Dormancy and sprout control in root and tuber crops

Research objectives were to study dormancy/sprout control in potato and sweetpotato, and to identify novel sprout control strategies. Consistent with sprout stimulation by gibberellins (GAs) in potato, 10 mM GA3 enhanced sprout length and number in sweetpotato roots and sprout growth was decreased by 20 ml/L piccolo (GA synthesis inhibitor). Continuous application of 10 ppm ethylene or greater prevented sprouting in sweetpotato roots over 4 weeks storage at 25° C. Sprout growth was also inhibited by 1000 ppm aminoethoxyvinylglycine (AVG) (ethylene synthesis inhibitor) or 625 ppb 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) (ethylene antagonist). Continuous ethylene treatment or single 1-MCP treatment could be a practical sprout control method for sweetpotatoes stored at >15° C. 5 ppm or greater ethylene increased root respiration rates, but this effect was reduced by 1-MCP or AVG. Sugar content in ethylene treated roots +/- 1-MCP or AVG were lower than untreated roots, with lowest levels in roots treated with ethylene alone. Hormonal control of dormancy/sprout growth was studied in excised buds from potato tubers transformed to over-express a bacteria gene encoding 1-deoxy-D-xylulose 5 phosphate synthase (DXS), which exhibit arrested buds, Five weeks post-harvest over-expressing lines, DXS1 and DXS2, showed greater sprout growth compared to wild type when treated with 1 mM GA3 or tZR in 2009, whereas DXS1 showed less sprout growth 4 weeks post-harvest in 2007. There was no difference in DXS1 and DXS2 behaviour 4 months after harvest in 2007. The different behaviour of DXS1 over seasons and with time from harvest underlines how tuber state can change with maturity. No consistent differences were found in chemical profile of peel among potato tubers of accessions with a range of dormancy characteristics. Although 1, 4-Dimethylnaphthalene has been identified as a natural sprout suppressant, it could not be detected in any accession even though measurements were sensitive to below 100 ppb

Bureaucracy and Pro-poor Change

This paper takes a political economy perspective in analysing the nature and causes on the decline in bureaucratic conduct. Section 1 lays out the details of this structure. Based on a logical model which places the bureaucracy within the larger context of the objective function of the state, the nature of the political process, the degree of centralisation and fragmentation of the bureaucratic structure and processes for monitoring and accountability of the bureaucracy, this model provides the basis for subsequent analysis. Section 2 provides a historical overview with regard to changes in the bureaucratic and political structure and the impact it had on the above mentioned balance between bureaucratic conduct and political compulsions. Section 3 then analyses the consequences on service delivery that this systematic weakening of the bureaucratic structure has had. Section 4 then critically assesses some of the recent attempts at bureaucratic reform in the light of the framework developed in Section 1. The conclusion then summarises the paper and draws implications for pro-poor change of the structure and conduct of the bureaucratic structure in PakistanPoverty, Poor, Bureaucracy

Bureaucracy and Pro-poor Change

Based on the premise that a functioning state is a necessary pre-requisite for pro-poor change, it is critical to investigate the role of the bureaucracy as a key catalyst in this process. Weber (1968) ascribes bureaucracies to be anchors of the modern nation state as their conduct is based on rational-legal norms. Bureaucracies, according to this ideal type, temper the populist urges of politicians who wish to execute policy unencumbered by rules and procedures. State success or failure in many cases, therefore, can be gauged by the degree to which this tensionbetween the rules based bureaucratic form of administration and populist politicsis resolved. Prognosis on pro-poor change in the light of the present and anticipated balance between bureaucratic procedures and political compulsions is thus an important area of inquiry. There is consensus that the disconnect between policy formulation and execution in Pakistan has widened considerably in the last three decades or so. And this is in spite of the fact of the generally acclaimed view that Pakistan inherited a well functioning and competent bureaucracy from the British Raj [Braibanti (1966)]. While part of the blame for this disconnect can be ascribed to incoherence in policy formulation on the part of the political leadershipboth civil and militarybut bureaucratic malfeasance, incompetence and corruption have been critical factors in the level of governance declining over time. This paper takes a political economy perspective in analysing the nature and causes on the decline in bureaucratic conduct. Section 1 lays out the details of this structure. Based on a logical model which places the bureaucracy within the larger context of the objective function of the state, the nature of the political process, the degree of centralisation and fragmentation of the bureaucratic structure and processes for monitoring and accountability of the bureaucracy, this model provides the basis for subsequent analysis. Section 2 provides a historical overview with regard to changes in the bureaucratic and political structure and the impact it had on the above mentioned balance between bureaucratic conduct and political compulsions. Section 3 then analyses the consequences on service delivery that this systematic weakening of the bureaucratic structure has had. Section 4 then critically assesses some of the recent attempts at bureaucratic reform in the light of the framework developed in Section 1. The conclusion then summarises the paper and draws implications for pro-poor change of the structure and conduct of the bureaucratic structure in Pakistan.bureaucracy, pro-poor change, consequences on service

