This thesis analyzes factors affecting adoption of integrated pest management (IPM) techniques by Kenyan vegetable farmers, including the role of their risk preferences. It also analyzes factors affecting their pesticide applications and expenditures. A survey was administered to 450 Kenyan vegetable growers to identify their pest management practices, and a behavioral experiment was run to elicit their risk preferences utilizing. Cumulative Prospect Theory. Loss aversion was found to be correlated with higher likelihood of IPM adoption while risk aversion was associated with higher pesticide application rates and expenditures. The influence of IPM adoption on pesticide use differed by IPM technique. / Master of Science / Integrated Pest Management (IPM) techniques can improve small holder farmers' livelihoods by lowering production costs and decreasing dependence on chemical pesticides. Even though some IPM techniques have been available to Kenyan vegetable farmers since the 1990's, IPM adoption remains relatively low while chemical pesticide use remains high. A farm-household survey and behavioral experiment were conducted to identify factors that influence farmer decisions to adopt IPM and to apply pesticides. Factors that influence IPM adoption were found to differ from those that influence pesticide decisions. Furthermore, IPM adoption by Kenyan farmers does not decrease use of chemical pesticides for all IPM techniques.

Agricultural production in Southwest Virginia is characterized by numerous small, geographically disperse farms dedicated to traditional practices of producing tobacco and cattle. Community leaders have expressed the desire to diversify the region's agricultural production base to include potentially more profitable commodities such as horticultural crops. In order for the small growers to penetrate the fresh horticultural market and compete with the larger production regions, they must organize themselves into a farmer cooperative that allows them to pool resources, reduce costs, and share risk. A successful cooperative will increase farm incomes for the region's producers. The co-op will strive to obtain a higher price for the commodities produced than that price which can be obtained by growers acting independently. The increase in farm incomes should offset forecasted decreases in agricultural incomes resulting from declines in the region's traditional production activities. Increased farm incomes for a large number of small growers should have a substantial impact on agricultural producers, marketers, and equipment suppliers and lead to economic development for the region as a whole. Several past horticultural cooperative efforts have been publicly financed and eventually failed for a wide variety of reasons. The methodology used in this research include surveying and interviewing marketing specialists, co-op managers, growers, extension agents, horticulturists, and other experts involved with both successful and failed cooperative efforts. The data gathered from these interviews has been used to identify key factors that have contributed to the success or failure of the other cooperative efforts. Based on the key factors identified from the research, a specific cooperative structure has been developed for the Southwest Virginia growers. This organizational structure incorporates into its legal documentation (bylaws, business plan, and marketing agreement) the critical factors that must be carried out by members, management, extension, and marketers in order to increase the probability for the cooperative's long-term survival and profitability. / Master of Science

