Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 1998. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 111-116). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 1999. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 143-155).

Thesis (doctoral)--Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen, 2000. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 187-197).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Aberdeen University, 2009. / Title from web page (viewed on Mar. 26, 2010). Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (doctoral)--Universität Bonn. Landwirtschaftliche Fakultät, 1984. / German with English questionnaire. Includes bibliographical references (p. 337-344).

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:35:46Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2004-08-24Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T19:46:49Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 costa_ea_dr_prud.pdf: 2418631 bytes, checksum: f1e69443530727f7a5bdb64dfd49c311 (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / No trabalho partiu-se da hipótese que os sistemas agrícolas da Microrregião Campo Grande apresentavam dinâmicas bastante homogêneas do ponto de vista econômico e tecnológico, apesar das variações de solos, micro-climas, relevo, recursos hídricos, elementos sociais, econômicos e culturais e que as referidas dinâmicas provocavam dificuldades no cumprimento da Lei de Crimes Ambientais. Buscou-se compreender a dinâmica de produção do espaço da MR 04 – Campo Grande, composta pelos municípios de Campo Grande, Terenos, Sidrolândia, Rochedo, Corguinho, Rio Negro, Jaraguari e Bandeirantes e de suas articulações espaço-temporais. Objetivou-se, ainda conhecer os papeis dos órgãos públicos, da iniciativa privada e da escola quanto à questão ambiental e avaliar as principais dificuldades de reflorestamento na MR 04. Para tanto realizou-se revisão bibliográfica, levantamento de dados secundários junto ao INCRA, Prefeituras Municipais da Microrregião e IBGE e um trabalho de campo para mapear as dificuldades apontadas pelos proprietários rurais quanto ao cumprimento da Lei Ambiental. Para conhecer o funcionamento dos espaços situados nas proximidades das cidades (espaços rurbanos), investigou-se praticamente todo universo circundante da cidade de Campo Grande. Verificou-se, ainda, como os alunos dos finais de ciclo do Ensino Fundamental vêem as questões ambientais tanto nas escolas particulares quanto nas públicas, da capital do Estado e do interior, da zona urbana e da zona rural. Além disso, entrevistou-se representantes do setor público e privado e pesquisadores especialistas na temática ambiental. Percebeu-se que a leitura da paisagem da Microrregião Campo Grande, do ponto de vista das possibilidades de um desenvolvimento sustentado, apresenta aspectos como a presença de potencialidades e de obstáculos a tal natureza do desenvolvimento... / The study in hand started from the hypothesis that the agricultural systems in the Microregion of Campo Grande presented sufficiently homogeneous dynamics from the economic and technological point of view, notwithstanding the variations in soil, micro-climates, relief, hydric resources, social, economic and cultural elements and that the above mentioned dynamics were provoking difficulties in the fulfilling of the Environmental Crimes Law. The aim was to understand the dynamics of production in the MR 04 space – Campo Grande, composed of the municipalities of Campo Grande, Terenos, Sidrolândia, Rochedo, Corguinho, Rio Negro, Jaraguari and Bandeirantes and their temporal-spatial articulations. The objective also included the role of the public organs, of private initiative and of the schools as to the question of the environment and the evaluation of the principal difficulties for the reforestation of the MR 04. To this end, the bibliographical survey was carried out of secondary data together with INCRA, Municipal Town Halls of the Micro-region and IBGE (Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics), as well as field work mapping out the difficulties pointed out by the rural land owners in the fulfilling of the Environment Law. In order to see the functioning of the spaces situated on the outskirts of the cities (rurban spaces), practically the whole universe surrounding the city of Campo Grande was investigated. Also verified was how pupils finishing the Fundamental Teaching cycles see environmental questions both in private and public schools, in the State capital and in the interior, in urban and rural zones. As well as this, representatives of the public and private sector, researchers specializing in the environmental theme were interviewed. It was perceived that the reading of the landscape of the Micro-region of Campo Grande... (Complete abstract click electronic address below)

