Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Toronto, 2004. / Adviser: Alissa Trotz. Richard Bridgens, Michel Jean Cazabon, Charles Kingsley. Includes bibliographical references.

Increasing maize production in Trinidad & Tobago could reduce imports and lessen dependency on foreign markets for food and feed. A review of large maize development projects and a survey of maize farmers on small landholdings indicated that mechanized production of maize grain is technically and economically impractical. Maize is normally grown and harvested in the green immature stage by small-scale farmers as a fast, easy, and relatively profitable sideline vegetable crop. An imported hybrid and an improved local landrace (ICTA Farm Corn) yielded more green maize than a Mexican-bred locally-distributed variety, following early (June) rainy season plantings. Hybrid and local unimproved open-pollinated maize were grown with two levels of weed control and with two levels of fertilizer application following late (November) rainy season plantings. For commercial carnival season production of green maize on productive soils in Trinidad, the purchase of imported hybrid seed is economically justifiable, but high inputs into weed control and fertility management may not be needed. A consumer preference study of the main varietal types eaten as boiled ears indicated panelists could not discern differences when seasoned with Creole seasoning, but preferred yellow, large-eared varieties when not seasoned. In a series of 11 variety trials on Inceptisolic and Ultasolic soils in Trinidad, imported hybrids and ICTA Farm Corn consistently yielded greater than 9 other varieties. Grid mass selection for ear weight and ear size was carried out in ICTA Farm Corn. Green maize ear length (1.9% cycle$ sp{-1}$), width (1.5% cycle$ sp {-1}$), and ear weight (2.4% cycle$ sp{-1}$) increased linearly with selection, leading to increases in green marketable (4.4% cycle$ sp{-1}$), green total (3.0% cycle$ sp{-1}$), and grain yield ha$ sp{-1}$ (4.3% cycle$ sp{-1}$). Phenotypic correlations indicated high levels of association between grain yield and both green marketable ear weight (r = 0.91

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1999. / Typescript. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 335-366).

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Government expenditure on infrastructure has been high in most developing countries. However, though access to services has broadened, the general condition of infrastructure is poor, and the quality of service has deteriorated. Water services is a good example of this problematique. / The purpose of this thesis is to provide a demand-oriented perspective on water provision for domestic users. The thesis examines cost recovery potential based on household willingness to pay more for an improved service and water pricing. Also, factors contributing to rising provision costs are explored, with the aim of formulating prescriptions for demand management and lowered costs. The thesis also focuses on institutional strengthening scenarios which achieve a demand orientation in water delivery. To this end, competition in the provision of water services and the regulation of service providers are examined. / A case study of domestic users in Trinidad was undertaken. Households in the main urban area were surveyed to test willingness to pay for water improvements using a questionnaire which incorporated three methodologies; contingent ranking, contingent valuation and the household production function. The household production function examined the revealed preference of consumers, whereas the contingent ranking and contingent valuation considered the stated preference for different features of the water service. / The survey found that most consumers were willing to pay more than twice the current price of water, contingent upon a guaranteed improvement in service, particularly reliability. The main factors influencing willingness to pay were household income, the price of water, number of service hours, and housing and land tenure. The results indicate that while the potential for cost recovery does exist, formulating demand-oriented water policies with a focus on improved reliability is necessary. / Extensive interviews were also conducted with professionals from both local and international agencies involved in the water sector, to elicit their perspectives on the problems of water agencies and possible solutions. There is a consensus among sector professionals that water agencies should emphasize improvements in operational performance, system maintenance and rehabilitation, and quality and reliability of service, instead of increases in capacity through new investments. Professionals took the common position that institutional capacity building was needed to achieve these results.

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