The research was conducted to determine the socio-economic and environmental condition of the island, to understand the problems and needs of the people of a climate change vulnerable island, to determine the level of awareness of villagers on climate change, find out the community initiatives on climate change adaptation and mitigation and find out if disaster risk reduction management is in place in the community. Banacon Island, the research site, has 318 households sporadically spread in a 15 hectare dry land of the village. It has a population of 1514 (2010 data), majority (93%) has a family income of less than P3,000 ($67) a month or less than P100 ($2.2) per day. The source of electric power is a portable electric generator which is enjoyed by only 8% of the households and the majority (92%) are still using kerosene lamp at night. There is no potable water in the island. Majority of the households (85%) has no toilet, 12% has their own and 3% of the households shared their toilet. The leading causes of infant mortality are diarrhea, malnutrition and pneumonia. Only 3% of the residents are well-off while majority (87%) are in the average level which is below the poverty line. A significant number (3%) lived in a miserable condition. Fishing is the main source of livelihood. Fifty percent (50%) of the residents are involved in seaweeds culture and business. Community problems are directly related to health, sanitation, livelihood, education, source of power for electricity, peace and order and problems with the children. Community members are aware of the changing pattern of climate with increased temperature, extensive rainfall and sea level rise as their indicators. Disaster risk reduction management mechanism is already in place in their locality through the village officials.

Rotifer samples were seasonally collected in 2010 from ponds, lakes, reservoirs and rivers in the upper part of the Cambodian Mekong River in Kratie, Stung Treng and Ratanakiri Provinces. A 30 μm mesh plankton net was used to collect samples. The water quality parameters: temperature, pH, electrical conductivity, turbidity and dissolved oxygen were also collected from each of the sampled sites. A total of 175 species of Monogononta Rotifers were found, 64 of which were new Cambodian species records. This investigation brings the total number of rotifers identified from Cambodia to 260 species. Of the 4 habitat types, ponds had the highest species richness, followed by lakes, reservoirs and rivers.

This study generally aims to illustrate, promote and increase the awareness of the dwellers in the study area regarding the beneficial aspects of rattan. Particularly, it aims to identify the ways that the committee can use to sustain their rattan production and to determine the advantages (or beneficial effects) of rattan production to committee members’ livelihood. To achieve these objectives, stratified random sampling was performed. Out of 82 respondents, 65 were collectors 13 were processors and 2 were middlemen, all living in three villages namely, Prek Thnot, Prek Kreng, and Chang Huon and 2 retailer reside in Kampot city. The study illustrated that rattan committee sustain rattan resource in their community by providing harvesting guidelines and initiating additional jobs from the production chain managing the amount of rattan resource to be used annually and replanting them, and applying harvesting technique from WWF. Rattan production with its beneficial effects is extremely important for all households in the production chain. It is not only used for food or handicraft but also a source of income for all actors along the chain.

Thailand has faced from long time the problem of land tenure, and agriculture land reform program has been implemented in Thailand for about three decades particularly in the areas identified as the encroached national reservation forest. Todate more than 5.12 million ha of land have been allocated to the farmers in 69 provinces of the country for settlement and agricultural purposes. The collaborative project between JICA and ALRO called D/S North project has been implemented during 2004-2007 aiming to improve the living standard of farmers through promoting the practices of sustainable agriculture and integrating the proper natural resource management and environmental conservation measures into their living activities. This study, therefore, examines the achievement of the integration of the natural resources conservation measures to farmers' livelihood under the D/S North Project in the representative site, namely BorLek Long sub-district, Phrae Province. The Sustainable Livelihood Framework, developed by DFID was used to investigate the livelihood situation of the people who implemented the project. The study shows that the people have better living condition with better natural, financial, and social capital as a result of project implementation.

Equitable distribution of irrigation has been one of the most compelling justification for irrigation management reforms in many countries. Policy response to such need in Pakistan had been the introduction of farmer-management of tertiary level irrigation affairs. This study presents an empirical analysis of the effect of reforms on equitable irrigation distribution in Farmer Organizations (FO) of three Area Water Boards (AWBs) in Sindh, Pakistan. Cross-sectional quantitative information obtained from secondary sources included the official datasets on irrigation discharge measurements, FO maturity indexes and FO profiles prepared by Sindh Irrigation and Drainage Authority (SIDA) and Water Sector Improvement Project (WSIP-I). A multinomial logistic regression model, having Equity between Head and Tail watercourses as the regressand and Institutional maturity index, Culturable command area, and Membership size of FO as the regressors were used to model the determinants of Equity in Farmer-managed Irrigation Distribution. The study identified institutional maturity as one of the influential factors explaining variation in the irrigation delivery performance of FOs. With some caveats, findings have useful policy implications for the success of irrigation reforms for sustainable agriculture in Sindh Province of Pakistan.

