Typescript (photocopy). / Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1981. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 381-391). Also issued in print.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1981. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 381-391).

Revision of the author's Thesis (Heidelberg, 1986). / Summary in English. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1963. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 91-93).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1969. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 343-349).

Thesis (doctoral)--Rijksuniversiteit te Leiden. / Includes bibliographical references (p. [139]-207)

In the late 90s coconut farms in Mozambique were affected by a disease that made the coconut trees drop their leaves and die, the disease is called the coconut lethal yellowing disease (CLYD). It is known that planthoppers are spreading the disease. This thesis investigates if cultivation and farm related factors could have an impact on the risk of being infected by CLYD. With a sample of 534 farms from the two provinces Zambeze and Nampula a logistic regression model is estimated. The result shows that the only factor that has a significant effect of increasing the risk of getting infected by the disease is if farms had other palm species than coconut trees on the plantation. / I slutet av 90-talet drabbades många kokosnötsfarmer i Mocambique av en sjukdom som gjorde att träden började tappa sina löv och till slut dog. Denna sjukdom kallas för ”the coconut lethal yellowing disease” (CLYD). I dagsläget vet man att det är en specifik insekt som sprider denna sjukdom. Denna uppsats undersöker om det finns andra faktorer som kan påverka risken för koksnötsfarmer att drabbas av denna sjukdom, faktorer som är kopplade till farmerna och dess vegetation. Genom ett urval av 534 farmer från de två provinserna Zambezia och Nampula skattades en logistik regression. Resultatet visade att det enbart är en faktor, om plantagen innehåller andra palmsorter, som signifikant ökar risken för att en farm ska drabbas av CLYD.

This thesis explores three topics relating to price transmission in economic theory. The broad aim is to understand the price adjustment processes of the domestic and export coconut markets of Sri Lanka during the 1980 to 2012 period. The three topics investigated were the changing role of coconut oil exports due to changes in the global oil markets. Second the functioning of the domestic district coconut markets and finally the impact of the tsunami 2004 on the coastal district coconut markets. The analytical framework for the study is the economic theory of the Law of One Price. The first issue was examined using cointegration, vector error correction and impulse response methodologies. To address the function of the domestic district coconut markets at wholesale, retail and vertical levels Hansen and Seo econometric model was used. To test the effects of the tsunami on the coastal district coconut markets and to assess whether “rockets and feathers” phenomenon rose as a result of the tsunami Enders and Siklos econometric model was applied. The results confirmed that cointegration pattern of vegetable oils in the international market changed with the emergence of bio fuel around 2000. Cointegration of coconut oil with other oils also did change with the emergence of biofuel. The results of the domestic market showed that Colombo market was cointegrated with district coconut markets. . The results of market structures at all levels showed mixed results with more symmetrical markets at wholesale level and more asymmetric markets at the vertical level Results of the impact of tsunami showed that markets were disrupted unevenly with highest disruption in the vertical markets due to tsunami. The tsunami does not seem to have lead to rocket and feather phenomenon.

Pacific Island Countries (PICs) currently rely heavily on imported, expensive and unsustainable fossil fuels as their primary source for energy production. Establishing an alternative energy source from local resources would therefore have considerable benefits for many Island communities. Coconut copra is high in biodegradable organic carbon and is found growing abundantly in PICs. One alternative use for this local resource would potentially be the conversion of the coconut copra into a valuable and useful energy source through biological processes, such as anaerobic digestion. The purpose of this research was to investigate the biogas generation potential of coconut copra as a carbon source using anaerobic digestion processes. Both batch and continuously stirred reactors (CSTRs) in addition to the environmental and operating variables that affect the production of biogas were investigated in order to optimize methane production and increase the overall conversion efficiencies of organic matter to methane. The results suggest that coconut copra is amenable to anaerobic digestion due to the high theoretical methane yields from the substrate’s high lipid content. However, the optimal organic loading rate (OLR) was limited to within a narrow range of 3.6-6 g VS (2.4 - 4 g VS/L Reactor) for the batch reactors and a maximum of 0.420 L CH4/ g VS was achieved at an OLR of 3.6 g VS. OLRs exceeding 15 g VS resulted in low pH values and negligible methane production due to substrate overloading. High average methane yields of 0.708 L CH4/ g VS•day were also successfully achieved for the CSTRs and increased mixing was observed to have an improved effect on methane production. However, the addition of nitrogen and phosphorus supplements failed to increase biological activity and ultimately resulted in the accumulation of ammonia to concentrations toxic to methanogenic bacteria. The failure of an accelerated CSTR start-up procedure also reinforced the requirement for a gradual and steady acclimated period for anaerobic digestion of this particular substrate.