Consuming colonial nostalgia: The monumentalisation of historic hotels in urban South‐East Asia

Abstract: This article examines the renovation and commercial re‐launch in the 1990s of some of the grand hotels built in South‐East Asia during the high colonial era (1880s–1910s) and their social construction as historic monuments. The analysis focuses on architectural enhancement and discursive authentication as the key practices whereby the semblance of historic authenticity is bestowed on these hotels and made available as nostalgia to consumers. The article also considers whether renovated colonial hotels should be regarded as sites of consumption or as emerging ‘mnemonic sites’, filling in the vacuum caused by the progressive obliteration of ‘mnemonic environments’ in South‐East Asia's urban landscape.     

Poverty and livelihoods after full‐time farming: A South‐East Asian view

Abstract: Drawing on Harold Brookfield's seminal interventions on intensification and disintensification in tropical agriculture, the paper argues that a de‐linking of poverty and livelihoods in rural areas from farming and agricultural resources is occurring in rural South‐East Asia. This is often driven as much by changes in lifestyles and life views than by economic and environmental imperatives. The paper proposes that farming is in the process of losing its resonance and significance for the rural poor. Emerging patterns of change in the South‐East Asian countryside are used to construct a generalised framework of agrarian transition where the current trend towards pluriactivity is likely to be replaced by a mixed landscape of agrarian entrepreneurs, neopeasants and remnant smallholders. The paper concludes by reflecting on the implications of this trajectory for understanding poverty and pro‐poor interventions in the countryside.     

Highly variable ‘Arhar’ simple sequence repeat markers for molecular diversity and phylogenetic studies in pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millisp.]

Pigeonpea is an important tropical grain legume widely cultivated in South and South‐East Asia for versatile end usage as food, feed, fodder and fuel. Recent publication of draft genome sequence of pigeonpea (‘Arhar’) has allowed mining of large numbers of genomic simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers most of which are either not validated or show very little polymorphism in simple agarose gel–based assays. Here, we describe a special category of 370 validated highly variable ‘Arhar’ genomic SSR (HASSR) markers, which provide much higher level of polymorphism than a random set of SSR markers. These markers were validated for consistent amplification in a set of eight pigeonpea varieties and 152 of these (41%) showed allelic polymorphism on agarose gel electrophoresis. Twenty‐four highest polymorphic HASSR markers were used on a larger set of forty pigeonpea varieties and eight wild Cajanus species for the analysis of genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationship. Genomic HASSR markers described here are highly suitable for genetic diversity and phylogenic studies in pigeonpea.     

Evaluation of resistance to melon yellow spot virus in a cucumber germplasm collection

Melon yellow spot virus (MYSV), a member of the genus Tospovirus, is a serious thrips‐transmitted virus of cucurbits in Japan. Resistant cultivars provide an effective means for reducing the impact of the disease; however, no MYSV‐resistant cucumber has been reported. Susceptibilities of 398 cucumber accessions originating from 26 countries were evaluated by mechanical inoculation of MYSV. Thirteen accessions from South Asia, South East Asia and unknown origin had low disease severity indices (DSIs), and 10 of them showed no necrotic lesions on inoculated leaves. No or little positive reaction was detected by DAS‐ELISA analysis of inoculated leaves of these accessions. 27028930 showed resistance to a melon isolate (MYSV‐S) of MYSV, and ‘Yamakyuri‐1’ showed moderate resistance to a cucumber isolate (FuCu05P).     

