Cranfield University at Silsoe (1975-2008)

Permanent URI for this community

https://dspace.lib.cranfield.ac.uk/handle/1826/6

Browse

Browsing Cranfield University at Silsoe (1975-2008) by Publisher "Cranfield University, Cranfield University at Silsoe"

Now showing 1 - 6 of 6
  • Thumbnail Image
    ItemOpen Access
    Culture's influence: towards understanding stakeholder interactions in rural water, sanitation and hygiene promotion projects
    (Cranfield University, Cranfield University at Silsoe, 2007-01-05T11:23:45Z) Webster, James; Carter, Richard C.
    Variations frequently occur between the intended and actual outcomes of rural water, sanitation and hygiene promotion projects, even projects that exhibit best practice. As a result, the intended impact of poverty reduction through sustained health improvements is diminished. This thesis establishes that inadequate consideration of culture in interactions between and within project stakeholders is a major reason for these unintended project outcomes. Aspects of individual and group behaviour that are influenced by culture are examined, and an initial conceptual framework of established cultural dimensions developed. This framework is then applied to a broad variety of stakeholder groups: seven end user groups and two implementing agencies in Ethiopia and Uganda; national Governments and international donor organisations. As a result, two new cultural dimensions are proposed. Firstly, concern for public selfimage, defined as ‘the degree to which an individual expresses interest in how others perceive him/herself, and the manner in which the individual seeks to influence that perception’. Secondly, spirituality, defined as ‘the nature and degree of people’s beliefs and practices concerning the existence, nature, and worship of, and connectedness to God, a god, gods, or a greater spiritual whole, and involvement of the divine or greater spirit in the universe and human life’. Aspects of these dimensions that need to be measured are identified. Hierarchies of cultural dimensions are identified where a certain combination of individual or group orientations causes the suppression or even reversal of behaviour in a dimension. Modifications to established cultural dimensions are recommended, especially long-term orientation which the author proposes renaming to ‘resistance to change’. A multidisciplinary approach that reflects the complexities of group behaviour and converges research findings is recommended, including utilising software that simulates complex systems. Recommendations are made for development practitioners, especially to enhance participation, promote femininity and achieve lasting change through training.
  • Thumbnail Image
    ItemOpen Access
    Data analysis tools for safe drinking water production
    (Cranfield University, Cranfield University at Silsoe, 2006-11-08T17:00:01Z) Cauchi, Michael; Setford, S.; Bessant, Conrad
    Providing safe and high quality drinking water is essential for a high quality of life. However, the water resources in Europe are threatened by various sources of contamination. This has led to the development of concepts and technologies to create a basis for provision of safe and high quality drinking water, which had thus resulted in the formation of the Artificial Recharge Demonstration project (ARTDEMO). The overall aim of this thesis in relation to the ARTDEMO project was to develop a realtime automated water monitoring system, capable of using data from various complementary sources to determine the amounts of inorganic and organic pollutants. The application of multivariate calibration to differential pulse anodic stripping voltammograms and fluorescence spectra (emission and excitation-emission matrix) is presented. The quantitative determination of cadmium, lead and copper acquired on carbon-ink screen-printed electrodes, arsenic and mercury acquired on gold-ink screen-printed electrodes, in addition to the quantitative determination of anthracene, phenanthrene and naphthalene have been realised. The statistically inspired modification of partial least squares (SIMPLS) algorithm has been shown to be the better modelling tool, in terms of the root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP), in conjunction with application of data pre-treatment techniques involving rangescaling, filtering and weighting of variables. The % recoveries of cadmium, lead and copper in a certified reference material by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GF-AAS) and multivariate calibration are in good agreement. The development of a prototype application on a personal digital assistant (PDA) device is described. At-line analysis at potential contamination sites in which an instant response is required is thus possible. This provides quantitative screening of target metal ions. The application imports the acquired voltammograms, standardises them against the laboratory-acquired voltammograms (using piecewise direct standardisation), and predicts the concentrations of the target metal ions using previously trained SIMPLS models. This work represents significant progress in the development of analytical techniques for water quality determination, in line with the ARTDEMO project's aim of maintaining a high quality of drinking water.
  • Thumbnail Image
    ItemOpen Access
    The effects of tyre systems on the depth and severity of compaction
    (Cranfield University, Cranfield University at Silsoe, 2006-11-01T15:09:33Z) Stranks, Simon Nicholas; Godwin, R. J.; Dresser, M. L.
    High value crops such as peas for the frozen vegetable market have to be harvested at the optimum point for quality, regardless of field conditions. Six wheeled pea harvesters with a gross weight of 27 t, giving a wheel load of 4.5 t are required to move from field to field with optimum timeliness. In order to achieve road speeds of 25 km/h an inflation pressure of 2.2 bar is required for the specific tyre load speed rating. Typically, in field conditions, this inflation pressure is not reduced and therefore the likelihood of soil damage is increased. This study was undertaken to examine the effects of tyre section width and inflation pressure on rolling resistance, rut depth and sub-surface soil deformation. Under controlled laboratory conditions three tyres, at three inflation pressures, with a load of 4.5 t were passed over a soil at three different initial bulk densities. Measurements of dry bulk density, rut depth, rolling resistance, cone penetrometer resistance and soil deformation through the profile were taken before and after the passage of the tyres. The results show that by increasing the tyre size and reducing the inflation pressure the depth at which compaction occurs and rut depth decrease by 44%. The 800 mm section tyre causes less compaction than any of the other tyres tested especially when inflated to 1.6 bar. Rolling resistance is reduced when the tyre is inflated to the optimum for each tyre. The change in bulk density when plotted against either initial bulk density or penetration resistance results in a set of curves which can be used by the manufacturer, farmer or operator to select the correct tyre section width and inflation pressure for field conditions. As a result of this study the harvester manufacturers are investigating the engineering requirements of increasing tyre section width to 800 mm and are now equipping pea harvesters with central tyre inflation systems. The benefits of which would be to significantly reduce the amount of soil compaction, reduce rolling resistance and save the operator £455 000 per annum in fuel costs.
