increase on seed.

Orchid mycorrhizal fungi (OMF) are critical for seed germination and maintaining natural populations of orchids, yet the degree of specificity of most orchids to their mycorrhizal associates remains unknown. Many orchids are at risk of extinction, whether generalists or specialists, but orchid species of narrow fungal specificity are arguably under increased threat due to their requirement for specific fungal symbionts. This study characterises the fungi associated with Aerangis ellisii, a lithophytic orchid from a site in the Central Highlands of Madagascar. Culturable OMF isolated from spontaneous protocorms of this species from the wild were used for seed germination. In vitro germination and seedling development of A. ellisii were achieved with fungi derived from A. ellisii and an isolate from a different Aerangis species 30 km away. The significance of these findings and their importance to conservation strategies for this species and other Aerangis spp. is discussed. These results have important implications for the conservation of A. ellisii populations in Madagascar.

We describe a new species of salamander of Bolitoglossa (Oaxakia) Parra-Olea, García-París and Wake, 2004 from the cloud forests of the central portion of the Sierra Madre del Sur highlands in the Mexican state of Guerrero. Bolitoglossa coaxtlahuacana sp. nov. is currently known only from the type locality and can be differentiated from other members of the group by morphological, coloration, and molecular evidence. With the description of this new taxon, the number of species in the subgenus Oaxakia increases to six.

The soil map of Madagascar has not been substantially updated since the 1960s. The number of reported soil profiles that meet the criteria of the Reference Pedon Description – the highest level of ...

Maize is the primary food resource for livestock, mainly cultivated in the northern mountains, the central provinces, and the central highlands in Vietnam. By studying reliable reports and policies related to maize-based agricultural production in combination with interviews and focus group discussion methods conducted in Son La province, this study specifically analyzes the situation of maize production in Vietnam and impacts of policies for the specific case in Son La province. The research results show that, though the sharp decrease, maize has still been the main crop with an annual cultivation area of ​​over 30% of the country's agricultural land recently. However, maize is only modestly mentioned in some central policies, and no policy at the local level is reserved for maize production. In addition, maize is no longer a crop to attract local farmers’ and authority’ interest, especially since 2015, the transition in maize cultivation area on sloping land to arable land of fruit trees and many other crops has been carried out on a large scale due to some policies by the province, resulting in a sharp decrease in maize cultivated area and production. This might lead to limited results of substantial government policies on maize acreage expansion, maize cultivated area planning, or maize development strategy. Accordingly, some recommendations to improve the situation are provided.

Vetch is an annual forage legume and accessions of its species performed differently under different soil conditions. Twenty accessions of five vetch species were evaluated for their agronomical differences at Holetta and Ginchi in the central highlands of Ethiopia. The rate of DM accumulation was similar during the initial growth stage. However, after the second sampling (74 DAS), aerial DM accumulation varied widely across the testing sites due to the difference in temperature, rainfall, and soil fertility conditions. The average stretched plant height was higher at Ginchi compared to Holetta, which could be attributed to higher and extended rainfall and favorable growing conditions during the experimental period. In addition to genetic variability, soil fertility and environmental conditions could also contribute to the difference in height. On average, about 10 and 20 more days were required to harvest forage and seed yield, respectively, at Ginchi compared to Holetta. Days to forage harvest ranged from 80.7 to 113.0 and 94.3 to 126.0 days after the emergence of the seedlings at Holetta and Ginchi, respectively. The difference in maturity is an important agronomic trait to select companion crops for maximum production. The higher biomass production rate was recorded at Ginchi than in Holetta. Accessions of early maturing vetch species had a comparatively higher biomass production rate, while late-maturing accessions had lower biomass production rates at both locations. Intermediate-to-late-maturing accessions of vetch species gave relatively better forage DM yield than early maturing accessions at both locations. The highest grain-filling period was recorded for accession 2424 (Vicia villosa) at Holetta and accession 64266 (Vicia sativa) at Ginchi. Vetch accessions showed higher seed yield and thousand seed weight at Ginchi than Holetta. The 20 accessions of vetch species were grouped into three clusters based on major measured parameters.

Farmyard manure (FYM) – mixtures of animal droppings, crop residues, and fodder that are piled nearby homesteads – is a major nutrient source for smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa. However, its application effect has not been fully understood on typical P-deficient soils in tropics and in particular under anaerobic conditions. This study assessed the effect of FYM on irrigated rice in relation to soil properties – oxalate-extractable P (POx), pH, and total C (TotC) – that are important indicators of soil P deficiency in the region. The first pot experiment was conducted with a factorial combination of FYM (0 and 20 g kg–1) and mineral P (0 and 100 mg kg–1) applications using six paddy soils differing in the aforementioned soil properties. The second pot experiment was conducted in a factorial combination of FYM and mineral P using the isotope dilution technique. In both experiments, the effect of FYM application on biomass and P uptake of rice per P applied was nearly equivalent to that of mineral P and was greater in soils with lower TotC and lower pH with negligible effect of POx. The isotope tracing suggested that the FYM application might increase rice P uptake by solubilizing non-labile P pools in soils while mineral P was directly used by rice from labile P pools. The results indicated that the FYM should be most effective in soils with low TotC and low pH, and its application could enable the use of insoluble P pools in soils and enhance P uptake of rice under P-deficient and anaerobic conditions.

