Phosphorus status,use and recycling in a Chinese peri-urban region with intensive animal husbandry and cropping systems Results from case study in a Sino-German applied research collaboration project

The Sino-German research collaboration project, “Recycling of organic residues from agricultural and municipal origin in China” (2008–2012), comprising different interdisciplinary research groups, and also German small and medium-sized enterprises, aimed at developing integrated strategies and solutions for the recycling of organic residues in China. In an intensive crop-livestock agricultural region in the Shunyi District of Beijing, five typical cropping systems were investigated. The research was conducted in the form of analyses of phosphorus (P) in soil, plants, animal feed, animal products, manures, mineral and organic fertilizers and the derivation of the corresponding nutrient balances and P flows. The mean annual P balance surplus was 492 kg·ha⁻¹·yr⁻¹ P for the vegetable production system, significantly higher (P<0.05) than that for orchards (130 kg·ha⁻¹·yr⁻¹P) and cereal crops (83 kg·ha⁻¹·yr⁻¹ P). Plant-available P (Olsen-P) concentrations of topsoils (0–20 cm) had good correlations with the amounts of P applied (from mineral and organic sources). Compared to results from the Second Chinese National Soil Survey of 1981, mean concentrations of available P in soils of 19 plots investigated in Shunyi District increased 10-fold (from 7.3 to 60 mg·kg⁻¹) from 1981 to 2009. On average, the critical limit for Olsen-P concentrations (>30 mg·kg⁻¹) that can lead to increased risk of P loss was exceeded in all five cropping systems. With feed additives, the “natural background value” (Chinese Environmental Quality Standard for Soils) of copper and zinc in topsoils was exceeded at several sites. Screening for several substances in the veterinary antibiotic classes of sulfonamides, tetracyclines, and fluoroquinolones revealed widespread topsoil contamination. Calculated livestock densities were 10.6 livestock units per ha arable land in 2007. Animal husbandry is increasingly conducted in large operations, making traditional ways of reuse difficult to apply. Comparing three management systems for treatment of organic residues from a pig farm via aerobic (composting) or anaerobic (biogas) treatment in a life cycle assessment, the resulting cropland demand for a sustainable land application of biogas effluent varied between 139 and 288 ha·yr⁻¹, well above the cropland area owned by the farm (10 ha). The mismatch problems in the above context between business-as-usual and improving performance are framed and discussed as (1) the mismatch between centralized animal husbandry and smallholder farming, (2) the mismatch between livestock density and cropland, (3) nutrient (including P) recycling and increasing organic matter content versus energy production, (4) subsidies for compost production and biogas, as well as (5) advances in the regulatory framework in China.     

A comparison of the biological activities of ethyl acetate fractions from the stems and leaves of Penthorum chinense Pursh

Penthorum chinense Pursh (PCP) is a popular traditional medicinal plant in China, widely used for the treatment of a variety of liver diseases. Although it has been long recognized that the main active elements of PCP are contained in ethyl acetate fraction (EAF), little is known so far in terms of the relative effectiveness of EAF derived from the stems versus leaves of this plant. In the current study, we prepared EAF by reflux extraction and sequential extraction from the stems (SEAF) and leaves (LEAF) of PCP and tested their hepatoprotective efficacies. The extract rates and flavonoid contents of LEAF were higher than those of SEAF. EAFs (>50 μg·mL⁻¹) prevented lipid accumulation in cells and protected against lipotoxicity injury when the concentration exceeded 25 μg·mL⁻¹. More than 95% free radicals released by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) were eliminated by 25 μg·mL⁻¹ SEAF and 50 μg·mL⁻¹ LEAF, respectively. Further, EAFs (25 μg·mL⁻¹) also showed protective antioxidant effects, with the activity of LEAF being significantly higher than that of SEAF. EAFs (10 mg·mL⁻¹) also showed similar unspecific bacteriostatic activity. In comparison with SEAF, LEAF contained more flavonoids and had a higher anti-oxidation capability and for these reasons we suggest it should be better for clinical use.     

