Urban living labs have emerged as transition arenas for undertaking process-oriented and reflexive experiments in the multi-stakeholder governance of sustainability. This paper evaluates Livewell Yarra, an urban living lab in Melbourne, Australia, that brought together academic researchers and community actors to engage in experiments for low-carbon living. This paper evaluates transition team experiments in governance of the lab itself and community experiments in carbon reduction that took place in people's homes and small group settings known as decarb groups. This paper's primary research question is: what are the direct impacts of urban living lab experiments from the participants' perspective? The research methods utilised include action research, asset-based community development, participatory co-design and most significant change research. This paper evaluates experiments in low-carbon living through data collected via stories of change from participant interviews. The results indicate that experiments in urban living labs create opportunities for social learning and empowerment, but also raise issues of leadership and ownership of transition governance. The findings suggest that Livewell Yarra could have benefited from clearer agenda setting and continuous monitoring to feedback results. The paper concludes by suggesting future research directions that utilise the operational processes of transition management to support experiments in urban living labs.

No abstract

Bookkeeper tin cooperation with the University of Chicago. *In cooperation .with the United States Department of Agriculture.

Fusarium root and crown rot is a significant factor in stand and yield reduction of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). The objectives of this study were to develop a greenhouse inoculation procedure for screening alfalfa germplasm for resistance to root rot caused by Fusarium species, collect virulent isolates of Fusarium species from New York, and determine progress from two cycles of recurrent phenotypic selection. Fusarium avenaceum (Fr.: Fr.) Sacc., F. oxysporum Schlechtend.:Fr., and F. solani (Mart.) Sacc. were isolated from rotted alfalfa roots and crowns in each of four regions of New York. At least one of the three species was present in every field sampled, but not all species were found in every field. The V‐V8 inoculation method was developed by culturing the Fusarium species in vermiculite saturated with V8 juice; the inoculum was placed in contact with severed alfalfa root balls in pots. This method was as effective as the application technique for inciting infection of alfalfa roots; however, the Y‐Y8 method was more efficient for mass inoculation of plants. Using the V‐V8 method in the greenhouse, we subjected two alfalfa populations to two cycles of recurrent phenotypic selection for resistance to root rot caused by each of the three Fusarium species. Mean lesion length (vertical discoloration) within taproots was the selection criterion. Only selection for resistance to disease caused by F. solani was effective; mean lesion length decreased by 34% from Cycle 0 to Cycle 2 in Oneida, and by 48% in (Flamande × SaranacAR‐2)AN. Future selection should account for lateral spread as well as vertical length of lesions.

No abstract