Browsing by Subject "Establishment"
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Item Agricultural science curriculum for Messiah Theological Institute in Mbale, Uganda: a needs assessment(Texas Tech University, 2006-12) Kipkurgat, Thomas Korir; Lawver, David; Fraze, Steven; Baker, Matt; Johnson, Phillip N.This dissertation presents an assessment of needs associated with the development of an agricultural science curriculum at Messiah Theological Institute in Uganda. The long-term objective of this research was to explore strategies and to establish courses that will improve agriculture among schools and rural communities in Uganda. Agriculture is evolving considerably due to advent of technology. As a result of climate variability and other land use demands, there has been considerable concern compounded with poor methods of farming in Uganda. Understanding the needs and development of agriscience programs is a big challenge confronting agricultural production in Uganda. This dissertation reports major concerns and possible solutions of improving agricultural programs through effective establishment of agricultural science curriculum. Agriculture is the most important sector of the economy, employing more than 84 percent of the total labor force and generating over 42.5 percent of the gross national product (WRI, 2000). Agriculture is the main business enterprise people in local areas may eradicate poverty. Agriculture continues to decline every day, partly from shortage of labor, poor technology use, urbanization, and farm sizes resulting from land use competitions (New Vision, 2005). Uganda population is predominantly rural and farmers need basic tools and demonstration plots to improve agricultural practices. The strength of Uganda economy lies in the potential of its food production and sustainability. Vocational education in agriculture needs to be offered to improve farming practices, particularly to rural farmers The data for this study was collected during August of 2005 in Mbale, Uganda. The research process consisted of five steps. The first step was distribution of questionnaires to convenient sample (n=40) at Messiah Theological Institute during information gathering session and (n=50) were distributed during rural visits. The second data collection was conducted using one-on-one interviews (n=20). One-on-one interview participants were known by experts to be knowledgeable about agriculture. Third collection process was conducted using open-ended questionnaires (n=26). Distribution of open ended questionnaire was conducted within the six districts. Open-ended provided participants greater freedom of expression and to qualify their information in-depth. The fourth process involved five focus groups with 37 total participants. Participants were identified by experts to attend the focus group discussion including nongovernmental organizations, rural farmers and government officials. Finally, rural visits (n=6) was conducted in, Pallisa, Kumi, Kapchorwa, Tororo, Lira and Mbale districts. This study concluded that agricultural education for the future of agriculture in Uganda was necessary. In the development of agricultural curriculum, three dimensions of agriculture must be considered. These are a) agriculture for sustainability and security in Uganda society, b) agriculture to reduce poverty among rural poor and for sustainability of economy, and c) agriculture for a sustainable environment. This study recommended that the establishment of agricultural curriculum at MTI will facilitate the training of agricultural courses geared towards improving food production and poverty reduction. In order to improve the livelihood and offer appropriate courses, key constraints such as infrastructure, cultural issues, courses and education content and financial constraints needs to be addressed. Vocational training should be developed to assist rural farmers and meaningful experiential learning strongly recommended for future MTI students. Agricultural training should serve the local clientele. Developments of educational programs such as demonstration workshops and should be improved to teach rural communities better farming practices. Rural farmers lack extensionist to assist with agricultural practices and therefore assessing the needs associated with curriculum development is crucial. Therefore, recommended courses should include: soil conservation, animal husbandry, farm preparation, stocking rates, breeding techniques, natural resource conservation should be offered during initial stages of MTI. Offering these beginning courses at certificate program/level and vocational training will prepare students for degree courses such as agricultural extension, animal science, agronomy, food technology, and veterinary science.Item Phophorus and nitrogen leaching losses during turf establishment(Texas A&M University, 2004-09-30) Hay, Francis JohnConcerns over water quality have led to required removal of 50 % of dairy manure phosphorus (P) from the impaired Bosque River Watershed. Application of composted dairy manure (CDM) to sod and moving P off the watershed with sod has prompted a study using box lysimeters to determine NO3--N and P leaching from transplanted sod grown with CDM and inorganic fertilizer as well as sprigs top-dressed with CDM. Treatments were applied to lysimeters filled with a silica sand medium. Three leaching events were imposed, leaching 0.07 to 0.09 % of the total P applied and 0.09 to 1.43 % of total N applied. Concentrations of P in leachate averaged 0.04 to 0.25 mg L-1. Top-dressed CDM on sprigs leached statistically greater amounts of NO3--N than both transplanted sod treatments and greater P than the fertilizer grown sod. After the third leaching event, all treatments received an additional application of P, 100 kg ha-1 as CDM for manure-grown sod and sprigs, 50 kg ha-1 as triple superphosphate for fertilizer-grown sod. An additional three leachings were imposed. Top-dressed sprigs and transplanted sod leached similar amounts of P following the additional P application. Applied nutrients appeared to stay mainly in the sod layer and in the sand medium just below the sod layer. Top-dressed CDM appears to exhibit greater leaching losses of NO3--N than transplanted manure-grown sod and greater N and P losses than transplanted fertilizer grown sod.Item Somatic Sex Determination in D. melanogaster: Insights in the Establishment to Maintenance Transition(2012-07-16) Gonzalez Rojos, Alejandra NoemiIn Drosophila melanogaster, sex is determined at the preblastoderm stage via an Xchromosome counting mechanism. During this process embryos that carry two X chromosomes begin to develop as females while embryos with one X start the male developmental program. The Xlinked genes involved in sex determination, also called Xsignal elements (XSEs), are: sisterlessA (sisA), sisterlessB (sisB), unpaired (upd), and runt. These genes are responsible for the transcriptional activation of the master regulatory gene Sexlethal (Sxl). Expression of Sxl is initially accomplished only in females through activation of the establishment promoter SxlPe. Later in development, Sxl is transcribed in both sexes through a maintenance promoter, SxlPm, but functional Sxl protein is only produced in female flies. Since Sxl is at the top of the sex determination cascade, understanding its regulation is key to comprehend the process of sex determination. The experiments in this dissertation were designed to better understand two aspects of the sex determination mechanism: How the protein encoded by XSE element sisA interacts with SxlPe, and how the transition from regulation by SxlPe to regulation by SxlPm occurs. The sisA protein (SisA), as part of the bZIP protein family, is thought to bind to its target as a dimer, but a dimerization partner has not yet been found. This work uses knockouts and germline clones to examine interaction between sisA and three SisA partner candidates, atf4, CG16813, and CG16815. Although the evidence described here suggest that none of the three SisA partner candidates genetically interact with Sis, we cannot rule out the possibility of redundancy between the different candidate proteins. This research unravels the timing and regulation of SxlPm expression. I have shown, contrary to previous thought, that expression of SxlPe and SxlPm overlaps for a brief period. Several of the same proteins that are involved in the regulation of SxlPe, including the XSE sisB, also regulate SxlPm. This sex specific regulation leads to a sexually dimorphic pattern of activation and early expression of SxlPm. A common enhancer region was found to regulate SxlPe as well as SxlPm. These results highlight the importance of the transition between SxlPe and SxlPm for the proper establishment of sex determination and have implications for how the sex determination mechanism evolved.