This book by In-Tech publishing helps the reader understand the power of informed decision making by covering a broad range of DSS (Decision Support Systems) applications in the fields of medical, environmental, transport and business. The expertise of the chapter writers spans an equally extensive spectrum of researchers from around the globe including universities in Canada, Mexico, Brazil and the United States, to institutes and universities in Italy, Germany, Poland, France, United Kingdom, Romania, Turkey and Ireland to as far east as Malaysia and Singapore and as far north as Finland. Decision Support Systems are not a new technology but they have evolved and developed with the ever demanding necessity to analyse a large number of options for decision makers (DM) for specific situations, where there is an increasing level of uncertainty about the problem at hand and where there is a high impact relative to the correct decisions to be made. DSS's offer decision makers a more stable solution to solving the semi-structured and unstructured problem. This is exactly what the reader will see in this book.

Consideration of the interactions between decisions made at one point in the supply chain and its effects on the subsequent stages is the core concept of a systems approach. Postharvest Handling is unique in its application of this systems approach to the handling of fruits and vegetables, exploring multiple aspects of this important process through chapters written by experts from a variety of backgrounds.Newly updated and revised, this second edition includes coverage of the logistics of fresh produce from multiple perspectives, postharvest handing under varying weather conditions, quality control, changes in consumer eating habits and other factors key to successful postharvest handling.The ideal book for understanding the economic as well as physical impacts of postharvest handling decisions.Key Features:*Features contributions from leading experts providing a variety of perspectives*Updated with 12 new chapters*Focuses on application-based information for practical implementation*System approach is unique in the handling of fruits and vegetables

This volume is an analytical summary and a critical synthesis of research at the International Water Management Institute over the past decade under its evolving research paradigm known popularly as 'more crop per drop'. The research synthesized here covers the full range of issues falling in the larger canvas of water-food-health-environment interface. Besides its immediate role in sharing knowledge with the research, donor, and policy communities, this volume also has a larger purpose of promoting a new way of looking at the water issues within the broader development context of food, livelihood, health and environmental challenges. More crop per drop: Revisiting a research paradigm contrasts the acquired wisdom and fresh thinking on some of the most challenging water issues of our times. It describes new tools, approaches, and methodologies and also illustrates them with practical application both from a global perspective and within the local and regional contexts of Asia and Africa. Since this volume brings together all major research works of IWMI, including an almost exhaustive list of citations, in one single set of pages, it is very valuable not only as a reference material for researchers and students but also as a policy tool for decision-makers and development agencies.

This book focuses on the challenges people face in managing agricultural crops, aquaculture, fisheries and related ecosystems in inland areas of coastal zones in the tropics of Asia, Africa, Australia and South America. These challenges can create conflicts in the use of natural resources between different stakeholders. Through many case studies, the book discusses the nature of the conflicts and identifies what is known and not known about how to manage them. For example, some case studies relate to the trade-offs between enhancing agricultural production by constructing embankments to keep out saline water and maintaining not only the variety of rural livelihoods but also brackish aquatic biodiversity. Other case studies provide the lessons learnt from the conversion of mangrove forests to shrimp farms.

The purpose of the Guide is to support national plant protection organizations (NPPOs) who wish to establish and maintain pest free areas (PFA) including places and/or production sites (PFPP and PFPS) as well as areas of low pest prevalence (ALPP). To facilitate an understanding of the processes to establish and maintain PFAs and ALPPs, a diagram in the form of a decision tree was constructed that identifies and outlines five general phases of programme development as follows: initiation, feasibility, establishment, maintenance, and market access phases. The guide is then divided into corresponding sections that describe what the key elements of each phase are, why these elements are important, what some of the common challenges and pitfalls are, and factors that may influence the success of the different phases such as budget stability, public outreach, availability of good survey and control tools, and open engagement with stakeholders and trading partners. By providing a deeper understanding of the factors that should be considered when establishing a PFA, PFPP, PFPS or ALPP the guide aims to overcome the challenges and maximize the impact of these efforts to the benefit of all parties. The guide concludes by providing a number of case studies from around the world that highlight successful PFA and ALPP programmes and how they deal with particular key issues. This guide contains current experience and the most advanced phytosanitary procedures in the implementation of PFA and ALPP, however, it is subjected to revision and updates as new developments are made available.

Insect pests are becoming a problem of ever-more biblical proportions. This new textbook collates a series of selected papers that attempt to address various fundamental components of area-wide insect pest control. Of special interest are the numerous papers on pilot and operational programs that pay special attention to practical problems encountered during program implementation. It’s a compilation of more than 60 papers authored by experts from more than 30 countries.