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The purpose of the research was to describe the relationship of nutrition/consumption to agricultural production and related areas in the diagnosis and preliminary design of project activities and to describe the contributions of a nutrition focus to problem identification, grouping and treatment selection compared with an agricultural focus. A multidisciplinary team integrated the nutrition/consumption perspective into the rapid community assessment for planning (RCAP) by incorporating topic areas, observational items and questions in each of five stages in the community diagnosis. Three problems in subsistence food production and consumption were among the top five priority problems. Differences in problems between the team and the community were attributed to differing perspectives. Compared with the agriculture RCAP, nutrition-related problems were reported only to a limited degree and their rankings were generally lower. Seasonality was a particularly important linkage, along with income, labor, enterprise mix and markets. Groups of farm families based mainly on farming system shared production-related but not nutrition-related characteristics. The household characteristics most useful for research domain subgroups were agroecology, produce disposal, resources and food and income gaps. Nutrition/consumption information enabled the team to plan separate research designs for groups of families with similar conditions. Production factors identified for investigation related to the priority problem of food crop production included crop protection, soil improvement, pest and disease control and overall plot design. Nutrition/ consumption aspects related to research trials included: selection of crops and varieties for filling food, income and nutrient gaps; and other nutrition-related areas of sanitation, labor and post-harvest storage, many of which were established based on nutrition information integrated into the RCAP. Areas for ex ante analysis included food preferences, sanitation and women's time conflicts. The nutrition focus contributed information important for problem identification, grouping and treatment selection. / Master of Science

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements of the Master of Technology Degree in Information Technology, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2014. / This dissertation reports on the original study that applies the differential evolution algorithm to support farmers with optimal strategic decision making in the crop planning system. The analysis and modelling of crop planning decision making process are attractive for producing formalized knowledge on cropping plans and choices of farmers under uncertainty. The formalization of the decision making process is generally becoming a crucial focal point for developing decision support systems that go beyond the limitation of formerly developed prescriptive approaches. This dissertation makes a distinctive contribution to the development of a formalized methodology to study the decision making process in crop farming systems. The research reported in this dissertation formulates crop-mix planning problems by concurrently maximizing net profit and crop production, while minimizing the total land in hectare used to determine optimal cropping patterns. Different optimal crop-mix problems formulated in this research were solved using a mathematical methodology of generalized differential evolution 3 algorithm to obtain globally optimal solutions. The methodology of this research strikes a balance between mathematical formulations of crop planning problems and effective implementation of crop planning decision models. Simulation experiments were conducted using the non-dominated sorted genetic algorithm II to validate the performance of the generalized differential evolution 3 algorithm for solving optimal crop planning problems. The empirical results of this study generally indicate that generalized differential evolution 3 algorithm is a viable alternative for optimal crop-mix planning decision. Based on the performance of the generalized differential evolution 3 algorithm, the design of a decision support system was realized which promises to assist farmers and decision-makers within the agricultural sector to make optimal decisions pertaining to crop planning.

