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Background and Aims Vegetables are widely cultivated in high rainfall and mountainous regions in Sri Lanka with poor soil conservation practices. Accumulation of essential mineral and toxic trace elements in these soils and widely cultivated vegetable crops are not known. Methods One hundred soil and vegetable (i.e. cabbage, carrot and potato) samples were collected at the time of harvest and analysed for element concentrations. Key Results Soils contained very high concentrations of essential mineral and toxic trace elements. When compare edible parts, cabbage contained the highest concentrations of mineral and toxic trace elements, and potato contained lowest. Irrespective of the crop, edible parts contained high concentrations of N, P, K, (14-35, 2-6, 15-24 g kg−1, respectively), Cu, Zn, Mn (2.5-6.7, 11-30, 8-147 mg kg−1, respectively). Vegetables also contained As, Cd and Pb (0.04-1, 0.02-0.15, 0.02-0.26 mg kg−1, respectively), but didn’t exceed the maximum permissible limits. Irrespective of the crop 36-64 kg N, 6-11 kg of P, 35-45 kg K per ha were removed with the harvest. According to the current rate of vegetable consumption by a Sri Lankan adult (i.e. 240 g FW per day), per capita consumption of 0.05-0.2 mg Cu, 0.45-0.65 mg Zn and 0.5-2 mg Mn day−1through these vegetables was observed, i.e. 5-23% Cu, 7.5-11% Zn and 22-87% Mn of the recommended daily intake. Conclusion Vegetables grown in the region served as a key source of essential mineral elements. However, agronomic mitigation strategies are needed to improve soil health and sustainability of these cropping systems.

Background Faba bean (Vicia faba. L) is the most important pulse crop both in area coverage and volume of annual production in Ethiopia. However, productivity in terms of yield in Ethiopia is still far below its potential. One important reason is that farmers are largely dependent on their local landraces. Despite the release of about 34 improved faba bean cultivars, farmers’ use of certified improved seeds is very low. This study, therefore, aimed to generate useful information on farmers’ adoption of improved faba bean cultivars by identifying factors that determine a farmer’s decision to use improved cultivars. Methods A multi-stage sampling technique was followed to select sample households. A cross-sectional household survey was used to collect data from 168 households that were randomly selected. Moreover, focus group discussions and key informant interviews were conducted. For data analysis, the Double-hurdle econometric model was employed. Results The results revealed that the majority, i.e., 77% of rural households depended on their local landraces. The adoption rate of improved faba bean seed at the household level was 23% which is very low. This low adoption rate was mainly due to a lack of access to improved seed and a lack of awareness about the improved cultivars. The results suggest that the decisions to adopt the improved cultivars and how much land to be covered appear to be explained by different processes. The double-hurdle econometric model result further revealed that while a farmer’s adoption decision is influenced by family size, farmers’ awareness about the existing improved cultivars, and extension contact, the intensity of adoption is determined by livestock holding and access to market information. Conclusion The result showed that most of the rural households were largely dependent on their local faba bean landraces which result in low yields at harvest. Therefore, it is suggested that the promotion of improved faba bean cultivars and improve farmers’ access to extension service and timely market information are the most decisive factors to be emphasized to improve the adoption of improved cultivars.

Vietnam is located in the tropical monsoon region and it often faces many types of extreme weather events, especially storms and droughts. In addition to the effect of climate change, extreme weather events have been becoming more complicated and difficult to predict, causing heavy losses to many areas and economic sectors of the country. These problems impose a great threat to the country to achieve its socio-economic targets and sustainable development goals. This study uses a Riparian approach integrated with two-stage Hsiao method using a panel dataset from 2000–2018 to examine the impact of extreme weather events and climate change on the output of agriculture and fishery enterprises in the Central and Central Highlands regions of Vietnam. Findings from the study indicate that extreme weather events and climate change have a negative impact on agriculture and fishery enterprises in the regions. Specifically, the model results show that the value-added loss to agriculture and fishery enterprises as the impact of extreme weather events and climate change may escalate from billion VND 3597.72 to 18,891.2 under different climate change scenarios. The results also indicate the impact of various factors regarding extreme weather events and climate change on the efficiency of enterprises in the study area. Findings from this study provide insights on the impacts of extreme weather events and climate change on value-added of enterprises in the study regions and help to propose appropriate solutions to adapt and mitigate their impacts in the future.

12 p.-6 fig.-2 tab., Potato yellow vein virus (PYVV) was detected in potatoes grown in the Central highlands, north of Bogotá (~3000 m altitude),Colombia. At this altitude viral whitefly vectors are largely absent, but infection persists because of the use of uncertified tubers.Plants with typical PYVV-induced yellowing symptoms, as well as with atypical yellowing or non-symptomatic symptoms were sampled at three separate geographical locations. PYVV presence was assessed by RT-PCR,and several plants were subjected to high-throughput sequencing (HTS) of their small RNA (sRNA) populations. Complete or almost complete sequences of four PYVV isolates were thus reconstructed, all from symptomatic plants. Three viral isolates infected plants singly, while the fourth co-infected the plant together with a potyvirus. Relative proportions of sRNAs to each of the three crinivirus genomic RNAs were found to remain comparable among the four infections. Genomic regions were identified as hotspots of sRNA formation,or as regions that poorly induced sRNAs. Furthermore, PYVV titres in the mixed versus single infections remained comparable,indicating an absence of synergistic/antagonistic effects of the potyvirus on the accumulation of PYVV. Daughter plants raised in the greenhouse from tubers of the infected, field-sampled plants displayed mild PYVV infection symptoms that disappeared with time, demonstrating the occurrence of recovery and asymptomatic infection phenotypes in this pathosystem., This work was funded by Grants PID2019-109304RB-I00 and COOPB20310 from the 2019 and 2017 calls by the Ministry of Science and Innovation of the Government of Spain, and the Spanish Council for Scientific Research; and by Grant CIAS 2742 from the Universidad Militar Nueva Granada, Colombia.

This paper examines impacts of adoption of wheat chickpea double cropping on yield and farm income of smallholder rural farmers in Becho district, South West Shewa Zone, Oromia Region, Ethiopia. The study used cross-sectional data collected from 203 smallholder farm households selected randomly through two-stage stratified random sampling technique. Propensity score matching was employed to analyze the impacts of adoption on yield and farm income. The result showed that adoption of wheat-chickpea double cropping has significant impact on yield and farm income of the group of adopter households compared to the group of non-adopters. With regard to yield, adopters harvested average wheat yield of 2120 kg/ha, while the non-adopters harvested average wheat yield of 1420 kg/ha. In addition, the treated households earned average annual farm income of about 709.125 Euro per year from sale of both wheat and chickpea as adopters; while the non-adopters earned average farm income of 129 Euro from sale of wheat. These results imply that scaling out of wheat-chickpea double cropping contributes to food security and rural livelihood improvement through yield and farm income increment. Hence, encouraging farmers towards adoption of wheat-chickpea double cropping is essential for improving livelihoods of rural households by properly addressing factors such as access to improved seeds, training on double cropping, involvement in non-farm income activities, access to broad bed maker (BBM), ownership of tropical livestock unit (TLU) and access to fertilizer., Wheat, Chickpea, Adoption, Double cropping, Impacts, Yield, Farm income.

Healthy farming systems play a vital role in improving agricultural productivity and sustainable food production. The present study aimed to propose an efficient framework to evaluate ecologically viable and economically sound farming systems using a matrix-based analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and weighted linear combination method with geo-informatics tools. The proposed framework has been developed and tested in the Central Highlands of Sri Lanka. Results reveal that more than 50% of farming systems demonstrated moderate status in terms of ecological and economic aspects. However, two vulnerable farming systems on the western slopes of the Central Highlands, named WL1a and WM1a, were identified as very poor status. These farming systems should be a top priority for restoration planning and soil conservation to prevent further deterioration. Findings indicate that a combination of ecologically viable (nine indicators) and economical sound (four indicators) criteria are a practical method to scrutinize farming systems and decision making on soil conservation and sustainable land management. In addition, this research introduces a novel approach to delineate the farming systems based on agro-ecological regions and cropping areas using geo-informatics technology. This framework and methodology can be employed to evaluate the farming systems of other parts of the country and elsewhere to identify ecologically viable and economically sound farming systems concerning soil erosion hazards. The proposed approach addresses a new dimension of the decision-making process by evaluating the farming systems relating to soil erosion hazards and suggests introducing policies on priority-based planning for conservation with low-cost strategies for sustainable land management.

In Vietnam, the region of Red River Delta is the primary living space of the Viet ethnic group; whereas, the Central Highlands region is currently the home of 11 ethnic minority groups. Water is a valuable natural resource essential to these communities’ existence, development and creation. Thus, throughout their long history, these communities have developed a specific attitude towards water: they need, treasure and fear water at the same time. Inhabitants of both the Red River Delta and the Central Highlands worship water gods and they consider these gods supreme beings in the pantheon. The development of the cult of water in the two regions has been attributed to the role of associated communities. However, due to the differences in geographical, geo-historical and geo-cultural positions and trajectories between the Red River Delta and the Central Highlands, the role of the community in the emergence and development of the cult of water in these two regions are also different. This chapter, therefore, will examine the role of the community in the cult of water, which is manifested through: the role of priests, the role of villages and other subjects and objects associated with the cult of water in the two regions. The result of this study provides an overview of culture–religion history developed in different cultural spaces of Vietnam.

The bitterling Tanakia lanceolata is a primary freshwater fish with wide distribution range in Japan; therefore, analysis of this species will yield much information on the formation of Japanese freshwater fish fauna. However, populations of this species are threatened by several human activities. To reveal the genetic population structure of T. lanceolata and the process of its formation, as well as its genetic status, we conducted phylogenetic analyses and estimated divergence times based on partial sequences of the mitochondrial DNA cytochrome b gene, using specimens collected across the distribution range. The results of the analysis showed that Japanese T. lanceolata is monophyletic and consists of seven local population groups that diverged from the Late Pliocene to the Middle Pleistocene. The population structure in western Japan was similar to that of other freshwater fishes (e.g., separation by the Suzuka Mountains), although there were several differences in population boundaries and the presence/absence of a secondary contact zone. The Central Highlands in central Honshu are the primary, or at least the most effective, geological barrier responsible for population divergence in Japanese freshwater fish species. However, the small genetic differentiation of the T. lanceolata population between the western and eastern sides of the Central Highlands suggested recent dispersal and gene flow across the region after uplift of the highlands. The genetic population structure indicated extensive genetic disturbance in the Kanto Region. Our results provide information on the formation process of the Japanese freshwater fish fauna, which could aid conservation efforts toward T. lanceolata.

This study examines the roles of forest fragments in providing provisioning services to local communities in two study sites in Ethiopia. Nine Peasant Associations (PAs) from Jibat district and six PAs from Dendi district were purposively selected for Chillimo. A total of 490 household heads in and around the forest boundaries of Jiabt and Chillimo were interviewed to determine the amounts of services they are obtaining from the forests. It was found that firewood, construction material, charcoal and bamboo were the dominant forest provisioning services that the local community obtained from the forests. About 78.9% of the total income from forest provisioning services was derived from firewood followed by charcoal (14.4%); whereas the least is obtained from bamboo. The local communities consume much of the forest products; and sell only limited amounts to the market. The overall income generated from forest provisioning services on an annual basis was found to be 7569.04 birr (US$ 398/yr/HH) from these forest products. Juniperus procera and Prunus africana are woody plant species ranked first in relation to their frequently of uses by community around Chillimo and Jibat. This finding illuminated the need to take into account the significant roles played by forests in sustaining the livelihoods of local communities which was usually neglected in national accounting system and rural development planning.

