Performance of simple irrigation scheduling calendars based on average weather data for annual ryegrass

Poor irrigation management in pastures can lead to yield and quality reduction as well as loss of income through extra pumping and leaching of nitrate fertiliser. A number of irrigation scheduling techniques of varying levels of sophistication have been developed over the years to address limited irrigation water availability and maximise productivity. Despite this, the adoption of irrigation scheduling tools by farmers remains low. The objective of this study was to assess the use of simple irrigation scheduling calendars based on average weather data to improve irrigation management in ryegrass. The calibrated Soil Water Balance (SWB) model was used to generate simple irrigation calendars and assess effectiveness for different scenarios by mechanistically simulating water dynamics and pasture growth. Scheduling irrigation using the calendars gave similar irrigation applications, water losses and yields compared to a more scientific real-time scheduling (in response to soil water depletion by the crop). While site-specific irrigation scheduling calendars can easily be generated by consultants and irrigators, even simpler monthly estimates of average daily water use can also be useful. Application of calendars by farmers is encouraged to improve water and nutrient use efficiency of irrigated pastures, if real-time irrigation scheduling is not employed.     

Characterizing Farmer Users and Nonusers of Mass Media as Channels of Agricultural Information in Benue State,Nigeria

This study characterized farmer users and nonusers of mass media as channels of agricultural information. A structured interview was used to obtain data from 316 randomly selected farmers in Benue State, Nigeria. The data were subjected to discriminant analysis and the following socioeconomic characteristics significantly differed at a 5% level of probability between users and nonusers of mass media (and their F-ratio values): education (6.30), income (5.12), gender (4.84), and socioeconomic status (4.83). Farmer users of mass media are therefore those who have good level of education, belong to a relatively high income bracket, and are typically male and of a relatively high socioeconomic status. Farmers’ socioeconomic characteristics should be considered in planning mass media usage in agricultural information dissemination.     

Changes in Hormonal Balance: A Possible Mechanism of Pre‐Sowing Chilling‐Induced Salt Tolerance in Spring Wheat

There is a lack of knowledge about factors contributing to the chilling‐induced alleviatory effects on growth of plants under salt stress. Thus, the primary objective of the study was to determine whether chilling‐induced changes in endogenous hormones, ionic partitioning within shoots and roots and/or gaseous exchange characteristics is involved in salt tolerance of two genetically diverses of wheat crops. For this purpose, the seeds of two spring wheat (Triticum aestivum) cultivars, MH‐97 (salt intolerant) and Inqlab‐91 (salt tolerant) were chilled at 3°C for 2 weeks. The chilled, hydroprimed and non‐primed (control) seeds of the two wheat cultivars were sown in both Petri dishes in a growth room and in the field after treatment with 15 dS m^?1 NaCl salinity. Chilling was very effective in increasing germination rate and subsequent growth when compared with hydropriming and control under salt stress. Results from field experiments clearly indicated the efficacy of chilling over hydropriming in improving shoot dry biomass and grain yield in either cultivar, particularly under salt stress. This increase in growth and yield was related to increased net photosynthetic rate, greater potential to uptake and accumulate the beneficial mineral elements (K⁺ and Ca²⁺) in the roots and reduced uptake and accumulation of toxic mineral element (Na⁺) in the shoots of both wheat cultivars when grown under salt stress. Salt‐stressed plants of both wheat cultivars raised from chilled seed had greater concentrations of indoleacetic acid, abscisic acid, salicylic acid and spermine when compared with hydropriming and control. Therefore, induction of salt tolerance by pre‐sowing chilling treatment in wheat could be attributed to its beneficial effects on ionic homeostasis and hormonal balance. The results presented are also helpful to understand the chilling‐induced cross adaptation of plants in natural environments. Moreover, efficacy of pre‐sowing chilling treatment over hydropriming suggested its commercial utilization as a low risk priming treatment for better wheat crop production under stressful environments.     

