Advances in Food Science and Technology

Advances in Food Science and Technology ISSN: 6732-4215 Vol. 6 (8), pp. 001-010, August, 2018. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Investigating the effects of targeting subsidies on macroeconomics variables of agricultural sector in Iran

Seyed-Ali Hosseini-Yekani

Department of Agricultural Economics, Sari Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University, Sari, Iran. E-mail: [email protected].

Accepted 14 April, 2018

Abstract

The aim of this study is simulating the results of targeting subsidies on macroeconomics variables of agricultural sector in Iran. In order to achieving the objectives of this study, a multi-sector computable general equilibrium model with five quintiles of rural and urban households is developed to analyze the results of elimination and redistribution of subsidies according to the law of targeting subsidies in Iran. The results show that during targeting, high income and average income groups lose. Income rising (in the case of quintiles which their income rise) causes to increasing demand of agricultural products, food products and services in both urban and rural households. The level of factor demand in agricultural and food industrial sectors increases. Income of unskilled labors increase more than income of skilled labors. The produced commodities of petroleum, industrial and mineral sectors will be expensive and the other commodities will be cheap. The level of production in agricultural and food industrial sectors increase and in the other sectors decrease. Agricultural, food industrial and services exports rise and petroleum, industrial and mineral exports reduce. Agricultural imports increase and the level of imports in other sectors decrease.

Key words: Targeting subsidy, computable general equilibrium, agriculture, Iran.

Advances in Food Science and Technology ISSN: 6732-4215 Vol. 6 (7), pp. 001-013, July, 2018. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Analysis of regional disparities and wage convergence in Alabama

James O. Bukenya*, Cedric Davis, Swagata Banerjee and Buddhi Gyawali

Department of Agribusiness, Alabama A&M University Normal, AL 35762, Alabama, USA.

Accepted 19 March, 2018

Abstract

This paper examines the degree to which real wages have converged in Alabama over the last thirty-seven years. The increase in government transfers, improvement in information technology and possibly, other government assistance programs would suggest that, wages in spatially dispersed counties within nation-state should become similar over time. However, the interrelation between business cycles, migration, employment structure and changes in per capita earnings over time reduces this possibility. To test the convergence hypothesis, comparable county-level real wage data are obtained from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis and analyzed using cross- section and time series techniques. Particularly, two hypotheses are tested: (1) whether real wages in poor economies (rural counties) are catching up with real wages in rich economies (urban counties), and (2) whether adjacency to urban areas has an effect on the transition from low wages to high wages for rural workers in Alabama. The results differ across the different measurement techniques, but in general, the findings do not confirm the convergence hypothesis within the different sub- periods, but rather patterns of fluctuating coherence. Similarly, the proximity hypothesis is rejected suggesting that, rural workers residing in counties that are contiguous to urban areas have not benefited from the potential spillover effect.

Key words: Real wages, convergence, divergence, unit root tests, time series, cross-section analysis.

Advances in Food Science and Technology ISSN: 6732-4215 Vol. 6 (6), pp. 001-009, June, 2018. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Design and construction of a solar drying system, a cylindrical section and analysis of the performance of the thermal drying system

Ahmed Abed Gatea

Department of Agricultural Mechanization, College of Agriculture, University of Baghdad, Iraq. E-mail: [email protected].

Accepted 28 March, 2018

Abstract

In this work, a solar drying system of a cylindrical section which consists of a solar collector flat plate, drying chamber cylindrical section and a fan was built and designed for the purpose of drying 70 kg of bean crop. And there was an analysis of a thermal solar collector with flat plate absorption being obtained at the maximum temperature outlet of 71.4°C at 11 am. At radiation intensity, 750 W/m² for air flow rate of 0.0401 kg/s was obtained at ambient temperature of 34°C. The maximum average value of thermal efficiency of the solar air collector obtained from the calculation is 25.64% at air flow rate of 0.0675 kg/s, the maximum daily efficiency drying system was 18.41% at air flow rate of 0.0405 kg/s.

Key words: Solar energy, Solar Dryer Cylindrical Section (SDCS), thermal analysis, drying beans.

Advances in Food Science and Technology ISSN: 6732-4215 Vol. 6 (5), pp. 001-005, May, 2018. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Study on persistence tests of miticides abamectin and fenproximate to predatory mite Phytoseiulus persimilis (Acarina: Phytoseiidae)

Ahmad Nadimi¹, Karim Kamali¹*, Masoud Arbabi² and Fateme Abdoli³

¹Department of Entomology, Tarbiat Modares University, College of Agriculture, Tehran, Iran.