Aims: To evaluate the effects of phosphate rock and organic inputs on soil organic carbon and acid phosphatase activity. Study Design: The experiment was laid in Randomized Complete Block Design with seven treatments replicated thrice. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted at Kigogo Primary school in Meru South Sub-county, Tharaka Nithi County, Kenya. The experiment ran for two consecutive seasons the short rains of 2017 (October to December) and long rains of 2018 (March through June). Methodology: There were seven treatments replicated thrice. The treatments included Tithonia diversifolia, Phosphate rock (PR), Goat manure, Tithonia diversifolia + Phosphate rock, Goat manure + Phosphate rock, Triple superphosphate + Calcium ammonium nitrate and a Control (no soil external inputs). The test crop was maize (Zea mays L.) H516 variety. Soil organic carbon followed modified Walkley and Black oxidation method while acid phosphatase enzyme activity was essayed following the method by Tabatabai and Bremner. Results: Goat manure + phosphate rock, sole phosphate rock and use of goat manure significantly (P= .0001) increased soil organic carbon by 198, 100 and 71% compared to the control. Tithonia diversifolia reported a 3.4-fold increase in soil organic carbon compared to the control in short rains of 2017. Goat manure gave higher soil organic carbon by 135% compared to the control in the long rains of 2018. Goat manure + phosphate rock treatment significantly (P= .0002) increased the phosphatase activity by a difference of 1.12% compared with the control, with 2.14% decreases under TSP+CAN treatment compared to the control. Conclusion: The results showed that integration of phosphate rock and manure could have a far-reaching influence on soil organic carbon and acid phosphatase activity thus could be recommended for improved soil productivity in humic nitisols in similar agro-ecological zones.

Protosticta binhi sp. n. is described from the Central Highlands of Vietnam (holotype male: Vietnam, Gia Lai Province, K’Bang District, Dak Roong Commune, Dak Hro village, 14.36611° N, 108.4103° E,...

Low adoption of soil water conservation technologies has been one of the main causes for decreased agricultural productivity in the Upper Tana Catchment of Kenya. Proper identification of locations to scale-out the individual technologies necessary to improve water conservation is a key determinant for the rate of adoption. Our main aim was to identify the suitable sites for water conservation technologies using the suitability model created by the model builder function in ArcGIS 10.5®. The model combined the thematic layers of soil texture, slope, rainfall, and stream order, which were acquired from assorted online sources. The factors were converted to raster format and reclassified based on their suitability and were assigned fixed scores and weights by use of multi influencing factor (MIF) method. The suitability evaluation was carried out by use of weighted overlay to produce suitability classes for each of the water conservation technique. The delineated suitability maps indicated that check dams are highly suitable in 50% of the study area. Mulching, on the other hand, is highly suitable for 49% of the study area. Zai pits are highly suitable in 43% of the study area. Majority of the study area is moderately suitable for the use of terraces, covering 41% of the study area. The highly suitable areas for the Checkdams are Machakos, Kitui, Tharaka-Nithi and lower parts of Embu. The highly suitable areas for mulching are Kirinyaga, Murang’a, Nyandarua and Nyeri. The highly suitable areas for the Zai pits are Kitui, lower parts of Tharaka-Nithi and the highly suitable areas for the terraces are Murang’a, Nyeri and Kirinyaga. Furthermore, the results demonstrated the effectiveness of GIS in delineating the suitable areas for the use of water conservation technologies.

In Vietnam, Foot‐and‐mouth disease (FMD) is endemic, but no nationwide studies have been conducted to assess the monthly variations and space‐time clusters of FMD. The main objective was to identify the temporal patterns and space‐time clusters of FMD from 2007 to 2017 using national surveillance data in Vietnam. A total of 163,733 cases were reported from 2007 to 2017. Among them, the proportion of buffaloes (43.31% of total reported cases; 70,909 cases) was highest followed by cattle (30.11%; 49,306 cases), pigs (26.67%; 43,662 cases) and sheep/goats (0.41%; 675 cases). The serotype O was widely distributed across the country while serotype A was observed in Northeast, Central and Southern part of Vietnam while Asia 1 has been not identified since 2007. For monthly variations, most cases were observed during the dry season (from November to March) except Central Highlands. Under the spatial window was set at 50%, a total of seven clusters were identified. The primary cluster was observed from Dec 2009 to Dec 2010 in the northwest (radius: 101.67 km), showing a ratio of 3.75. The secondary cluster was detected in the northeast region (radius: 76.54 km) with a ratio of 3.53 in Feb 2017. The 3rd cluster was the largest with a radius of 176.69 km and located in the southern part of Vietnam. Interestingly, the most temporal clusters included between December and March during the study period. Our findings provide better insight into the temporal patterns and distribution of clusters of FMD in Vietnam. This study provides useful information to policymakers on the hotspot areas and timing of outbreaks. It also identifies when and where national surveillance and control programmes could be implemented more efficiently for the prevention and control of FMD.

Male chauvinism is rooted in certain populations, but it has not been measured among those who will be responsible for healthcare.To determine the factors associated with male chauvinism among the medical students of 12 Peruvian universities.Cross-sectional multicentre analytical study, with previously collected data, which used validated tests to measure male chauvinism and strong religious beliefs. In addition, other social and educational factors were analysed and the data was crossed. Descriptive and analytical statistics were obtained.In the multivariate analysis, we found an association between male chauvinism and religious non-believers (RP=1.88; 95% CI, 1.47-2.40), as well as being female (RP=0.35; 95% CI, 0.27-0.46). Of the 12 universities evaluated, the least chauvinistic university was in Lima. Using this university as a comparison category, the statistically more chauvinistic universities were a private university in Chiclayo (α=3.63; p0.001), followed by a university in Huancayo (α=3.20; p=0.001), Huancayo national university (α=2.79; p0.001) and the public university of Ica (α=2.32; p=0.006); the crossed data were adjusted for age.It was found that male chauvinism is greater among non-religious believers, men and in some universities, with a predominance of universities in the central highlands of Peru or that had migrants from the mountains. This is important, since it gives us an overview about this trait in those who will be responsible for the future healthcare of Peruvians.

Rhynchostylis gigantea is a wild orchid species commonly grown. Flowering at the traditional Tet holiday, the flower season always blooms in December of the lunar calendar. The flower has a faint aroma, so it is called Nghinh spring and is a kind of orchid with a national soul and national essence. Rhynchostylis gigantea is found in many areas in Vietnam as it is distributed in the South Central Highlands, especially the areas bordering Laos and Cambodia at low altitudes

This paper describes a new subspecies of Amphidromus Albers, 1850 from Krong Pac District, Dak Lak Province in the Central Highlands, Vietnam. Shell coloration and reduced pattern easily separate it from its nearest relatives Amphidromus hongdaoae Thach, 2017 and A. davidmonsecouri Thach, 2018.