Cette étude se focalise sur la dégradation des sols organiques dans l'ouest de la Montérégie, une région vitale pour l'industrie horticole au Québec. Les pertes annuelles de sol et la baisse de productivité sont alarmantes et ont engendré plusieurs initiatives dont la création depuis 2018 de la chaire de recherche partenaire en conservation et restauration des sols organiques à l'Université Laval. La présente étude s'inscrit dans le cadre de la programmation de recherche de cette chaire et a pour objectif d'enrichir un modèle de recommandation et de suivi pour la santé des sols organiques cultivés en fournissant des données économiques. Cette étude effectue une caractérisation spatiale de la santé des sols organiques et analyse l'impact économique de l'adoption de différentes pratiques de gestion sur 144 champs. L'épaisseur de la tourbe est utilisée pour évaluer l'état de santé des sols organiques. Six scénarii (S1, S2, S3, S4, S5 et S6) sont proposés pour contrer la dégradation du sol et maintenir voire améliorer sa productivité. Les résultats montrent que la stratégie conventionnelle, jadis adoptée dans la plupart des champs, n'est pas rentable. Les scénarii S1 et S2 sont recommandés à l'échelle de la ferme, tandis que le scénario S6 est optimal à l'échelle régionale. La mise en œuvre de la stratégie de gestion optimale spatialisée S6 pourrait compenser plus de 400 millions de dollars canadiens de pertes sur 25 ans engendrées par la stratégie conventionnelle. De plus, les pratiques de gestion des sols organiques améliorent la valeur foncière. Les producteurs qui acceptent d'investir davantage dans la gestion de leurs sols organiques, outrepassant ainsi leurs pratiques conventionnelles, récolteront le fruit de leur effort à long terme. Cette recherche a une utilité directe pour le secteur agroenvironnemental et peut être appliquée dans d'autres régions confrontées à une problématique similaire. / This study focuses on the degradation of organic soils in the western region of Montérégie, a vital area for the horticultural industry in Quebec. Annual soil losses and persistent declining productivity are alarming and have been subject of several initiatives, including the creation since 2018 of the Partnership Research Chair in Organic Soil Conservation and Restoration at Laval University. The present study is part of the research program of this chair and has for the objective to enrich a recommendation and monitoring model for the health of cultivated organic soils by providing economic data. This study conducts a spatial characterization of organic soil health and analyzes the economic impact of adopting various management practices on 144 fields. Peat thickness is used to assess the health status of organic soils. Six scenarios (S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, and S6) are proposed to counter soil degradation and maintain or improve productivity. The results indicate that the conventional strategy, formerly adopted in most fields, is not profitable. Scenarios S1 and S2 are recommended at the farm level, while scenario S6 is optimal at the regional level. Implementing the spatially optimized management strategy S6 could offset over 400 million Canadian dollars in losses over 25 years incurred by the conventional strategy. Furthermore, organic soil management practices enhance land value. Producers who are willing to invest more in managing their organic soils, thus surpassing their conventional practices, will reap the benefits in the long run. This research has direct relevance to agri-environmental sector and can be applied in other regions facing similar issues.

En raison des préoccupations grandissantes du public pour la sécurité sanitaire des aliments et la protection de l’environnement, le gouvernement a considérablement accru la promotion de techniques de production durables comme la lutte intégrée. En 2014, un sondage a été administré auprès de 1 973 producteurs de fruits et légumes au Québec. Nous avons construit un modèle de régression logistique ordonné dont la variable dépendante est basée sur le potentiel de rationalisation des pesticides relatif à l’adoption des pratiques de lutte intégrée. Les résultats montrent que la méconnaissance (p< 0,0001), le faible niveau de souci environnemental (p=0.03), la vente directe au consommateur uniquement (p=0,01) et la production de légumes versus fruits sont négativement associés à l’adoption. Aussi, l’information reçue (p< 0,0001) et l’incitation à adopter d’un conseiller indépendant (p=0,001) sont positivement reliées à l’adoption. Les bases et principes qui régissent la lutte intégrée demeurent encore incompris et constituent un frein à l’adoption. / Because of growing public concerns about food safety and environmental protection, governments have increased the promotion of efficient and sustainable agriculture production techniques, such as Integrated Pest Management (IPM). In 2014, a mailed questionnaire about IPM adoption was distributed to a sample of 1,973 Quebec fruit and vegetable growers. We constructed an ordered logistic regression model whose dependent variable was the overall potential reduction in pesticide use calculated based on the number of IPM practices adopted. Results show that lack of IPM knowledge (p < 0.0001), low environmental concern (p = 0.03), selling produce directly to consumers (p = 0.01) and vegetable production, as opposed to fruit production, each significantly reduced IPM adoption. However, quantity of information (p < 0.0001) and encouragement by an independent crop advisor (p = 0.001) were positively associated with IPM adoption. Many producers are still poorly informed about IPM practices and principles, which is a barrier to adoption.

Ce mémoire a pour objet d'étude les théories esthétiques du paysage et les aménagements paysagers des jardins périurbains du XIXe siècle de la ville de Québec. Afin de poser un regard nouveau sur le sujet, nous examinerons les liens concrets entre l'aménagement des jardins, les pratiques horticoles, l'architecture des serres et l'architecture des résidences, en tenant en compte des influences anglaises et américaines. Notre but est de montrer que le courant dit « pittoresque » est en fait très diversifié et contient des pratiques variées ; on constate que le souci de l'environnement évolue considérablement à travers le XIXe siècle. Nous analyserons d'abord les différentes théories esthétiques et nous présenterons leurs théoriciens, puis de manière plus élaborée, nous étudierons l'esthétique pittoresque et son influence sur la ville de Québec. Nous nous baserons sur quelques représentations picturales ainsi que sur des ouvrages du XIXe au XXIe siècle portant sur l'architecture et les aménagements paysagers des domaines périurbains de la ville de Québec. Enfin, nous proposerons une nouvelle vision de l'esthétique du paysage avec le gardenesque en analysant l'architecture des résidences et leurs aménagements paysagers ainsi que différents événements historiques de la deuxième moitié du XIXe siècle à Québec.

