Perceived impacts of wild turkeys and management techniques for Wisconsin ginseng production

The restoration of eastern wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris; Viellot) within Wisconsin has successfully populated the central counties which account for 95% of American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L.) production. In response to perceived and emerging conflicts, the Ginseng Board of Wisconsin, Inc. conducted producer surveys in March 2006 and 2012 to determine the extent and timing of wild turkey damage experienced among all Wisconsin ginseng producers, and the methods used to minimize wild turkey damage. We summarized 47 and 63 completed surveys in 2006 and 2012, respectively. Most survey respondents reported that wild turkeys were present and caused damage at their ginseng facilities every year. Turkey damage was regarded as “moderate” among most survey respondents. The majority of respondents in 2006 reported that annual losses were $2000–$5000, while most respondents in 2012 reported losses of less than $2000. Most producers reported spending less than $2000 annually for turkey damage management. Vertical fencing was reported as the most used and most effective damage management technique; the reported use and long-term efficacy of vertical fencing increasing substantially from 2006 to 2012. The increased use of vertical fencing may be related to the general downtrend in annual monetary losses due to wild turkeys from 2006 to 2012. These survey results will be used to further identify, investigate and manage the impacts of wild turkeys to Wisconsin ginseng production.     

Effectiveness of solar blinkers as a means of crop protection from wild boar damage

The population density of wild boar (Sus scrofa) in Northern Switzerland has increased dramatically during the last three decades and the species has become a major threat to agriculture, causing severe damage to crops and grassland. Vulnerable fields have to be protected from wild boar incursion, which is in most cases achieved by using electric fences. Alternatively, deterrents basing on optical, acoustical or gustative effect are available. The effectiveness of most of these systems has not previously been scientifically tested in the field. In our study we investigated the effectiveness of solar blinkers at baited luring sites. We conducted field experiments at 4 different sites with free-ranging wild boars from January 2007 to January 2008. Data from 504 inspections of the luring sites indicate that solar blinkers reduced the probability of wild boar visits at the luring sites by 8.1% compared to the control sites. We therefore evaluate deterrence effect of solar blinkers to be insufficient for effective crop protection. Probability of wild boar visits at the luring sites changed throughout the study period, showing seasonal variation of the extent of wild boar activity in the fields.     

Traditional ‘maavee’ rice production in Sri Lanka: environmental,economic and social pressures revealed through stakeholder interviews

The Nilwala Ganga Basin of Sri Lanka includes important natural wetlands that are habitat for vulnerable animal and plant species. Flood protection and intensive rice production in the Basin have resulted in degraded acid soils and declining rice yields. However, traditional ‘maavee’ rice production outside the flood protection scheme has continued to generate a high-value rice product. This study reports on interviews conducted with farmers and other stakeholders to document the production practices and the potential environmental and economic benefits associated with maavee rice paddies. The maavee production system has prevailed for at least several decades. Farmers apply no chemicals to their paddies, relying instead on alluvial deposits as a source of nutrients, and on the natural pest and disease resistance of their traditional varieties. The maavee rice product can attain three times the selling price of rice from conventional farms making it more economically viable than conventional rice production. However, much of maavee production is for home consumption and the system is threatened by increasing labour costs, an ageing farming population and pressures to increase rice yields. Non-invasive production practices and the proximity of maavee paddies to regenerating wetlands in the Kirala Kele Sanctuary suggest that traditional paddies may constitute an important habitat for vulnerable wildlife; however, maavee farmers also perceive wetland birds as potentially damaging to rice. Based on a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis, we make recommendations for future research needs and potential management actions to safeguard the environmental and economic sustainability of the maavee system.     

Wildlife damage and cultivated land abandonment: Findings from the mountainous areas of Chongqing,China

Human-wildlife conflict (HWC) is a growing global issue that seriously threatens agricultural production and livelihoods. Studying the relationship between wildlife damage, land use, and livelihood enables us to understand the dilemma facing current wildlife protection and ecological restoration policies and to amend existing policies effectively. Using participatory rural appraisal (PRA), quantitative analysis, and a Multilevel Logit regression model, this paper analyzed land use and livelihoods among 160 households subject to wild boar (Sus scrofa) damage in four villages within Youyang County in the poor mountainous areas of Chongqing, China. The findings showed the following: (i) wild boars in Youyang County were responsible for large-scale crop and property damage; (ii) cultivated land abandonment has become a significant trend in land use, and the most important perceived driver for abandoning farmland is the land plot's vulnerability to wild boar damage; (iii) when protecting cultivated land plots, households tend to protect those plots that are close to the road, have larger land area, and have a slight or abrupt slope; however, households with more members working in non-farm labor, more female agricultural workers, and/or higher non-farm income are more inclined to abandon protection of their plots. This paper discusses seven main measures that are frequently adopted by farmers to protect their crops and livestock and are perceived by these farmers as the most effective and sensible countermeasures.     