Crop-livestock production is the major farming system in the highlands of Ethiopia. This study aimed to describe crop-livestock diversification pattern, examine determinants of diversification patterns, and evaluate effects of diversification on household income. Principal component analysis (PCA), seemingly unrelated regression (SUR) and ordinary least square (OLS) regression models were employed. Five major crop-livestock diversification patterns: sheep and goat, staple crops, chicken, vegetables, and animal feed-based farming were identified. The SUR model revealed that sex, education, income, extension contact, land size, market and road distance, irrigated land, and household size were significant factors that influence crop-livestock diversification patterns. It is also found that sheep and goat, vegetable, and chicken-based farming were significant production patterns that had positive effects on household income. We suggest that adoptive and adaptive agricultural practices such as small-scale irrigation, chicken rearing and sheep-based production patterns are the most potential farming systems in the highlands of Ethiopia.

Mastitis is the most frequent disease in dairy farms worldwide, causing severe economic loss; being subclinical mastitis the most important as it is a silent disease. The objective of this work was to compare the udder health status in cows under limited grazing against cows in total confinement in small-scale dairy systems. Ten small-scale dairy farms participated in the study, with five farms that had implemented grazing of their pastures and five farms that continued the conventional management of total confinement of their herds and feeding based in cut-and-carry pasture, straws, agricultural by products, and concentrates. The highest yielding five cows from each farm were selected for the study. The California Mastitis Test (CMT) performed every 2 weeks, from June 17 to July 15 on all participating cows, and Somatic cell counts (SCC) was determined on the farm pooled milk. Results for CMT were subjected to a Chi-squared test, and SCC to analysis of variance after log 10 transformation. There were significant differences both for CMT and SCC with lower values for cows under restricted grazing than in total confinement. Restricted grazing of dairy cows in small-scale dairy systems result in better udder health, and therefore better quality milk.

Landscape change and habitat fragmentation is increasingly affecting forests worldwide. Assessments of patterns of spatial cover in forests over time can be critical as they reveal important information about landscape condition. In this study, we assessed landscape patterns across the Mountain Ash (Eucalyptus regnans) and Alpine Ash (Eucalyptus delegatensis) forests in the Central Highlands of Victoria between 1999 and 2019. These forests have experienced major disturbance over the past 20 years through a major fire (in 2009) and extensive industrial logging. We found that around 70% and 65% of the Mountain Ash and Alpine Ash forest areas, respectively, were either disturbed or within 200 m of a disturbed area. Inclusion of planned logging increased these disturbance categories to 72% and 70%, respectively. We also found that the isolation of Mountain Ash core areas (patches of undisturbed forest >1000 ha) increased significantly (P

To tackle the problem of soil erosion and moisture stress, the government of Ethiopia introduced a yearly mass campaign where communities get together and implement various soil and water conservation (SWC) and water harvesting (WH) practices. Although the interventions are believed to have reduced soil erosion/sediment yield and enhanced surface and ground water, quantitative information on the impacts of various options at different scales is scarce. The objective of this study was to assess the impacts different land uses, SWC and WH interventions on water and suspended sediment yield (SSY) at plot and watershed scales in the central highlands of Ethiopia. Standard erosion plot experiments and hydrological stations were used to monitor the daily water and SSY during 2014 to 2017. The results show differences between treatments both at plot and watershed scales. Runoff and soil loss were reduced by an average 27 and 37%, respectively due to SWC practices at the plot level. Overall, SWC practices implemented at the watershed level reduced sediment yield by about 74% (in the year 2014), although the magnitude of sediment reduction due to the SWC interventions reduced over time. At both scales it was observed that as the number of years since SWC measures have been in place increased, their effectiveness declined due to the lack of maintenance. This study also revealed that extrapolating of plot data to watershed scale causes over or under estimation of net erosion.

To counteract the threat of global warming, many nations have resorted to increasing their use of renewable energy sources, wind farms being among the most popular. The greatest obstacle when it comes to the acceptance of wind farms is their visual impact. Recently, tourism has become Iceland's largest export sector, the country's natural landscape being the main attraction for visitors. This paper attempts to compare the perception of residents and tourists towards wind energy production in general and towards Iceland's first proposed wind farm, to be located at the edge of the country's uninhabited interior Central Highlands. The study is based on a questionnaire survey conducted among residents living adjacent to the proposed wind farm and among tourists travelling through the proposed area. The results indicate that residents are more positive than tourists towards wind turbines and consider them less intrusive in the landscape. Hence, the location of Iceland's first wind farm at the main gateway into the country's Central Highlands is problematic and likely to disturb the experience of tourists passing through the area. Despite the wealth of wind in Iceland it might be challenging to utilize it for energy production due to the importance of nature-based tourism for the economy. If Iceland becomes a physical exporter of renewable energy, it may be expected that more pressure will be set on the construction of wind farms. Thereby nature-based tourism and wind energy would be in direct competition over land use.