Evaluation of Water–Nitrogen Schemes for Rice in Iran,Using ORYZA2000 Model

The model ORYZA2000 simulates the growth and development of rice under conditions of potential production and water and nitrogen (N) limitations. Crop simulation models could provide an alternative, less time-consuming, and inexpensive means of determining the optimum crop N and irrigation requirements under varied irrigation and nitrogen conditions. Water productivity (WP) is a concept of partial productivity and denotes the amount or value of product over volume or value of water used. For the evaluated ORYZA2000 model in Iran, a study was carried out in a randomized complete block design between 2005 and 2007, with three replications at the Rice Research Institute of Iran, Rasht. Irrigation management (three regimes) was the main plot and N application (four levels) was the subplot. In this study, simulation modeling was used to quantify water productivity and water balance components of water and nitrogen interactions in rice. Evaluation simulated and measured total aboveground biomass and yield, by adjusted coefficient of correlation, T test of means, and absolute and normalized root mean square errors (RMSE). Results showed that with normalized root mean square errors (RMSE_n) of 5–28%, ORYZA2000 satisfactorily simulated crop biomass and yield that strongly varied among irrigation and nitrogen fertilizer conditions. Yield was simulated with an RMSE of 237–443 kg ha^?1 and a normalized RMSE of 5–11%. Results showed that the significant (28–56%) share of evaporation into evapotranspiration, using the actual yield (measured) and simulated water balance (ORYZA2000), the calculated average WP_ET was significantly lower than the average WP_T: 37%. The average WP_I, WP_I+R, WP_ET, WP_T, and WP_ETQ were 1.4, 1.07, 1.07, 1.57, and 0.82 kg m^?3. Results also showed that irrigation with 8-day intervals and 60 kg N ha^?1, nitrogen level was the optimum irrigation regime and nitrogen level.     

提高花粉饲养伪钝绥螨繁殖力的试验

单独用苹果花粉喂养伪钝绥螨,其后代生活力降低。本文报道在苹果花粉中分别添加30％王浆水、30％蜂蜜水饲养伪钝绥螨,或用苹果花粉和朱砂叶螨交替喂食。结果表明,其后代成螨性比较单独用苹果花粉喂食者均有提高,雌成螨自食其卵现象基本消除。其中以苹果花粉和朱砂叶螨交替供食者效果最好,后代成活率明显提高。以苹果花粉为主食料,定期添加朱砂叶螨,5周后伪钝绥螨的增殖倍数与完全取食朱砂叶螨者相近。     

应用伪钝绥螨防治苹果全爪螨初报

伪钝绥螨是叶螨的有效天敌,1986年引入天水,1987、1988年在苹果园进行了释放试验,6月中、下旬按1:50的益害比释放于苹果树上,结果表明经过35～40天,苹果全爪螨从峰期(1987、7、31)7.79头/叶和(19888、2)21.84头/叶开始减退,至50～60天,分别减退为1.76头/叶和1.90头/叶,而对照树分别为19.43头/叶(8、20)和44.15头/叶(8、2)。该螨对苹果全爪螨越冬卵的控制效果明显,释放树平均一年生枝条单枝含卵量为15.95粒,化防树为93.64粒。     

稻瘟病菌菌株在寄主上的相互作用研究

作者采用常规的组织分离、单孢分离、孢子培养和接种的方法,研究了稻瘟病菌菌株在14个品种秧苗上的相互作用。结果表明,所有不同来源的单孢菌株间、集团菌株间在中等抗性品种上均有各种类型相互作用。从简化鉴定工作程序和接近病菌在大田存在互作的实际出发,作者建议以不同地区和不同品种的集团菌株混合接种,测定育种早稻材料的抗病性。     

应用赤眼蜂蛹人工饲养尼氏钝绥螨的研究初报

本文首次报导应用赤眼蜂蛹作为替代食料人工饲养尼氏钝绥螨。日食蛹量,幼螨为0.18头,产卵前期成螨达1.18头,而产卵期成螨则为0.95头左右。在25℃饲养条件下,每雌产卵达45粒,卵历期48小时,孵化率近92％,幼螨存活率88％,成螨雌性占55％,雌成螨寿命25天。用赤眼蜂蛹连代饲养的尼氏钝绥螨在桔园释放,对柑桔全爪螨具有明显的控制作用。     

昆虫病原斯氏和异小杆线虫人工大量培养的研究概况

昆虫病原斯氏和异小杆线虫的大面积田间应用要求线虫有效地生产，本文介绍业已建立线虫大量培养方法及合适于大规模生产线虫的工厂化培养系统及有关的技术参数，并讨论其优化管理问题。     

改进平衡运输问题表上作业法中的最优方案判别法则

平衡运输问题数学模型的约束条件Ｘｉｊ≥，表明只讨论从发车点驶往收车点，不讨论任何形式的“逆向行驶”，但“逆向行驶”在运输实际中往往发生。本旨在通过改进平衡运输问题表上作业法中的判别法则，解决“逆向行驶”问题，使平衡运输方案真正达到最优化。