A new species of Billolivia is described from Central Highlands, Vietnam. The new species shows similarities with its congener B. cadamensis and B. poilanei but differs in several vegetative and re...

Background The Guatemalan Highlands is a region of great but so far poorly known mycological diversity. People living in this area have long used wild fungi as a source of food and income. However, our knowledge of the ethnomycological practices of the Mayan peoples of Guatemala is still rudimental, especially if compared with information reported for the neighboring region of Mexico. Among the main indigenous groups of the Maya people inhabiting the highlands of Central Guatemala, stand the Kaqchikel, accounting for nearly 8% of the entire Guatemalan population. The main aim of this study was to record the traditional knowledge and use of edible wild mushrooms by inhabitants of the municipality of San Juan Sacatepéquez that lies at the heart of the Kaqchikel area in the central highlands of Guatemala, also describing the relevant selling practices and dynamics. A secondary aim was to compare the diversity and composition of the mushroom assemblage offered at the market with the macrofungal diversity of woods in the area. Methodology This study is the result of 4 years of ethnomycological research, conducted through continuous visits to the municipal market and focused interviews with collectors and vendors. Field sampling in pine-oak forested areas surrounding San Juan Sacatepéquez, from where the mushrooms sold at the market are foraged, were also conducted, in the presence of local collectors. Results The results show a significant richness of species sold in the market, a network of commerce of purchase, sale, and resale of several species, with relatively stable prices, and knowledge about edible and inedible species that is transmitted mainly within the family nucleus. The business of selling mushrooms in the market is an exclusive activity of women, who are supplied by collectors or by other vendors. Fungi are sold and bought only as food, while no consumption of hallucinogenic mushrooms or medicinal mushrooms was recorded. Several species of Amanita, Cantharellus, Boletus, Lactarius, and Russula were those most commercialized in the 4 years of the study, but we also spotted fungi never reported before as consumed in the country, including Gastropila aff. fumosa (= Calvatia fumosa) and several species of Cortinarius. Field sampling in nearby pine-oak forests confirmed an elevated local macrofungal diversity. Conclusion Our study unveiled the contemporary wealth of Kaqchikel culture for what concerns mushrooms, demonstrating that mushrooms continue to be culturally and economically important for these communities despite the erosion of traditional knowledge. Our results also confirmed the need to investigate in greater detail the Guatemalan mycodiversity that is vast and poorly known. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13002-019-0310-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

An experiment was conducted at Chefe Donsa naturally infested field with Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lentis in order to evaluate the effect of lentil genotypes and seedbed types as components of integrated management option. A factorial experiment including lentil variety and seedbed type, each at four levels, was carried out in a split-plot design with three replications. The four lentil genotypes were ILL-590 (susceptible check), Alemaya, Derash and Denbi and four seedbed types were flat bed, open raised bed, tie-raised bed and farmer’s practice. Raised seedbed exhibited relatively lower disease incidence than among the seedbed types. Interaction of the used varieties and seedbed types was significant in wilt reduction. The highest wilt incidence (ca. 67.5%) was recorded on ILL-590, susceptible lentil line, planted on flat bed, whereas, the lowest (ca. 8.8%) Fusarium wilt incidence was noted on cultivar Derash planted in raised bed. A combination of cultivar Derash and raised bed resulted significantly (P

Ethnic minority migration in Vietnam is a unique type of migration. It is the migration of individuals, groups (families, clans, hamlets), communities of ethnic minorities (to villages, communes, districts, provinces, intra-/inter provinces), regions; the migration could be in the Northwest — Central Highlands direction, or could be rural — urban, rural — rural, urban — rural, rural — industrial zones migration. It could be cross border migration (to China, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar; to Middle East countries). These migration could take various forms: spontaneous migration (free migration), organized migration (planned migration) for reasons such as migration to take refuge, for marriage with foreigners, for economic reasons, for labor export, for familial reunion.

Meteorological series (daily precipitation, minimum and maximum air temperature) for Asmara (Eritrea) for the last hundred years (1914 – 2015) are analysed. The data were quality controlled and homogenized using publicly available data from surrounding countries as well as newly recovered data from twelve stations in Eritrea. Overall, the Asmara data showed a consistent pattern and there were no outliers outside of four standard deviations from the corresponding reference. Climate indices were calculated using the program RClimDex. Overall, eight indices for description of the air temperature data and ten for precipitation data were calculated. The analyses of averages and indices reveal large climatic variations in the central highlands of Eritrea. The results indicate significant changes in air temperature since 1943, with daily minimum and maximum air temperature increasing at a similar rate of 0.22 and 0.19 °C dec-1, respectively. The diurnal air temperature range shows a non-significant decreasing trend over the study period. No significant variation was found in the annual total and the seasonal precipitation over the last century. Significant trends were detected for some daily precipitation indices, although the lack of reference series prevents an evaluation of their reliability.

In Ethiopia, farmers are cultivating potato under a wide range of environmental conditions. Despite its genetic potential, the productivity of potato is relatively low. Among the long list of production constraints, the absence of high yielding and disease resistant varieties in different corners of the country are the prominent ones. Its suitable edaphic and climatic conditions make the highlands of Girar Jarso Woreda suitable for potato production; however, it is scarce and dominated by local varieties. Hence, by employing its newly developed integrated agricultural technology evaluation protocol, CASCAPE program (Capacity building for scaling up of evidence-based agricultural technologies in Ethiopia) conducted a participatory potato variety evaluation trial at Girar Jarso in 2017 cropping season. Data related to tuber yield, acceptability, profitability, gender-related labor burden and environmental sustainability in terms of pesticide use were collected. Instead of selecting an adaptable variety merely on one parameter, for instance solely by considering yield of the crop, the recorded data on each parameter were normalized in a 1-5 scale and integrated to produce a single value for each variety. Therefore, in relation to the three rules of decision making, a potato variety (Belete) that had an over normalized score of 4.6 with a yield of 47.12 ton/ha, an acceptability score of 97.22 and 960% profitability was selected and recommended for the highlands of Girar Jarso Woreda and other areas with similar agro-ecological and social settings in the central highlands of the country. As a novel system of participatory technology evaluation technique, this paper demonstrates the approach to select and recommend a variety/technology by integrating its production potential, profitability, desirability, gender attributes, and with environmental considerations. Key words: Potato, Integrated technology validation, productivity, profitability, acceptability, gender and nutrition, environmental sustainability

