<p> Despite over eight years of Christian witness, the West African country of Niger is still considered unreached by Christian missiologists. In the face of ongoing ministry challenges in Niger a new perspective is appropriate. Recent trends in missions recommend Church Planting Movements as a model for church-planting ministry in cross-cultural contexts. The church planting movements model may offer some solutions for church planting in Niger but the model tends to suffer from faulty prooftexting and inadequate theology related to the church and mission. Using theological reflection as a guiding model, church-planting-movement theology and practices are compared to John's Wesley's theology and practice. As a practical theologian, Wesley provides an example of how theological reflection can be more adequately integrated into the practice of mission. Through theological reflection and consideration for the Nigerien context, this thesis develops a church-planting ministry plan for the Free Methodist Church in Niger.</p> / Thesis / Master of Theological Studies (MTS)

Detta arbeta har utförts för att undersöka hur höstplantering av täckrotsodlad gran (Picea abies) och tall (Pinus sylvestris) överlever och utvecklas jämfört med vårplanterad. Detta i ett led för att se om man kan utöka planteringssäsongen för att få en jämnare arbetsbelastning över säsongen både i plantskolorna och ute i fält. Man har undersökt hur en planteringstidpunkt på sensommaren och hösten påverkar granplantors överlevnad jämfört med plantering på våren. Studien är utförd som en survey studie i södra Sverige på täckrotsplantor av gran som planterats på medelboniteter 2007-2009 och inventerats 2010. Höst och vårplanterade granplantor är jämförda parvis med samma planttyp, ålder, proveniens och geografiskt område. Följande saker har jämförts; plantor per hektar, höjdtillväxt, toppskottstillväxt, rothalsdiametern, frostskador, viltskador samt snytbaggeskador. Höstplantering av täckrotsodlad gran (Picea abies) ger ett lika bra resultat som vårplantering vad gäller överlevnad hos plantor. Höjdtillväxt och diametertillväxt blev något bättre på de höstplanterade plantorna jämfört med vårplanterade efterföljande vår. Höstplanterade plantor skadades något mer av frost än de vårplanterade gjorde, speciellt första säsongen. Vårplanterade plantor fick något mer viltskador än höstplanterade vilket kan bero på färre frostskador. Vårplanterade plantor skadades något mer av snytbagge än de höstplanterade. Snytbaggeskadorna var störst på de torra jordarna i östra området. Höstplantering av täckrotsodlad tall (Pinus sylvestris) gav ett lika bra resultat när det gäller överlevande plantor som gran. / This work has been performed in order to investigate if Norway spruce (Picea abies) and pine (Pinus sylvestris) container-grown seedlings planted in autumn gives the same quality as planting in spring in terms of surviving plants. This is in part to see if one can extend the planting season to get a more even workload over the season, both in nurseries and in the field. The study is designed as a survey study in Southern Sweden on container-grown seedlings of Norway spruce and pine planted 2007-2009 and inventoried 2010. The following things have been compared; plants per hectare, height growth, leading shoot growth, stem diameter, frost damage, damage by wild animals and pine weevil damage. Planting of Norway spruce (Picea abies) container-grown seedlings in autumn gives the same quality as planting in spring in terms of surviving plants. Height growth and diameter growth were slightly better the following season for seedlings planted in autumn compared to seedlings planted in spring. Seedlings planted in autumn were damaged by frost more than seedlings planted the spring, especially the first season. Seedlings planted in spring were slightly more damaged by wild animals than seedlings planted in autumn which may be because of less frost damage. Seedlings planted in spring were slightly a little more damaged by pine weevil than seedlings planted in autumn. Pine weevil damage was greatest in the arid soils in the eastern area. Container-grown seedlings of pine (Pinus sylvestris) planted in autumn gave equally good results as seedlings planted of Norway spruce.

Master of Science / Department of Agronomy / Kraig L. Roozeboom / Interest has grown regarding management options to improve and stabilize dryland corn production (Zea mays L.) in challenging environments. Grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) has been documented to produce more consistent grain yields than corn in dryland production in Kansas. In periods of reduced water availability, sorghum can delay growth and development, allowing the plant to capture water later in the season for flowering and grainfill. Delaying planting in corn can serve a similar purpose. In central Kansas, planting corn earlier so pollination occurs before periods of extreme stress has been successful, but little research has investigated delayed planting or its long-term effect. The objectives of this study were to evaluate plant growth and yield response to delayed planting through field research and to quantify its long-term effects through crop model simulations. Field trials with delayed planting dates and hybrids of varying maturity revealed that yield at Manhattan, KS, did not decrease significantly until the final planting date in 2007 and did not decrease at all with delayed planting in 2008. At Belleville, yield increased with later planting in 2007 and was not affected by planting date in 2008. At Hutchinson, yield decreased significantly with each planting date until the third in 2007. However, in 2008, yield increased significantly from the second to fourth planting dates. Simulations in CERES-Maize over 51 years revealed no difference in yield between planting dates at Manhattan and Belleville, but showed a significant decrease between the first planting date and the third and fourth planting dates at Hutchinson. Chi-squared tests indicated that all planting date x hybrid combinations at Manhattan and Belleville produced economically profitable yields at frequencies significantly greater than 0.5. At Hutchinson, all but two of the twelve planting date x hybrid combinations produced profitable yields at frequencies significantly less than 0.5. The two remaining combinations produced profitable yields at frequencies that were not different than 0.5. One of these combinations was observed at the fourth planting date. These results suggest that the economical viability of delayed planting of corn is heavily dependent on location.

No description available.

2 pp. / The weather near heading is the overriding factor in disease development. Cultural practices may be partially effective in controlling Karnal bunt, but cannot eliminate the disease completely.

3 pp. / Production practices for grain sorghum are discussed including hybrid selection, planting date, seeding rate, row configuration, irrigation, fertilization, pest control, and harvesting.

Cottonseed was treated with several fungicide treatments in an effort to protect the seed and seedling from disease. Seed germination and vigor was evaluated in three Arizona locations; Maricopa, Marana, and Safford. Stand counts were taken after emergence at all three locations and percent emergence (PEM) was calculated. Significant differences in percent emergence due to seed treatments were observed in the both sample dates at Marana. Maricopa and Safford showed no statistically significant differences due treatment.

Two upland cotton varieties (Deltapine 5415 and SureGrow 125) were subjected to various seed fungicide treatments to determine seedling emergence and vigor in a Mohave Valley field prone to Rhizoctonia infection of cotton seedlings. During 1998, cotton seedlings in this field exhibited symptoms associated with Rhizoctonia, Pythium, and Thielaviopsis fungi. Of the treatments examined in this study, Baytan+Thiram+Allegiance or Baytan+Ascend+Allegiance cotton seed treatments provided superior seedling disease protection. The Protégé+Allegiance fungicide treatment provided superior seedling disease protection when applied to Deltapine 5415 cotton seed, however seedling disease suppression was poor when the same treatment was applied to SureGrow 125. The Vitavax-PCNB+Allegiance and NuFlow M+Maxim+Apron were the least effective fungicide seed treatments examined in this study.

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.

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.