Most cattle raising in Cambodia is undertaken by smallholder farmers, based on a system of low nutritional input (crop residues) and high labour input. Options for increasing efficiency and introducing a market-oriented beef production system are considered a priority. This paper reports the outcomes of a cattle market chain study conducted in Kampong Cham province. Three districts were selected: Prey Chhor (paddy area), Tbong Khmum (highland area) and Kang Meas (Mekong area). A rapid market appraisal was conducted by following the market chain from producers to traders. Farmer groups, cattle brokers and small, medium and large traders were informally interviewed. Farmers in Prey Chhor frequently bought and sold draft cattle as a seasonal cycle for rice cropping. Farmers along Mekong area practiced a form of market-orientated production, buying thin cattle from other districts to fatten and sell. At all points of the market chain, interviewees reported that kilogram of meat was the basis of price. Interestingly, sale of raw meat at market (retail) is the only stage of the market chain at which weighing of meat takes place. At all other stages of the market chain, assessment of weight is undertaken by visual assessment and is therefore only an estimate. For breeding animals, their physical appearance rather than production-based measurements is the basis of price. Importantly, meat eating quality was not identified an issue of importance by farmers or cattle traders.

In rural areas of Cambodia, more than 70% of the total population is in the agricultural and related sectors, which are the important sectors of the Cambodian national economy. Rapid development of agricultural technologies depending on agricultural chemicals such as synthetic fertilizers, herbicide or pesticide has significantly increased agricultural production since 1990 (MAFF, 2009). However, overuse of agricultural chemicals is damaging the long-term soil fertility and productivity of farmlands. Also, agricultural chemicals released from farmlands to downstream cause the degradation of water environment. So, attention has been paid to promote sustainable agriculture through organic farming practices. Taking into account the conventional farming practices of rice and vegetable cultivations that have been done by local farmers, various workshops and trainings were conducted to promote organic farming practices. This paper dealt with the discussion on sustainability of organic farming practices introduced on the basis of local awareness. In addition, various workshops and trainings on organic farming practices were assessed in this study.

Drought is an important constraint to rice production in Thailand especially the northeastern part, as a result of the erratic distribution of rainfall. The objectives of this research were to study rainfall characteristics in northeast Thailand, assess the impact of drought on rice production in 2012 and assess adaptation to strategies of farmers relative to drought. Rainfall data over the 10 year period (2001-2011) and the drought year (2012) of northeast Thailand, as well as selected site study in Nakhonratsima and Kalasin provinces were also investigated. Mean annual rainfall recorded in 2012 was only 966 mm in Nakhonratsima which declined by 239 mm, compared to the mean annual rainfall 1204 mm in the time period during 2001-2011. Similarly, mean annual rainfall recorded in 2012 was 1133 mm in Kalasin which declined 375 mm, compared to mean annual rainfall 1508 mm in the time period between 2001-2011. The crop cutting study were done in the farmer's fields to obtain rice yield and the yield components found that the actual yield loss due to drought was 59-68% in Nakhonratsima and 55-65% in Kalasin, respectively compared with the attainable yield. Farmer's coping adaptation strategies included crop diversification (short-term adaptation options), change of land use pattern (long-term adaptation options) and built on farm pond in the paddy fields.

The most popular medium for microorganism immobilization is eco-block. The easiest microorganism to obtain in Japan is Bacillus natto and used for producing food for human consumption. While, eri Cocoon has proven to be an efficient immobilization medium for bacteria. Lactobacillus spp. is a beneficial bacteria easily obtained in every country in the world. The main objective was to compare the performance of inoculated eri cocoon and inoculated eco-block for glucose and NO₃-N consumption. As a secondary objective we compared, through the inoculation rates, the capacity of eri cocoon and eco-block to allocate Lactobacillus and Bacillus natto separately. The methodology of this study was divided into two stages. First, a comparison of eco-block and eri cocoon’s ability to allocate microorganisms within its structures; and second, the comparison of consumption between inoculated eri cocoon and inoculated eco-block. The comparison of the amount of Lactobacillus and Bacillus natto to be allocated by the eco-block and the eri cocoon, we found that there are no significant differences between the amounts of both Lactobacillus and Bacillus nattowhich can allocate, however, a higher inoculation rate was found in eri cocoon medium. Addition to the consumption of glucose for both microorganisms showed a significant difference between Lactobacillus and Bacillus natto.Lactobacillushad a higher consumption rate. When comparing within both different bacteria, the result foundthat the eri cocoon performed better against eco-block. In comparison the use of inoculated eri cocoon showed better results in both consumption of glucose and NO₃-N of both Bacillus natto and Lactobacillus. However, when comparing Bacillus natto and Lactobacillus, the last one showed better consumptions when combined with eri cocoon and Bacillus natto showing better results when combined with eco-block. In conclusion, pending an economical study, eri cocoon inoculated with Lactobacillus spp. presents the best option as a water pollutant removal tool.

