Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1932. / Typescript. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 282-284).

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This study describes how farmers manage climate variability in dryland crop production, and aims to contribute to the theory and practice of decision support for managing climate variability. The intent was to study farmer decision making to see how DSS could be used to deliver information and procedures on climate risk to farmers more effectively. The study investigated whether there are significant differences between farmers' subjective distributions of seasonal rainfall and its derivatives (such as crop yield and fallow recharge) and a probability distribution derived from long-term records and simulation models, and whether these differences in risk assessment lead to changes in the optimum decision. Subjective probability distributions of rainfall and its derivatives were collected from farmers and advisers and it was found the overall match between these and long term records and simulation models was close. This study found little evidence to support the role of DSS for routine decision making, but this does not lessen the value of distributions derived from simulation models. Rather, it provides an opportunity for both farmers and scientists to learn. / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-21T14:42:35Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 AUDREY MERLIN.pdf: 1048026 bytes, checksum: 4f10e838222c6be836c0f126fa72f9c7 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007-06-21 / The objective of this study consisted in constructing possibilities that contributed for the understanding of the perceptions and meanings attributed to the associativeness from the social representations of the trader familiar agriculturists in the city of Pato Branco. The technique of data collection used was the case study, with quantitative and qualitative approaches, arranged in half-structuralized interviews, in whose stories of the associates they had retraced their experience in the collective performance. The theoretical references used in this study join to the multi dimensions of the life histories of the familiar agriculturists, who had constructed from their social representations, an associativeness model as an alternative form of participating of the local market. The refined results demonstrate through their cultural identities, associative experience, challenges and opportunities the necessity of the implementation of new forms of management that stimulate the collective involvement and the participation of the associates. / O objetivo deste estudo foi o de construir possibilidades que contribuíssem para a compreensão das percepções e significados atribuídos ao associativismo a partir das representações sociais dos agricultores familiares feirantes do município de Pato Branco-PR. A categoria de pesquisa utilizada foi o estudo de caso, com abordagem quantitativa e qualitativa, disposta em entrevistas semi-estruturadas, em cujos relatos dos associados remontaram a sua experiência na atuação coletiva. As referências teóricas utilizadas neste estudo integram-se as multidimensões das histórias de vida dos agricultores familiares, que construíram a partir das suas representações sociais, um modelo de associativismo como forma alternativa de participar do mercado local. Os resultados apurados demonstram através de suas identidades culturais, experiência associativa, desafios e oportunidades a necessidade de implementação de novas formas de gestão que estimulem o envolvimento coletivo e a maior participação dos associados.

This thesis covers years of field work in Malawi, Africa by the author as a Research Agronomist (Tree Nuts) for the Government of Malawi. The thesis is an action research type with core and thesis projects which are closely linked. The client group are large estate managers who control the tree nut industries in Malawi. The political, economic and historical perspectives are different from those commonly faced by Australian agronomists and the isolated location of the work make this a unique study. The thesis includes sections on plantation or estate agriculture, farming systems approaches to research and problem solving, systems concepts in agricultural settings and action research concepts. These provide a framework for the study within the constraints of the government research system and industry expectations. The body of the thesis is a review paper presented to estate managers and co-researchers after one year's work. Relevant outcomes of the study are presented. The discussion draws together the outcomes through reflection on the process and methods used. Advantages and disadvantages are considered and risks, such as the dangers to the researcher of this type of study, are highlighted. / Master of Science (Hons)