Genetics of resistance to Sesamia inferens infestation and its correlation with yield in maize

Sesamia inferens (Walker) causes 25.7–78.9% losses in maize production in South and South‐East Asia. The genetic basis of host plant resistance is the prerequisite for resistance breeding. Twenty‐four populations derived from S. inferens resistant × susceptible inbreds were used to study the genetic regulation of resistance to S. inferens in maize, to determine the importance of genetic effects through generation mean analysis (GMA) and to understand correlation between resistance and yield. Resistant and susceptible inbreds differed significantly in leaf and stem injury ratings (LSIR), a measure of host plant resistance. Mean LSIR range among resistant and susceptible parents was 2.15–2.55 and 7.83–8.22, respectively. The broad‐sense heritability ranged from 0.40 to 0.71, and the mean number of effective factors ranged from 1.9 to 2.6. The resistance against S. inferens was largely governed by additive × additive (i), followed by dominance (d) and additive (a) gene effects. Significant negative correlation (?0.27 to ?0.96) was observed between LSIR and yield. The findings suggest reciprocal recurrent selection for development of new inbreds with resistance followed by their involvement in hybrid development to exploit additive and non‐additive gene effects/variance.     

Arsenic Stress in Plants

Being a toxic metalloid and group I carcinogen, Arsenic (As) poses a threat to plants, especially to crops which are consumed by human beings, and sooner or later results in hyper/hypopigmentation and skin cancer. It is a well‐known fact that South‐East Asia is suffering from groundwater As contamination, and according to a recent report, the contamination has been found also in Hungary, Mexico, Argentina, Australia, United States, etc. Thus, As contamination has become a global problem. As is toxic even at low concentration because it has no known function as nutrients. Arsenite (III) and arsenate (V) are the main phytoavailable forms of inorganic arsenic. Being analogous to phosphate, As(V) is transported by a phosphate‐cotransport system in plants, whereas As(III) is transported through ‘OsNIP2.1’ (member of aquaporin superfamily) in rice. Besides, ‘AsSe1’ (As‐accumulation gene), ‘AsTol’ (As‐tolerance gene) and ‘OsACR2.1’ (an arsenate reductase gene) have also been identified. The production of phytochelatins (PCs), a metal‐binding thiol peptide, in response to As stress may hold a way of proper As tolerance in plants but still needs a thorough study. However, with the proper knowledge of arsenic speciation, transportation, accumulation, overexpression in crop plants may result in ways to develop arsenic tolerant transgenics.     

Reviews

Rodan, Garry (2004) Transparency and Authoritarian Rule in Southeast Asia: Singapore and Malaysia. London: Routledge‐Curzon, xvii, 261 pp. references, indices, £70, hbk, ISBN: 0415335825.
Reviewed by James Chin
Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Malaysia.
Email: jchin@ieas.unimas.my Khai Leong, Ho (ed.) (2005) Reforming Corporate Governance in South East Asia: Economics, Politics, and Regulations. Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS), 387 pp., US$29.90, ISBN: 981‐230‐291‐3.
Reviewed by Meidyah Indreswari
Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand.
Email: m_indres@yahoo.com     

Genetic variation and phylogenetic relationships in East and South Asian melons, Cucumis melo L., based on the analysis of five isozymes

Genetic structure and phylogenetic relationships in East and South Asian melons were analyzed, based on the geographical variation of five isozymes. The analysis of Indian melon accessions showed a continuous variation in seed length, ranging from 4 to 13 mm. Most of the East Asian melons, vars. makuwa and conomon, were classified as the small seed type with seed length shorter than 9 mm. The frequency of the small seed type increased from the west to the east in India. Allelic variation was detected at a total of nine loci of five isozymes among 114 melon accessions. Gene diversity calculated for the nine loci indicated that Indian melon was rich in genetic variation, which decreased from India towards the east. Clear geographical variation was detected in two enzymes, APS and6-PGDH. Pgd-1 ¹ and Ap-3 ¹ were frequent in India and Myanmar, while most of the melons in Laos, China, Korea and Japan carried Pgd-1 ³ and Ap-3 ³, except var. inodorusin China. Among the latter two alleles, the frequency of Ap-3 ³ was more than 50% in the small seed type in north and east India, indicating that vars. makuwa and conomon were related to the small seed type in these areas. It was also suggested that the small seed type with wet tolerance originated in central India and was selected under wet condition in the east. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

The geographer as radical humanist: an appreciation of Keith Buchanan

Keith McPherson Buchanan, Emeritus Professor and first Professor of Geography at Victoria University, recently died at the age of 78. Buchanan was a prolific writer, polemicist, reviewer and commentator. His work includes nine books plus two co-authored volumes, well over 200 articles and comments, and a very large number of book reviews. As a radical geographer, a socialist, a champion of the dispossessed, and an unrelenting critic of orthodoxy, capitalist regimes and power elites, Buchanan was always controversial. His work represents a powerful case directed against some of the great evils and dangerous trends shaping the later twentieth century world. As one of the founders of this journal Asia Pacific Viewpoint (originally Pacific Viewpoint) Keith Buchanan along with his colleagues in the sixties helped establish the Wellington Department of Geography as a centre of innovative research and writing on Asia and the Third World. In this reflection on the man and his work former colleague Ray Watters argues that although best known for his work on China Buchanan’s greatest contribution was as a radical polemicist and essayist on contemporary issues.     

Small‐scale cattle raising in East Java,Indonesia: A pathway out of poverty?

Despite its small area and intensively cropped landscape, East Java accounts for 30% of Indonesia's cattle population. About two million households draw on family labour to raise cattle in backyard sheds and small enclosures, largely for cash income. In this paper, we examine the opportunity for such small‐scale producers to benefit from Indonesia's economic transformation, given the rising urban demand for beef. The paper reports on a study in two contrasting sites in East Java – irrigated lowlands and rainfed uplands – to explore the constraints facing small‐scale cattle producers in these environments, the means by which they have adapted to these constraints (especially by going beyond the farm household to access feed supplies) and possible means to enhance their production systems and incomes. The findings suggest that such cattle production systems can provide a viable source of livelihood, even for resource‐poor households; hence, appropriately adapted cattle improvement programmes are a sensible component of a pro‐poor development strategy.     

A polycross pattern formula

Summary A formula defining a polycross pattern is introduced. The pattern appears to be a special latin square in which every clone has any one other clone as a neighbour and just once in each of the four directions North, South, East, and West, presenting an ideal polycross pattern. The formula holds good for n clones when n+1 is a prime.     

Place,memory and identity: Imagining ‘New Asia’

Abstract: The rapid transformation of Asian societies and landscapes, especially since the mid‐1990s, has engendered much conjecture of the ‘Asian renaissance’ and the rise of a ‘New Asia’. This Special Edition of Asia Pacific Viewpoint explores the intersecting themes of ‘urban place’, ‘social memory’ and ‘cultural identity’ in the articulation of and contestation towards New Asia. Specifically, the six articles here offer various interpretations of New Asia – as tourism marketing tool, political vision and social identity – and the politics involved in urban, tourism and cultural development. From colonial hotels in key South‐East Asian cities to the historic waterfront of Singapore; from festivals and rituals in Hong Kong, Hoi An (Vietnam) and Penang (Malaysia) to the clash of cultural values in Manggarai (Indonesia), ‘selective remembering’ and ‘ideological forgetting’ are central to the construction of New Asian identities. Ultimately, this Special Edition hopes to provoke continuing discussions on the rhetoric of New Asia and its imaginative and contested geographies, sociologies and histories.     

High‐Growth Firms in the Southern U.S.: Where is the Growth?

Policymakers across the Southern U.S. have directed considerable attention to regional economic development plans, with mixed results. Questions remain over what types of industries, firms, and/or policies can drive long‐range growth. Over the past two decades, researchers have started to focus on high‐growth firms (HGFs) due to their potential innovation spillovers and job creation prospects, both of which drive further economic development. Employing databases from the Inc. 500, this study explores the dynamics of HGFs within Southern and comparative contexts. The first goal of this paper is to explore Southern HGF activity in comparison with the U.S. at‐large. The second is to examine the geographical characteristics of HGFs within the South, which will include an exploration of locations, industrial mix, and the factors that could encourage HGF development and agglomeration. This paper will also analyze the longer‐term ownership and acquisition patterns of HGFs across the South. Are such firms remaining embedded in the South or moving elsewhere through mergers or acquisitions? The paper concludes with a discussion of the impacts of HGFs on regional economic development and moreover, whether existing policies are conducive to these firms.     