Thesis (MSc (Horticulture))--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / A growing number of fruit producers in warm areas are adopting the use of overtree evaporative cooling (EC) as a technique to reduce sunburn and enhance colour development of red or blushed fruit. Because fruit do not have efficient mechanisms of utilising and/or dissipating solar radiation, fruit surface temperature may rise 10 – 15oC higher than the ambient air temperature, making them very susceptible to sunburn. Sunburn negatively affects the appearance of the fruit, and they cannot be sold for fresh market consumption, which receives the highest prices. Evaporative cooling uses a sprinkler system to cool the trees from above. Energy needed to evaporate the water is extracted from the fruit skin, cooling the fruit down. The air around the trees is cooled, and a more favorable microclimate is created in the orchard. Producers have also found that the use of EC just prior to sundown and sometimes around sunrise has improved colour development on red apples (especially early varieties) before harvest. In this study, two apple (‘Cripps’ Pink’ and ‘Royal Gala’) and two pear (‘Rosemarie’ and ‘Forelle’) cultivars under EC were compared with control fruit in terms of maturity, colour, sunburn and concentrations of polyphenolics in the skin. Two EC treatments were given; early application starting from the second week in December, and late application starting two to four weeks before harvest. Photosynthetic responses were measured, as well as fruit and leaf temperatures. Underlying physiological responses of trees and fruit to EC were investigated, particularly the phenomenon of acclimation and the potential for colour development and heat stress. Fruit surface temperature of fruit under EC was found to be significantly lower than control fruit. In both apple cultivars a significant increase in fruit skin anthocyanin concentration and a decrease in phenolic content was found as the season progressed. In both pear cultivars there was a significant decrease in both anthocyanin and phenolic. No significant differences were found in anthocyanin content between treatments in either the apple or pear cultivars. In both apple cultivars a higher phenolic content was found in the peel of the EC treatments. A decrease of up to four percent in leaf and fruit surface temperature was found under EC. No significant difference in trunk circumference was found in any of the cultivars. The late EC treatment in ‘Cripps’ Pink’ had a significantly faster rate of budbreak than the control and early EC treatments. Significantly higher transpiration was observed in leaves under EC. ‘Royal Gala’ fruit under EC had less sunburn than control fruit. Unfortunately the system broke down on a hot day, causing more sunburn on ‘Cripps’ Pink’ fruit under EC. Heat tolerance of apple fruit grown under EC was evaluated in ‘Cripps’ Pink’ and ‘Royal Gala’ by determining the maximum quantum yield of chlorophyll fluorescence (Fv/Fm). Measurements were also made 12 hours after the heat treatments to determine recovery. ‘Cripps’ Pink’ fruit from both EC treatments, but particularly the early EC treatment, were less resistant to heat stress than control (non-EC) fruit at the “threshold” air temperature of 45°C. Apples were able to recover from heat treatments in the range of 32-38oC fruit surface temperature, and generally also recovered fully after 43-45°C fruit surface temperature when exposure did not exceed four hours. This knowledge could be helpful in the management of sunburn, for example when determining the threshold temperature for the activation of evaporative cooling treatments. Knowledge about the various effects evaporative cooling and the subsequent lowering of ambient temperatures has on fruit trees and fruit could contribute greatly to producers’ ability to grow high quality fruit. EC can be used successfully for controlling sunburn and increasing fruit colour, but the system needs to be controlled very carefully and care should be taken that it does not fail on a hot day, as it did during this study.

No description available.

