A laboratory study on the relative stability of the check‐dam system in the Loess Plateau,China

The building of check‐dams is one of the most effective measures for the conservation of soil and water in the Loess Plateau of China, and the hydro‐sedimentologic balance is the most important factor influencing the relative stability of the check‐dam systems. This means that the soil and water in small watersheds controlled by the check‐dams will be absorbed internally, without the need for raising the height of the dams, if some given parameters have reached certain values. A runoff simulation experiment for a single check‐dam and a rainfall simulation experiment for the whole check‐dam system has been conducted, and the runoff/rainfall intensity and the parameter RV were determined through the annual erosion rate of the prototype watershed. The results indicated that the raising of the dam‐land altitude became slower, and the mean gradient of the gully was kept at a constant. The main reasons causing the check‐dam to show a good relative stability are the enlarging of the dam‐land area, the alleviating of erosion by the check‐dam, and the auto‐stabilizing mechanism of the gullies. This study presents a kind of scale‐down model experiment in which the ratio of the model geomorphological variable to the corresponding prototype variable keeps constant after the determinate runs of rainfalls, so that the soil and water erosion processes of the prototype could be monitored from the results of the model experiment. Four measures have been suggested for ensuring this ratio is a constant: (1) A bare‐land model with an appropriate erosion rate should be used in the experiment. (2) Dimensions of the landform, including the check‐dam, should normally be scaled down according to the prototype watershed. (3) Soil similar to those of the prototype should be used. (4) The antecedent water content before each rainfall simulation should be kept constant. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Soil degradation processes and plant colonization in abandoned terraced fields overlying pumice tuffs

The state of soil degradation/regeneration in abandoned agricultural terraced fields over pumiceous tuffs has been assessed in this paper. In an initial stage, the relationships between soil types, surface microfeatures as indicators of soil degradation, physicochemical properties, plant colonization and vegetation structure were studied by means of multivariate statistical analyses (PCA, DCA, CCA and TWINSPAN®). Aerial photographs interpretation, DEMs and field surveys allowed us to identify 47 different environments for abandoned fields along 7 altitudinal transects (33 abandoned field terraces). In each study site, an inventory of the existing plant species and of morphological surface microfeatures were also made, by the line‐intercept method. Plant colonization in the field plots studied relates to the variation of soils properties according to a climatic altitudinal gradient. The soil properties most closely related to the abandonment age (decrease of soil salinity and clay content, and increase of soil alkalinity and total organic C and N), have contributed to the growth of plant communities with a high degree of climacity. The protection degree offered to the soils by the different vegetation types as a function of their structure and life‐forms strongly determines the occurrence of the different soil surface microfeatures as indicators of soil degradation or recovery. The acceleration of the early stages of succession by active planting of seeds from shrub species in the lower and upper areas, followed by reforestation in the latter ones, may be the best improvement practices to achieve an effective ecological recovery of the fields and simultaneously to attenuate soil degradation. The reassuming of agriculture may be desirable in those fields placed in middle heights, provided they show the best soil and climate conditions. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Impact of Waxy,Partial Waxy,and Wildtype Wheat Starch Fraction Properties on Hearth Bread Characteristics

Thirteen different wheat cultivars were selected to represent GBSS mutations: three each of wildtype, axnull, and bxnull, and two each of 2xnull and waxy. Starch and A‐ and B‐granules were purified from wheat flour. Hearth bread loaves were produced from the flours using a small‐scale baking method. A‐granules purified from wildtype and partial waxy (axnull, bxnull, and 2xnull) starches have significantly higher gelatinization enthalpy and peak viscosity compared with B‐granules. A‐ and B‐granules from waxy starch do not differ in gelatinization, pasting, and gelation properties. A‐ and B‐granules from waxy starch have the highest enthalpy, peak temperature, peak viscosity, breakdown, and lowest pasting peak time and pasting temperature compared with A‐ and B‐granules from partial waxy and wildtype starch. Waxy wheat flour has much higher water absorption compared with partial waxy and wildtype flour. No significant difference in hearth bread baking performance was observed between wildype and partial waxy wheat flour. Waxy wheat flour produced hearth bread with significantly lower form ratio, weight, a more open pore structure, and a bad overall appearance. Baking with waxy, partial waxy, and wildtype wheat flour had no significant effect on loaf volume.     

Physical and Sensory Characteristics of Extruded Products Made from Two Oat Lines with Different β‐Glucan Concentrations

The impact of extrusion on physical and sensory properties and on the in vitro bile acid (BA) binding was examined for N979 and Jim oat (Avena sativa) lines with 8.1 and 4.8% β‐glucan, respectively. Based on hardness and edibility of products made from Jim oats, moisture concentrations of 16–25% and temperatures of 165–180°C were selected for N979 extrusion. Jim‐based cereal had a significantly greater (P < 0.05) expansion ratio than did N979‐based cereal at most moistures. N979 cereal was browner, but not harder, than Jim cereal. Extruded products from N979 and Jim oats had 5.29–5.99% and 3.38–3.94% β‐glucan, respectively. Changing extrusion temperature or moisture content did not affect β‐glucan concentration in the products. N979 cereal made at 165°C and 16% moisture had greater BA binding than at other conditions, and had crunchiness comparable to cereals made at other conditions. BA binding of Cheerios brand breakfast cereal was close to that of N979 cereal made at 180°C and 18% moisture, but lower than cereals made at other conditions. Cereals made from Jim and N979 oats were browner, harder, coarser, and crunchier than Cheerios breakfast cereal. Proper processing and preparation techniques should be considered when producing extruded products from high β‐glucan oats.     

