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The effect of a range of storage temperatures on produce condition was studied. Two or three cultivars or peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots, strawberries, grapes, pears, peppers, one cultivar of blackberries, tomatoes, and cabbages were chosen for the experiment. The storage temperatures (21°C, 15°C, 10°C, 4°C, 0°C) and humidity (about 80% RH) were maintained during the experiment. Observations were made on weight loss, total loss, disease, appearance and visual storage life. Percent weight loss among cultivars was not significantly different (5% level) for most of the produce (two-way factorial arrangement), but date of harvest resulted in a significant difference in percent weight loss of peppers. The range of percent weight loss varied, depending on the type of the produce. Berries lost moisture faster than other fruits. Rate of moisture loss decreased as storage time increased. Beginning at 4°C, for every 5°C rise of temperature, percent weight loss roughly doubled for most of the produce. Total loss in this study was mostly caused by physiological disorders related to ripening and aging in the long storage period and decay caused by fungi on produce stored at high temperatures. The length of storage life was ascertained for cultivars studied. / M.S.

Prior research reveals foodborne pathogens, as well as enteric bacteria, can thrive in agricultural soils. Understanding how macro- and micronutrients, as well as meteorological factors and observational factors, impact pathogen prevalence may promote a better understanding of how pathogens persist in agricultural soils. This study aimed to (i), characterize associations between soil properties (e.g., macro- and micro-nutrient levels) and microbial targets (e.g., S. enterica and L. monocytogenes prevalence, fecal indicator bacteria concentration). Three produce farms in Virginia were selected from different regions (i.e., Blue Ridge Highlands, Piedmont, Coastal Plains). Farms were sampled four times to capture seasonal differences. Five soil samples were collected from 20 plots (25m2) and pooled in equal quantities to form one sample per plot. A total of 240 samples were collected. Listeria and S. enterica samples (25g) were processed using a modified FDA BAM method, while generic Escherichia coli (gEC) and total coliform (TC) samples (5g) were enumerated using Petrifilm. Presumptive Listeria and S. enterica positive samples were confirmed by PCR using a single gene. Bayesian mixed models were used to evaluate associations with each foodborne pathogen and indicator organism with factors of interest. S. enterica prevalence was 4.2% (10/240) in soil samples. Of the ten S. enterica positive samples, nine samples (90%) were from one farm in eastern VA. Listeria spp. prevalence was 10% (24/240) with L.monocytogenes prevalence being 2.5% (6/240). The average gEC and TC concentrations in soil samples were 1.53 (range 0.95-4.01) and 4.21 (range 1.23-7.12) log CFU/g, respectively. Bayesian mixed models revealed that pH impacted prevalence of L. monocytogenes and gEC (MAP=5.48, 95% CI=0.75,345.39, PD=0.98, ROPE=0.01), and (MAP=4.87, 95% CI=2.31,12.22, PD=1.00, ROPE=0.00). There was no evidence of an association between S. enterica prevalence and factors of interest. S. enterica was 11.55 times more likely to be detected on Farm C (where prevalence was highest) compared to other farms (95 % CI= 1.36, 1155.27, PD=0.98, ROPE=0.00). Findings show that while soil nutrient trends differ across all farms, it is difficult to determine the strength of these trends due to strong regional distinctions. / Master of Science in Life Sciences / Fresh produce is essential to our food supply but is often a source of foodborne outbreaks since they are often consumed raw and have absence of a "kill step". Importantly, numerous produce outbreaks are often traced back to the production environment with water and soil and common methods of contamination. Additionally, growers are required to identify potential sources of contamination to minimize public health risks. For example, the FDA Produce Safety Rule mandates that growers identify measures that can be taken to prevent contamination from sources including soil and water. Many growers will often test their soils to determine nutrient levels so they can determine appropriate fertilizer amounts to apply to their crops. By understanding how the level of nutrients as well as weather patterns and management factors impact microbial detection, scientists and growers can gain a better understanding of how pathogens persist in agricultural soils. This study looked at sampling soil from three farms in three different regions of Virginia (i.e., Blue Ridge Highlands, Piedmont, and Coastal Plains). Sampling occurred four times across two seasons (fall and summer). Five soil samples were pooled to form one composite sample per plot which totals twenty samples per farm. A total of 240 samples were collected overall for this study. Samples were processed for Listeria and Salmonella (foodborne pathogens) using a modified method from the FDA Bacteriological Analytical Manual (BAM), while generic Escherichia coli and total coliforms (indicator organisms) were computed using Petrifilm. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) was used to confirm the presence of Listeria and Salmonella. Key results from this study revealed that different regions had a significant impact on the presence or absence of Listeria and Salmonella in Virginia agricultural soils. For example, Salmonella was more likely to be detected in the Coastal Plains region, where interestingly, the prevalence was highest (90%; 9/10). The prevalence of Listeria spp. (63%; 15/24) and L. monocytogenes (83%; 5/6 ) were highest in the Piedmont region. Additionally, there was no association between the occurrence of Salmonella and factors of interest (e.g., soil properties, weather factors, observational factors). Additionally, the study found L. monocytogenes was more likely to be detected when soil pH increased. These findings reveal that while soil nutrient, weather, and observational trends differ across all farms, sampling region and time of year create challenges in determining trends due to clear regional differences. This study offers insights into how growers can potentially utilize soil testing (a practice they are already doing) to identify how pathogens may be present in their agricultural soils.

