Judul: Pengaruh Kompetensi Terhadap Kinerja Petani Di Wilayah Agam, Sumatera Barat
Abstrak: Global market competition at present demands an improvement of the enterprise competitiveness to develop horticulture business in Indonesia. The largest producer of the commodity in Indonesia located in Agam, West Sumatra. Number of activities in developing the farmers competence were accomplished with the purpose to improve the performance and the crop yield. The objective of this research are, 1) analyzing the general description of farmers competence in region Agam, West Sumatra, 2) analyzing the perception of the farmers competence and performance in region Agam, West Sumatra, 3) analyzing the effect of competence on farmers performance in region Agam, West Sumatra, 4) providing the best recommendations regarding the competence enhancement programs that could improve the farmers performance in region Agam, West Sumatra. Based on the results of the research that quantitatively analyzed with the SEM method Partial Least Square approach, generated that the competence affects on performance. The more improved farmers competence results in the more improved farmers performance.
Keyword: SEM (Structural Equation Modeling) Partial Least Square, performance, competence

Judul: Model Elemen-Elemen Pendukung Pembentukan Kompetensi Unggul Petani Sayuran Dataran Tinggi Wilayah Sumatera
Abstrak: Potensi pertanian di Indonesia masih menjadi keunggulan, dikarenakan Indonesia merupakan negara agraris. Peran sektor pertanian dalam perekonomian nasional secara empiris terbukti cukup nyata, baik dalam perekonomian cukup normal maupun pada saat perekonomian menghadapi krisis. Hal ini dilihat dari dua indikator penting, yaitu kontribusi pada sektor Produk Domestik Bruto (PDB) dan penyerapan tenaga kerja yang selalu mendominasi dalam bidang pertanian. Hal ini disebabkan kurangnya kompetensi petani untuk dapat berkembang pada sektor pertanian, maka itu dibutuhkan model kompetensi petani dalam membentuk capacity building pertanian, sehingga petani dapat berperan dalam masyarakat dan dapat bersaing pada era globalisasi saat ini. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk : (1) menganalisis bagaimana kompetensi yang dimiliki petani di Sumatera, (2) mengkaji gambaran model kompetensi unggul petani di Sumatera guna membentuk capacity building petani sayuran dataran tinggi dan (3) merumuskan rekomendasi solusi apakah yang harus dilakukan untuk meningkatkan kompetensi petani di Sumatera. Untuk menganalisis kompetensi unggul petani dan pembuatan model kompetensi unggul dalam membentuk capacity building pertanian sayuran dataran tinggi di Sumatera, digunakan ISM (Intrepretive Structural Modelling), AHP (Analysis Hirarkhi Process), dan IPA (Importance Performance Analysis). Hasil yang didapatkan adalah Kompetensi petani sayuran di Kabupaten Karo dirasa masih belum baik, karena petani di Kabupaten Karo kenyataanya masih banyak yang menjadi petani karir, diakibatkan sudah merasa puas ketika kebutuhan sehari-sehari yang mereka inginkan sudah tercapai, sehingga hanya berdampak pada diri sendiri dan keluarga, tidak berdampak ke masyarakat luas. Sedangkan kompetensi unggul petani sayuran di kabupaten Agam sudah terlihat baik, dikarenakan adanya kerjasama yang baik antara petani dan PEMDA, tetapi masih ada sedikit kekurangan pada masalah pemanfaatan tekhnologi pertanian oleh petani.
Keyword: capacity building, dataran tinggi, kompetensi, petani sayuran, petani unggul

Judul: Posisi Filogenetik Kura-Kura Carettochelys Insculpta  (Reptillia: Testudinata)
Abstrak: Carettochelys insculpta is an endemic freshwater turtle of southern Papua and northern Australia. Phylogenetic position of this turtle is remain unresolved until now. Most of the research conducted show close relationships of C. insculpta and members of Trionychidae family. However, some of the research show distance between C. insculpta and members of Trionychidae family. This research is conducted to analyze phylogenetic relationship between C. insculpta and other members of Testudinata using 12S rRNA, 16S rRNA, and both gene as markers. DNA samples were obtained from three different organisms of C. insculpta. Two species used as outgroups were Alligator mississippiensis and Iguana iguana. Phylogenetic analysis was carried out using Neighbor-Joining method with Felsenstein 1981 (F81) modeltest. A polytomy tree of Testudinata was produced by using 12S rRNA gene. However, analysis using 16S rRNA and both genes as markers confirmed that C. insculpta was located between the Chelonidae and the Trionychidae family.
Keyword: