International Biodegradable Mulch Study Tour: Assessing Barriers and Bridges to Adoption in the EU
Abstract — While using plastic mulch in specialty crop production has served to increase yields- often two- and even three-fold, its disposal has considerable environmental impacts. Sustaining or increasing existing levels of food production on ever-decreasing agricultural acreage without introducing environmental damage remains a key food security challenge. Biodegradable mulches (BDMs) potentially offer an alternative; however, adoption in the U.S. has been slow due to regulatory concerns and lack of appropriate evaluation metrics for on-farm degradation. In contrast, BDMs are more widely used in Europe. Here we propose a study tour to Italy and Spain for our transdisciplinary team in order to identify factors contributing to the difference in global adoption rates of biodegradable mulches and learn from industry and university cooperators with expertise in the long-term use and evaluation of degradation of BDMs. This study tour will contribute to the team’s transdisciplinary training, which includes both fully interdisciplinary research and the involvement of stakeholders in directing the research
and building the knowledge base. To capture these outcomes, the team will develop
Extension fact sheets, a journal article, and field day experiences for U.S.
growers and other stakeholders where the focus is an exploratory assessment of
the factors that contribute to differential BDM adoption rates in the U.S. and
the European Union.
Improving Dairy Animals Productivity, Health and Hygienic Milk Production and Processing in Southern Ethiopia
Abstract — Foods of animal origin are sources of several critical nutrients for consumers and play a great role in the prevention of child malnutrition. Compared with meat, milk and dairy products are more accessible to rural households and thus provide a quick way of supplying nutrients for humans. Milk is particularly important in the diet of the rural people and can contribute more than 50% of the energy intake of families. In this regard, camel milk plays an important role in household food security of camel rearing communities of arid and semi-arid areas of East Africa. Especially, in such areas during dry periods, camel and goat milk play a great role in replacing cattle milk in the diet of pastoral families. In most areas of Ethiopia basic hygienic practices such as washing udders before milking, boiling milk before consumption and proper storage and transportation of milk to the market places are still unimproved and based on unhygienic production system. Risk factors for occurrence of milk borne diseases in pastoralareas include presence zoonotic diseases in the livestock population, high consumption of raw milk, absence of hygienic milking and milk handling practices, inadequate storage and transportation of milk to market places and low awareness level of communities. Therefore, the overall goal of this project is to improve availability of healthy and safe milk for human consumption in Southern Ethiopia.
Specific Objectives:
- Introduce better management of savannah grasslands
- Training community members in hygienic milking and milk handling practices;
- Evaluate milk for presence of zoonotic and foodborne pathogens;
- Conduct a pilot surveillance study focusing on major production constraints of dairy animals (cattle, goat & camels) to identifying priority areas for future intervention.
Logan, J., Jagadamma, S., Eash, N., Lambert, D.
Abstract — The Global Climate Risk Index ranks the Dominican
Republic fifth in the world, a reflection of the country’s very high vulnerability to changes in temperature stress, hurricane intensity, precipitation patterns, and ocean levels. It will be increasingly vital to protect the soil and land resources as well as the hydrological cycle, especially at the higher elevations where rainfall is greatest. Agriculture is seen as particularly susceptible to climate change threats and there is great concern about the future status of the important northern Yaque del Norte River which provides irrigation water for the entire Cibao Valley, a major production area of the country. Highly weathered soils on the farms in the headwaters of this river are characterized by low soil fertility and high soil erosion potential. There is a critical need for protecting these soils to improve and maintain the sustainable productivity of these managed ecosystems. Incorporation of biochar is a promising strategy which significantly
reduces soil loss and increases soil organic carbon and aggregate stability.
The goals of this project are:
- to promote sustainable agriculture and ecosystem services in the coffee plantations by teaching a workshop in the use of biochar as a soil amendment.
- to conduct several on-farm demonstrations of the benefits of biochar.
We will also introduce and discuss the feasibility of various Payments for Environmental Services (PES)models, and the suitability of these models for Rio Yaque del Norte watershed. We propose to work alongside colleagues in the Plan Yaque office, as well as faculty, staff and students of two colleges that offer programs in agriculture and environmental science.
Establishment of international partnership between the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture and Zamorano University in Honduras for the promotion and advancement of academic and research opportunities for sustainable solutions to global food security challenges
Myer, P., Morgan, M., Ader, D.
Abstract — The impetus behind the global food security challenge is direct, with the necessity to feed over 9 billion people by 2050, where the demand for nutritional and sustainable food will be approximately 60% greater than today. Developing a food-secure world, where people have access to safe, nutritious, affordable food, developed by sustainable and environmentally conscious agriculture is the principal goal of this challenge. In order to generate sustainable solutions to these challenges, collaborative international and interdisciplinary teams must be developed. The purpose of this proposal is for travel to establish an international partnership between the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture and Zamorano University in Honduras for the promotion and advancement of academic and research opportunities for sustainable solutions to global food security challenges.
Willcox, A., Souza, M., Gerhold, R., Okafor, C.
Abstract — The potential dangers of direct spillover of zoonotic diseases from hunted wildlife to humans have entered mainstream African media, but the perceived and actual risks of transmission are unknown. The recent Ebola outbreak in parts of Sub-Saharan Africa and the unresolved spillover route have increased concern about zoonotic diseases regionally. Direct spillover of zoonotic diseases from hunted wildlife to humans occurs most frequently from bat and primate species, threatening food safety and security. Therefore, in African cultures like those in Central Uganda, where primate consumption is uncommon due to cultural norms, the risk of primate to human disease spillover should be minimal. However, it is rumored that hunters and meat sellers are butchering large primates into unidentifiable pieces of meat to disguise it as culturally acceptable species such as antelopes. This observation received further support from an impromptu discussion in fall 2015 with hunters at a free dog spay, neuter, and vaccination clinic sponsored by a local NGO in Gulu working with communities adjacent to Murchison Falls National Park.
Our research goal is to quantify the perceived and actual risk of disease spillover from bushmeat to humans in Gulu communities adjacent to Murchison Falls.
We will accomplish our goals by:
- k,
- identifying species and presence of zoonotic diseases from bushmeat in markets,
- analyzing hunting dog blood sampled from local veterinary clinics for disease pathogens, and
- surveying women to understand perceived food safety risks from preparing and serving bushmeat for their families
This research will result in several presentations and publishable manuscripts and provide pilot data to conduct this research at a larger scale. Ultimately, local communities can use our research to make informed decisions about bushmeat consumption by understanding species uncertainty in the market and actual zoonotic disease risk.
Establishment of International Partnership Between UTIA and Chinese Academy of Forestry for Developing Biofuel and Biomaterials from Biomass
Wang, Harper and Abdoulmoumine
An International Research and Extension Experience with Cooperatives in Developing Countries: The Case of Certified Coffee Cooperatives in Mexico
Trejo-Pech, Velandia and Stripling
Epidemiology of mastitis and antimicrobial resistance of mastitis pathogens in South Africa
Master Teacher Workshop for Faculty Members of East African Colleges of Veterinary Medicine
Souza, Lane and Bailey