No description available.

Thesis (MScAgric)--Stellenbosch University, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The study addresses two important research questions which are in essence motivated by the trade policy reform that took effect in the 1990s to reverse decades of inward industrialisation strategies towards outward industrialisation strategies to promote economic growth and development. This raised the expectation that a movement away from low-demand growth products towards commodities with stronger demand growth and buoyant price trends would be encouraged. The first central question that this study addresses is the extent to which South African agricultural exports are moving up the value chain relative to the agricultural exports of the other members of the Cairns Group. The second research question that the study addresses is to determine whether South Africa's movement up the value chain (value adding activities) in agricultural exports is more competitive than the other members of the Cairns Group. To adequately address the first research question data from the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), Trade and Industrial Policy Strategies (TIPS) and World Trade Organisation (WTO) databases were used to examine their trade perspectives. The second research question was addressed by applying Relative Comparative Advantage (RTA) using data from the FAOSTAT 2002 to determine each country's competitive status in selected agro- food chains. The results show that South Africa managed to surpass all other members of the Cairns Group, except Chile, Philippines and Bolivia, whose export structures are highly dominated by high-value products relative to South Africa in terms of the movement up the value chain in agricultural exports. This is the case despite the fact that countries such as Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Indonesia, New Zealand, Thailand and Uruguay have managed to increase their percentage export value of high-value agricultural products and that South Africa has experienced a decrease in the percentage export value of high-value products. The results also clearly show that the food chains in Costa Rica, Paraguay, Thailand and South Africa are generally marginally competitive, whilst the food chains in Canada, Chile, Colombia, Indonesia and Uruguay are only just marginally competitive as many of their RTA values are situated around zero. The food chains in Guatemala, Malaysia, New Zealand and Philippines are internationally uncompetitive. And the food chains in Argentina,Australia and Brazil are internationally competitive. The analysis also reveals that competitiveness decreases in all these countries when moving from primary to processed products in the agro-food chains which implies that value-adding opportunities are constrained. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie spreek twee belangrike navorsingvraagstukke aan wat in wese gemotiveer is deur die handelsbeleidshervormingsproses wat in die 1990s 'n aanvang geneem het. Dekades van intern-gerigte industrialisasiestrategieë is na ekstern-gerigte industrialisasiestrategieë omgeskakel om sodoende groei en ontwikkeling aan te moedig. Hierdie proses het die verwagting geskep dat 'n beweging weg van produkte met lae groei in vraag, na goedere met 'n sterker groei in vraag en veerkragtige prystendense sal aanmoedig. Die eerste sentrale probleem waarop in hierdie studie gefokus word is die mate waartoe Suid- Afrikaanse landbou-uitvoere in die waarde-ketting op beweeg het relatief tot die landbouuitvoere van die ander lede van die Cairns Groep. Die tweede vraag wat die narvorsig aanspreek is an vas te stelof Suid Afrika se waardeletting oktiwiteite in landbou uitvore meer kompeterend is as die van onder lede van die Cairns Groep. Om die eerste navorsingsprobleem voldoende aan te spreek, is data van die Voedsel en Landbou Organisasie, Handel en Industriële Beleidstrategieë en die Wêreldhandelsorganisasie gebruik. Hierdie organisasies se databasisse is gebruik om handelsperspektiewe te bepaal. Die tweede navorsingsprobleem is aangespreek deur die toepassing van die Relatiewe Vergelykende Voordeel (RVV) op die data bekom van die FAOSTAT 2002. Hierdeur is elke land se mededingende status in sekere geselekteerde agri-voedselkettings bepaal. Die resultate wys dat Suid Afrika daarin geslaag het om die ander lede van die Cairns Groep verby te steek, met die uitsondering van Chilli, die Filippyne en Bolivië, waar uitvoerstrukture gedomineer word deur hoë waarde produkte relatief tot Suid Afrika. Hierdie tendens is ten spyte daarvan dat lande soos Argentinië, Australië, Brasilië, Colombië, Costa Rica, Indonesië, New Zealand, Thailand en Uruguay daarin geslaag het om hul persentasie uitvoerwaarde van hoë waarde landbouprodukte op te stoot, en dat Suid Afrika, daarenteen, ervaar het dat die uitvoere van hierdie produkte afgeneem het. Die resultate toon duidelik dat die voedselkettings in Costa Rica, Paraguay, Thailand en Suid-Afrika oor die algemeen marginaal kompeterend is, terwyl die voedselkettings in Kanada, Chile, Colombië, Indonesië en Uruguay tot 'n mindere mate marginaal kompeterend is aangesien hul RVV-waardes rondom nul lê. Die voedselkettings in Guatemala, Maleisië, Nieu-Seeland en die Filippyne is internasionaal nie-kompeterend, met die voedselkettings in Argentinië, Australië en Brasilië wel internasionaal kompeterend. Die analise wys ook dat die mededingendheid afneem in al hierdie lande wanneer hulle van primêre na geprosesseerde produkte beweeg in agri-voedselkettings, dit impliseer dat waarde toevoeging geleenthede tot produkte beperk is.