The potential impacts of climate change on wheat were assessed for Kulmsa area in central highlands of Ethiopia using the Agricultural Production Systems sIMulator (APSIM)—wheat model. The objectives were to (i) evaluate the performance of wheat under increased temperatures with or without changes in rainfall and carbon dioxide (CO2) levels and (ii) assess the response of different wheat cultivars to projected future climates under improved management practices (optimal nitrogen rate, planting date, and density) (IMPs). The model was first calibrated and used to identify ranges of IMPs. Then, the model was used to (i) conduct sensitivity analysis of wheat in response to assumed elevated temperature (T), with and without change in rainfall and CO2 level, and to (ii) evaluate average effect of future worst-case climate change scenarios as predicted by an ensemble of three global climate models (GCM) under highest Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP8.5) for three future time frames, NF (2010–2039), MC (2040–2069), and EC (2070–2099). The simulation was evaluated for three wheat cultivars (“early”, “medium”, and “late”) relative to their corresponding baseline values under the selected IMPs. The baseline climate was represented by the long-term (1980–2009) dataset and CO2 of 360 μmol/mol. Results showed that increased temperature above 4 °C alone had strong negative impacts on yields under the IMPs when CO2 staying constant at the baseline level. In contrast, climate change simulations with GCM projections under IMPs and elevated CO2 effect showed that wheat yield remained unchanged (− 0.4 to + 9%) for all three genotypes. This suggests that the IMPs and elevated CO2 were able to reduce the negative effect of elevated T on wheat yield as T stress did not go beyond optimal T range for wheat. Overall, climate change may not reduce wheat production in the climate of the location of study in the near future, midcentury, or end century.

This study assesses the influence of PM10 on the optical thickness of aerosols in the central Andes of Peru, in addition to analyzing and establishing their circulation patterns from July to October 2017. This particular period is considered herein because the largest biomass burning events are usually recorded during these months. The regional meteorological-chemistry transport model WRF-Chem (version 3.7) was used with the Fire Inventory from NCAR (FINN) fire emissions dataset and aerosol optical depth (AOD) data from the Aerosol Robotic Network monitoring network (AERONET), which has a CIMEL sun photometer located at the Huancayo Observatory, the most important city in the central highlands of Peru. The simulation used a single domain with a grid size of 18 km and 32 vertical levels. Results showed an increase in PM10 concentrations with an increase in the number of fire outbreaks and AOD during July, August, and September. In contrast, a slight decrease in PM10 concentrations was recorded for October. Further, the meteorological conditions did not favor the occurrence of fire outbreaks in the Mantaro valley during the entire study period; however, an increase in rainfall reduced aerosol concentrations in October. In addition, although the vertical movements prevailing over the central Andes were ascending, they were descending along the Peruvian coast, thus favoring and hindering the dispersion of aerosols in the first and second cases, respectively. Finally, the authors assessed, analyzed, and confirmed the influence of biomass burning on AOD in the studied region. © 2020 Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico.

El artículo tiene por objetivo analizar la trayectoria de una organización universitaria desde su origen privado - comunal hasta su nacionalización, como desenlace de la acción colectiva, organización, participación, movilización y recursos de las comunidades campesinas, organizaciones sindicales, populares y económicas de la sierra central del Perú. Es decir, el origen e institucionalización de la Universidad Comunal del Perú (UCP) a Universidad Nacional del Centro del Perú (UNCP), que muestra etapas importantes como la creación de las comisiones organizadoras desde 1928, la configuración de las bases fundacionales, la inscripción en registros públicos, la oficialización de su funcionamiento el 16 de diciembre de 1959, la apertura de labores académicas y la nacionalización el 20 de diciembre de 1961, que marcaron su institucionalidad posterior. En lo académico propició la formación del capital humano regional; la incorporación y transferencia tecnológica hacia las comunidades y su entorno; así como la transformación social, económica y política de la región central, con una apuesta institucional ambiental, a partir de la participación de las comunidades tradicionales. The objective of the study was to analyze the trajectory of a university organization from its private - communal origin to its nationalization, which occurred between 1928 and 1962 of the 20th century, as the outcome of the collective action, organization, participation, mobilization and resources of the peasant communities. trade union, popular and economic organizations in the central highlands of Peru, mainly in the department of Junín, where the communal perspective had very strong weight due to the presence and importance of traditional peasant communities. It is about the origin and institutionalization of the Communal University of Peru (UCP) to the National University of the Center of Peru (UNCP), which shows important stages such as the creation of the organizing commissions since 1928, the configuration of the foundational bases, the enrollment in public records, the officialization of its operation on December 16, 1959, the opening of academic work and the nationalization on December 20, 1961, which marked its subsequent institutionality. O objetivo deste artigo é analisar a trajetória de uma organização universitária desde sua origem privada-comunitária até sua nacionalização, como resultado da ação coletiva, organização, participação, mobilização e recursos das comunidades camponesas, organizações sindicais, populares e econômicas do altiplano central do Peru. Ou seja, a origem e institucionalização da Universidade Comunal do Peru (UCP) na Universidade Nacional do Peru Central (UNCP), que mostra etapas importantes como a criação das comissões organizadoras desde 1928, a configuração das bases de fundação, a inscrição em registros públicos, a oficialização de seu funcionamento em 16 de dezembro de 1959, a abertura dos trabalhos acadêmicos e a nacionalização em 20 de dezembro de 1961, que marcou sua posterior institucionalização. Academicamente, promoveu a formação do capital humano regional; a incorporação e transferência de tecnologia para as comunidades e seu ambiente; bem como a transformação social, econômica e política da região central, com um compromisso ambiental institucional, baseado na participação das comunidades tradicionais.