Molecular characterization of South and East Asian melon, Cucumis melo L., and the origin of Group Conomon var. makuwa and var. conomon revealed by RAPD analysis

The genetic diversity and relationship among South and East Asian melon Cucumis melo L. were studied by using RAPD analysis of 69 accessions of melon from India, Myanmar, China, Korea, and Japan. The genetic diversity was large in India, and quite small in Group Conomon var. makuwa and var. conomon from East Asia, clearly indicating a decrease in genetic variation from India toward the east. Cluster analysis based on genetic distance classified 17 groups of accessions into two major clusters: cluster I comprising 12 groups of accessions from India and Myanmar and cluster II that included five groups of accessions of Group Conomon var. makuwa and var. conomon from East Asia. Cluster I was further divided into three subclusters, of which subclusters Ib and Ic included small- and large-seed type populations, respectively. Therefore, this division was based on their seed size, not cultivation area. The large-seed type from east India was differently included in the subcluster of small-seed type (Ib). A total of 122 plants of 69 accessions were classified into three major clusters and subclusters: clusters I and II comprised melon accessions mostly from India and Myanmar, and cluster III comprised Group Conomon var. makuwa and var. conomon from East Asia. The frequency of large- and small-seed types was different between clusters I and II, also indicating genetic differentiation between large- and small-seed types. One plant of the small-seed type from east India was differently included in cluster III, and two plants from east India were classified into subcluster IV. These results clearly showed that South Asian melon is genetically differentiated by their seed size, and that small-seed type melon in east India is closely related to Group Conomon var. makuwa and var. conomon.     

Viewpoints on synergising ASEAN academic visibilities through research collaboration and the establishment of an ASEAN Citation Index Database1

This opinion article expresses two key viewpoints regarding the options for Association of South‐East Asian Nations (ASEAN) universities in pursuit of fulfilling the demand for greater research visibility and academic reputation. The first viewpoint outlines the importance of promoting research collaboration among ASEAN researchers and their international peers in increasing the visibility and impact of ASEAN research. The second viewpoint examines the ASEAN research characteristics, the challenges and existing best practices of its journal publishing landscape, the potential role of non‐ASEAN international journals in improving the profile of ASEAN research and explores the needs and benefits of establishing an ASEAN Integrated Journal Publishing Network (IJPN). It is through these combined approaches, we believe, that effective policy change, the standardisation of publishing structure, procedures, and systems to drive journal development, improvement of journal quality, and establishment of a consistent framework for measuring researcher performance will result. This article also includes a proposal for the IJPN structure and implementation plan, and highlights the key benefits of taking a collaborative approach to achieving this common goal.     

Reviews

Ballard, Chris, Paula Brown, R. Michael Bourke and Tracy Harwood (eds.) (2005) The Sweet Potato in Oceania: A Reappraisal. Ethnology Monograph 19 (University of Pittsburgh), Oceania Monograph 56 (University of Sydney), viii + 227 pp., US$56.00, pbk, ISBN: 0 945428 13 8.
Reviewed by Janet Davidson
Honorary Research Associate, Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington, New Zealand.
Email: Janet.Davidson@University‐of‐Ngakuta.ac.nz Boomgaard, Peter, David Henley and Manon Osseweijer (eds.) (2005) Muddied Waters, Historical and Contemporary Perspectives on Management of Forests and Fisheries in Island South East Asia. Leiden: KITLV Press, 418 pp., US$35.00, ISBN 90 6718 243 5.
Reviewed by Michael Roche
School of People, Environment and Planning, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand.
Email: M.M.Roche@massey.ac.nz McMillan, Richard (2005) The British Occupation of Indonesia 1945‐1946: Britain, the Netherlands, and the Indonesia Revolution [Royal Asiatic Society Books]. London: Routledge, 248 pp., US$115.00, ISBN 978‐0415355513.
Reviewed by Laura M. Calkins
Vietnam Archive, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, USA.
Email: laura.calkins@ttu.edu     