Features of the AFFRC model for evaluating the relationship between the water cycle and rice production

This paper introduces the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Research Council of Japan (AFFRC) model, an integrated model that predicts future rice production in the Mekong River basin by taking into account the effect of global warming on both the water cycle and the rice economy. The model focuses especially on the water balance of paddy fields for different farmland water use systems. We defined six categories of irrigated paddies and three categories of rain-fed paddies on the basis of their systems of water usage. We included a process-based model to predict future rice production, accounting for daily changes in available water resources such as precipitation. Many models of crop production treat rice in the same way as other crops; the particular characteristics of rice farming are considered in more detail in our model. Our results show that it is possible to estimate future rice production in the Mekong River basin by taking into account changes in available water, and to model the resultant effects on the grain market.     

Rice yield and productivity gaps in irrigated systems of the forest zone of Côte d'Ivoire

Much of the rapidly growing demand for rice in West Africa will be met from increased production in irrigated lowlands, which cover about 12% of the regional rice-growing area. A large potential for expansion of irrigated areas exists particularly in the inland valleys of the humid forest zone. Current production is characterized by large variability in productivity, management practices and production constraints. Quantifying the variability in rice yield and identifying the determining factors are prerequisites to the development of site-specific recommendations and to improved targeting of technologies. Diagnostic on-farm trials were conducted on 64 irrigated lowland fields in the humid forest zone of southern Côte d'Ivoire, in 1995–1996. This was a part of the regional gradient study of irrigated systems from the desert margin to the humid forest zone. Cropping calendars, field operations and input use were monitored. Weed biomass, rice N uptake, and grain yield were determined in farmers' fields as well as in super-imposed, researcher-managed subplots (clean weeding, no N control, and mineral fertilizer N application). Rice yield potential was simulated by using the Oryza-S crop growth model. Yield losses were attributed to management factors based on performance of rice in researcher-managed subplots (management-related yield gap) and by multiple regression with management options. Grain yields varied between 0.2 and 7.3 Mg ha⁻¹ with mean yields of 3.2 in partially and 4.2 Mg ha⁻¹ in fully irrigated systems, 44% and 57% of the potential yield of 7.3 Mg ha⁻¹, respectively. Age of seedlings at transplanting, timeliness of operations and application of P fertilizer were correlated to yield and explained 60% of the observed variability. Grain yield was correlated with N uptake (r² = 0.93^***) but not with N application rate. Split application of mineral fertilizer N was associated with a 0.48 Mg ha⁻¹ yield increase (p = 0.002), regardless of the quantity applied. Additional weeding increased yield only in systems with imperfect irrigation. Weed biomass was reduced with improved water control and it increased with age of seedlings at transplanting, and was higher in direct-seeded than in transplanted rice. Echinochloa spp. were the most common weeds in fully irrigated systems and Panicum laxum was more common in the imperfectly irrigated fields. While improved water management was associated with substantial rice yield increases (1.16 Mg ha⁻¹), the timeliness of transplanting, weeding and N fertilization appears to be the key to increased rice yields in the forest zone of West Africa.     

我国三种野生稻及其与栽培稻种间杂种外稃表面显微特征的比较观察

 用扫描电镜对栽培稻的两个籼型品种（Oryza sativa subsp. indica）、普通野生稻（O．rufipogon）、药用野生稻（O. officinalis）、疣粒野生稻（O. meyeriana）及野生稻与栽培稻的种间杂种F₁的外稃表面显微特征进行了比较研究，观察到外稃表面的显微特征有明显的种间差异，并初步概述了三种野生稻的乳突特征。栽培稻与野生稻的种间杂种外稃显微特征受亲本影响，其中乳突座间距、列宽主要受野生稻亲本影响；底座以上的峰突特征如峰距、峰数则表现为栽培稻亲本的特征；乳突分布密度表现为超亲现象。     