From the family Athericidae, only three species (Atherix ibis, Ibisia marginata, Atrichops crassipes) are widespread in Central and Western Europe. Although predatory larvae of these species are an important component of many benthic communities, little is known about their distribution and ecological preferences. Aiming to fill these gaps, the distribution and ecological preferences of these species were studied in three ecoregions of central Europe (Central highlands, The Carpathians, Hungarian lowlands). We found that A. ibis was present in the most streams in all of the studied ecoregions. I marginata clearly preferred the streams of the Carpathians ecoregion, whilst A. crassipes was more frequent in the Central highlands and Hungarian lowlands and it occasionally inhabited streams in the Carpathian ecoregion. The occurrence of the species was explained by the physico-chemical parameters of water (explained variability = 18.6%), site characteristics (3.8%), as well as catchment characteristics (3.3%). Four environmental variables (temperature, conductivity, percentage of agricultural land, catchment area) from three defined groups represented significant gradients, which explained species distribution in running waters of Central Europe. For the Central European streams, a correction of the saprobic index of the species was made, and the altitudinal, temperature, current and pH preferences for each species were also calculated. These values can be used for completion of the “ freshwaterecology.info ” database, which includes several biological and ecological traits of most European benthic species.

The dry dipterocarp forest (DDF) is a major and unique forest type in Asia providing both protection and production functions. DDF's role as a carbon sink is important in Asia, but there is a deficiency in existing biomass models for these forests. This study aimed to develop simultaneous modeling systems to estimate tree above-ground biomass (AGB) and its components for mixed species, dominant family, genera, and species. Twenty-eight 0.25 ha plots in the Central highlands and one 1 ha plot in the Southeast ecoregion in Viet Nam were measured. A total of 329 trees were destructively sampled to obtain a dataset of the dry biomass of the stem (Bst), branches (Bbr), leaves (Ble), bark (Bba), and AGB. Using K-fold cross validation, we compared AGB predictions from independently developed AGB equation and from a system of biomass equations that estimated component biomass and AGB simultaneously. The estimation methods for independent equation was weighted nonlinear regression fit by maximum likelihood and for simultaneous system it was weighted nonlinear seemingly unrelated regression (SUR) fit by generalized least squares. We also examined different modeling systems for different plant classification at taxonomic levels. The selected form of taxon-specific modeling systems were AGB = a1 × Db11 × Hb12 × WDb13 + a2 × Db21 + a3 × Db31 + a4 × Db41 for mixed species and dominant Dipterocarpaceae family and AGB = a1 × Db11 + a2 × Db21 + a3 × Db31 + a4 × Db41 for dominant genera of Dipterocarpus and Shorea. The predictors of D, H, and WD are diameter at breast height, tree height and wood density, respectively. Compared to the mixed species modeling system, genus-specific modeling systems improved the reliability of AGB estimation substantially and will reduce the cost of application because the only predictor required for measurement is D. The pantropical genus-specific modeling systems are more reliable than pantropical mixed species models.

To match Nitrogen (N) supply to crop N demand, it is essential to understand N release and uptake patterns in different farming systems and crops. To assesses the dynamics of N released in organic and conventional systems and potential synchrony and asynchrony in crop N uptake, a study was conducted over three cropping seasons (potato, maize and leafy vegetables) at two sites in the Central Highlands of Kenya. Mineral-N release and synchrony were monitored in conventional and organic systems at high (recommended N, P, pesticides and irrigation) and low input (low N, P, pesticide use and rainfed) systems. Mineral-N release was assessed using in situ buried bags and N synchrony was measured by the daily differences in N fluxes. The percentage of N applied released during potato (38%) and vegetable (44%) cropping seasons were similar between systems. However, under maize strong temporal N immobilization from inputs occurred, particularly at Thika, related to the poor quality of manure and compost (lignin:N ratio > 13). In all systems, excess-asynchrony of available N was pronounced during vegetative stages and at harvest, while insufficient-asynchrony occurred at reproductive stages. During potato cropping season at Thika, Org-High showed highest positive N fluxes (> 20 kg N ha−1 day−1) at planting and tuber bulking stage. At early stages of maize and vegetables Org-Low and Org-High experienced up to 5 times larger negative N fluxes (insufficiency) compared to conventional treatments at Chuka site. The study recommends reducing N applications at planting and increasing N dosages at reproductive stages of crops.

Among the challenges of achieving increased chickpea production in Ethiopia is absence of seed quality enhancement technologies. The Genius Coat Disco Cereal AG L-439 is among the seed coating products produced by INCOTEC Company and introduced in our country. The current study was conducted to examine the efficacy of ‘Genius Coat’ on seed yield and to determine its effective dosage for chickpea seed production. The field experiment was conducted at Debre Zeit Agricultural Research Center and at Akaki and Minjar sub-sites in 2016. Pre-basic chickpea seed of Habru variety was used for the trial. The treatment consists of the company's recommendation rate (100%), 50% below and above the recommended rate, pure Apron Star and untreated control and laid out in RCBD with four replications. The analysis result for the collected data of yield and yield attributing parameters indicated that the tested seed coating substance at three different rates was found effective to increase the yield of chickpea. The yield advantage of 50% below the recommended rate was 0.58 tons/ha and 0.55 tons/ha over the control and standard check, respectively. Likewise, the recommended rate improved seed yield by 0.43 and 0.40 tons/ha when compared with the control and standard check, respectively. The simple combined correlation analysis result indicated that seed yield was positively, strongly and significantly associated with the stand count, days to maturity and biomass yield. Soil analysis result showed that the present seed coating substance had no significant effect on soil chemical properties. Therefore, Genius Coat at 50% below the recommended rate had a better yield advantage than the other rates and check treatments thus should be promoted. Key words: Chickpea, genius coat, seed yield.