This paper summarises the results of 225 studies of seed impressions in pottery assemblages from 182 archaeological sites across Kyushu, Shikoku and Honshu islands covering the Late/Final Jomon–Middle Yayoi period (ca. 2000–1 BCE). Focussing on rice, foxtail millet and broomcorn millet impressions, this archaeobotanical dataset was used to reconstruct when and where these crops arrived from the Eurasian mainland on these islands, how they dispersed and whether there were changes in crop preferences over time. While it is generally accepted that crop cultivation started during the Initial Yayoi period (ca. 800/700–500/400 BCE) in northern Kyushu, a limited number of seed impressions in Tottaimon phase 1 pottery suggests that rice and millet were present at different sites on Kyushu and in the Chugoku region even before this period. The earliest impression records also corroborate the hypothesis that rice arrived along with both millet crops, which for a long time have not been considered in research on early agriculture. The earliest crop records from eastern Japan (here Central Highlands to northern Honshu) come from early Fusenmon pottery, which was mainly used in the Central Highlands (central Honshu) and some adjacent areas, dating to the End of Final Jomon period (concurrent with the Initial Yayoi period in northern Kyushu). While the records from western Japan (here Kyushu to Kinki region) associated with Tottaimon pottery suggest mixed rice/millet cultivation during the Initial Yayoi and early part of the Early Yayoi (ca. 800/700–300 BCE) period, Fusenmon groups appear to have preferred millet. In western Japan, related to the spread of Ongagawa pottery, rice became the dominant crop during the late Early Yayoi period. This shift happened later (i.e., during the Middle Yayoi period; ca. 300–1 BCE) in eastern Japan. This ‘delay’ is manifested in impression records from the Tokai region representing a transitional area between eastern and western Japan. Rice-centred agriculture begun with the arrival of Ongagawa pottery on the Nobi Plain during the Early Yayoi period. In regions east of the plain settled by Jokonmon pottery groups a more rice-oriented agriculture is not evident before the Middle Yayoi period. An exceptional development is indicated for northern Tohoku (northernmost Honshu). Impression records from Sunazawa pottery suggest that local groups adopted only rice during the Early Yayoi period. The rice preference apparently continued there during the Middle Yayoi period, but crop cultivation was abandoned by the Late Yayoi period.

Background: Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) is a public health problem in Viet Nam, and studies have reported seasonal fluctuation in the occurrence of HFMD. This study sought to describe the occurrence of HFMD and its associated meteorological factors in Dak Lak province, Viet Nam. Methods: Monthly data on HFMD cases were collected from all commune health stations in Dak Lak province from 2012 through 2013. An HFMD case was defined as a brief febrile illness accompanied by a typical skin rash with or without mouth ulcers. Average temperature, maximum temperature, minimum temperature, humidity, rainfall, evaporation, sunshine duration and wind speed were recorded monthly at five local meteorological stations throughout Dak Lak. Data were aggregated at the district level, and the association between these meteorological factors and HFMD cases were examined by Poisson regression. Results: In 2012 through 2013, there were 7128 HFMD patients in Dak Lak. The number of HFMD cases increased during the rainy season. An increased risk of HFMD was associated with higher average temperature (risk ratio and 95% confidence interval: 1.06; 1.03–1.08 per 1 °C increase), higher rainfall (1.19; 1.14–1.24 per 200 mm increase) and longer sunshine duration (1.14; 1.07–1.22 per 60 hours increase). The risk of HFMD was inversely associated with wind speed (0.77; 0.73–0.81 per 1 m/s increase). Conclusion: This study suggests that there is a significant association between HFMD occurrence and climate. Temperature, rainfall, wind speed and sunshine duration could be used as meteorological predictors of HFMD occurrence in Viet Nam’s Central Highlands region. Intensified surveillance for HFMD during the rainy season is recommended.