Cette thèse sur l’histoire des rosiéristes lyonnais entre 1820 et 1939 s’articule autour de plusieurs problématiques : l’individu et l’exploitation familiale, l’activité commerciale et les goûts des consommateurs, et l’action collective d’une profession qui se démarque progressivement au sein du monde horticole. De l’apparition des premières spécialisations, vers 1820, au déclin de l’activité rosicole pendant l’entre-deux-guerres, la périodisation souligne l’âge d’or de la rosiculture française matérialisée, entre autre, par la formation de lignées professionnelles tout au long du XIXe siècle. L’étude se propose de reconstituer les divers aspects, chronologiques, entrepreneuriaux, socio-économiques, techniques ou culturels de l’activité et apporte des éléments explicatifs à la compréhension du travail des obtenteurs : ceux-ci appartiennent à l’excellence du monde horticole et sont, à ce titre, sujets de l’histoire des élites – il s’agit ici d’élites professionnelles. Grâce aux archives des établissements — livres de comptes, registres d’expédition, correspondances commerciales — la thèse met à jour les évolutions du marché du rosier et montre comment une activité marginale, ignorée des statistiques officielles, se développe par l’intermédiaire d’un réseau commercial étendu. Pour ce faire, le diaporama des acheteurs et l’examen d’une clientèle élitaire et mondaine permettent de décrypter la consommation d’une époque et l’émergence de nouveaux codes esthétiques articulés autour d’un produit qui renvoie à des pratiques culturelles et à des constructions sociales et identitaires. L’exploitation des données quantifiées relatives à la structuration du marché, l’identification nominative de la clientèle et la périodisation des modes en matière de roses, illustrée par une exploitation statistique des préférences des acheteurs, confèrent à cette thèse une démarche neuve et originale. L’analyse des logiques économiques et sociales qui ont influencé la réussite puis le recul du secteur rosicole donne à voir le fonctionnement d’une filière artisanale, son évolution quantitative et qualitative et l’organisation d’un marché à vaste échelle, soutenu par un savoir-faire garant de la qualité du produit et du choix de l’acheteur. Certaines de ces micro-entreprises consolident leur position par une politique dynamique faisant interagir mécanismes de vente et talents créatifs en adoptant des pratiques commerciales relativement modernes pour répondre à un accroissement et une diversification progressive des transactions commerciales. Quant à la mise en adéquation du marché de l’offre et de celui de la demande, elle montre un élargissement de la clientèle lié aux transformations économiques et culturelles provoquées par l’évolution des loisirs dans la majorité des catégories sociales qui voient dans la culture des fleurs une activité de détente et un moyen d’embellir le cadre de vie. Au fil de la réflexion se déclinent de nouvelles préférences florales établies autour de considérations esthétiques qui ne sont pas sans rapport avec la mise en scène ornementale que les architectes paysagistes s’attachent à reproduire. La nouveauté du coloris n’est-elle pas un constitutif déterminant dans le succès d’une variété ? En ce sens, l’engouement en faveur de la rose jaune informe sur les codes de l’élégance qui se généralisent dans les jardins. La colorimétrie dominante constitue donc un observatoire privilégié des sensibilités et des mutations esthétiques et allégoriques qui s’inscrivent au cœur d’une histoire des représentations. Dans un autre versant, l’enquête prosopographique révèle des relations économiques et familiales solidement imbriquées et livre des éléments explicatifs sur la réalité de la petite exploitation et sur les mécanismes comportementaux qui président à la constitution d’une culture familiale.... / This thesis on the story of Lyon’s roses’ breeders between 1820 and 1939 focuses on several issues: the individual and the family farm, the commercial activity and consumers’ tastes, and the collective action of a profession which gradually stands apart from the horticultural world. From the apparition of first specializations around 1820 to the decline of the activity related to roses during the interwar, the periodization highlights the golden age of French roses’ culture materialized, among others, by the formation of professional lines throughout the nineteenth century. This study proposes to reconstruct various aspects, historical, entrepreneurial, socio-economic, technical or cultural of the activity and provides explanatory material in order to understand the work of breeders: they belong to the excellence of the horticultural world and are, as such, subject to the history of elites – we are talking here of professional elites: With the archives of companies – account books, shipping records, professional correspondence – the thesis updates the developments of the roses’ market and shows how a marginal activity, ignored by official statistics, develops through an extensive sales network. In order to do so, the overview of buyers and the examination of an elitist and fashionable clients permits to decrypts the consumption of an epoch and the emergence of new aesthetic codes articulated around a product that refers to cultural practices and social and identity constructions. The exploitation of quantified data about the market’s structuration, the nominal identification of clients and the periodization of roses’ trends, illustrated by a statistical analysis of the preferences of buyers, give to this thesis a new and original approach. The analysis of economic and social logics that have influenced the success and the decline of the roses’ sector show the functioning of a traditional industry, its quantitative and qualitative evolution and the organization of a large-scale market, supported by a know-how which guarantees the quality of the product and the choice of the buyer. Some of those micro-companies consolidate their position by choosing a dynamic policy using and combining both sales’ mechanisms and creative talents, taking relatively modern business practices in response to a gradual increase and diversification of commercial transactions. Concerning the matching of supply and demand, it shows a broadening of the customer, which is related to the economic and cultural changes brought about by the expansion of leisure in most social groups who see the flowers ’culture as a relaxing activity and a way to beautify the living environment. Throughout the reflexion, new floral preferences established have been declined; around aesthetic considerations which are not unrelated with the development of ornamental staging which landscape architects strive to reproduce. Isn’t the novelty of a colour a preeminent element determining the success of a variety? In this sense, the enthusiasm for the yellow rose lets us know about codes of elegance that became widespread in the gardens. The colorimetry is therefore a privileged observatory of sensibilities and aesthetic and allegorical mutations that join the heart of a history of representations.In another side, the prosopographic survey reveals economic and family relationships securely nested and delivers explanatory elements of the reality of small farm functioning and behavioural mechanisms that govern the formation of a family culture. De facto, this work aims to provide a contribution to the understanding of the historical genesis of a professional group, whose history is constructed in terms of lineage and genealogy....

