Labor productivity is a crucial long-run determinant of real wages. Nonetheless, wage and productivity dynamics often diverge in practice due to a range of economic and institutional factors. This study analyzes the relation between the dynamics of labor productivity and wages in Brazil from 1996 to 2014, and adopts a sectoral perspective to account for divergent trends among economic sectors. Analyses are based on pooled data drawn from the National Accounts and the Pesquisa Nacional por Amostra de Domicílios, and hierarchical data models are estimated to assess the impacts of state- and sector-level factors on individuals’ wages. Results indicate that productivity is significantly positively associated with wage levels for all economic sectors, but that institutional factors such as labor formalization and minimum wage exert equally significant impacts, suggesting that wage growth over the 1996-2014 period was as much the result of institutional changes as of transformation of Brazil’s productive structure.

This paper empirically examines whether GMO policies are “trade related” for countries in Latin America (LA). First, we use the Balassa index to assess the “revealed comparative advantage” of LA countries. We find that LA countries have a revealed comparative advantage in GMO industries relative to the world, and that intra‐regional trade in these industries is modest relative to external trade. Second, we estimate the Gravity model to examine the effects of importers’ GMO policies on Argentina and Brazil’s bilateral exports of soybeans and maize. We find that strong GMO policies in importers have a negative effect on Argentina’s bilateral exports of soybeans (an industry and country with historically high GMO content). Further, we find that past GMO policies are a strong determinant of Argentina’s future bilateral exports, and that the negative trade effects of strong GMO policies are increasing over time. In contrast, we find a weaker relationship between the GMO policies of importers and Brazil’s bilateral exports (consistent with Brazil’s more recent increases in GMO content). These findings for Argentina and Brazil provide a benchmark for other developing countries that are looking for guidance on servicing trading partners with diverse GMO policies.

Native Cirsium species play an important role in landscapes across North America. Hadroplontus (formerly Ceutorhynchus) litura, (F.), the stem-mining weevil and biological control agent of Canada thistle, Cirsium arvense (L.) Scoop can complete its lifecycle on five Cirsium species native to the Upper Midwest. Although these five Cirsium species are within the fundamental host range of H. litura, as determined by host range tests, we wanted to explore whether phenological differences among Cirsium species help define the field ecological host range of H. litura. The objective of this study was to determine the phenology of Cirsium species native to the Upper Midwest in relation to C. arvense and H. litura. Our goal was to explore whether shoots of native Cirsium species could escape H. litura shoot oviposition in spring due to delayed shoot emergence relative to C. arvense. Soil cumulative growing degree days were a superior predictor of shoot emergence for perennial thistles or initiation of leaves in biennial thistles, with a 2.4 times larger effect on time to emergence relative to air growing degree days. All native Cirsium species initiated new leaves or shoots prior to C. arvense shoot emergence, even when native Cirsium species growth was delayed in the spring. In turn, C. arvense shoots emerged approximately one- to-three weeks before female H. litura began to lay eggs. As such, all native Cirsium plants had shoots available for H. litura oviposition. There was no phenological separation between native Cirsium and C. arvense shoot emergence or initiation that would render native Cirsium species safe from H. litura attack. Based on the phenology of shoot emergence or initiation in the spring, all tested Cirsium species native to the Upper Midwest would be within the ecological host range of H. litura.

No abstract

has been working on rural development for more than 10 years, exploring solutions to rural poverty from both the agricultural and the non-agricultural perspectives. Before joining ICRAF, he worked for the International Crops and Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) from 2010 to 2018 where he planned, coordinated and implemented economic projects and programme components at the regional and global levels. Topics ranged from adoption, dissemination and impact evaluation to value chain analysis and improved targeting of agricultural interventions in rural areas. Kai received his MSc while working with the

Alliaria petiolata (M. Bieb.) Cavara & Grande (garlic mustard) is an invasive Brassicaceae species native to Europe. As obligate biennials, A. petiolata rosettes require a sufficient length of cold during the winter to flower the following spring. As such, mild winter temperatures could limit the species’ potential western and southern distribution in North America. The goal of this research was to characterize the vernalization period required for A. petiolata rosettes to develop the capacity to flower. The objectives of this research were: 1) Confirm whether A. petiolata rosettes required a vernalization period to flower; 2) Define base and upper temperatures that satisfy the vernalization requirement of A. petiolata rosettes under field conditions; 3) Determine the vernalization requirement for flowering and calculate chilling degree days accumulated during the cold period and 4) In a common garden, determine the vernalization requirement of A. petiolata rosettes collected from the southern and northern ranges of its distribution in North America and Europe. The probability of flowering increases as A. petiolata rosettes accumulate chilling degree days (CDD). This relationship is defined by a binary logistic (logit) function, with base and maximum temperature ranges of -3 and 4 C respectively. When predicted from the regression equation, 68 and 120 CDD resulted in 50% and 99% probability of flowering respectively over all locations. Rosettes from five different seed sources varied in the chilling degree days required for flowering when grown in a common garden. Rosettes originating from a Croatian seed source flowered after exposure to fewer chilling degree days than those from Scotland. In North America, rosettes originating from Arkansas seeds were more likely to flower after exposure to fewer chilling degree days than those from Ohio or Minnesota. Our results may be used to predict the potential distribution of A. petiolata in North America.

No abstract