Thesis (MScAgric)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The agriculture sector continues to be viewed as a vehicle through which economic growth and development can be achieved; particularly for developing economies. This view is incorporated in South Africa’s rural development framework in the National Development Plan, which indicated that this sector will be the main driver in developing the country’s rural economies. However, the South African agricultural sector is known to be dualistic; consisting of a large-scale commercial and a small-scale subsistence sector. This study is particularly focused on smallholder farming in South Africa, which have developed as a result of the decades of government intervention that have guided reform driven by the general political and economic philosophy of white domination. The most notable interventions, which drew the line between white and black landholding, were the Natives’ Land Acts of 1913 and 1936, followed by various policy interventions to support White, large-scale agriculture. The question remains whether or not an expanded smallholder sector can significantly contribute to rural development, employment creation and poverty reduction in the former homeland areas of South Africa. In order to answer this question, the need arises for reliable data on smallholder farming, conceptual clarification on definitions of “smallholder” or “small-scale” farmers and diversity among farming systems needs to be taken into account. These considerations are crucial in order to design and implement effective rural development policies. One way of addressing this question is the use of farm typologies. Given the diversity that exists within agricultural systems, various schemes of classification have been developed and evolved over time. The objective of this study is to provide an empirical framework that would classify smallholder farmers in the former homeland areas of South Africa according to their livelihood strategies. This study seeks to achieve the objective in three distinct ways. Firstly, by giving a broad overview of the smallholder sector in South Africa. Secondly, by utilizing Geographic Information Systems (GIS) techniques to identify farming households situated in the former homeland areas, using the General Household Survey (GHS) and the Income and Expenditure Survey (IES). Thirdly, apply multivariate statistical techniques, specifically Principle Component Analysis (PCA) and Cluster Analysis (CA), to develop the ultimate classification system. The results from both typologies suggested eight distinct types or groups of farming households in the former homeland areas. Important findings suggest that higher salary incomes are crucial for the enablement of households to market their produce. Social grants were found to be key in determining livelihood strategies among faming households, most notably old age and child support grants. One of the groups that were identified was typically food insecure, with their agricultural production not sufficiently feeding the household. Lastly, direct agricultural support from the government was clearly focused on livestock services which placed a minority of households at a distinct advantage to sell produce to the market. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die landbousektor word algemeen gesien as een van die moontlike drywers vir ekonomiese groei en landelike ontwikkeling, spesifiek in ontwikkelende lande. Hierdie siening word ook uitgesonder deur die Suid-Afrikaanse ontwikkelingsraamwerk, en by name in die Nasionale Ontwikkelingsplan wat aandui dat die landbousektor die hoofrol behoort te vervul om landelike gebiede te ontwikkel. Die vermoë om hierdie mandaat uit te voer moet in die konteks van die kenmerkende dualisme raakgesien word. Suid-Afrika het hoofsaaklik twee tipes boere; grootskaalse kommersiële boere en kleinskaalse, meestal bestaansboere, wat meestal in die voormalige tuislande opereer. Hierdie dualisme is die resultaat van verskeie regeringsinmengings, hoofsaaklik gedryf deur die algemene politieke bestel, ideologie en beleid wat op rasseklassifikasie gegrond was gedurende die vorige eeu. Sekerlik een van die mees bekende was die Naturellegrond Wet van 1913 en 1936, wat die skeidingslyn tussen swart en wit grondbesit ingestel het. Verder is verskeie wetgewings implimenteer om die kommersiële landbousektor te bevoordeel gedurende hierdie tydperk.. In hierdie konteks is dit belangrik om te vra of die uitbreiding van die kleinskaalse landbousektor werklik kan bydra tot landelike ontwikkeling, werkskepping en armoedeverligting in die voormalige tuislande van Suid-Afrika. Om hierdie vraag te beantwoord word betroubare inligting benodig, moet die konsep van “kleinskaalse boere” uitgeklaar word en laastens moet diversiteit tussen verskillende boerderystelsels in ag geneem word. Die antwoorde op hierdie vrae is noodsaaklik vir die ontwikkeling en implimentering van effektiewe landelike ontwikkelingsbeleid. Die gebruik van boerderytipologieë is ‘n oplossing om hierdie kwessies aan te spreek. Verskeie klassifikasiesisteme is in die verlede ontwikkel om die diversiteit in boerderystelsels te ondersoek. Die hoof doel van hierdie studie is om ‘n empiriese raamwerk te ontwikkel om kleinskaalse boerderye, wat in die voormalige tuislande voorkom, volgens hul lewensbestaanstrategieë te klassifiseer. Om hierdie doelwit te bereik, sal die studie eerstens ‘n oorsig gee van die kleinskaalse landbousektor in Suid-Afrika. Tweedens sal Geografiese Inligtingstelsels (GIS) tegnieke gebruik word om spesifiek huishoudings in die voormalige tuislande te indentifiseer in die Algemene Huishoudings Opname (AHO) en die Inkomste en Uitgawes Opname (IUO). Derdens sal meerveranderlike statistieke gebruik word, spesifiek Hoofkomponentanalise (HKA) en Bondelontleding (BO), om die klassifikasiesisteem te ontwikkel. Die resultate van die tipologieë wat in hierdie studie ontwikkel is gee agt spesifieke groepe van boerderyhuishoudings. Hierdie groepe was beduidend verskillend van mekaar en elkeen se lewenbestaanstrategieë word uitgewys. Die hoofbevindings dui aan dat addisionele salarisinkomste ‘n belangrike rol speel in die vermoë van kleinskaalse boere om hul produkte te verkoop. Verder is dit opmerklik dat maatskaplike toelaes ‘n aansienlike rol gespeel het in die vorming van die groepe, spesifiek wat betref ouderdomspensioene en kindertoelae. Daar is ook ‘n spesifieke groep huishoudings in beide tipologieë wat probleme ondervind om voedselsekuriteit op huishoudelike vlak te handhaaf. Laastens wys die studie dat direkte landbou-ondersteuning teenoor kleinskaalse boere ‘n kenmerkende fokus op lewendehaweboerderye plaas wat sulke boerderye bevoordeel het om vir die mark te produseer.