Today biochar research in agriculture is worldwide interested to mitigate greenhouse gas emission. Application of biochar in anoxic condition to different textured paddy soils was proposed to study. We gave hypothesis that biochar rates in paddy soils will correlate to the changing of CH₄ production, soil labile organic carbon (LOC), pH and electrical conductivity (EC), and their interactions. Biochar amendment rates, 6.25, 12.50, 18.75 and 25 t ha^-1 were anaerobically incubated in loamy, clayey and loamy sand soils for 28 days. At the end of incubation, biochar amended loamy soils gave the highest cumulative CH₄ production followed by clayey and loamy sand soils. CH₄ production was enhanced by biochar amendment in loamy and clayey, but suppressed in loamy sand. The highest cumulative CH₄, 47.03 mg CH₄-C kg^-1, was produced from loamy soil with 12.50 t ha^-1 of biochar. The highest LOC was in clayey soil followed by loam and loamy sand in all rates of biochar amendment. Biochar had tendency to enhance soil pH in loam, but not in clay and loamy sand. In addition, highest EC was in clay, especially with 25 t ha^-1 of biochar amendment, followed by loam and loamy sand. Through the whole of incubation, biocahar amendment rates significantly negative correlated to CH₄ production rates in all soil textures. The positive correlations between LOC and biochar rates were found in clayey and loamy sand soils, while the former was highly significant. However, fluctuated correlations were manifested in loamy soil. Furthermore, in loamy sand, the stronger correlation between biochar rates, and both pH and EC, compared to loamy and clayey soils. Biochar amendments suppressed CH₄ production in loamy sand, but enhanced in loamy and clayey soil under anaerobic incubation. Further studies on biochar feasibility should be trialed in paddy-field condition.

The study attempts to clarify the functions of oxbow lakes in rural irrigation systems. The status of oxbow lakes was briefly investigated through interviews with town officials and land improvement agencies. It is clear that even though canals have been constructed in the area, oxbow lakes in the Ishikari River basin are utilized as primary and auxiliary irrigation resources and as reservoirs for circulating irrigation systems. In the Urausu region, 14% of the irrigation water resource comes from oxbow lakes. The percentage of drainage into the oxbow lakes is 72.0% during the puddling period and 64.6% during the normal period. The percentage of water recycled through the oxbow lakes is 76.3% during the puddling period and 66.4% during the normal period. Furthermore, all water used in circulating irrigation is obtained from the oxbow lake in the region around Karisatonuma. This reduces the amount of water taken from the river. This suggests that rural resources, such as oxbow lakes, can continue to be used as a component of regional irrigation systems. This information may be beneficial as a reference for cost-effective development of rural irrigation systems in developing countries.

The species diversity of ants in three different land use types: a mixed deciduous forest, pine forest and Para rubber plantation, were studied to determine and compare the ant species diversity in these areas. Four sampling methods: handling capture over constant time, honey bait trap, leaf litter sifting and soil sifting, were conducted from September 2011 to September 2012, inclusive. The species richness of ants in the area was 40 identified species, belonging to 23 genera in five subfamilies. The Shannon-Wiener’s species diversity index indicated that the diversity was the highest in the mixed deciduous forest (2.65), followed by the pine forest (2.19) and lastly the Para rubber plantation (1.48). The β-diversity, using Sorensen’s similarity coefficient to determine the similarity in community composition, was highest between the mixed deciduous forest and the Pine Forest at 71%, and then between the mixed deciduous forest and Para rubber plantation at 61%, and between the pine forest and the Para rubber plantation at 53%, indicating that both ant species diversity and community composition were varied in these three sites which may relate to their different land use types. Therefore, the information from this study suggests that ant species diversity may be used to assist the conservation and management planning of agro-forestry ecosystems.

Large-scale infrastructure for tsunami damage mitigation includes tidewater control forests and tide embankments. It is said that installing a tidewater control forest of 200 m in width along the coast is effective in mitigating tsunami damage. Since the East Japan Great Earthquake, tide embankments of about 7 m high have been under construction on coasts of tsunami-hit areas. Restoration and installation of tidewater control forests require many years, and the construction of large-scale tide embankments requires enormous cost. This study focuses on existing roads in the coastal areas. We investigated the effects of road, depending on their conditions of spacing, on tsunami sand deposition. A 0.3 m-wide, 12 m-long open channel was used for tsunami experiments. To simulate a tsunami, a removable barrier was set near the upstream end of the channel to retain water. The barrier was lifted suddenly to generate a bore. The scale of the model was 1/100. A certain amount of sand and models of a tidewater control forest, a tide embankment and roads made of acrylic were placed at the longitudinal midpoint of the channel. The movement of sand carried by the reproduced tsunami was observed. Several combinations of the tidewater control forest, tide embankment and three roads were used in the tsunami reproduction experiment, with the spacing changed for each experiment. As the result of experiments, it was clarified that when the spaces between the roads were wide, the amount of deposited sand was controlled better. It was also clarified that the amount of sand deposition at the time of a tsunami in a coastal area was able to be controlled effectively by combining roads with wide spacing between them with a tidewater control forest or a tide embankment.