Land-use and land-cover (LULC) changes have been recognized universally as fundamental constituents of global biodiversity and ecosystem services change driver. The objectives of this study were analyzing the spatial and temporal LULC dynamics over the past 44 years and identifying the major drivers of these changes. It was conducted in the central highlands of Ethiopia at the social-ecological Lake Wanchi watershed. The study triangulated data from Landsat images of four different time series, ground verifications, focus group discussions, key informants interview, and quantitative analytical approach. The Landsat imageries were processed and analyzed using ArcGIS 10.3 software. Supervised classification was executed using the maximum likelihood technique. The non-quantifiable data were analyzed using qualitative descriptions and the quantitative analytical approach was used to rank the degree of LULC change drivers. About 62% of the land area in the study watershed experienced LULC conversions. Wetlands, forest-cover, shrub-cover, and water body converted (declined) annually at a rate of 3.3%, 1.4%, 1.3% and 0.6%, respectively. Croplands, bare lands, agroforestry, and settlements, expanded annually at the rate of 10.2%, 5.7%, 2.6% and 2.1%, respectively. Agricultural activities, wood extraction, settlement expansion, and infrastructure constructions were proximate LULC change drivers, while, demographic changes, community conflict, and land tenure policy were the underlying change drivers. To mitigate the rapid LULC changes and safeguard the social-ecological benefits at the local watershed and distant downstream systems of Lake Wanchi, rehabilitation of the watershed specifically, the natural vegetation covers and environmentally sensitive areas, through the application of integrated watershed management strategies is critically important.

We investigated the spring frost risk over the main apple production areas in Japan under future climates using multiple sets of global circulation models and scenarios. Frost risk was judged by the daily minimum air temperature. Apple phenology was estimated with a phenology model under future meteorological conditions. Since spring cold hardiness of apple trees depends on the phenophase, we took the effect into consideration by decomposing the season into three phenophases. April temperatures are projected to increase by 0.5–2 °C for 2031–2050 and 1.5–6 °C for 2081–2100 relative to that of 1981–2000, depending on the climate models and scenarios. Spring phenology will advance by 10 days or more for the highest temperature increase case for 2081–2100. Frost risk will not monotonically change with the future temperature increase. For the scenario with the temperature increase by 1–2 °C in spring, corresponding to the medium temperature increase case among our simulation cases, frost risk will be maximized in the southern Tohoku region and central highlands, where frost risk is relatively high under the current climates. Frost risk will tend to decrease for the highest temperature increase case. During bud break to foliation, apple trees will be in highest frost risk under future climates.

Climate change is a significant obstacle for farmers in the least developed countries like Afghanistan and adaptation support is exceptionally scarce. This paper provides evidence on the impact of the agriculture-related external support on farmers’ adaptation to climate change in the Central Highlands of Afghanistan. To this end, we collected primary data from 1434 farmers whom we interviewed across 14 districts in Bamiyan, Ghazni, and Diakundi provinces. We employ quasi-experimental econometric methods, including an endogenous switching regression analysis, to estimate the treatment effects on various adaptation-related outcomes. We find significant impacts of support interventions on the use of improved types of seeds and farmers’ access to irrigation water. Further impacts on the risk of flood, economic and financial as well as government and institutional adaptation constraints appear to be significant, but sensitive to the existence of unobserved factors. We conclude that farmers perceived changes in the climate, and most of them tried to adapt by employing measures available to them. The impact of external support has been partially effective in addressing immediate and short-term farming challenges related to climate change and extreme weather events. They, however, have not been effective in treating long-term fundamental climate change-related risks. Based on our analysis of the past treatments and farmers’ self-reported priorities, we provide a list of policy recommendations for adaptation to climate change in farming communities in Afghanistan.

Despite shrinking pastureland in the central highlands of Ethiopia, as a result of cropping, there has been little detailed work to evaluate effects of traditional grazing land management practices on vegetation and soil attributes. This study aimed to quantify vegetation structure, aboveground biomass yield and soil quality, as a result of the impact of enclosure and open access management practices by using a sampling quadrat. Aboveground biomass yield for the grass species was 17.6 and 31.2% higher, respectively, for the highland and mid-highland agro-ecologies for enclosed areas, compared with open-access grazing. Andropogon amethystinus (Important value index (IVI) = 86.9) and Pennisetum thunbergii (IVI = 79.2), the most dominant and highest density, found in the enclosed areas decreased from open access grazing land and replaced by more resistant to continuous heavy grazing, like Eleusine floccifolia (IVI = 125.7) in the mid-highland area. Herbaceous species richness was better in open access grazing land than the enclosed areas. Soil quality parameters, such as total nitrogen, available phosphorous, calcium, sodium and cation exchange capacity, were significantly higher for enclosed areas than open access practice. In conclusion, enclosed areas performed greater in most of the parameters considered than open access grazing land management practices at both agro-ecologies.

This study ascertained the socioeconomic determinants of farmers’ knowledge on soil and water conservation technologies in Dry zones of Central Highlands of Kenya involving 400 farming households. Results showed that the majority of the farmers had inadequate knowledge on the use and benefits of soil and water conservation technologies. The socio-economic factors that influence knowledge levels of the knowledge-intensive technologies were education level, gender, perceptions on soil fertility, farmer group membership, access to training, farm size, access to credit, number of livestock kept and access to farm equipment. This implies that there is the need to come up with an all-inclusive policy that can be employed in improving farmer’s level of knowledge through the use of more innovative methods of information dissemination. This can be done by strengthening the existing farmer groups, enhancing extension services, and also formulating gender-friendly policies.