Inconsistent yield between seasons for table grape cultivars grown in subtropical climates in Australia presents a challenge to the industry in terms of marketing and economic sustainability. The pattern of this yield inconsistency has not been described. Marketable fruit yields of three cultivars (Red Globe (RG), Menindee Seedless (MS) and Flame Seedless (FS)) were acquired over 14 seasons, and individual vine yields of MS were collected for a four-season period from a vineyard in the Central Highlands of Queensland, Australia. Cultivars FS and RG did not show an alternate bearing pattern. Yields of MS varied up to four-fold in consecutive seasons. An alternate yielding pattern as measured by the indicators of an alternate bearing index (I) and associated probability calculated using a resampling process was evident in 7 (2009–2015) of the 14 monitored seasons. Individual vine yield over the four-season period 2014–2017 was irregular and 90% variation in vine yields was due to the variation in the number of bunches per vine. The seasonal yield variation of MS was partly explained (R2 = 0.31, P

In this study, we examined the associations between field-assessed floristic and structural habitat values for mature forest and GIS-derived variables to assess whether high conservation value forests could be predicted for strategic reservation at a landscape scale. We investigated the Eucalyptus regnans forests of the Victorian Central Highlands in south-eastern Australia, where several extensive wildfires in the last century have left little mature forest. We assessed the extent to which the floristic composition and a suite of habitat-related structural variables could be explained by two forest inventory GIS variables (percentage senescence and site productivity) and whether explanatory capacity improved from inclusion of additional environmental variables (climate, soils, topography, structure and spatial location). Results showed that the floristic composition was weakly related to productivity, but not to percentage senescence. Four habitat-related structural variables were positively related to percentage senescence (density of old-growth eucalypts, the quadratic mean diameter (QMD) of both live and dead eucalypts, and the maximum eucalypt form class (a proxy for tree hollows)) while the volume of CWD had a marginally significant positive relationship. Three structural variables were related to productivity (the maximum eucalypt form class, the QMD of dead understorey trees and of dead eucalypts). However, in all cases the explanatory power of percentage senescence and productivity was weak (proportion of deviance explained by the models

Located in the central highlands of Yemen at approximately 2,000-2,600 meters above sea level, the Dhamar Plain was the home of a tribal population who continually contended with a succession of invading states for its control over the course of medieval and early modern periods, such as the Rasulids (13th-14th cen.) and the Ottomans (16th-17th cen.). Despite the roughly century-long duration of theses occupations, only minimal physical remains are left of their military architecture in contrast to the abundance of local fortified structures still remaining. This article examines their settlement patterns and types of fortification as based on survey results from the Dhamar Survey Project (DSP) and the Dhamar Museum Survey (DHS). Emerging from a strong vernacular tradition that extends back to the prehistoric period, these architectural forms range from singular tower houses and watchtowers to more extensive citadels and walled settlements. Overall, this diversity indicates well-developed schemes that aim to maximize both arable land for agriculture and the safety of the inhabitants on both a household and community level.

Coeliccia schorri sp. n. is described based on both sexes (holotype male from Dak Roong Commune, K’bang district, Gia Lai province, central highlands of Vietnam). The combination of the characters ...

Essential oil of Ocimum gratissimum Linn. leaf is widely used in folk medicine. Extraction yeild, compositions and antioxidant activity of clove basil essential oils could be affected by several factors including drying temperature and storage conditions. The present work evaluated the influence of storage conditions and drying temperature different of Ocimum gratissimum leaves on essential oils from Central Highlands, Vietnam. In this research, fresh leaves were preserved at 4°C for 10 days and dried and then stored at room temperature. Essential oil of Ocimum gratissimum L. was extracted by hydrodistillation and steam distillation methods. The composition of essential oil was determined by using GC-MS, antioxidation activities were conducted by the DPPH method. Drying the material at 45°C only 1% Decrease extraction yield, the extraction yield of essential oil at 45°C is still high (2.5%); the color of the oil when the material is fresh in yellow, characteristic odor, drying at 45°C is pale yellow, mild characteristic odor; Antioxidation resistance change is negligible; Drying the material at 45°C, the content of eugenol (77.389%) increased 3 fold compared with fresh material (24.84%), while the drying loss of some components small proportion in oil.

In many places around the world, population growth and climate change have been posing huge challenges to agriculture. There are increasing demands for food products in both quantity and quality. As a result, it is essential to develop new hybrid maize varieties with high yield, quality and resistance. In this study, single-cross maize hybrid QT55 was created from a combination of two maize hybrids (D4 x D54). This hybrid maize was tested in some provinces in the North, South Central and Central Highlands of Vietnam. Study results show that in comparison with control maize cultivars, QT55 was a medium early single-cross maize hybrid (medium growth time) with the yields from 69.44 to 75.38 quintals ha-1 and ranged from 60 to 100.2 quintals ha-1 during intensive farming. Additionally, QT55 demonstrated higher resistance to stalk borer and other diseases such as the banded leaf, sheath blight and stalk rot. It is less likely to fall, cold tolerant and drought tolerant are better. Single-cross maize hybrid QT55 was best planted in Spring and Autumn-Winter crops (in Northern provinces) and Winter-Spring, Summer-Autumn crops (in South Central and Central Highlands).

Variable retention harvesting is a silvicultural system that focuses on retaining key elements of stand structure at the time of logging and is increasingly being used worldwide. We describe the design and establishment of a variable retention harvesting experiment established in the Mountain Ash (Eucalyptus regnans) forests of the Central Highlands of Victoria, south-eastern Australia. The experiment was instigated in 2003, and the work to date has shown that it has environmental benefits for certain groups of small mammals, birds, and vascular plants. The experiment has been integrated with an ongoing long-term monitoring program as well as other experiments such as those in post-fire salvage-logged areas. Collectively, the results of various studies suggest that the potential value of variable retention harvesting extends beyond green-tree logging to post-fire salvage logging environments. We outline some of the challenges in, and new perspectives derived from, implementing and maintaining our experiment. This included difficulties protecting islands from high-intensity post-harvest regeneration burns and threat of declining funding undermining ongoing project viability. A critically important perspective concerns the ecological and economic context in which variable retention harvesting is implemented. In the particular case of Mountain Ash forests, assessments using formal IUCN criteria classify the ecosystem as being Critically Endangered under the Red Listed Ecosystem approach. As a result, Mountain Ash forests are at a high risk of ecosystem collapse. Further logging will increase that risk, making the basis for continued harvesting questionable. In addition, economic analyses suggest that the value of natural assets, like water production, far outweigh the value of the wood products harvested from the Mountain Ash ecosystem, again leading to questions about the viability of ongoing harvesting. We therefore conclude that whilst variable retention harvesting has the potential to contribute to biodiversity conservation in Mountain Ash forests, broader ecological and economic contextual issues (such as the values of competing resources like water yields and the heavily degraded state of the forest) may erode the case for its broader application.