模拟高温季节稻丛基部小气候条件下白背飞虱的生长发育与繁殖

白背飞虱[Sogatella furcifera (Horváth)]是我国最重要的水稻害虫之一。每年6—8月高温是制约该虫在长江流域发生的重要生态因子。白背飞虱多栖息于稻丛基部,其小气候特征常不同于大气。采用变温变湿、恒温恒湿两种方式,通过分别模拟高温期间(日最高温35℃~39℃)水稻拔节后稻丛基部和大气温湿度条件,研究了高温季节稻丛基部与大气温湿度条件对白背飞虱的生长、发育和繁殖的影响。结果表明,稻丛基部温湿度条件下,白背飞虱的生长、发育和繁殖在变温变湿模拟与恒温恒湿模拟间无显著差异,白背飞虱能正常地完成生长发育和繁殖。与之相比,模拟大气条件下,白背飞虱生长、发育和繁殖相关的多数指标均受到显著抑制,其中较为重要的单雌产卵量,大气变温变湿模拟较稻丛基部变温变湿模拟减少了62.1%。可以认为,夏秋高温期间水稻拔节后稻丛基部田间小气候有利于白背飞虱“躲避”高温天气的不利影响。     

Proportions of bird damage in tree fruits are higher in low-fruit-abundance contexts

Frugivorous birds impose significant costs on tree fruit growers through direct consumption of fruit and grower efforts to manage birds. We documented factors that influenced tree fruit bird damage from 2012 through 2014 with a coordinated field study in Michigan, New York, and Washington. For sweet cherries, percent bird damage was higher in 2012 compared to 2013 and 2014, in Michigan and New York compared to Washington, and in blocks with more edges adjacent to non-sweet cherry land-cover types. These patterns appeared to be associated with fruit abundance patterns; 2012 was a particularly low-yield year for tree fruits in Michigan and New York and percent bird damage was high. In addition, percent bird damage to sweet and tart cherries in Michigan was higher in landscapes with low to moderate forest cover compared to higher forest cover landscapes. 'Honeycrisp' apple blocks under utility wires were marginally more likely to have greater bird damage compared to blocks without wires. We recommend growers prepare bird management plans that consider the spatial distribution of fruit and non-fruit areas of the farm. Growers should generally expect to invest more in bird management in low-yield years, in blocks isolated from other blocks of the same crop, and in blocks where trees can provide entry to the crop for frugivorous birds.     

Plant diversity and composition of rice field bunds in Southeast Asia

Which plant species can be found on rice field bunds and what are the prevailing life forms? Which plant communities occur and what are the main environmental drivers and phytogeographic patterns shaping these communities? How do species diversity and composition differ between bunds and paddies? To answer these questions, 133 vegetation relevés using the Braun-Blanquet method were collected in lowlands and uplands of Vietnam and the Philippines between 2012 and 2015. Soil samples were collected and farmers were interviewed. Properties of soil, climate, and geography were assessed, further structural parameters, landscape heterogeneity, seasonality, management and intensity of cultivation. Hierarchical UPGMA cluster analysis and NMDS ordinations were performed to visualize variation in plant community composition and the determinants. We found 302 vascular plant species, of which 94 species are red listed by the IUCN (under category “Least concern”). Therophytes and helophytes are the prevailing life forms. Six clusters of plant communities were classified, and temperature, soil acidity, land use intensity and nutrient availability were identified (according to relevance) as explanatory variables. Bunds revealed higher species richness than paddies and bunds in mountain areas were more species-rich than those in the lowlands. We conclude that the composition of bund communities provides valuable information on environmental and biogeographical conditions of the local rice landscapes, and that it is probably the best applicable and most reliable indicator of management intensity.     