What Elements of a Performance Management Framework Have Been Shown to Promote High Levels of Participation?

Many companies are quickly learning that traditional performance management processes are hindering their growth. In order to begin implementing an effective performance management system, it is important that companies start by instilling a culture that enables this. According to Deloitte’s Human Capital Trends of 2015, only 8 percent of companies surveyed believed that traditional performance management drove business value. Some of the best practices for implementing employee performance appraisals can be found by focusing on the following topics: ● Choosing the appropriate performance appraisal method ● Creating a culture of feedback & coaching ● Preparing for the future - ePerformance appraisals & technology Each topic will discuss a) the importance of the topic at hand; b) how companies can start to develop best practices, and c) organizational case studies of success

A Constitutional Case for Extending the Due Process Clause to Asylum Seekers: Revisiting the Entry Fiction After \u3ci\u3eBoumediene\u3c/i\u3e

In the last two decades, the U.S. Supreme Court has actively grappled with balancing the interests of immigrant detainees and the federal government in the context of prolonged immigration detention by reconciling the statutory framework with constitutional guarantees of due process. The Court has focused on how prolonged detention without an opportunity for an individualized custody determination poses a serious constitutional threat to an alien’s liberty interest. The Court’s jurisprudence has focused, however, on aliens who have effected an entry into the United States. The constitutional entitlements of nonresidents who are detained upon presenting themselves at the border have so far been excluded from this new immigration narrative and continue to be governed by a more than halfcentury-old precedent establishing the “entry fiction” and acceding to the plenary power of the Executive. This Note focuses on a discrete category of aliens, namely nonresident arriving aliens seeking asylum who are detained pursuant to section 235 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). These aliens stand on a different legal footing than other categories of aliens detained under the INA because they are subject to the entry fiction doctrine, which has manifest ramifications for not only their legal status but also the degree of constitutional protections they are entitled to. This Note discusses how developments in the extraterritorial application of the Constitution inform the entry fiction doctrine in the context of extending procedural protections to asylum seekers detained upon entry into the United States. This Note shows how the functional approach to extraterritoriality articulated in Boumediene v. Bush alters the legal landscape and affords an opportunity to extend due process protections to nonresident arriving aliens. Cognizant of the limitations imposed by the plenary power doctrine, this Note does not argue for extending the complete panoply of procedural protections to section 1225(b) detainees; instead it focuses on how a discrete remedy— bond hearings—would help alleviate the procedural deficiencies in the statutorily prescribed procedure. In so doing, this Note departs from the approach that has currently been adopted by lower courts by positing that recent Supreme Court precedent provides a very strong constitutional basis for extending procedural protections to section 1225(b) detainees, and it would be remiss to rely solely on Clark v. Martinez-inspired constitutional avoidance arguments

The Role of Mutual Funds and Non- Banking Financial Companies in Corporate Governance in Pakistan

This paper advances the argument that institutional investors, particularly mutual funds can play a vital role in enhancing corporate governance in emerging economies. Accordingly, regulatory framework need to be structured in a manner that would encourage the growth of the mutual fund industry and enable it to play a proactive role in corporate governance. The paper reviews and evaluates the regulation of mutual funds in Pakistan in the light of the above propositions. The Role of Mutual Funds and Non-Banking Financial Companies in Corporate Governance in Pakistan.Corporate governance, mutual fund, Non-Banking Financial Companies, Pakistan

Baseline survey for farmers organizations of Mirwal and Shahpur small dams, Punjab, Pakistan

Irrigation management / Dams / Farmers' associations / Surveys / Community participation / Water management / Performance evaluation / Institution building / Agronomy / Cropping systems / Farm income / Water supply / Land levelling / Pakistan / Punjab