National parks serve a dual purpose: they aim to protect pristine nature and they are intended to facilitate visitation and provide necessary services. However, as visitation increases, it becomes challenging to establish a balance between visitation and the preservation of nature. This paper aims to examine the attitudes of tourism service providers in Iceland towards a proposed national park in the Central Highlands of Iceland, where pristine nature and wilderness are the main attraction, as well as the grounds for conservation. A mixed methodological approach was applied with an online questionnaire survey among all day-tour operators and travel agencies in Iceland, along with 48 semi-structured interviews as follow-up for a deeper understanding. In total, 382 companies answered the online survey, representing a 40% response rate. The results demonstrate that there are mixed opinions on whether the establishment of a national park is the best way to maintain the qualities of the area, with various arguments for and against the national park. Nevertheless, most tourism service providers want to have a say in its governance. It is however important to remember that the tourism industry exploits nature as a market-driven commodity, as its voice must always be evaluated in light of this.

The aim of this research was to analyze the relationship among hygienic behavior (HB), Varroa destructor infestation, and honey production in the central highlands of Ecuador. Overall, 75 honey bee colonies were evaluated before, during, and after production at three altitude levels (2600–2800, 2801–3000, and &gt, 3000 m.a.s.l.). The hygienic behavior percentage of the colonies was determined by the pin-killing method, and the colonies were classified into three groups: high HB (&gt, 85%), mid HB (60.1–85%), and low HB (≤60%). Varroa infestation was diagnosed as well, and honey production was evaluated only during production. HB was high and heterogeneous, averaging 80% ± 9.7%. Its highest expression was observed at lower altitudes. The infestation degree was low (3.47% ± 1.56%), although the mite was detected in all colonies upon sampling. A negative correlation was observed between HB and Varroa infestation in the first sampling (−0.49 **), suggesting that the high- and mid-altitude HB colonies underwent the lowest infestation rates, regardless of sampling. The correlations between HB and production were significant (0.26 *), indicating a positive effect of HB on production, meaning that colonies with high HB obtained the highest honey production (25.08 ± 4.82 kg/hive). The HB of bees showed an inverse relationship with altitude and it tended to reduce the effect of Varroa infestation, favoring honey production and, thus, suggesting the feasibility of selecting colonies with high HB.

The article continues the series of publications devoted to the boletoid fungi of Vietnam. It summarizes the results of the observation of their diversity in three nature protected areas of the Central Highlands (Tây Nguyên) – Kon Ka Kinh National Park, Kon Chu Rang (Kon Chư Răng) Nature Reserve and Kon Plong Protected Forest, where middle-mountain evergreen broad-leaved and coniferous-deciduous forests prevail at altitudes of 900–1500 m. An annotated list of 22 revealed species is presented. Of these, two species (Fistulinella aurantioflava and Tylopilus subotsuensis) have been recently described from this territory as new to science. Hortiboletus rupicapreus is reported “ad interim”. Information on eight species (Aureoboletus sinobadius, Hourangia nigropunctata, Ionosporus longipes, Neoboletus multipunctatus, Phylloporus luxiensis, Pulveroboletus subrufus, Tylopilus atripurpureus, T. atroviolaceobrunneus) is published for the first time for Vietnam. Strobilomyces aff. echinocephalus, S. aff.glabriceps, and Tylopilus aff. balloui (two different lines) are close to known species but genetically not identical. Six more specimens are identified only to the genus, and they probably represent species new to science. The color photographs of new to Vietnam and noteworthy species are presented. The nucleotide sequences obtained during the study were deposited in NCBI GenBank., Статья продолжает серию работ, посвященных болетовым грибам Вьетнама. Здесь обобщены результаты изучения разнообразия этой группы грибов трех охраняемых природных территорий Центрального нагорья (Тэйнгуэн) – национального парка Конкакинь, природного заповедника Контьыранг и охраняемого лесного массива Конплонг, где на высотах 900–1500 м преобладают среднегорные широколиственные и хвойно-широколиственные леса. Приводится аннотированный список 22 идентифицированных видов. Из них два недавно описаны с этой территории как новые для науки виды (Fistulinella aurantioflava и Tylopilus subotsuensis). Hortiboletus rupicapreusприводится “ad interim”. Информация о восьми видах (Aureoboletus sinobadius, Hourangia nigropunctata, Ionosporus longipes, Neoboletusmultipunctatus, Phylloporus luxiensis, Pulveroboletus subrufus, Tylopilus atripurpureus, T.atroviolaceobrunneus) публикуется впервые для Вьетнама. Strobilomyces aff. echinocephalus, S. aff. glabriceps и Tylopilus aff. balloui незначительно отличаются генетически от соответствующих известных видов. Еще шесть образцов определены только до рода и, вероятно, представляют новые для науки виды. Приводятся цветные фотографии новых для Вьетнама и редких видов. Нуклеотидные последовательности, полученные в ходе исследования, депонированы в GenBank NCBI.