O objetivo desta tese é adaptar um modelo de integração industrial baseado no protocolo de comunicação XML Interface for Robots and Peripherals (XIRP), de modo que este pudesse ser aplicado à realidade de pequenas e médias empresas brasileiras (PMEs). Para que isto fosse possível, é necessário estudar os ambientes industriais existentes e a complexidade envolvida na tarefa de integração de dispositivos para os mesmos. Observa-se que estes ambientes são orientados a fabricante com relação às soluções criadas em termos de equipamentos e softwares. Este é o exemplo de grandes empresas como ABB, KUKA, Reis Robotics etc. O fabricante detém a solução de integração e os dispositivos, e estes só podem ser integrados em plataformas deste fabricante. O protocolo de comunicação industrial, no caso o protocolo XIRP, possibilita a comunicação entre dispositivos e sistemas controladores de maneira padronizada, permitindo que dispositivos de um fabricante se comuniquem com sistemas de outros fabricantes. Este protocolo é baseado na linguagem eXtensible Markup Language (XML) e fornece a especificação dos arquivos de esquema XML (XML schema), os quais permitem a criação de uma descrição de dispositivos e a composição de mensagens a serem trocadas entre eles. Para tanto, foi necessário criar a partir do padrão, toda a infra-estrutura de comunicação e sistema de integração de dispositivos. Vale observar que o padrão XIRP foi criado levando em consideração dispositivos microprocessados. Como este padrão ainda está em desenvolvimento, e em caso de uma eventual adaptação a ele, seria impraticável modificar inteiramente um ambiente de produção por meio de substituição de equipamentos. Desta forma, este projeto de pesquisa apresenta uma infra-estrutura que consista em um sistema integrador para a adaptação gradativa a este protocolo de comunicação. O sistema integrador proposto permite a incorporação de dispositivos XIRP ou não-XIRP. Considerando que um dispositivo já troque mensagens compatíveis com o XIRP, a sua integração e operação em um ambiente de produção seria mais simples. Todavia, mesmo neste caso, o dispositivo ainda precisaria de suporte para trabalhar em uníssono com as demais entidades pertencentes ao ambiente. Esta sinergia é incluída na especificação do ambiente integrador, porém, não faz parte dos resultados pretendidos para a presente pesquisa. Desta forma, a hipótese prevista trata os mecanismos necessários para a incorporação de dispositivos não-XIRP em um ambiente de produção compatível com o padrão XIRP, desde o processo de indexação/identificação do dispositivo à geração automática da aplicação de controle e integração em baixo nível, de modo a permitir a operação do mesmo. / The goal of this research is to adapt an industrial integration model based on the XML Interface for Robots and Peripherals (XIRP) communication protocol, such that it could be applied to the reality of Brazilian small and medium enterprises (SMEs). In order to enable this, it is necessary to study the existing industrial environments and the complexity involved in the device integration task. We observed these environments are manufacture centered considering the solutions created in terms of equipments and softwares. This is the example set by manufacturers like ABB, KUKA, Reis Robotics etc. The manufacturer detains the integration solution and the devices, and these can only be integrated in platforms of the same manufacturer. The industrial communication protocol, in this case XIRP, enables the communication among devices and controller systems in a standardized way, allowing devices from one manufacturer to communicate with systems from another. This protocol is based on the eXtensible Markup Language (XML) and supplies the specification of the XML schema files, which allows the crea- tion of a device description and the composition of messages to be exchanged among devices. Therefore a communication infrastructure and device integra- tion system was built from the standard. Note that the XIRP standard was created considering processor based devices. As this standard is still in development, and in case of an eventual adaptation to it, it would be impracticable to change an entire production environment by means of equipment exchange. Therefore, this research project presents an infrastructure that consists in an integrator system to gradually adapt to this communication protocol. The proposed integrator system allows the incorporation of XIRP or non-XIRP devices. Considering a device already exchanges messages by means of XIRP compliant messages, its integration and operation would be simpler in a production environment. However, even in this case, the device would still need support to operate in unison with other entities pertaining to the environment. This synergy is included in the specification of the integrator environment, although, it is not part of the intended results for this research. Therefore, the foreseen hypothesis deals with the necessary mechanisms to incorporate non-XIRP devices in a production environment compliant with the XIRP standard, from the device indexing/identification to the automatic generation of the control application and its low level integration, in order to allow its operation.