In all over the world, many organizations implement project from a viewpoint of sustainable development. In case of Japan, 10.5 billion USD is used for Official Development Assistance (ODA) in 2012. Projects were not only implemented but also evaluated by donors, experts and implementers such as NGO and universities. This kind of conventional project evaluation is designed mainly by implementer side and local people regarded as just informants. But criticisms for conventional project evaluation were also studied by other researchers. In 2000, previous study stated that thinking of experts often different from that of people in developing country. Other studies also mentioned that, for improving quality of assistance, it is necessary to conduct project evaluation by adding the point of view of local people and feedback results of project evaluation to local people. However,implementation of participatory evaluation also has difficulties such as resource limitation and conflict of interest. So, this study dealt with the possibility of implementing participatory evaluation for project from a viewpoint of sustainable development in Samroung commune of Cambodia. The study was advanced through comparing evaluation result of conventional evaluation and model participatory evaluation. Result shows that result of two evaluation approaches has some differences because of resource limitation and less objectivity. Therefore, this study concluded that project evaluation better to be done not only by experts but also by local participants. This study proposes different approach of participatory evaluation for evaluating the project properly with more local voice in shorter time and less expense. This approach has potential to enhance accountability toward stakeholdersof Japanese ODA because result of evaluation is led with more local voices with objectivity of experts. Process of this approach also has potential as capacity building for stakeholders including local people in Cambodia.

This research paper deals with the management of the canal water level (CWL) of Klong Rangsit Canal (KRC) as a canal water management system (CWMS) by relevant local government units and the CWL impacts on the livelihood of local residents. The relevant local agencies responsible for the CWMS in the area under study are the Royal Irrigation Department (RID) Area 11, the Bungyeetho municipality (BYM) and the Phachatiphat Sub-District municipality (PSM). The officials and personnel tasked with the CWMS responsibility were interviewed. In addition, the collection of field data was carried out. The findings indicate that attempts have been made by both municipalities to improve the living conditions and livelihood of the local residents. However, the local administrations lack the proper knowledge and skills to operate the floodgates. The municipalities operate the floodgates according to the demands of local residents. It is thus possible to draw a conclusion that most local-level state agencies give their own remit the first priority while the overall efficiency or cooperative efforts with other stakeholders are given a second priority.

The purpose of this study is to collect basic data (using a questionnaire survey) to inform the establishment of structural safety guidelines and the standardization of greenhouse design in order to determine a standard model for the development of greenhouses on reclaimed land. To collect this data, 148 farms were visited across Korea, and were administered a questionnaire survey. The survey included items on greenhouse facilities, foundations, covering material, and irrigation type. Results revealed that greenhouses were nearly evenly split between single- and multi-span structures. Most were arch or 1-2W types. Single-span greenhouses tended to use pipe foundations, while most multi-span greenhouses used concrete foundations, and most foundations were buried deeply (50-59 cm). Nearly all greenhouses (95.3%) used plastic film as a covering material as opposed to glass; the same percentage used groundwater for irrigation. These results could potentially be utilized as basic data to develop a standard model for greenhouse design in Korea.

Soil and fertilizer runoff from farms causes water pollution and eutrophication of streams and lakes. A method for cleaning the polluted water is the placement of artificial floating islands of Phragmites on the water surface. Phragmites plants absorb nitrogen dissolved in water, promoting lateral bud sprouting. The grown lateral buds are then cut, removing the pollutants. This purification method is suitable for cold regions such as Hokkaido. We devised a drainage system with a biotope to apply this purification method with a minimum of effort. The advantage of the method is that because the artificial floating islands of Phragmites after sprouting are placed in the drainage and streams, no Phragmites nursery is required. In this study, to determine the effectiveness of this method, Phragmites plants after sprouting or in the 3rd year of growth were placed in a stream in Biei Town, Hokkaido and were observed every 2 weeks. In the 3rd-year Phragmites plants, terrestrial stems were lying on the ground after a month, but new lateral buds grew from the culms of fallen stems and underground stems. Thus, if Phragmites grown to a certain stage could be used, this method is a promising approach to improve water quality. In contrast, in Phragmites plants after sprouting, the number of terrestrial stems continued to decrease during the observation period because no underground stems were established by running water and accreted sand. The method should therefore be investigated in other locations, such as wide river channels and stable streams.

