This item was digitized as part of the Million Books Project led by Carnegie Mellon University and supported by grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF). Cornell University coordinated the participation of land-grant and agricultural libraries in providing historical agricultural information for the digitization project; the University of Arizona Libraries, the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and the Office of Arid Lands Studies collaborated in the selection and provision of material for the digitization project.

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D. Tech. Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics and Industrial Design / Heat pump drying (HPD) is a proven efficient method in food drying industries and more efficacious than traditional South African industrial and agricultural drying methods, providing high energy efficiency with controllable temperature, air flow, air humidity and large energy saving potentials. In the last decade the market of heat pump (HP) systems for water heating and space cooling/heating has been well developed in South Africa, but the development of heat pumps (HPs) for industrial and agricultural drying has been very slow. In the case of optimization of HPD systems, most literature studies concentrate on optimization of the drying parameters; however it is important to note that the overall performance of the HPD system, which consists of two subsystems, the HP and drying system, depends on working conditions and the two subsystems interact with each other. It is therefore important that the HP and the dryer should not be examined or optimized separately. Therefore, in this study, an air source heat pump system was designed, constructed, installed and analysed as a single integrated unit for drying fruits. The main objective of the study was to carry out experimental investigations on optimization of an air source heat pump for drying South African fruits.

A B S T R A C T Deregulation of the South African fruit export industry in 1997 caused fragmentation in the supply chain. This led to significant inefficiencies and difficulty in responding to increasingly stringent legal and traderelated traceability requirements. Currently, the South African fruit export industry does not provide a sufficient level of traceability at supply chain level. The consumer packaged goods industry has developed e-commerce building blocks based on global standards. These building blocks offer automated traceability of fruit exports, as well as significant benefits impacting the bottom line, to companies of all sizes. The e-commerce building blocks also provide solutions to the two main challenges faced by the fresh produce supply chains, namely traceability requirements and the need for additional efficiencies. The e-commerce building blocks are available to the South African fruit export industry to enable traceability, as well as to provide significant efficiency benefits. It has been found that early adoption of the e-commerce building blocks will result in a strategic advantage over the southern hemisphere competitors and that automated traceability is feasible for the South African fruit export industry. This article describes the cohesiveness, willingness to participate and supportive thinking of representatives from the important fruit export industry in South Africa, which are necessary to create the critical mass for the implementation of such an automated traceability system.

ABSTRACT Recent studies have shown that R. rhodochrous DAP 96253 has the ability to delay the ripening of many climacteric fruit, by potentially degrading volatile compounds released by plant cells during the ripening process. Rhodococcus rhodochrous DAP 96253 cells were cultured on YEMEA medium supplemented with inducers, (16mM cobalt and 125mM urea), that over-expressed nitrile hydratase (NHase) and amidase (AMDase) enzymes. Cells were cultured on propylene/ ethylene as sole carbon source to induce alkene monooxygenase (AMO) like activity. Induced R. rhodochrous DAP 96253 cells displayed an 83% increase in final total dry weight compared to cells previously cultured on non-induced medium. Induced R. rhodochrous DAP 96253 cells displayed a 53-85% increase in NHase activity after exposure to propylene/ethylene, and cells displayed a 24-53% increase in NHase activity after exposure to fruit. Non-induced R. rhodochrous DAP 96253 cells displayed a 1-5% increase in NHase activity after propylene/ethylene, and cells displayed an 18-38% increase in NHase activity after exposure to fruit. Propylene/ethylene induced nitrilase activity in non-induced R. rhodochrous DAP 96253cells. Experimental results suggest that R. rhodochrous DAP 96253 may use NHase, amidase, nitrilase, and AMO like activity to delay ripening of climacteric fruit. Rhodococcus rhodochrous 96253 cells cultured on propylene/ethylene and cofactors (16mM cobalt and 125mM urea) displayed improved ability to delay ripening of fruit.

6 pp. / More and more consumers are choosing to buy locally produced foods. Locally grown foods are, fresher, contain more nutrients if picked at full ripeness, and are considered by many consumers to be better tasting than foods that have endured many miles of transportation. Consuming local produce may help communities by stimulating local economies and protecting the environment. This article outlines the benefits of buying locally grown foods. A recipe that is easy and affordable using some local produce is included. A calendar of seasonal produce in Arizona is included in the Appendix.

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FAO/UNDP MEX 74/003 / Technical Report / Prepared for the International Conference on Managing Saline Water for Irrigation, Lubbock, Texas, U.S.A. August 16-20, 1976. / FAO of United Nations Project, UAAAN/FC / Buenavista, Saltillo, Coahuila, 1976. / Note: Item states For Internal Use only. Online copy not available. / INTRODUCTION: More than 52% cultivable area of Mexico is classified as arid and semi-arid. Nearly half of this area, particularly in the Northern States is extremely arid and presents with some salinity, alkalinity and water logging problems. Ground water, when available for irrigation, is often saline or moderately saline-sodic. The soils of this region are calcareous and contain some salts and sodium. Soils also contain sub-surface horizon rich in carbonate and compact in nature, which may be 30-90 cms below the ground surface. Before planning a major irrigation system for crop production, provision of drainage and leaching of salts is often recommended for this region. The good quality water from underground source may rarely be available for leaching salts and when available pumping costs are prohibitively expensive. It has also been pointed out in the past that such lands could be used to harvest water. In fact, rudimentary water harvesting systems have been established by local people in some parts of this area. Thus, with the need for integral land use and water reclamation in mind, a multipurpose water use and water harvesting system was developed. The requirements of this system, among others, are: (1) To collect enough water for multiple use inside or outside the system, (2) To increase the desired production of the marginal saline land within the system, and, (3) To provide an economically feasible long term farming system for the low-income community. Such system is under development at the Ejido San Francisco del Barrial, near Parras in the State of Coahuila.