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Western Sydney, Hawkesbury, 2001. / A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Environmental Management and Agriculture, University of Western Sydney, in fulfilment of the rquirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, 2001. Bibliography : p. 252-276.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-03-26T13:54:48Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 texto completo.pdf: 841781 bytes, checksum: e1d2c8cebb64ef50dd7df99b76b15a20 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008-10-31 / Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais / Objectifying the improvement of the animal production in fifteen family agroecologic properties in the city of Araponga - MG, changes in the nutritional handling, sanitary and reproductive of the animals had been carried beyond the planning of the installations and acquisitions of goat bovines and by the families. To reach this objective was necessary a participative diagnosis of the animal systems creation to identify to the potentialities and limitations of the animal production, mainly as for the nutritional, sanitary and general handling through the rescue and analysis of the perception of the agriculturists front the implantation process of potentialization work by animal integration to the production systems. The participant comment, half-structuralized interviews, maps, flows and passage with intention to make possible the participation of the family and mutual learning had been used beyond biggest flexibility in the collection of information. After, a script of data systematization was adopted in order to analyze the reached results and the actions to be developed with the families to get potential, to consolidate and to give continuity to the experiences with animal handling. It was looked to take care of the local specific necessities, focusing in systemic aspects inside the agroecologic vision of the sustainable handling agroecossystems. The discussion of the results of this stage with the agriculturists, through pedagogical workshops, with exposition of technician subjects complementary to the considered subjects, validated the information gotten and interpreted. The perception and the alternative knowledge of the agriculturists about the handling of the animals were important for the conduction of the work, guiding the team in the organization of the pedagogical workshops and interchanges, mainly searching solutions that were adjusted to the reality of the families. Diverse changes adopted for the families, adjusted to their realities and aiming at the animal well-being had been observed. These changes had included nutritional planning, reforms of the corrals, sanitary handling, implantation of elephantgrass stocking piles, sugar cane, planting of new trees and herbaceous legumes guaranteeing the alimentary diversification for the animals. These practical had conferred sustainable to the productive systems by the integrating of the animals to the properties, having prevented measured that generated brusque changes in the others component animal and vegetable of the units of production. With these measures occurred an increase in the offer of products of animal origin and derivatives, improving the alimentary quality and the income of the families due the sell of the excesses, as well as the increase of the production and the exploitation of the bovine manure in the coffee croops, reducing the expenses with external input because the organic seasoning production above of the waited. However, resulted foreseen had not been reached, as the biggest devotion to the bovines, aiming at animal well-being and the perception of the agriculturists about the importance of the feeding quality for the creations, through the elaboration of strategies that generated new knowledge to reach the objective tracings. / Objetivando a melhoria da produção animal em quinze famílias agricultoras agroecológicas do município de Araponga – MG, foram realizadas mudanças nos manejos nutricional, sanitário e reprodutivos dos animais, além do planejamento das instalações e aquisições de bovinos e caprinos pelas famílias. Para alcançar este objetivo, foi necessário um diagnóstico participativo dos sistemas de criação animal, de forma a identificar as potencialidades e limitações da produção animal, principalmente no que se refere às questões nutricionais, sanitárias e manejo geral, através do resgate e análise da percepção dos agricultores e das agricultoras frente ao processo de implantação do trabalho de potencializar a integração animal aos seus sistemas de produção. Foram utilizadas a observação participante, entrevistas semi-estruturadas, mapas, fluxos e travessia com o intuito de viabilizar a participação da família, aprendizagem mútua, além da maior flexibilidade na coleta de informações. Após, foi adotado um roteiro de sistematização dos dados obtidos a fim de analisar os resultados alcançados e as ações a serem desenvolvidas com as famílias para potencializar, consolidar e dar continuidade a experiências com manejo animal. Procurou-se atender as necessidades específicas locais, enfocando aspectos sistêmicos dentro da visão agroecológica do manejo de agroecossistemas sustentáveis. A discussão dos resultados desta etapa junto aos agricultores e agricultoras, através de oficinas pedagógicas, com exposição de assuntos técnicos complementares aos temas propostos, validou socialmente as informações obtidas e interpretadas. A percepção e os conhecimentos alternativos dos agricultores quanto ao manejo dos animais foi importante para a condução do trabalho, ao orientar a equipe na organização das oficinas pedagógicas e intercâmbios, e principalmente na busca de soluções que se adequassem à realidade das famílias. Observaram-se diversas mudanças adotadas pelas famílias, adequadas às suas realidades e visando o bem-estar dos animais. Estas mudanças incluíram planejamento nutricional, reformas dos currais, manejo sanitário, implantação de capineiras, cana-de-açúcar, novas árvores e leguminosas herbáceas, garantindo a diversificação alimentar dos animais. Estas práticas conferiram sustentabilidade aos sistemas produtivos ao integrar os animais às propriedades, evitando medidas que gerassem mudanças bruscas nos demais componentes animal e vegetal das unidades de produção. Com estas medidas, ocorreu aumento da oferta de produtos de origem animal e derivados, melhorando a qualidade alimentar e a renda das famílias devido a venda de excedentes, bem como o aumento da produção e do aproveitamento do esterco bovino nas lavouras de café, reduzindo os gastos com insumos externos devido a produção de adubo orgânico acima do esperado. No entanto, resultados não previstos foram alcançados, como a maior dedicação aos bovinos, visando o bem-estar animal, e a percepção dos agricultores quanto a importância da qualidade da alimentação das criações, através da elaboração de estratégias que gerou novos conhecimentos para alcançar os objetivos traçados.