The habitats for the wild animals are shrinking due to the clearance of forests for agriculture and industrialization. The idea of wildlife conservation begins with the identification of their acceptable habitat. Since this crucial information helps in the development and maintenance of the protected areas. The requirement of habitat varies with different landscapes.The bluebull (Boselaphus tragocamelus) is Asia’s largest antelope,widespread throughout the northern Indian subcontinent. Peter Simon Pallasin (1766) described it as the only member of the genus Boselaphus.The Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972 lists it as a Schedule III animal, while the IUCN lists it as Least Concern (LC). Our goal was to design a habitat appropriateness model for blue bull so that it could reduce the conflict with farming community due to crop damage. Model will be develop using RS & GIS technique to protect the species inside the Pench Tiger Reserve (77° 55’ W to 79° 35’ E and 21° 08’ S to 22° 00’ N) the central highlands of India. The satellite data from LANDSAT-8 of 4th April 2015, Path- 144,Row- 45, with a ground resolution of 30 meters, were collected from the USGS website. This satellite image was then transferred in image format to ERDAS IMAGINE 2013 for further analysis. The data from satellites were gathered and analysed. The purpose of the field survey was to gather information about the presence of various ungulates. A ground truthing exercise was also carried out. For data processing and GIS analysis,ERDAS IMAGINE 13 and Arc GIS 10 were used. Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) was used Factors were identified who were influencing the spatial distribution of the species for conservation planning. The linear additive model was used for HSI. The results show that 242 km2 (29.48 percent) of Pench Tiger Reserve forest was recognized to be highly suitable for bluebull, while 196 km2 (23.87 percent) was moderately suitable,231 km2 (28.14 percent) was suitable, 109 km2 (13.28 percent) was least suitable, and about 43 km2 (5.249 percent) of PTR was completely avoided by bluebull.

We characterized the genetic diversity, phylogeography, and demography of Tor sp. (Cyprinidae) from Sabah, Malaysian Borneo, by examining nucleotide variation in the D-loop region of the mtDNA. Sequence analysis of 18 populations (N = 173) yielded 35 unique mtDNA haplotypes with mean haplotype and nucleotide diversity of 0.833 and 0.023, respectively. Phylogenetic reconstructions using Bayesian, neighbor-joining, and maximum parsimony methods, as well as haplotype network, revealed four well-defined clades, namely, the eastern, central, northwestern, and southwestern clades, which corresponded to evolutionarily significant units (ESUs). These ESUs were estimated to have become separated since the late Miocene to Pliocene era (between 5 and 1 million years ago), with the central highlands of Sabah Crocker Trusmadi Range (CTR) constituting the main barrier to genetic exchange between clades. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) and pairwise genetic differentiation showed significant population structuring (Φct = 0.575–1.000, p &lt, 0.05). We further identified eight major groups of river systems harboring reproductively isolated Tor subpopulations. Neutrality statistics and Bayesian skyline plots (BSP) suggested constant population size over time for most Tor populations. Tor sp. in Sabah is comprised of four ESUs (eastern, central, northwestern, and southwestern ESUs), and that each ESU can be compartmentalized into 1–4 MUs. Due to isolation by distance, the highest number of MU occurs in the low-elevation drainages of Eastern Sabah, which is the largest in terms of land area. The evidence provided by this study supports the hypothesis that the four ESU represent genetically distinct subpopulations of Tor and highlight the urgent need for the in situ conservation of these subpopulations.

Over the past decades, developments in remote sensing have resulted in an ever growing availability of topographic information on a global scale. A recent development is TanDEM-X, an interferometric SAR mission of the Deutsche Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt providing near-global coverage and high resolution DEMs. Moreover, ongoing developments in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology has enabled acquisitions of topographic information at a sub-meter resolution. Although UAV products are generally preferred for volume assessments of geomorphic features, their acquisition remains time-consuming and is spatially constrained. However, some applications in geomorphology such as the estimation of regional or national erosion quantities of specific landforms, require data over large areas. TanDEM-X data can be applied at such scales, but this raises the question of how much accuracy is lost because of the lower spatial resolution. Here, we evaluated the performance of the 12 m TanDEM-X DEM to i) estimate gully volumes, ii) establish an area-volume (A-V) relationship, and iii) determine mobilization rates, through comparison with a high resolution (0.2 m) UAV-SfM DEM and lower resolution (30 m) SRTM DEM. We did this for six study areas in the Lake Alaotra region (central Madagascar) where lavaka (gullies) are omnipresent and lavaka surface area changes over the period 1949–2010s are available for 699 lavaka. SRTM derived lavaka volume estimates were systematically too low, indicating that the SRTM DEM is too coarse to accurately estimate volumes of geomorphic features at the lavaka-scale (100–100 000 m2). Lavaka volumes obtained from TanDEM-X were similar to UAV-SfM volumes for the largest features, whereas the volumes of smaller features were generally underestimated. To deal with this bias we introduce a breakpoint analysis to eliminate volume reconstructions that suffer from processing errors as evidenced by significant fractions of negative volumes. This elimination allowed the establishment of an area-volume relationship for the TanDEM-X data that is within the 95 % confidence interval of the UAV-SfM A-V relationship. Our calibrated area-volume relationship enabled us to obtain large-scale lavaka mobilization rates ranging between 18 ± 6 and 289 ± 125 ton ha−1 yr−1 with an average of 102 ± 41 ton ha−1 yr−1. These results indicate that current lavaka mobilization rates are two orders of magnitude higher than long-term erosion rates. With this study we demonstrate that the global TanDEM-X 12 m DEM can be used to accurately estimate volumes of gully-shaped features at the lavaka-scale (100–100 000 m2), where the proposed breakpoint-method can be applied without requiring the availability of a higher resolution DEM. Furthermore, we use this information to make a first assessment of regional lavaka erosion rates in the central highlands of Madagascar.

