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Articles 1 - 8 of 8
Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Evidence Of Ancient Maya Agriculture In The Bajos Surrounding Tikal, Guatemala, Adam Calvin Parker
Evidence Of Ancient Maya Agriculture In The Bajos Surrounding Tikal, Guatemala, Adam Calvin Parker
Theses and Dissertations
Current Central American agricultural practices are environmentally and economically unsustainable, yet the ancient Maya who lived in the same region thrived for thousands of years. Archaeologists have attempted to understand the factors enabling the prolonged success and ultimate collapse of the Maya societies. Some have proposed that the karst seasonal wetlands, called bajos, that border many Maya sites in the region were an influential factor in the Maya's ability to flourish. For the past decade, researchers have used carbon isotope analyses to identify areas of ancient maize agriculture at Maya archaeological sites. In this study, we collected soil samples from …
Folate Stability In Fortified Corn Masa Flour, Tortillas, And Tortilla Chips, Renee Phillips
Folate Stability In Fortified Corn Masa Flour, Tortillas, And Tortilla Chips, Renee Phillips
Theses and Dissertations
Neural tube defects (NTDs) occur at higher rates in Hispanic populations in the USA. Such populations would benefit from folic acid fortification of corn masa flour (CMF). This study evaluated folate stability in fortified CMFs and products made from the flours, tortillas and tortilla chips. There was no significant loss of folate during the six-month shelf-life of fortified tortilla CMF and tortilla chip CMF. There was a 13% loss (P < 0.05) of folate during tortilla baking and no loss during tortilla chip frying. Both tortillas and tortilla chips showed significant folate losses over the two-month shelf-life for these products, with a 17% loss in fortified tortillas and 9% loss in tortilla chips. Folate in fortified CMFs, tortillas and tortilla chips is relatively stable and comparable to the stability of folate in wheat flour and breads.
Mentored Student Research In The Study Of Ancient Maize Agriculture In Mesoamerica, Richard E. Terry
Mentored Student Research In The Study Of Ancient Maize Agriculture In Mesoamerica, Richard E. Terry
Journal of Undergraduate Research
For the past two years, Richard Terry, his graduate students, Zachary Larsen and Jacob Horlacher have mentored twenty two undergraduate majors in Environmental Science in the collecting, preparation, and analysis of soil samples from the rural surroundings of ancient Maya cities in Guatemala and Mexico. Corn (called maize in Mesoamerica) has been very important to both the ancient and contemporary Maya. The Maya creation story as recorded in the Popol Vuh tells of the creation of man from the ground maize. Many of the Maya view themselves as “people of the maize”. The actions of planting the seeds, harvesting, preparation …
Microflora Of Traditional Mexican Corn Masa And Its Effect On Folic Acid Degradation, Stephen J. Adolphson
Microflora Of Traditional Mexican Corn Masa And Its Effect On Folic Acid Degradation, Stephen J. Adolphson
Theses and Dissertations
Many Mexican women consume inadequate amounts of folic acid. Fortification of the corn tortilla could be an effective way to help increase the folic acid levels among the Mexican population. Previous studies have shown significant folic acid losses in fortified tortilla dough (masa) as it is held before baking. This loss in folic acid could be due to degradation by lactic acid bacteria naturally present in the masa. The microflora of traditionally made nixtamalized corn masa from six tortilla mills in Guadalajara, Mexico were isolated and characterized, and their effect on folic acid content was evaluated. Isolated bacteria were identified …
Predicting Maize Yield, Nutrient Concentration And Uptake In P And K Fertilized Soils: Pressurized Hot Water And Other Alternatives To Mehlich I Extraction In Guatemala Soils, Heather Mae Hunsaker
Predicting Maize Yield, Nutrient Concentration And Uptake In P And K Fertilized Soils: Pressurized Hot Water And Other Alternatives To Mehlich I Extraction In Guatemala Soils, Heather Mae Hunsaker
Theses and Dissertations
The inaccessibility and cost of soil testing reduce effectiveness of fertilizer use on small-scale subsistence farms, and inadequate funding promotes adoption of soil tests in developing countries with minimal validation. For example, Mehlich-I extraction of phosphorus (P) currently used extensively in Guatemala may not be suitable for its broad range of soils. At least four alternatives are available but are relatively untested [Bray 1, Mehlich III, Olsen and pressurized hot water (PHW)]. Pressurized hot water is relatively simple and inexpensive, but is not yet tested against other extraction methods under variable P or potassium (K) fertilization levels. To determine whether …
Practicality Of Large Mylar Bags To Store Corn And Beans In Kenya, Byu Food Quality Assurance Laboratory
Practicality Of Large Mylar Bags To Store Corn And Beans In Kenya, Byu Food Quality Assurance Laboratory
Faculty Publications
The purpose of this study is to determine the practicality of using extra large zip-lock mylar bags with oxygen absorber packets to store corn and beans in Chyulu, Kenya. Weevil usually gets in the food after about 5 months, so if the oxygen can be maintained at a low level, the corn and beans could be stored for longer than that. The goal is to be able to store the food for 18 months. In order to determine the practicality of using the mylar bags to store corn and beans, the following questions will need to be answered: · Are …
Evaluation Of Forty-Two Corn (Zea Mays L.) Genotypes And Their Tolerance To Drought In Chiquimula, Servin Ardany Flores Galdámez
Evaluation Of Forty-Two Corn (Zea Mays L.) Genotypes And Their Tolerance To Drought In Chiquimula, Servin Ardany Flores Galdámez
Theses and Dissertations
The Corral de Piedra community is located in Chiquimula, Guatemala. The main agricultural activities are corn and bean production, small-scale gardens, and small animal production, such as poultry and pigs. The crop areas are predominantly located on lands with slopes between 12 and 55%, presenting low fertility conditions and poor moisture retention capabilities. In addition, local crop varieties have low productivity potentials and the winter season is characterized by poorly distributed and erratic periods of rain. The Benson Institute introduced a technology transfer model to increase and diversify agricultural production, while preserving current natural resources. An integral part of this …
Evaluation Of 4 Small Doses Of Fertilizer In Growing Maize (Zea Mays L.) In Two Communities Of San Juan Ermita, Chiquimula, Victor Estuardo Villalta Garcia
Evaluation Of 4 Small Doses Of Fertilizer In Growing Maize (Zea Mays L.) In Two Communities Of San Juan Ermita, Chiquimula, Victor Estuardo Villalta Garcia
Theses and Dissertations
Corral de Piedra and Salitron are two communities located in the municipality of San Juan Ermita, which is in the department of Chiquimula, Guatemala. In both communities, the land has very sloped topography with slope grades ranging from 12 to 55%. Agriculture is the main production activity with corn (Zea mays L.) and beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) being the crops of greatest economic importance. These crops are planted through a system of sequential association commonly called relay. First, corn is planted at the beginning of the rainy season (May or June). Once it has completed its reproductive cycle, beans are planted …