This study investigated the information needs of agricultural researchers and extension agents in addressing farmers' production-related constraints and information needs in The Gambia. The overall objective of the study was to identify the types of farmers' production-related problems faced by the above agents of change, which were translated into information needs, types of information providers and delivery systems used, and to assess their effectiveness. Coupled with this was the need to gauge the status of the T & V (Training & Visit) model of extension in the country as well as the linkage between research and extension. The sample comprised 32 researchers from NARI who were all included because of their small number and 68 extension agents selected through stratified random sampling from the Departments of Agricultural Services, Livestock Services, Fisheries and Forestry. Self-administered questionnaires were distributed among the respondents located in the five divisions across the country. The findings indicated that out of a total of 54 respondents, 63% represented the extension agents while 37% were researchers. Of the same figure, 92.6% were male while 7.4% were female. The researchers' ages ranged from 31 to 56 years old, while the extension agents were between 25 to 55 years old. With regard to educational qualifications, most of the highly qualified staff were within the research services while extension had the least. It was also revealed that 59.3% of the respondents have more than 15 years of work experience. In respect to language proficiency, it was observed that 98.1% could speak more than one local language, that is to say, ranging from two to four languages. The findings also established 44 cases of information needs, which Gambian researchers and extension personnel experienced with only 11 information providers used to satisfy those needs. Of these information providers, professional forums (96.3%) and personal sources (81.5%) featured prominently as the most frequently used and effective sources. Personal contact (81.5%) was the most common delivery system employed to disseminate information and technical advice to farmers. As regards the respondents' perceptions about the T & V (Training & Visit) model of extension in the country and the linkage status between research and extension, 68.5% believed that T & V is non-existent while 79.6% attested to the current weakness of the research-extension linkages in the country. Finally, it was recommended that an agricultural library be established in each division to cater for the information needs of all the stakeholders. Also, the unit for the Research-Extension Liaison Officer (RELO) should be reinstated to further strengthen the linkage, coordination and interactive communication between research and extension services. / Thesis (M.I.S.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2001.

Esse trabalho busca compreender como ocorreu a ocupação do sítio Jaguarundi, com ênfase no estudo das escolhas técnicas inseridas na confecção dos artefatos arqueológicos, da paisagem arqueológica, da dieta alimentar e do padrão de assentamento. Procura-se estudar comparativamente os dados arqueológicos, históricos e etnográficos da região de modo a elucidar sobre o processo histórico do contexto de ocupação e as dinâmicas sócio-culturais empreendidas pelas populações que ali se estabeleceram, para tanto o estudo se centrou na identificação das estruturas arqueológicas para que elas possam ser utilizadas na construção de um modelo analítico para ser empregado em futuras análises de sítios similares. / This work aimed at finding out how happened the occupation of the Jaguarundi site, with emphasis in the study of the technical choices inserted in the manufacture of the archaeological artifacts, of the archaeological landscape, of the alimentary diet ant de settlement pattern. Aiming for the comparative study of the archaeological historical e ethnological data of the region, escheating a elucidation about the historical process of the settlement context and the socio-cultural dynamics ocasionated by the established populations, for this the research centers in the identification of the archaeological structures for the construction of a analytical model for future comparative analyses in similar sites.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-03-22T17:26:18Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 DISSERTACAO DE MESTRADO - GIZELA GOTUZZO - 10 DEZ 09.pdf: 1007305 bytes, checksum: 7138b61eda2716363b0ff829c2379356 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-12-07 / This paper analyzes the role performed by the Regional Association of Agroecological Producers of the Southern Region (ARPA-SUL) and also by the South Ecological Cooperative of Familiar Agriculturists Ltd., organizations of solidarity economy of familiar agroecological agriculturists, in the promotion of the sustainability of this segment in the region of Pelotas The associated agroecological agriculturists establish an important level of dependence on these organizations, since, by allowing the activity of ecological basis production of those, they are enabled to absence themselves of living in a situation of social vulnerability as well as benefit both economically and socially. Therefore, such organizations of solidarity economy, present themselves as a means for the agroecological agriculturists of the region of Pelotas have access to the market and to the social policies promoted by the State, besides, through self management work, practice the right to citizenship / Esta dissertação analisa o papel desempenhado pela Associação Regional de Produtores Agroecologistas da Região Sul (ARPA-SUL) e também pela Cooperativa Sul Ecológica de Agricultores Familiares Ltda, organizações estas de economia solidária de agricultores familiares agroecológicos, na promoção da sustentabilidade deste segmento na região de Pelotas. Os agricultores agroecológicos associados estabelecem importante grau de dependência a estas organizações, uma vez que, ao viabilizarem a atividade de produção de base ecológica daqueles, possibilitam absterem-se de viver em situação de vulnerabilidade social bem como beneficiarem-se econômico e socialmente. Assim sendo, tais organizações de economia solidária, se apresentam como o meio de os agricultores agroecológicos da região de Pelotas ter acesso ao mercado e às políticas sociais promovidas pelo Estado, além de, mediante o trabalho autogestionário, exercerem o direito à cidadania