Factors impacting yields in rain-fed paddies of the lower Mekong River Basin

The Mekong River Basin (MRB) is the biggest basin in Monsoon Asia. About 80% of the agricultural lands, which occupy about 40% of the basin are rain-fed paddy rice area. Therefore, it is assumed that changes in rain-fed paddy rice production affect the total agricultural production to a great degree in the Mekong River Basin. While there are many factors affecting the productivity of rain-fed paddies, such as climate, water use, rice varieties, applications of manure, fertilizer and agro-chemicals, sowing date and other agronomic practices, this paper focuses on the relation between rainfall and yields of rain-fed paddies. Agricultural statistics and rainfall data were collected and analyzed for all 24 provinces in Cambodia for the years 2001 and 2002. Factors such as soil fertility and other natural conditions were removed by comparing the yield and rainfall in one province for different years. Special attention was given to the relation between yields of paddy in the wet season and rainfall, considering factors such as rice varieties, soil fertility, irrigation ratio and the ratio of area damaged by flood, drought, and insect. Although it is not easy to assess those impact factors on yields because they are organically interactive, the following results were obtained: (1) The ratio of high yielding varieties (HYV), soil fertility, and irrigation ratio among many factors that affect yields individually, especially if they are combined, (2) Total rainfall did not have a significant influence on rice yields even for the rain-fed paddies if it was over 700 mm in wet season, and one of the reasons for this would be that there exist supplementary water uses through small ponds and water ponding in local land depressions in and around paddies.     

Development of an innovative conceptual model and a tiered testing strategy for the ecological risk assessment of rice pesticides

Rice paddies constitute a very special agrobiosystem, which for some circumstances, could be considered as a human driven wetland. The complexity of such dynamic systems is a key element for conducting ecological risk assessments, in addition, the proximity of rice paddies to areas of high ecological value must be considered. This paper presents a new conceptual model for conducting ecological risk assessments of pesticides and other agrochemicals in rice, based on a combination of three main elements, the source of the stressor, the exposed environmental compartments and the relevance of the ecological receptors. A tiered testing strategy, starting with the standard requirements for pesticides and moving to specific higher tier studies with three levels of risk refinement is also presented.     

水稻“零天化除”机插秧技术应用效果及技术要点

为研究"零天化除"机插秧技术在水稻实际生产中的适用性,开展了"零天化除"高速插秧机和常规高速插秧机田间实际生产对比试验,并在田间测产和生产成本核算的基础上分析了该技术的经济效益。经核算,在其他生产条件相同的情况下,该技术可增产5.8%、增加收益84.69元/667 m^2。结果表明,"零天化除"机插秧技术在促进水稻生产机械化的同时,亦减少了用药次数,提高了生产效益,是一项高效省工节本的生产技术。     

Identification of deletion mutants with improved performance under water-limited environments in rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is a semi-aquatic member of the grass family that is poorly adapted to dry environments and has greater sensitivity to water-deficits than other important cereals in this family. To increase productivity in aerobic or water-limited environments rice must overcome its adaptations to flooded environments. Deletion mutants offer an alternative genetic resource for improving drought tolerance. Almost 3500 IR64 deletion mutants were screened under vegetative and reproductive stage drought stress in the field and evaluated for leaf drying and/or grain yield. Seven novel conditional mutants of rice which showed gain of function through continued growth as drought stress developed compared to the wild type were identified. Mutant recovery rate was 0.1%. Further evaluation of putative drought mutants revealed that their average shoot biomass at maturity and grain yield per plant under stress exceeded those of the wild type by two-fold. Studies under controlled conditions confirmed mutants to have continued growth of both roots and shoots as drought developed compared to the wild type, and a tendency for greater water extraction. We propose that deletions in these mutants have affected a regulator of the highly conservative growth response common to irrigated lowland rice cultivars. Our results suggest that screening deletion mutants for performance under managed drought stress in the field could be a highly effective way to identify valuable genetic resources for improved drought response and aerobic adaptation in rice.     

Quality characteristics and field performance of selectable marker-free transgenic rice with antisense Wx gene and improved quality derived from the elite parents of hybrid indica rice

In rice grains, high amylose content (AC) is correlated with poor grain quality, particularly in indica hybrid rice. To obtain indica hybrid rice with improved cooking and eating qualities, we introduced the antisense Waxy (Wx) gene into 2 elite parental lines of indica hybrid rice by using co-transformation methods. Subsequently, we selected several elite homozygous transgenic lines that did not contain the selectable marker. The expression of the endogenous Wx gene of the selected transgenic lines was significantly downregulated, resulting in low AC in the mature seeds; moreover, the AC in some lines reduced to the level observed in glutinous rice. With the decrease in AC, the gel consistency of the transgenic rice became softer, and the gelatinization temperature tended to be higher than those of the wild types, especially in the case of the Longtefu-derived transformants. We also analyzed the pasting properties of the selected transgenic low-AC lines, and we noted an improvement in the pasting properties of the transgenic rice lines. The results from a field trial indicated that the grain weights of the transgenic lines with lower AC exhibit remarkable reduction compared with those of the wild types.     