Human uptake of Cadmium (Cd), a toxic heavy metal that can cause kidney damage and other physiological disorder, takes place mainly through food. In some regions of Japan, the agricultural land area was polluted with heavy metals especially Cd. Management of groundwater level can be effective method for minimization of Cd uptake in plant at large scale agricultural field. In this greenhouse experiment, we investigated two constant groundwater levels; 10cm groundwater level model (M-10) and 40cm groundwater level model (M-40) on Cd uptake in Soybean plant in Cd polluted soils (3.39 mgkg^-1). The redox potential of soil layer was measured from seed sowing to harvesting. Thickness of gravel layer, non-polluted soil and polluted soil was 14, 15 and 25cm respectively. The soil layer (10-40 cm) of M-10 was always measured in reduction condition and 0-40cm layer of M-40 was always in oxidation condition. Cd concentration of Soybean seed was significantly lower in M-10 (0.92 ± 0.1 mgkg^-1) than that of M-40 (1.31 ± 0.2 mgkg^-1). Cd concentration of stem was also found significantly lower in M-10 (0.82 ± 0.1 mgkg^-1) than that of M-40 (2.34 ± 0.2 mgkg^-1). In the other hand, main stem height of soybean plant of M-40 (111.6 ± 5.1 cm) was significantly higher than that of M-10 (100.5 ± 3.6 cm). In vegetative stage (first 50 days) the SPAD-value was observed higher in M-40 (about 46.5) and lower in M-10 (about 31.3). Branch number, 100 seed weight and seed yield were also found significantly higher in M-40 than those of M-10. The result revealed that, reduction condition was effective for minimization of Cd uptake in Soybean plant whereas, oxidation condition was favorable for seed yield.

The objective of this study was conducted in Faculty of Agriculture, Khon Kaen University to investigate species, distribution and the usage of edible trees and medicinal plants and finding some guideline to conservation. The Check-List Survey was used and only more than 1.30 m. of height and more than 4.5 cm. of diameter at breast height (DBH) in both of edible trees and medicinal trees were identified and documented. The results showed that the overall of tree species in Faculty of Agriculture, Khon Kaen University are 57 species and 28 families which divided to edible trees 37 species, 12 families and medicinal trees are 55 species, 26 families. In addition to edible part are fruit, leaf, flower, inside-outside seed, bark and root. While, whole plant part including bark, leaf, root, stem, fruit, flower, seed, resin, petiole and polen was used as medicinal trees useful in the treatment of illness and any diseases. The distribution of edible trees and medicinal trees in this area varied primary forest (dry dipterocarp forest and dry evergreen forest) which no reforestration and conservation. This study indicated that edible trees and medicinal trees are valuable resources for improving not only food and nutritional security of households living but also ecological system. Therefore, more concern and should be enhanced the In-situ conservation of edible trees and medicinal trees through the participation of both faculty members and university members.

Fallow had been reported to decline survival of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) spore. The effect of fallow on AM fungi under maize cropping system was studied to evaluate its effects on population of AM fungal species in community, AM spore abundance and biodiversity. A pot experiment was undertaken over two successive crops. The crop 1 was maize planting in all pots for establishing a uniform AM community. The crop 2 was maize planting and leaving pot soil as fallow. At the start of the crop 2, the AM community in both topsoil and subsoil was composed of 12 species in 4 genera: 2 species of Acaulospora, 2 species of Entrophosphora, 7 species of Glomus and 1 species of Scutellospora. Glomus spp. was dominant in the AM community. The spore number of Glomus spp. was approximately 70 and 80% of total spore number in topsoil and subsoil, respectively. The AM fungal biodiversity was 0.94 and 0.91 in topsoil and subsoil, respectively. The AM spore abundance was approximately 1,600±50 and 750±70 spores per 100 g^-1 of soil in topsoil and subsoil, respectively. There were no differences in AM spore abundance of all pots at the start of crop 2. The data collection at the end of the crop 2 was compared to those at the start of crop 2. The results showed that the population of AM fungal species in community, the AM spore abundance and the biodiversity in the topsoil and the subsoil did not change under maize crop. However, fallow treatment had decreased the AM spore abundance by 30% and 15% in the topsoil and the subsoil, respectively. It had greatly affected on spore number of Glomus spp. than the other AM genera. The AM fungal biodiversity had declined to 0.79 and 0.84 in topsoil and subsoil, respectively. Therefore, the results indicated that fallow had negative effect on AM fungal community in soil. This may be due to life cycle of AM fungi was disturbed by absence their host during fallow period.

Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is an important economic crop in Thailand. Nowadays, insect pest is the major problem that causes severe damage to cassava leading to considerable yield losses. Since, using chemical pesticide is always presence of chemical residues on soil and may affect the population and diversity of soil microorganism. Therefore, the aim of the study was to determine the effect of thiamethoxam on plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) population in cassava production system. A total of 400 bacteria were isolated from 4 sites, including 1 (cassava production system without thiamethoxam and fertilizer application 2 (cassava production system with thiamethoxam application 3 (cassava production system with thiamethoxam and organic fertilizer application 4 (cassava production system with thiamethoxam and chemical fertilizer application. These isolates were screened for their plant growth promoting factors like production of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), phosphate solubilizing activity and their ability to grow in N-free medium. In addition, their biocontrol activity like protease and chitinase enzyme production and siderophore production as well as antagonistic activity against Fusarium sp. were investigated. The findings of this study indicated that the application of thiamethoxam in cassava production system can affect PGPR population. In this study, numbers of bacterial isolates demonstrate that they are a potential source to be used as microbial inoculant for crop production system.

The experiment of appropriate chemical fertilizer application rates on yield, yield components, dry calyx acid and seed oil contents in red roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa) cultivar: Surin with 4 chemical fertilizer rates (16-16-16: 0, 25, 50 and 75 kg/rai; 1 rai = 1,600 m²) was conducted at Faculty of Agricultural Technology; Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi; Pathumtani province, during late July to December 2010 by RCB design 4 replications. The results indicated that some agronomic characteristics, yield and yield components of all red roselles with applied in any rate of the chemical fertilizer were higher than the non-applied one. The rate of 75 kg/rai brought red roselle not only got better in growth of vegetative parts (192.2 centimeters of plant height, 10 main branches), faster in 50% first flower blooming date (only 100 days after planting), longer periods of flowering and maturation of the first fruit (22 and 23 days after the first bloom flower) but also gave greater in yield components (38.8 fresh fruits, 179.2 and 24.1 grams fresh and dry calyx , 31.1 grams of seeds/plant), these supported the roselle to get the highest yield (764.8, 103.0 and 132.8 kg/rai of fresh calyx, dry calyx and seed weight respectively). Nevertheless when considering to the harvest index, the highest rate of fertilizer applied roselle plot was equal to that non-applied plot (0.36). Regarding to the analysis of dry calyx acid and seed oil contents in red roselle, all treatments by average contained 13-16% of acid and 20-21% of seed oil.

Giant Swamp Taro “Cyrtosperma chamissonis” is a native plant in the Philippines. It can also be found in Bohol, Philippines especially in swampy coastal areas. It is used as food and is prepared in several ways like roasting, grating, or baking the corm whole. Giant Swamp Taro has traditionally been an important emergency crop in times of natural disaster and food scarcity. It is rich in calories, fibre, calcium, iron, zinc, β-carotene, thiamine and Vitamin C. This study ventured to produce T1- Taro Espasol with Young Buko, and T2- Taro Espasol with Peanuts; to determine its acceptability; and to promote the product to the rural community. This is an experimental study using parallel group design with sixty panelists assessing the product in six sensory attributes; appearance, texture or mouthfeel, cohesiveness, odor, taste and general acceptability, utilizing Hedonic Scale. It was found out that T2 or Giant Swamp Taro with peanuts ranked first in four sensory attributes; cohesiveness (tie with T0) - Crumbly, Odor - Very Pleasant, Taste - Moderately Palatable, and in General Acceptability-Very Much Acceptable. T2 ranked second in texture-Less Soft and third in Appearance - Very Attractive. On the other hand, T1 or Giant Swamp Taro with Young Buko got the highest in Appearance-Very Attractive, cohesiveness (tie with T2)- Crumbly, second in taste- Moderately Palatable, and in ‘general Acceptability- Very Much Acceptable and third in Texture and Mouthfeel- less soft, and odor - Very Pleasant. Meanwhile, T0 ranked first in texture and mouthfeel - less soft, second in appearance - Very Attractive, Odor - Very Pleasant and third in Cohesiveness - Crumbly, Taste - Moderately Palatable, and General Acceptability - Very Much Acceptable. It can be concluded that the three treatments of Giant Swamp Taro Espasol are generally acceptable. It is easy for the rural people to prepare the recipe since it is cooked using carajay and tools which are available in rural communities. Giant Swamp Taro flour can substitute glutinous rice in recipes.