The current study about the modernization of family agriculture in the wild of Itabaiana in Sergipe parsed the agricultural production irrigated from families who have embraced the irrigation as a means of in the production and with this, to increase the family income. In this sense, the research had as objective to parse the production and the reproduction of the irrigated horticulture with an emphasis in marketing of rural family units of the wild of Itabaiana in Sergipe. This was justified as a contribution to understand the formation, the social and economic role and the importance of the relationships amongst agriculture, workforce and the environment. To develop this work, it was set forth from direct and indirect observations of facts, through the field of work, with the application of interviews with various social actors, such as: farmers, middlemen, stallholders. In addition to these, it was necessary to apply interviews and raise data with federal, State and municipal bodies; and, finally, the bibliographical research. Therefore, the Agriculture of the region is a stain of the modernization process using irrigation, where there is the use of informational, scientific, technological innovations and policies which encourage the production. Family agriculture in the wild of Itabaiana in Sergipe is in a very visible and positive phase of transformation which is expressed by the production system. This demonstrates that a new standard of production, increasing income, is able to improve the conditions of life of the farmer and of the family. / O presente estudo sobre a modernização da agricultura familiar no agreste de Itabaiana-SE analisou a produção agrícola irrigada a partir de famílias que adotaram a irrigação como meio tecnológico na produção e com isso aumentar a renda da família. Nesse sentido, a pesquisa teve como objetivo analisar a produção e a reprodução do espaço da horticultura irrigada com ênfase no processo de comercialização das unidades familiares rurais do agreste de Itabaiana-Se. Essa se justificou como contribuição para entender a formação, o papel econômico-social e a importância das relações entre agricultura, força de trabalho e o meio ambiente. Para desenvolver este trabalho, partiu-se de observações diretas e indiretas dos fatos, através do trabalho de campo, com a aplicação de entrevistas com vários atores sociais, como: agricultores, atravessadores, feirantes. Além desses foi necessário aplicar entrevistas e levantar dados com órgãos federais, estaduais e municipais; e, por fim, a pesquisa bibliográfica. Portanto, a agricultura da região é uma mancha do processo de modernização utilizando a irrigação, onde existe o uso das inovações científicas, tecnológicas, informacionais e políticas que incentivam a produção. A agricultura familiar no agreste de Itabaiana encontra-se em uma fase positiva e bastante visível de transformação que se expressa pelo sistema de produção. Isso demonstra que um novo padrão de produção que, incrementando a renda, seja capaz de melhorar as condições de vida do agricultor e da família.

No description available.