  • Thumbnail Image
    ItemOpen Access
    Impact of infield irrigation management by Botswana cabbage farmers on soil salinity
    (Cranfield University, Cranfield University at Silsoe, 2006-11-08T14:51:56Z) Molatakgosi, Goitsemodimo; Hess, Tim M.
    Some vegetable farmers in the semi- arid Botswana are struggling or closing down their enterprises citing the cost of irrigation and salty water as the problem. Irrigation with water from the salt-laden underground water is known to be the main sources of salts for arid and semi-arid agricultural land. Crops grown in saline environments show symptoms similar to those shown by drought-affected crops hence more irrigation is needed therefore increasing the irrigation cost. Research from other semi arid areas shows that water with high salinity levels can be used for irrigation without increasing soil salinity to values beyond critical levels. A lot of studies have been done which show that the impacts of saline irrigation water depend on the irrigation management. This study therefore aims at recommending infield irrigation management practices to be used by cabbage farmers in Botswana without increase in soil salinity to levels that will affect crop yield. A survey was conducted to identify the infield irrigation management practices presently used by cabbage farmers in Botswana. Rootzone salinity trend due to the identified infield irrigation management was simulated for 20 years using WaSim simulation model. Recommendations on irrigation management practices were made for those soil salinity trends that reached critical levels. It was realised that there are no common infield irrigation management used by farmers. The way farmers manage infield irrigation could not be identified with the factors involved in irrigation scheduling. Infield irrigation management by the farmers contribute to the soil salinity increase in their fields and some of the farmers are already using saline soils. Most farmers are not aware of the saline conditions they are farming on and those who know do not know about the soil salinity measures. The study recommends a need to educate farmers on irrigation under saline environments and also a need for farmers to include soil salinity control in their irrigation planning.
  • Thumbnail Image
    ItemOpen Access
    The institutional & legal framework for protecting poor communities' access to water supply and sanitation in the Senegal and Volta river basins
    (Cranfield University, Cranfield University at Silsoe, 2006-10-04T14:08:53Z) Sallah-Phillips, Antoinette; Howsam, Peter
    Water is life. While access to water supply and sanitation facilities is considered as one of the most basic human needs, it is also today considered as a human right. Lack of access to safe, affordable, close and adequate water supply and sanitation facilities remains one of the leading causes of diseases and deaths in the world. There are many reasons for this unacceptable situation. One key characteristic is the inadequate institutional and legal framework for water supply and sanitation provision in place. The aim of this research is to gain an improved understanding of existing frameworks, to see what and how it makes the links between the local, regional, national and international levels for communities to access improved water supply and sanitation facilities. The hypothesis being that a framework which does not provide these linkages can have a negative impact on water supply and sanitation provision for poor communities. The research focuses on the institutional and legal frameworks relating to the Senegal and Volta river basins, in West Africa and their constituent countries, one of which, Ghana, is the focus of a more detailed analysis. The study identified that insufficient attention has been given to the establishment of an overall institutional and legal framework at all levels, and particularly to the establishment of regulatory and enforcement bodies at the local, regional, national and international levels and their inclusion in the formulation of water supply and sanitation policies at all levels. A model institutional and legal framework has been developed as a benchmark against which existing frameworks can be evaluated. It draws out key features extending from the local to the international level. The research argues that governments have a primary role to play in facilitating the provision of water supply and sanitation facilities to communities, in particular the poor.
  • Thumbnail Image
    ItemOpen Access
    Practical soil protection and stabilization in Mediterranean viticulture
    (Cranfield University, Cranfield University at Silsoe, 2006-11-01T11:57:43Z) Llewellyn, C. A.,; Rickson, R. Jane
    The accelerated erosion of soil by water from Mediterranean hill-slopes under viticulture is a major problem. It is largely a result of the land management techniques employed and their influence on soil protection, structure and stability. Within this study, the relationships between viticulture practices, soil physical characteristics and erosion processes have been explored in detail, and a soil conservation strategy, which incorporates the use of herbicide managed cover, has been developed. The strategy was applied and tested in two established vineyards in southern France over a three year period (October 2001 to December 2004). Sediment and runoff losses were monitored at the plot scale from the date of treatment installation and comparisons were made with the losses from plots under conventional soil management. Cultivation, to produce a fine seedbed for cover establishment, encouraged soil to become hydrophobic and impeded drainage at depth. This aggravated soil losses under saturated conditions and impeded cover establishment. However, total sediment losses were reduced by the presence of a cover at both sites within the monitoring period. The results of a ‘Visual Soil Assessment’ showed that there was a measurable improvement in the physical condition of the soil of the vegetated plot three and a half years after the cover was sown. Controlled laboratory studies were conducted to identify the most suitable herbicide product and dose rate for inducing dormancy in a grass cover, whilst retaining its protective and stabilizing properties. Two products were tested: Paraquat and Glyphosate. At 21 days after treatment application, the treatment effects on plant and soil physical characteristics were assessed. Herbicide product and dose were found to indirectly influence a soil’s potential to erode but more detailed studies are required. Initial results suggest that Paraquat is the more suitable of the two products tested. The study concluded that herbicide managed permanent cover is a practical option for soil conservation in Mediterranean viticulture.