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Background Moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) affects 33 million children annually. Investments in formulations of corn-soy blended flours and lipid-based nutrient supplements have effectively improved MAM recovery rates. Information costs and cost-effectiveness differences are still needed. Objectives We assessed recovery and sustained recovery rates of MAM children receiving a supplementary food: ready-to-use supplementary food (RUSF), corn soy whey blend with fortified vegetable oil (CSWB w/oil), or Super Cereal Plus with amylase (SC + A) compared to Corn Soy Blend Plus with fortified vegetable oil (CSB+ w/oil). We also estimated differences in costs and cost effectiveness of each supplement. Methods In Sierra Leone, we randomly assigned 29 health centers to provide a supplement containing 550 kcal/d for ∼12 wk to 2691 children with MAM aged 6–59 mo. We calculated cost per enrollee, cost per child who recovered, and cost per child who sustained recovery each from 2 perspectives: program perspective and caregiver perspective, combined. Results Of 2653 MAM children (98.6%) with complete data, 1676 children (63%) recovered. There were no significant differences in the odds of recovery compared to CSB+ w/oil [0.83 (95% CI: 0.64–1.08) for CSWB w/oil, 1.01 (95% CI: 0.78–1.3) for SC + A, 1.05 (95% CI: 0.82–1.34) for RUSF]. The odds of sustaining recovery were significantly lower for RUSF (0.7; 95% CI 0.49–0.99) but not CSWB w/oil or SC + A [1.08 (95% CI: 0.73–1.6) and 0.96 (95% CI: 0.67–1.4), respectively] when compared to CSB+ w/oil. Costs per enrollee [US dollars (USD)/child] ranged from $105/child in RUSF to $112/child in SC + A and costs per recovered child (USD/child) ranged from $163/child in RUSF to $179/child in CSWB w/oil, with overlapping uncertainty ranges. Costs were highest per sustained recovery (USD/child), ranging from $214/child with the CSB+ w/oil to $226/child with the SC + A, with overlapping uncertainty ranges. Conclusions The 4 supplements performed similarly across recovery (but not sustained recovery) and costed measures. Analyses of posttreatment outcomes are necessary to estimate the full cost of MAM treatment. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03146897. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is the most challenging issue of our time. While climate change is often portrayed as a global phenomenon, the real impacts of climate change are felt at the local level. Changes in climatic conditions directly affect the level of precipitation which is very important for crop production in Ontario. How do changes in climate affect corn and soybean yields at the county level in Ontario? This question is addressed in this paper by estimating the effects of climatic and economic factors on yields of grain corn and soybean in three selected counties in Southwestern Ontario employing data from 1950 to 2013. The results demonstrate that the effect of precipitation during growing season on yield is positive and statistically significant and it is consistent across the selected counties. The effects of solar energy on crop yields vary across counties. Yields of both crops increase as crop price increases and decline as the price of fertilizer increases. Finally, developments in technology have a strong effect on enhancing yield for both crops. The climatic factors have a larger impact than the effects of economic factors on corn yields at the county level. The reverse, however, appears to be true for soybean production at the county level in Ontario. The policy implications of the results are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: To ensure sustainable post‐harvest loss reduction, markets that are averse to quality loss and provide incentives for farmers to supply high quality produce are crucial. Such markets will be averse to quality loss, offering distinct prices and substantial rewards to farmers for the supply of quality produce. Farmers in sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA), where informal markets exist, have often assessed the rewards for the supply of quality produce as inadequate. Hence, this study investigates if intermediary buyers are actually indifferent to quality loss in supplies based on two scenarios—the informal market scenario and a hypothesized grade scenario. The analysis builds on survey data from marketers in two informal maize markets in Ghana. For the hypothesized grade scenario, random effect regression was used to examine the influence of marketer‐specific characteristics on premiums offered to farmers over different quality levels. The findings suggest that although informal markets seem not to adequately value loss reduction, investing in institutional infrastructures, such as grades and standards can change this. Furthermore, interaction among marketers and association participation positively influences the value marketers place on quality loss reduction. The result highlights the importance of standard grading systems and collaborating with market groups in minimizing quality loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses water saving in a spring maize farm under different drip irrigation regimes and its impacts on nitrogen levels. Topics include adaptation of shifting cropping system, laws on Crop water requirements for the Punjab state, and economic aspects of spring maize crop. Also discussed is different methods of planting and rise in gross returns from green cobs and fodder.

Using daily prices from 496 corn cash markets for July 2006-February 2011, this study investigates short-run forecast performance of 31 individual and 10 composite models for each market at horizons of 5,10, and 30 days. Over the performance evaluation period September 2010-February 2011, two composite models are optimal across horizons for different markets based on the mean-squared error. For around half of the markets at the horizon of 5 days and most of them at 10 and 30 days, the mean-squared error of a market's optimal model is significantly different from those of at least other 23 models evaluated for it. Root-mean-squared error reductions through switching from non-optimal models to the optimal are generally around 0.40%, 0.55%, and 0.87% at horizons of 5,10, and 30 days. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]