Summary Chitwoodius coffeae sp. n. is described, including SEM observations and molecular (D2-D3 expansion segment of the rDNA 28S) analysis, from a coffee plantation in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. The new species is characterised by its 1.69-2.01 mm long body in females and 1.29-1.51 mm in males, lip region offset by deep constriction and 15-17 μm broad, odontostyle 27-30 μm long, neck 340-473 μm long, pharyngeal expansion occupying 52-54% of total neck length, uterus a simple tube-like structure 68-106 μm long, vulva longitudinal (V = 54-59), tail short and rounded conoid (20-28 μm, c = 54-88, c′ = 0.6-0.8) with a nearly terminal projection of inner cuticle layer, spicules 60-64 μm long, and 7-10 spaced ventromedian supplements without hiatus. SEM pictures, available for the first time for a representative of the genus, show a hexagonal (nearly hexastellate) oral field divided into six sectors by the existence of six deep incisures. Molecular analyses, also presented for the first time for a representative of the genus, results in a narrow evolutionary relationship among Chitwoodius and Tylencholaimus, and supports the monophyly of the Tylencholaimidae. This is the first record of Chitwoodius in Asian Far East territories. Chitwoodius ahmadi sp. n. is proposed for a misattributed population of C. seshadrii.

The influence of water quality on the variation patters of benthic macroin-vertebrate communities in the lakes in the central highlands of Peru was eva-luated. Samples of water and sediments were collected in 23 different sam-pling sites last 2017. The physiochemical variables of water quality deter-mined on site were: DO, TDS, EC, temperature and pH. The results obtained revealed that the physiochemical indicators are within the environmental quality standards for water, except COD and BOD5. Regarding the benthic macroinvertebrates, four phyla were identified wherein the most common is the phylum Arthropoda having the abundance and richness of taxa. The PCA reduced the variables to a few significant components that caused variation in water quality between lakes. The cluster analysis in relation to the relative abundance of benthic macroinvertibrates grouped the 22 sampling sites into three groups with the similar characteristics. The PCoA analysis of the ben-thic macroinvertebrate communities showed a clear separation of sites. The SIMPER analysis at the family-level showed the distribution of the most common species. Therefore, at a significance level of 0.01 it demonstrates that there are significant differences between the number of species and abun-dance of the areas that were evaluated.

The red fruit (Pandanus conoideus Lamk) is one of the local bioresources on the Central Highlands Region of Papua. Exploration to reveal the red fruit diversity in this region had been carried out in 2016 and 2017 which covers Kurima, Kurulu, Siepkosi, Wesaput and Kaninmbaga / Bokondini areas. The method used in exploration were interview the local residents, observations of plant morphology, soil, micro-climate, surrounding species, and collection of propagation material. The observed red fruit morphology includes; stem height and diameter, leaf length and width, and number of roots. Observation of fruit development was carried out at the Royal Biological Garden in Wamena (KRBW). The results of the exploration obtained 23 red fruit cultivars in the Central Highlands region of Papua. All cultivars grow in moist environments; the texture of the soil is clay mixed with sand and loam. The development of fruit from young fruit into ripe fruit takes 3-4 months which is divided into 3 stages. Ex-situ red fruit conservation efforts have been carried out at the Royal Biological Garden in Wamena (KRBW). Until now, 141 numbers of red fruits have been conserved in KRBW. The community has also cultivated a number of red fruit cultivars in their yard and garden such as Bergum, Maler, Wona and Wesi cultivars as in situ conservation. The four cultivars are very popular because the fruit is large and the oil content is more than other cultivars. Keywords: Diversity, Red Fruit, Conservation, Royal Biological Garden in Wamena, Central Highlands Region of Papua

Sporotrichosis is a saprozoonotic fungal infection found mostly in tropical and subtropical areas. Few case reports in Madagascar have been published. To document sporotrichosis epidemiology in Madagascar, we conducted a cross-sectional study. During March 2013-June 2017, we recruited from select hospitals in Madagascar patients with chronic cutaneous lesions suggestive of dermatomycosis. Sporotrichosis was diagnosed for 63 (42.5%) of 148 patients. All but 1 patient came from the central highlands, where the prevalence was 0.21 cases/100,000 inhabitants. Frequency was high (64.7%) among patients

This study attempts to forecast the results of school students in Vietnam by geographical region analysis. Results show variations between regions. In the Red River Delta region, it is forecast that in the decade 2015 to 2025, the number of children attending to school will increase slightly. In the Midlands and Northern Mountains region, the average number of children attending school should increase gradually by 2.4 percent over five years. In the North Central and Central Coast regions, student numbers have increased and decreased erratically. In the Central Highlands, there has been an average rate increase of 3.45 percent over five years. In the Southeast region, student numbers at all levels are expected to increase by an average of 3.9 per cent over five years. In the Mekong Delta region, student numbers are expected to increase by one percent over five years but experience a 1.8 percent reduction by 2035. These data will be critical to planning for the education sector in the coming decades.

