What policy lessons derive from the half-century of banana expansion in the coastal region? For that whole period bananas had a catalytic role in promoting coastal deforestation. At first, this was mostly through direct banana frontier expansion. Later the gradual settlement effects proved key. Modest credit subsidies, the large-scale construction and improvement of roads and ports, and a devalued exchange rate were probably the most important policies that contributed to the expansion of banana production, though they varied in importance during the different periods.

Se presenta informacion preliminar acerca del proceso y las causas de sucesion de sabanas de Trachypogon vestitus y de Paspalum pectinatum despues de quema y pastoreo, en Carimagua, Colombia. En varios expt. en los cuales se aplicaron diferentes tasas de carga a parcelas con y sin quema, se observo que la cobertura de plantas tendio a ser mayor en las parcelas con quema, a la mayor tasa de carga y al inicio y al final de la epoca seca. La quema y el pastoreo no afectaron el no. de plantas emergentes. Despues de la quema y con tasa de carga baja, T. vestitus predomino en la sabana de P.

Mediante un minisimulador de lluvia se evaluaron los cambios en pérdida de suelo y en algunas propiedades físicas asociadas con el movimiento del agua, en un Inceptisol (Dystric haplustepts) de la zona de reconversión del cultivo de trigo del departamento de Nariño, Colombia (75º 14Ž oeste, 0.5º 10Ž norte, 2.710 msnm, 79% HR, 12ºC). Los tratamientos fueron: Suelo no intervenido a 25% de pendiente (testigo), uso en pastura por 25 años, 25% de pendiente y uso agrícola rotación trigo-maíz (rt-m) de 25, 45 y 70 años de uso, cada uno de estos últimos a 12% y 25% de pendiente.

Successful control of tsetse (Glossina spp.)-transmitted trypanosomiasis in the Ghibe Valley, Ethiopia, appears to have accelerated conversion of wooded grassland into cropland. Land conversion, in turn, may have fragmented wildlife habitat. The objective of this paper was to assess the influence of the expansion of agricultural land-use, brought about by tsetse control, on ecological properties by using bird species richness and composition as indicators of environmental impacts.

Powerpoint presentation by the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) about the ten key steps for "ELMO".

This audiotutorial unit (cassette, printed script, 70 color slides, study guide, self-evaluation test), prepared by the Communications Support Unit at CIAT, is available for use with a manually or automatically synchronized slide projector/cassette tape recorder. Each unit is available from the Distribution Office at a cost of US$ 50; photocopies of the study guide alone can be obtained from the Cassava Information Center. Data are given on the biology of the hornworm, its economic importance and possible methods of control.