²Department of Agricultural Research Zoology, Iranian Plant Protection Research Institute, Iran.

³Department of Biology, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran.

Accepted 10 January, 2018

Abstract

Economically, the most important species are the polyphagous pest two-spotted spider mite called Tetranychus urticae Koch and the predaceous phytoseiid mite called Phytoseiulus persimilis Athias-Henriot which is successfully used as biological control agent in a number of agricultural ecosystems. To evaluate the toxicity of the two current miticides (abamectin and fenpyroximate) on predatory mite P. persimilis, two persistence tests were carried out under laboratory conditions and with four replicates per treatment using commercial formulations at highest recommended field concentration, half concentration and quarter concentration. The control block was treated with water. Assessments of the phsytoseiid were performed on mortality, escape of predators up to 5 days after the adult stage and reproduction of female during the first 5 days of the adult stage. Total effects (E) of the miticides were determined on the phytoseiid by combining lethal (mortality) and sub -lethal effects (fecundity). Persistence is classified by considering E suggesting that all fenpyroximate treatments and three days old residues of abamectin treatments would be the least compatible with P. persimilis but ten days old residues of abamectin treatments were favorable towards P. persimilis.

Key words: Phytoseiulus persimilis, persistence test, abamectin, fenpyroximate.

Advances in Food Science and Technology ISSN: 6732-4215 Vol. 6 (4), pp. 001-007, April, 2018. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Genetic characterization of three breeds of high royal jelly producing honeybee (Apis mellifera ligustica) in China

Ling Yin¹, Ting Ji¹*, Guohong Chen¹ and Wenjun Peng²

¹College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China.

²Institute of Honeybee, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100094, China.

Accepted 24 November, 2017

Abstract

There are three most famous breeds of high royal jelly producing honeybee (Apis mellifera ligustica) in China. After numerous rounds of selection for royal jelly production, the royal jelly production of the three breeds is much higher than the unselected. It is important to maintain genetic diversity of breeds in selective breeding and stock management. The genetic diversity and genetic differentiation of three breeds were surveyed using 18 microsatellite markers. Using Polymorphism Information Content (PIC), mean heterozygosity (H), number of effective alleles, genetic distances, gene flow (Nm) and F-statistics, we evaluated the genetic diversity and genetic differentiation. The result showed that the number of alleles per locus ranged from 2 (AP156 and A028) to 25 (AP053). All of the three breeds showed high levels of heterozygosity. Significant genetic differentiation was found among the three breeds and the average genetic differentiation coefficient of the three breeds was 0.037.

Key words: High royal jelly producing honeybee, Apis mellifera ligustica, genetic diversity, genetic differentiation, microsatellite marker.

Advances in Food Science and Technology ISSN: 6732-4215 Vol. 6 (3), pp. 001-008, March, 2018. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Tolerance of yolk sac and free swimming fry of African catfish (Clarias gariepinus, Burchell 1822) to chemotherapeutic doses of formalin

Emmanuel K. Mbaru¹*, Thomas K. Mkare¹ and Joseph O. Rasowo²

¹Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute, P.O. Box 81651-80100, Mombasa, Kenya.

²Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, Moi University, P.O. Box 3900, Eldoret, Kenya.

Accepted 27 October, 2017

Abstract

This study reports tolerance levels and lethal concentrations of yolk sac and free swimming fry of African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) to different therapeutic doses of formalin. Comparative treatments were up to 2000 ppm for 15, 30 and 60 min exposure times and up to 150 ppm for 24 h exposure time for the second experiment on lethal concentrations. In both fry stages, higher survivals were recorded at short exposure times and at lower concentrations. The LC50 value for the yolk sac and free swimming fry was 130 and 90 ppm with total mortalities at concentrations beyond 150 and 125 ppm respectively. Although other concentrations and exposure times gave best performance in terms of survival, we recommend 15 min bath dip at 500 ppm for the yolk sac fry and 15 min at 600 ppm for the free swimming fry for routine use by rural fish farmers to reduce fry mortalities.

Key words: Clarias gariepinus, formalin, free swimming fry, lethal concentration, yolk sac fry.