لیلی احمدی

In this study, keratinase-producing bacteria were used to produce natural fertilizer from chicken feathers. Twenty-nine soil samples were collected from 0-30 cm depth of agricultural fields and mixed with chicken feathers. After three weeks, 31 isolates were isolated from the soils mixed with feathers, which were able to grow on the special culture medium of Feather Meal Agar (FMA). The isolates were transferred to a liquid medium containing feathers and their ability to degrade the feathers was investigated. A completely randomized design was used to examine the effect of the solution created by the degradation of chicken feathers on lettuce growth. The experimental treatments included the foliar application of three solutions obtained from the degradation of chicken feathers (gh1, b1, c11), and control (distilled water). The results showed eight isolates were able to completely decompose the feathers in seven days by producing keratinase enzyme. The highest activity of the keratinase enzyme (with the ability to fully degrade the feather: 8.56 U / ml) was related to that of Bacillus methylotrophic strain gh1. Also, the maximum concentration of free amino acid (1065 μg / ml) was observed in the growth medium of Bacillus siamensis strain c11. The three solutions obtained from feather degradation had a significant effect (p < 0.01) on lettuce fresh weight, lettuce dry weight, and fresh root weight. The results showed that the lettuce fresh weight increased by 28.8%, 26.1%, and 14.1%, using Bacillus methylotrophicus (gh1), Bacillus velezensis (b1), and Bacillus siamensis (c11) respectively, compared to the control. In addition, the lettuce dry weight increased by 25.7%, 19.9%, and 15.2%, with the aid of gh1, b1, and c11 treatments, respectively, compared to the control. The results showed that using keratinase-producing bacteria, feather degradation could be increased, and the obtained product can be used as a growth stimulant for lettuce.

Agribusinesses that follow conventional approach, due to overuse of off-farm inputs threaten ecosystem services, environmental health and human life. Insisting on the continuation of these type of businesses will threaten the sustainable livelihoods of the rural population, as well as the lives and health of consumers. Therefore, to deal with these threats, the creation and development of organic production businesses is an inevitable necessity.The present study sought to first identify and prioritize the challenges of creating and developing organic wheat production business and then introduce appropriate solutions to remove these obstacles and challenges.

The present study used the Delphi technique to identify and prioritize the barriers and solutions of the creation and development of organic wheat production business. Using snowball sampling, 21 Agriculture-Jahad specialists of Markazi province were selected to participate in two rounds of Delphi technique. The data from the semi-structured interview of the first round were coded using the content analysis and then were compiled as a Likert scale and again provided to the experts for scoring. The coefficient of variation was used to end the Delphi technique and the normalized weight index was used to prioritize the variables.

The results revealed that lack of initial capital, lack of government support for organic wheat production due to the dominance of self-sufficiency policy, improper marketing, insufficient knowledge and skills and low motivation along with long period of transition and lack of insurance coverageas were the most important challenges respectively and the formation of a wheat growers’ cooperative, the payment of low-interest facilities, training and extension, crop insurance and guaranteed purchase along with supplying inputs were the most important solutions respectively.

In short, in this study an economic challenge i.e. insufficient initial capital has been introduced as the first and most important obstacle for creating and developing the organic wheat production business and a policy issue i.e., lack of government support for organic wheat production due to the dominance of self-sufficiency policy has been introduced as the second important obstacle. Other challenges, namely marketing, cognitive and psychological problems, are overshadowed by these two challenges and are in the next ranks. The interesting thing is that given the challenges, a social action, i.e., organizing wheat farmers in the form of a production cooperative, has been introduced as the first and most important solution to address the challenges and reduce their adverse effects. So that other measures such as payment of facilities, holding training and extension courses, insurance, guaranteed purchase of the products and supply of inputs within it and through it will be facilitated, accelerated and implemented.

BackgroundRegarding the significant role of trained and skillful relief workers in reducing losses caused by disasters, it is important to improve training programs qualitatively and quantitatively. So, this paper aims to determine knowledge and attitudes of relief workers in relief & rescue bases (fixed and mobile) at Norouz in 2010.Methods In this descriptive-analytical study, 90 male relief workers of Red Crescent Society were selected at Norouz relief & rescue bases in Mazandaran province in 2010. Using a two-part questionnaire, some data was obtained as demographic information, knowledge and attitudes of relief workers. FindingsAccording to the

the workers age average was 23/9±5/1 years; the score average of general knowledge (from 20 points) was 17/6 ± 4/9; the score average of public knowledge was (20 points) and professional (10 points), 12/4 ± 3/6 and 5/3 ± 1/8 respectively.

Most relief workers (66/7%) had a moderate or very good knowledge and half of them had a very good attitude towards the whole training courses.