Preparation of High‐Quality Protein‐Based Extruded Pellets Expanded by Microwave Oven

The aim of this work was to study the effects of extrusion barrel temperature (75–140°C) and feed moisture (16–30%) on the production of third‐generation snacks expanded by microwave heating. A blend of potato starch (50%), quality protein maize (QPM) (35%), and soybean meal (SM) (15%) was used in the preparation of the snacks. A laboratory single extruder with a 1.5 × 20.0 × 100 mm die‐nozzle and a central composite routable experimental design were used. Expansion index (EI) and bulk density (BD) were measured in expanded pellets, viscosity at 83°C (V₈₃), thermal properties, and relative crystallinity were measured in extruded pellets. EI increased and BD decreased when the barrel temperature was increased, while the feed moisture effect was not significant. V₈₃ increased when feed moisture increased. Extrusion modified the crystalline structures of the pellets and the X‐ray data suggests the formation of new structures, probably due to the development of amylose‐lipid complexes. The maximum expansion of pellets was found at barrel temperatures of 123–140°C, and feed moisture of 24.5–30%. It is possible to obtain a functional third‐generation snack with good expansion characteristics using a microwave oven, and this snack has health benefits due to the addition of QPM and SM.     

Explaining Rice Milling Quality Variation Using Historical Weather Data Analysis

Rice quality, specifically head rice yield (HRY), can vary inexplicably from one lot to another, and from year to year. In an effort to correlate air temperatures during various growth stages to HRY, growth staging data expressed in degree day units was used to predict the occurrence of sequential growth stages within a set of 17‐year historical data, which included HRY and 50% heading dates for two long‐grain rice cultivars, (Oryza sativa L) Newbonnet and Lemont, and area weather data. HRY was most strongly affected by the average daily low temperature (or nighttime temperature) during the R8 developmental stage. Lower HRY were associated with high nighttime air temperatures during this stage for both Newbonnet and Lemont. When used as a single variable in a regression model, the nighttime temperature during the R8 developmental stage explained over 25% of the variation in HRY.     

A Novel Modified Endosperm Texture in a Mutant High‐Protein Digestibility/High‐Lysine Grain Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench)

Development of high‐protein digestibility (HPD)/high‐lysine (hl) sorghum mutant germplasm with good grain quality (i.e., hard endosperm texture) has been a major research objective at Purdue University. Progress toward achieving this objective, however, has been slow due to challenges posed by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. In this article, we report on the identification of a sorghum grain phenotype with a unique modified endosperm texture that has near‐normal hardness and possesses superior nutritional quality traits of high digestibility and enhanced lysine content. These modified endosperm lines were identified among F₆ families developed from crosses between hard endosperm, normal nutritional quality sorghum lines, and improved HPD/hl sorghum mutant P721Q‐derived lines. A novel vitreous endosperm formation originated in the central portion of the kernel endosperm with opaque portions appearing both centrally and peripherally surrounding the vitreous portion. Kernels exhibiting modification showed a range of vitreous content from a slight interior section to one that filled out to the kernel periphery. Microstructure of the vitreous endosperm fraction was dramatically different from that of vitreous normal kernels in sorghum and in other cereals, in that polygonal starch granules were densely packed but without the typically associated continuous protein matrix. We speculate that, due to the lack of protein matrix, such vitreous endosperm may have more available starch for animal nutrition, and possibly have improved wet‐milling and dry‐grind ethanol processing properties. The new modified endosperm selections produce a range that approaches the density of the vitreous parent, and have lysine content and protein digestibility comparable to the HPD/hl opaque mutant parent.     

A size-based stock assessment model for invasive blue catfish in a Chesapeake Bay sub-estuary during 2001–2016

Stock assessment modeling provides a means to estimate the population dynamics of invasive fishes and may do so despite data limitations. Blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus) were introduced to the Chesapeake Bay watershed to support recreational fisheries but also consume species of conservation need and economic importance. To assess management tradeoffs, managers need to understand the current status of the population and anticipate future population abundance and trends. A Bayesian size-based stock assessment model was used to estimate blue catfish abundance, fishing mortality, and size structure over time (2001–2016) in the tidal James River. The model estimated population size increases until around 2006, with declines in total abundance after 2011 and large blue catfish (≥80 cm total length) after 2001. These first estimates of blue catfish population dynamics in the Chesapeake Bay region provide inputs for projection models to evaluate prospective management actions and identify monitoring needs.     

Low salinity increases survival,body weight and development in tadpoles of the Chinese edible frog Hoplobatrachus rugulosus

Water salinity affects survival, growth and metamorphosis of anuran tadpoles. Hoplobatrachus rugulosus is considered not only as a freshwater amphibian but is also found in brackish wetlands. However, whether salinity change interferes with hatching, survival, body mass and development of H. rugulosus tadpoles is unknown. We found that salinity levels of <4‰ did not affect of survival or hatching of H. rugulosus eggs. At an early larval stage, tadpoles could tolerate up to 9‰ salinity for 96 h; however, body water content decreased when salinity was >5‰. After a 3‐week experiment, body weights of tadpoles exposed to 2‰ and 4‰ salinities were higher but that of the 6‰ group was lower compared with the 0‰ group. More than 90% of tadpoles exposed to 2‰ and 4‰ salinity showed complete metamorphosis. Salinity levels <4‰ promoted survival of tadpoles better than 0‰, whereas none of tadpoles in the 6‰ group became juvenile frogs in 50 days. Time taken to reach metamorphosis was shorter for 2‰ and 4‰ (47.22 ± 0.28 and 47.26 ± 0.33 days, respectively) than for 0‰ (49.31 ± 0.35 days). Juvenile frogs in the 2‰ group had greater body weight than the control. It could be concluded that salinity of <4‰ increased survival and body weight of H. rugulosus tadpoles, and shortened the time taken to reach metamorphosis.