This study focuses on the characteristics of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and fine particulate matter (PM) in six four-stroke motorcycle exhaust emissions. Blend gasoline contains 85% (vol) ethanol (Gasohol E85) and 10% (vol) ethanol (gasohol 91) was used as test fuels. The test motorcycle was driven on a Chassis dynamometer to evaluate the effect of ethanol-gasoline blend on gaseous pollutant emissions. The dynamometer system comprised a cooling fan, a dynamometer, a dilution tunnel, a constant-volume sampler (CVS) unit, a gas analyzer and a personal computer. The exhaust from the test motorcycle was passed to the dilution tunnel. The emissions of PAHs and criteria air pollutants (THC, CO, and NOx) were measured. Measurements were performed on a standard driving cycle. The results show that in comparison to gasohol 91 fuels, the use Gasohol E85 fuels achieved reduction of THC and CO emissions. The emission of THC from gasohol E85 reduced by 4-60% (average 43%) compared with those of gasohol 91 fuels. CO emissions also showed a reduction by 40-95% (average 75%). The concentrations of naphthalene, Benzo(a)anthracene, Chrysene, Benzo(b)fluoranthene, and Benzo(g, h, i)perylene were also determined.

The current landscape was constructed by the first settlement in approximately 120 years at the Shinotsu region located in the Ishikari River Basin, Hokkaido. The objective of this study was to investigate landscape elements and factors found during landscape changes as well as the problems associated with future developments. Data regarding landscape changes during each period were collected using topographic maps, and changes because of human actions and related projects in this region were recorded from town history and other related documents. Landscape changes occurred through the following steps: (a) primal natural landscape (peatland, primarily occupying the landscape); (b) natural and partial agricultural landscapes occurred during only good settlement conditions (alluvial plain); (c) decrease in natural landscape and gradual development of a dry field landscape with drainage of peatland (farmland expanded in hockmoor from niedermoor); and (d) paddy field landscape established using an advanced agricultural water-use system. From these landscape changes, it was clear that the changes in elements and factors were primarily human plans (motive), peatland characteristics (depending of Fudo, which is a holistic phenomenon based on the complex of interactions between factors such as climate, geography, and soil) and agricultural water-use system (tools and facilities). In addition, these elements and factors interactively affected landscape changes; thus, evaluation using each element or factor alone is difficult.

Selection of an appropriate technology in rural settings in developing countries contributes to the effective use of the scarce resources of the community and the sustainability of the system using that technology. Literature review shows that appropriate selected technologies suit difficult conditions of poor people, lessen their financial burdens, increase productivity and create wealth. This paper also introduces the application of Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP) method in making decision on technology in rural settings. The eight-step process of AHP method is demonstrated with an illustration example of rural water supply investment based on the alternatives, criteria and priorities as judged. This new model, an application of mathematical methodology in social choice, would correct the shortcomings of other decision rules and improve the quality of decision-making process of a community in their initiatives to improve their livelihoods.

It is generally known that the nitrogen concentration in river water is higher in agricultural areas. However, measurement of the nitrogen concentration is time- and cost- intensive. This study estimated total nitrogen (T-N) concentration based on electrical conductivity (EC) in river water at two agricultural watersheds area which are the Tokachi area, the main land uses are upland and daily farming and the Nemuro area, the main land use is daily farming. The ion components in river water were also considered. The investigation was carried out from August to early September in 2003 to 2006 and in 2012, and T-N concentration, EC and ionic components in river water were measured. In the two areas, there was a positive correlation between T-N concentration and EC in the river water. From this result, T-N concentration was able to be estimated from EC. However, the slope of the regression line differed between the two areas. It is causally related to the effect of the ionic components, because there was a very strong correlation between the concentrations of cationic and anionic components in river water and the EC. In the Tokachi area, SO₄^2- and NO₃^- account for a high percentage of the anionic components. These derive from fertilizer, which correlates positively with T-N concentration. In the Nemuro area, Na⁺ accounts for a high percentage of the cationic components. In comparison with sea salt, the Na⁺ concentration is higher than Cl^- concentration. In addition, there was no correlation between Na⁺ and T-N concentration. In the Nemuro area, the outflow of ion component of geological origin affects EC. In light of the above, T-N concentration was able to be estimated based on EC; however, it is necessary to consider the difference in the concentrations of water quality components for each region.