Vegetable oil deterioration during frying is a health problem because of oil degradation compounds and recycled oil practices are related to disturb oil quality. Frying food street-vendors are an important part of endemic market type Tianguis at the Metropolitan areas in the Central Highlands of Mexico. The main objective of this research was to evaluate frying edible vegetable oil quality from frying by street-food vendors in a Metropolitan area in the Central Highlands of Mexico. A behaviour questionary registered fresh and recycling oil addition, frying temperature and method in real operation conditions for three working days. Free fatty acid, colour, p-Anisidine, peroxide, and TOTOX indexes were observed in the vendors by triplicate. Free fatty acids and peroxide values in two vendors exceeded the NMX-F-223-SCFI-2011 values. Physicochemical variables revealed oil oxidation deterioration. Not so high temperatures were registered, and continually fresh oil addition was suggested as mitigating or masking edible oil of thermal oxidation and its degradation agents during the observed time. Thermal oxidation could be lower than in controlled conditions as in many reports due to vendor operations studied as a real approximation that suggested less oil degradation. Present results could be evidence for government intervention in the regulation needs.

Kon Tum is not only a countryside with many revolutionary traditions but also a land of multi-ethnic cultural identities with 28 ethnic groups living together, in which ethnic minorities account for over 53% with 7 ethnic groups in the locality, including Xo Dang, Ba Na, Gia Rai, Gie Trieng, Brau, Ro Mam, Hre (Hre) [2, p.1]. Each ethnic group has its own traditional cultural identity, which has been handed down through generations. Cultural values such as language, writing, festivals, architecture, traditional costumes, etc. create the unique value of each community, are the link that connects each individual in the community, and also are the door to exchange, develop and integrate with other communities. Ba Na ethnic culture is an important component in the rich Kon Tum culture, imbued with national identity. Through the process of researching and surveying the opinions of artisans, village elders and experts on the Ba Na ethnic group in Kon Tum province, we found that the culture of ethnic minorities in the Central Highlands in general and Ba Na ethnic group in Kon Tum province has the basic characteristics of forest culture, upland farming culture, and gong culture. Those characteristics have created the unique and the charming in their traditional culture. Article visualizations

Plague is a re-emerging zoonotic disease and a major public health concern in several portions of the world, especially in Madagascar. We report on the presence of different subtypes of Yersinia pestis co-occurring in the same locality. After confirmation of a human plague case in Ambohitromby Commune (Ankazobe District) via isolation of Y. pestis, we undertook small mammal trapping to identify the circulation of Y. pestis amongst rodents in this locality; blood samples were collected from rodents for seroprevalence analysis. Of the 60 individuals of Rattus rattus captured, one yielded an isolate of Y. pestis, 13 others were positive for F1 antigen of Y. pestis using a rapid diagnostic test, and 4 were PCR positive targeting the caf1 and pla genes; 28/60 (46.7%) of the captured R. rattus were seropositive for Y. pestis. Whole-genome SNP analyses revealed that the two isolates obtained from the human case, and the R. rattus belonged to two different subtypes of Y. pestis (s05 and s13, respectively) that were circulating concurrently in Ambohitromby in 2016. Three Y. pestis subtypes (s03, s05 and s13) have now been isolated from Ambohitromby. Subtype s05 had been persisting there for >10 years but one or both of the other subtypes may have been introduced from the Central Highlands region as they were not observed in previous years (s13) or only observed once previously (s03). High seroprevalence against Y. pestis in R. rattus suggests that a portion of the local murine population may have acquired resistance to Y. pestis. Future research should focus on genomically characterizing Y. pestis strains circulating in Ankazobe District and other plague-endemic regions of Madagascar to better understand the overall phylogeography of Y. pestis.

Total factor productivity growth (TFPG) is an important indicator evaluating the enterprise development model. The aim of this study is to consider the imbalance between TFPG and enterprises growth patterns of sectors and regions in Vietnam. The results of panel data analysis in 2005–2018 show that the growth of Vietnamese enterprises is mainly due to increased capital, especially in the non-state enterprise sector and in the Red River Delta. Total factor productivity (TFP) was found to be present in the non-state and inward foreign investment sectors during the five years 2014–2018. By comparison, the state-owned enterprise sector fell sharply during the same period. Strong upward increases in TFP were notable in the Northern Midlands and Mountain areas, the Mekong River Delta, and the Southeast, while there was a marked downward trend in the Central Highlands and the Red River Delta, especially marked in the Central Highlands. Thus, the results from this study are a basis to suggest an appropriate policy mix that helps to improve the performance of enterprises in different sectors and regions of Vietnam.