Twelve linseed genotypes were evaluated in 13 environments during the main cropping season in central highlands of Ethiopia. The objective of the study was to determine the magnitude and pattern of G × E interaction and yield stability in linseed genotypes. The study was conducted using randomized complete block design with 3 replications. Genotype × environment interaction and yield stability were estimated using the additive main effects and multiplicative interaction and site regression genotype plus genotype × environment interaction biplot. Pooled analysis of variance for seed yield showed significant (p ≤ 0.001) differences among the genotypes, environments and G × E interaction effects. This indicated that the genotypes differentially responded to the changes in the test environments or the test environments differentially discriminated the genotypes or both. Environment effect was responsible for the greatest part of the variation, followed by G × E interaction and genotype effects, indicating spatial and temporal replications of linseed yield trials. The first three multiplicative component terms of AMMI were found to be significant. The first two multiplicative component terms sum of squares, with their cumulative degrees of freedom of 44, explained 62.9% of the interaction sum of squares. No single variety showed superior performance in all environments but CI-1525 demonstrated top ranking at six of the thirteen environments. The application of AMMI and GGE biplots facilitated the visual comparison and identification of superior genotypes, thereby supporting decisions on variety selection and recommendation in different environments

This study integrates GIS and SWAT model to evaluate impacts of climate and LU/LC change on watershed hydrological dynamics. To evaluate the impact of a combined and individual climate and LU/LC dynamics on stream flow, series of simulation were computed by changing climate and LU/LC variables. The model was calibrated and validated against observed data. Statistical measures like coefficient of determination and Nash–Sutcliffe were used to evaluate the model and it results in 0.82 and 0.82 for calibration and 0.81 and 0.80 for validation respectively. During the study period, forest and shrub land decreased by 38% and 48% while, settlement and cultivated land increased by 572% and 7% respectively. Mann–Kendall trend test analysis showed a significant trend in maximum and minimum temperature at 5% significant level, whereas there were three no trend cases for rainfall out of four tested cases and one non-significant decreasing trend. The simulated flow showed a very good agreement with the observed flow data with 0.82 and 0.82 for calibration and 0.81 and 0.80 for validation respectively. Simulation result indicted that LU/LC change increased the wet season flow by 14.5% while decreasing by 9.65% in dry season. In wet season the flow increased by 4.5% while decreased by 3.3% in dry season because of change in climate and seasonal variability. The study showed the increase in stream flows can be directly attributed to the expansion of cultivated lands at a cost of the forested vegetation.

Assessing and quantifying the current forest resources status underpins sustainable forest resources planning and management. To this end, this study was conducted to analyze the dynamics of land use cover change (LUCC) and explore their drivers at the central highlands of Dry Afromontane Chilimo-Gaji forest for the study period (1973-2015) under consideration. The result of the study indicated that landscape trends have occurred in Chilimo-Gaji forest over the last 43 years and five classes of LUCC namely shrub land, rural settlement, bare land and road, forest land and agricultural land were identified. The most commonly reported drivers of deforestation in the study area were expansion of agricultural land, rural settlements, population growth, insecurity of the tenure and rights over the land, timber production and fuel wood collection. Surprisingly, the increasing demand for agricultural land and human settlement for increasing human population underpinned by expansion of agricultural activities led to the clearing of forest land in the study area. The study reveals that the forest land cover type has lost 922.14 hectares (26.96 %) which were changed into other land cover types such as agriculture and settlement for the study period under consideration with an annually rate of 21.45 ha. However, deforestation rates showed declining trend between the time periods 2008-2015 as a result of introduction of Participatory Forest Management (PFM) schemes (1996) which involve the local community in management and sharing of the benefit obtained from the management. In order to promote sustainable forest resources management in the study area in the years to come, integrated land use planning and management and addressing key drivers of deforestation were recommended.

The paper briefly presents the concept of ethnicity and nationality. Based on the definition and scope of the concept, the paper presents the characteristics of ethnic groups and analyzes the history of ethnic relations in Lam Dong. From these analyzes, the paper focuses on interpreting the importance of building ethnic relations in the process of industrialization and modernization in Lam Dong province: i) To create opportunities and conditions for ethnic groups in the province to cooperate and develop in all aspects, together successfully realize the cause of industrialization and modernization. ii) To build up ethnic relations so that the ethnic groups in the province can consolidate their mutual understanding and trust, thus avoiding conflict and tension leading to the danger of ethnic separateness, obstructing the process of industrialization and modernization.

Due to its geographical location, Mexico is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change. However, we currently ignore the exact magnitude and particularities of past climate change in the Mexican territory and are missing a country-level spatially explicit analysis based on observed data. To fill this gap, I analyzed how temperature, precipitation and the water balance of Mexico changed over 1951-2017 at interannual and seasonal scales. My results show a clear national increment in temperature (+0.71 ºC) but no modification in annual mean precipitation. At the seasonal scale, the wet season (June-November) had higher rainfall (+31 mm) and no change was detectable on the dry season (December-May). However, when the full water balance was seasonally accounted for (precipitation minus potential evapotranspiration), the trend resulted in a wetter wet season and a much drier dry season across the country. Regionally, seasonal changes in water balance were larger in the area surrounding the Gulf of Mexico and positive in the Yucatan Peninsula and the central highlands. My results help explaining the recent increase in drought, storms and intense rainfall across Mexico and suggest even more extreme seasonal weather in the future if climate change exacerbates.

The data presented in this article show changes in land use/land cover and fragmentation of land at a landscape level for a period of 45 years (1973-2018) in Ambo district of the central highlands of Ethiopia. Data generated from satellite images of Multispectral Scanner (MSS), Enhanced Thematic Mapper (ETM) and Operational Land Image (OLI) with path/raw value of 181/54, 169/54 and169/54 for each images respectively were analyzed by Arc GIS 10.1 software using a standard method. The precision of the images were verified by data collected from ground control points by using Geographic Positioning System (GPS) receiver. A raster data of LULC was used as an input in to FRAGSTAT software to analyze fragmentation at the landscape level. The data presented in this article showed that cultivated land and settlement increased by 45.7% (376.5ha/yr) and 111% (78.3ha/yr) for 1973-2018 periods respectively. Forest land, shrub land and bare land shrunk by 38% (147.5ha/yr), 17.1% (88.5ha/yr) and 63.9% (218ha/yr) respectively over the periods considered. Transition matrix indicated that 64781.86ha of land unchanged over the years (1973-2018). Number of patches increased by 143% while largest patch index increased by 226% in the years (1973-2018). In contrast, however, Aggregation index has shown a negative value (9.3%) and other metrics such as SIDI (12) and IJI (8.1) has shown an overall decreasing trend.