The economic profitability and water use productivity of four crops grown after rice harvest were assessed in two sub-districts, Dong Klang (DK) with limited water availability for irrigation, and Tung Pra (TP) with greater water availability, in Kornsarn District, Chaiyapoom Province, Northeast Thailand. Three households growing dry season rice, soybean, chili and field corn were purposively selected for each crop in each area. Higher crop yields were found in TP than DK for dry season rice, soybean and field corn (5000 vs 5513 kg/ha, 1646 vs 1971 kg/ha, 3633 vs 4563 kg/ha, respectively), while chili yield was higher in DK (14917 vs. 9083 kg/ha). Fertilizer cost was the main cost for dry season rice in both areas (39-42% of total production cost), followed by labor (27-38%), but irrigation cost was higher in DK than TP (21% and 9%). Seed cost was the main cost for soybean production in DK (43%), but combined harvester was highest in TP (41%). Labor for fruit picking was the main cost for chili in both areas (80-81%), and fertilizer was the main cost for field corn (36-53%). Net returns in both areas followed a similar pattern, chili> dry season rice > soybean ≥ field corn (18,838>1,880>827>598 USD/ha in DK; 15,462>1,512>540≈ 585 in TP), with higher net returns in TP due to lower costs. The benefit-cost ratio was highest for dry season rice in both areas; 4.06 and 4.86 in DK and TP, respectively. However, water productivity on a yield basis was lowest for rice in both areas (0.68 and 0.75 kg/m³ in DK and TP, respectively), and highest for field corn (0.98 and 1.23 kg/m³ in DK and TP, respectively). Measures to reduce water use for rice, and reduce costs and improve market access of other crops could improve water productivity and farmer income.

Before cutting, melons were washed with sodium hypochlorite (100 ml/l active ingredient) and water rinsed. Melons were cut longitudinally into four parts, cut into triangles 2 cm thick. A piece of watermelon was chosen from the center. Watermelon slice were dipped in calcium ascorbate (CaAsc; 0, 1, 5, 10 and 20%, w/w) for 2 minutes and drained. Fresh-cut watermelon was arranged in foam trays with 4 pieces per tray, covered with plastic polyethylene (LLDPE) film and stored at 10/C with relative humidity of 90-95%. At each storage interval, melon slices were evaluated for weight loss, changes in color (L*, a* and b*), total soluble solids and juice leakage. Dipping fresh-cut watermelon slices in 5, 10 and 20% CaAsc increased the weight loss up to 9.73 12.83 and 13.65% respectively, compared with watermelon dipped in 0 and 1% CaAsc, which only experienced 4.88 and 4.10% of weight loss after storage for 8 days. Percent juice leakage in fresh-cut watermelon dipped in 1 and 5% CaAsc was less than the other treatments. The effect of calcium ascorbate on the changes of color and total soluble solids were not significantly different. However, fresh-cut melon dipped in 1% CaAsc tended to reduce the changes of weight loss and juice leakage better than other treatments.

Even a small plot or container garden applying sustainable agriculture can help children learn basic ecological principles. In urban living, a garden maybe the best connection for young people to nature; especially it may affect to their community, making the connection between suitable agriculture and their parents or their future activities. The study was conducted to access the perception of school children at primary school through the series of training provided towards sustainable agriculture and environmental education. Series of training were delivered to school children selected from five primary schools: two from Prey Chhor district, Kampong Cham province and other three from Phnom Penh. Totally, there were about 200 children that participated from the selected primarily schools in each training. Before and after the training provided, as well as interviews at each step, the understanding of school children on sustainable agriculture and environment was evaluated; the results showed that the understanding of composting materials were increased, also the perception and the motivation increased with the training including practical demonstration. Noticeably, after the training on compost making, school children had learned the ways of how the compost is made and what the chemicals meant to them and their communities. We also observed that a number of school children started to collect the organic materials for their school's compost boxes. Moreover, the results from their vegetable gardening gave evidence that the understanding of school children on agriculture and environment was increased and it was applicable to their villages and the communities close to their places. Based on the findings obtained and our observation, the series of training on sustainable agriculture and environment to school children at primary schools are effective to the rural villages for their livings and income generation. This may be also helpful to the community effort in sustainable agriculture and environment as a whole.

Cassava (Manihot esculenta), a host plant of eri silkworm (Samia Cynthia ricini), is one of the main crops, followed by rice in Cambodia. As it was not long ago that eri-culture was introduced in Cambodia, the research related to eri-culture and eri silkworms in Cambodia has not been developed. Especially, trimming methods of cassava leaves have not been studied yet. Accordingly, attention has been paid to evaluate the suitable amounts of leaves trimmed for eri-culture without affecting cassava tuber yields. So, this study dealt with the potential percentage of cassava leaves trimmed for eri-culture in Cambodia. In the experimental field at Royal University of Agriculture located in Phnom Penh, cassava, variety called KM 94, was cultivated from November 2011 to July 2012 for 8 months. After 4 months passed from planting, the leaves were trimmed at 0%, 20%, 40%, 60%, 80% and 100%, respectively. At 8 months passed from planting, the yields were compared amongst plots of different trimmed percentage, and the suitable amounts of leaves trimmed for eri-culture without affecting cassava tuber yields were discussed. The experimental results showed that yields of 100% trimmed were significantly smaller than that of 0% to 80% trimmed. Additionally, there was no significant difference in yields amongst plots trimmed 0% to 80%. It was concluded that cassava leaves can be trimmed up to 80% without affecting cassava tuber yields.