Thesis (M.Sc. Agric. (Agricultural Economics)) -- University of Limpopo, 2018 / Agriculture is the backbone and a very important sector of the South African economy. This is because it provides food and employment to a lot of people in the country especially those living in the rural areas. Smallholder farmers also play an important role in livelihood creation and also alleviation of poverty among the population in Limpopo province, but despite this, their productivity is low. A decline in agricultural productivity reduces market access resulting from low quality and quantity of produce by smallholder farmers which invariably affect their accessibility to market. This study therefore examined the determinants of market access and productivity among smallholder maize farmers in Lepelle-Nkumpi municipality using the Probit model and Cobb Douglass production functions. While the Probit regression model was used to analyse the effect of socioeconomic characteristics of smallholder maize farmers on market access, the Cobb Douglass production function was used to examine the determinants of productivity among the farmers in the study area. The results of the Probit regression analysis indicated that farm size, hired labour and maize produced per hectare had positive significant influence on probability of farmers accessing markets. Farm size and maize produced per hectare were statistically significant at 1% and hired labour was statistically significant at 5%. The results of Cobb Douglas Production Function indicated that the elasticities of market access, farm experience, fertilizers, capital and membership of association were significant and positive. Based on the study findings, it is recommended that farmers should be provided with market infrastructure and marketing information services. This will help the farmers in a way that the transaction cost will be minimised and farmers will not incur more cost when they participate in the markets. Farmers in the study area indicated that transportation cost is the major challenge facing them. This is because of the poor conditions of roads in the study area. Therefore, the study recommends that there should be inputs subsidy that helps farmers to improve their productivity.

This study examines recent evidence of growth and deterioration in the geography of Quebec agriculture. An explanation is sought in the changing food market linkages between producers and consumers. To this end the nature of consumer demand, the conduct and marketing strategies of processors and retailers, their productivity and competitiveness are reviewed in turn. / It is shown that the market system is inherently dynamic and increased vertical control is identified as a key factor. Its role in the process of change is explained in terms of the joint working of economic and political forces. Much policy is found inadvertently to reinforce existing trends. An explanation is suggested in the failure to recognise the complexity of the market process. As a result structural rigidity now threatens the market system. All this is directly evidenced in the spatial characteristics of the farm landscape. Policies are suggested to resolve the issue and strengthen the farm sector.

The protracted Arab-Israeli conflict has adversely affected the economic, social, and political development in the Middle East. In spite of the centrality of political considerations, it is important to look at the potential for trade and other transactions between the countries from a purely economic point of view. In this thesis candidates for trade in agricultural commodities between Syria and Israel are identified, assuming a normalization of relations between these two countries. / The history of trade in the region, from the Roman Empire to the present time is described and analyzed with an emphasis on Israel and Syria. This is followed by an examination of relative resource endowments, and political, economic, and social development, with special attention to the agricultural and food sectors. / Border trade analysis is used as a method for identifying commodities that are candidates for trade between Israel and Syria. In general, the method presumes that commodities that are sensitive to distance will be candidates for trade between neighboring countries. This sensitivity is assessed by an examination of border trade in a commodity compared to total trade in the same commodity, using data from a sample of countries. Commodities that tend to be traded between neighbors compared to between distant partners are assumed to have potential for trade between Israel and Syria. / The results of the analysis yielded 10 agricultural commodities (SITC three digit level) that are likely to be traded between Israel and Syria. Moreover, the possible direction of trade in these commodities could also be identified.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Law, 2000. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves p. i-xxxii).