Object‐Based Mapping of Karst Rocky Desertification using a Support Vector Machine

Accurate and cost‐effective mapping of karst rocky desertification (KRD) is still a challenge at the regional and national scale. Visual interpretation has been utilised in the majority of studies, while an automated method based on pixel data has been investigated repeatedly. An object‐based method coupling with support vector machine (SVM) was developed and tested using Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) images from three selected counties (Liujiang, Changshun and Zhenyuan) with different karst landscapes in SW China. The method supports a strategy of defining a mapping unit. It combined ETM+ images and ancillary data including elevation, slope and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index images. A sequence of scale parameters estimation, image segmentation, training data sampling, SVM parameters tuning and object classification was performed to achieve the mapping. A quantitative and semi‐automated approach was used to estimate scale parameters for segmenting an object at an optimal scale. We calculated the sum of area‐weighted standard deviation (WS), rate of change for WS, local variance (LV) and rate of change for LV at each scale level, and the threshold of the aforementioned index that indicated the optimal segment level and merge level. The KRD classification results had overall accuracies of 85·50, 84·00 and 84·86 per cent for Liujiang, Changshun and Zhenyuan, respectively, and kappa coefficients are up to 0·8062, 0·7917 and 0·8083, respectively. This approach mapped six classes of KRD and offered a visually appealing presentation. Moreover, it proposed a conceptual and size‐variable object from the classification standard of KRD. The results demonstrate that the application of our method provides an efficient approach for the mapping of KRD. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

我国棉花生物技术研究进展及发展对策

本文主要回顾近１０年来我国棉花生物技术各领域的研究进展；并针对我国棉花生产的客观要求和未来的发展趋势，从宏观上提出我国棉花生物技术发展对策。     

世界棉花育种科技水平进展与发展对策

９０年代以来，世界棉花育种的特点为：（１）以提高单产为主要目标；（２）以提高纤维品质为主要目标；（３）以保护环境为主要目标。通过不同的育种途径，棉花育种成绩斐然，为人类的发展提供了重要的物质基础。２０００年前，中国棉花育种对策的重点应（１）加强基础研究；（２）改革现行流通体制；（３）改进原棉检测手段；（４）育种目标与市场反馈信息结合。     

华北地区农业用水危机及其出路

华北地区水危机主要是由农业用水引起的。解决华北地区农业用水的根本途径是发展节水农业,节水农业的核心是提高水分利用效率,主要的方法有：水利工程节水、生物技术节水、农作物空间布局的调整、污水资源化、利用地下微成水、水资源价格和水价调节。     

东北地区农机制造业发展目标、基本思路和战略重点

农机制造业在机械工业体系中占有举足轻重的地位,且对于农业现代化的实现有着不可替代的作用.为此,依据东北地区农机制造业的发展现状,提出了东北地区农机制造业的发展目标和基本思路,并指出了下一步发展的战略重点,旨在为振兴东北地区老工业基地和农机制造业的发展提供参考.     

Using shallow saline groundwater for irrigation and regulating for soil salt-water regime

Drought and fresh water shortage are the main limiting factorsfor sustainable development of agriculture in North China Plain.Using saline water for irrigation plays important role forovercoming the constraints and increasing crops yields. Theexploitation and utilization of shallow saline groundwaterenables to regulate the groundwater depth and to promote thetransform of precipitation into available water resources.Thispaper reviews the research and practice on the utilization ofshallow saline groundwater in the part east of South GreatCanal in Haihe River Plain. Findings are presented on the useof saline water, cycling and blending of saline and fresh waterfor irrigation, indexing of crops salt tolerances, regulating forsoil salt-water regime, saline-alkali land reclamation andgroundwater quality freshening. These approaches help therational regulation and utilization of the local water resourcesfor comprehensive control of drought, waterlogging and salinity.     

Incorporation of ridge and furrow method of rainfall harvesting with mulching for crop production under semiarid conditions

A plastic-covered ridge and furrow rainfall harvesting (PRFRH) system combined with mulches was designed to increase water availability to crops for improving and stabilizing agricultural production in the semiarid Loess region of northwest China. The system was built by shaping the soil surface with alternate ridges and furrows along the contour. The plastic-covered ridges served as a rainfall harvesting zone and furrows as a planting zone. Some materials were also used to mulch the furrows to increase the effectiveness of the harvested water. This system can make better utilization of light rain by harvesting rainwater through the plastic-covered ridge. The field experiment (using corn as an indicator crop) showed that grain yields in the PRFRH system with mulches in 1998 and 1999 were significantly higher than the controls, with an increase of 4010–5297 kg per ha (108–143%). In most treatments, the water use efficiencies (WUE) were in excess of 2.0 kg m⁻³. The WUE values of corn in this system were 1.9 times greater than the controls in 1998 and 1.4 times greater than the controls in 1999. The plastic-covered ridge led to a yield increase of 3430 kg per ha (92%) in 1998 and of 1126 kg per ha (21%) in 1999 compared with the uncovered ridge. On average, the additional mulches in the furrow brought about a yield increase of 8–25%. Based on the results of this study and other researches, this technique can increase corn grain yield by 60–95% in drought and average years, 70–90% in wet years, and 20–30% in very wet years. The PRFRH system had the potential to increase crop yield and produced greater economic benefit, therefore it could be used in regions dominated by light rainfall of low intensity where crops generally fail due to water stress.     

The impact of increasing farm size and mechanization on rural income and rice production in Zhejiang province,China

Economic growth in China’s agricultural sector lags behind growth in industry and services, creating an ever widening rural–urban income gap. Development of the non-agricultural sectors offers new opportunities for farmers in China’s more advanced provinces such as Zhejiang. Increased income in the urban sector creates markets for new products, and migrating farmers rent their land to those staying. Until now, the prevailing rice-based systems have been managed mainly using manual labour and animal traction, but the larger farms resulting from migration may facilitate, or even require mechanization. In this study, we use a simulation model of the farm household to analyse the effects of increasing farm size and the transition from rice to vegetable production, while also studying the effects of mechanization.     

我国西部地区水电开发问题探讨

水能资源是我国西部地区的优势资源，由于历史和政策的原因，开发利用程度相对较低，资源优势没有形成产业优势。在分析西部水能资源分布特点和开发现状的基础上，结合西部大开发和西电东送战略，提出目前水电产业存在的市场、政策和资金方面问题，探讨了加快西部水电开发的对策和建议。     

武威汉代医简方药药理分析四则

武威汉代医简是一批中医药方的出土文献,一定程度上反映了东汉末年的中医方剂情况。文章分析了这批医简中的四则药方的药理,并与时代稍后的《伤寒论》和《金匮要略》作对比,以此说明该药方对后世中医的贡献。