Reviews

Lee, Edwin (2008) Singapore: The Unexpected Nation. Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, xxii, 707 pp., US$39.90, pbk, ISBN: 978‐981‐230‐795‐8; US$49.90, hbk, ISBN: 978‐981‐230‐796‐5.
Reviewer: Michael D. Barr
Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia.
Email: michael.barr@flinders.edu.au Cramb, Robert A. (2007) Land and Longhouse: Agrarian Transformation in the Uplands of Sarawak. Hawaii: University of Hawaii Press, 422 pp., US$45.00, pbk, ISBN‐10: 8776940101, ISBN‐13: 978‐8776940102.
Reviewer: Carol J. Pierce Colfer
CIFOR, Bogor, Indonesia.
Email: c.colfer@cgiar.org Lee, Hock Guan (2008) Ageing in Southeast Asia and East Asia – Family, Social Protection and Policy Challenges. Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, 247 pp., US$28.50, pbk, ISBN: 9789812307651.
Reviewer: George W. Leeson
Oxford Institute of Ageing, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Email: george.leeson@ageing.ox.ac.uk Tyner, James A. (2008) The Killing of Cambodia: Geography, Genocide and the Unmaking of Space. Burlington, Vermont and Hampshire: Ashgate, x, 209 pp., US$99.95, hbk, ISBN: 978‐0‐7546‐7096‐4.
Reviewer: Melissa Marschke
School of International Development and Global Policy, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada.
Email: mmarschk@uottawa.ca     

More than a ‘blip’: The changed character of South‐East Asia’s engagement with the global economy in the post‐1997 period

Abstract: Through reviewing South‐East Asia’s recent economic engagement with the global economy, this paper points to profound recent transformations in the scope and character of the region’s development. Foreign direct investment was the key driver of regional growth in the pre‐1997 period, yet currently, the region faces a more difficult and multifaceted economic arena from which to attract such funds. Foreign direct investment is more selective, both geographically and by sector, than was the case in that earlier period. This paper explains the confluence of economics, business practices and politics that are giving rise to these outcomes, and concludes from this that development trajectories in South‐East Asia will become more diverse between the countries of the region, with implications for how we understand regional economic performance.     

Evaluation of tomato entries with different combinations of resistance genes to tomato yellow leaf curl disease in Tunisia

Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) is one of the most widespread begomoviruses transmitted by the whitefly Bemisia tabaci that cause tomato yellow leaf curl virus diseases (TYLCDs). TYLCD losses can be especially severe in open‐field tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) crops. TYLCV is particularly well known and widespread in the Mediterranean (Med) countries where TYLCD control is mostly based on insecticidal control of B. tabaci populations. Unfortunately, Tunisian B. tabaci populations include Middle East‐Asia Minor I and the Med species that have developed resistance to many classes of insecticides. Therefore, TYLCD‐resistant cultivars are essential for sustainable disease management. Six TYLCD resistance genes (Ty) have been introgressed from wild species into cultivated tomato and are available for breeding. Information on the Ty genes or gene combinations is useful for breeding resistant cultivars. To this end, 14 tomato lines carrying different Ty gene combinations and two susceptible tomato entries were evaluated for TYLCD incidence and severity in two field trials during late season in Tunisia. Entries with Ty‐1/Ty‐3 + Ty‐2 offered the highest levels of resistance in Tunisia.