东乡野生稻种质资源保护现状、存在问题及对策

通过对江西省东乡野生稻种质资源的野外调查,结合东乡野生稻原生境保护区实地监测结果,分析了东乡野生稻种质资源保护现状及其存在的主要问题,提出了进一步保护和利用的对策,为更好保护东乡野生稻种质资源和研究利用提供借鉴。     

病虫草危害对稻米品质的影响

大力发展优质稻米产业已成为农业科研和生产的热点。影响稻米品质的因素除了品种因素、环境因素、栽培措施等外,病虫草危害也是一个重要方面。概述了病虫草危害对稻米外观品质、碾磨品质、食味品质、营养品质和卫生品质的影响。建议采用以“种苗处理+生态调控+应急防控”为核心的病虫草害绿色防控技术,能有效控制病虫草危害、保障粮食产量安全、提高稻米品质。     

水稻栽培技术措施对稻米品质的影响

稻米品质与水稻栽培技术措施是否得当有着直接关系,稻米已成为人们生活中的主食,其质量关系到人们的生活质量,因此必须解决水稻栽培技术对稻米品质的影响。研究表明,早育苗早插秧可提高精米率,降低整精米率而提高糊化温度、粗蛋白质、使胶稠度变硬。晚育苗,晚插秧,则稻米品质结果则相反。插秧方式过密、株行距过小,会导致糙米率、精米率、整精米率下降,垩白率增加,直链淀粉含量及胶稠度有所提高,蛋白质含量下降而米质变差。科学施肥既能提高稻米外观品质,又能改善食味品质,防治杂草及防治病虫害是提高稻米品质的重要技术措施,灌溉水质关系到稻米品质的优劣,收获时期与方法、仓储技术都会对稻米品质产生一定的影响。因此水稻栽培技术对稻米品质的影响不容忽视。本文从水稻育苗、移栽、施肥、除草、防治病虫、灌溉、收获、仓储等技术措施,对稻米品质影响加以简述,仅供生产优质稻米参考。     

我国水稻安全生产存在的问题及对策探讨

探讨了当前我国水稻安全生产面临的6个方面的主要问题,即气象气候灾害问题、环境污染问题、稻田生物多样性减少与病虫害暴发问题、有害生物入侵问题、转基因水稻生产的安全性问题以及稻米质量安全问题。针对这些问题,提出了一系列的对策措施,即建立稻田环境质量监控体系,加强农田生态环境建设;加强稻田减灾防灾预警体系和抗灾能力建设,发展避灾农业;大力推广与创新应用水稻生态农业模式;以健康食品生产与市场为导向,推进稻米安全生产的标准化与产业化进程;加强对野生稻和水稻优良种质资源的保护与利用;建立有利于水稻安全生产的激励措施和社会监管体系。     

抚育措施对檀香+降香黄檀混交林林下植被多样性的影响

檀香（Santalum album Linn.）+降香黄檀（Dalbergia odorifera T.Chen.）混交林是当前我国南方地区珍贵树种种植的典型模式。为揭示不同抚育措施下其林下植被多样性的变化规律,探索林地环境对这一特殊寄生特性林分的影响。本研究选取8年生檀香+降香黄檀混交林,连续开展了3年铲草（W）、施肥（F）、铲草+施肥（W+F）抚育对其林下植被多样性影响的研究。结果表明,檀香+降香黄檀混交林下出现的植物种类为20科31属32种,其中木本植物6科7属8种,草本植物14科23属24种,抚育管理初期各处理间差异显著（P<0.05）,铲草、铲草+施肥处理后相较于对照物种丰富度指数（R）、Simpson多样性指数（D）、Shannon-Wiener多样性指数（H）、Pielou均匀度指数（J_sw）显著下降（P<0.05）,施肥处理变化较小。连续抚育管理后,R值对照、施肥处理平稳变化,铲草、铲草+施肥处理呈逐年上升趋势,并最终超越对照;D值、H值、J_sw值对照呈逐年降低趋势,施肥处理逐年上升,铲草、铲草+施肥先增加后减小,最终D值、H值、J_sw值均表现为施肥最高,铲草最低。施肥增加了林下物种多样性并表现出对林下物种多样性降低的一种拮抗作用,铲草则加剧了林下物种多样性降低。因此,从长远来看,施肥可增加檀香+降香黄檀混交林林下物种多样性,有利于其生态稳定性的提高。