Comparison of analytical procedures for measuring phosphorus content of animal manures in China

The concentration and components of manure phosphorus (P) are key factors determining potential P bioavailability and runoff. The distribution of P forms in swine, poultry and cattle manures collected from intensive and extensive production systems in several areas of China was investigated with sequential fractionation and a simplified two-step (NaHCO₃-NaOH/EDTA) procedures. The mean total P concentration, determined by the sequential fractionation procedure of intensive swine, poultry and cattle manure, expressed as g·kg⁻¹, was 14.9, 13.4 and 5.8 g·kg⁻¹, respectively, and 4.4 g·kg⁻¹ in extensive cattle manure. In intensive swine, poultry and cattle manure about 73%, 74% and 79% of total P, respectively, was bioavailable (i.e., P extracted by H₂O and NaHCO₃) and 78% in extensive cattle manure. The results indicated the relative environmental risk, from high to low, of swine, poultry and cattle manure. There is considerable regional variation in animal manure P across China, which needs to be considered when developing manure management strategies.     

Quantitative analysis of yield and soil water balance for summer maize on the piedmont of the North China Plain using AquaCrop

The North China Plain (NCP) is a major grain production area in China, but the current winter wheat-summer maize system has resulted in a large water deficit. This water-shortage necessitates the improvement of crop water productivity in the NCP. A crop water model, AquaCrop, was adopted to investigate yield and water productivity (WP) for rain-fed summer maize on the piedmont of the NCP. The data sets to calibrate and validate the model were obtained from a 3-year (2011–2013) field experiment conducted on the Yanshan piedmont of the NCP. The range of root mean square error (RMSE) between the simulated and measured biomass was 0.67–1.25 t·hm⁻², and that of relative error (RE) was 9.4%–15.4%, the coefficient of determination (R²) ranged from 0.992 to 0.994. The RMSE between the simulated and measured soil water storage at depth of 0–100 cm ranged from 4.09 to 4.39 mm; and RE and R² in the range of 1.07%–1.20% and 0.880–0.997, respectively. The WP as measured by crop yield per unit evapotranspiration was 2.50–2.66 kg·m⁻³. The simulated impact of long-term climate (i.e., 1980–2010) and groundwater depth on crop yield and WP revealed that the higher yield and WP could be obtained in dry years in areas with capillary recharge from groundwater, and much lower values elsewhere. The simulation also suggested that supplementary irrigation in areas without capillary groundwater would not result in groundwater over-tapping since the precipitation can meet the water required by both maize and ecosystem, thus a beneficial outcome for both food and ecosystem security can be assured.     

A potential solution for food security in Kenya: implications of the Quzhou model in China

Poor soil fertility due to low nutrient inputs is a major factor limiting grain production in Kenya. Increasing soil fertility for crop productivity in China has implications for food security in Kenya. The purpose of this study was therefore to investigate the historical patterns of grain production, nutrient inputs, soil fertility and policies in Quzhou, a typical agricultural county on the North China Plain, and to compare grain production in Quzhou County and Kenya to identify a potential approach for increasing grain production in Kenya. Grain yields in Quzhou increased from 1 to 3 t·ha⁻¹ between 1961 and 1987 by increasing manure application accompanied by small amounts of chemical fertilizer after soil desalinization. There was a further increase from 3 to 5 t·ha⁻¹ up to 1996 which can be mainly attributed to chemical fertilizer use and policy support. Hence, a beneficial cycle between soil fertility and plant growth in Quzhou grain production was developed and strengthened. In contrast, there was only a slight increase in grain yields in Kenya over this period, resulting from low soil fertility with limited external nutrient inputs, a consequence of poor socioeconomic development. It is suggested that grain yields in Kenya would likely be boosted by the development of a self-reinforcing cycling between soil fertility and plant growth with manure and chemical fertilizer use if supported by policy and socioeconomic development.     

A novel aldo-keto reductase gene, IbAKR, from sweet potato confers higher tolerance to cadmium stress in tobacco

High concentrations of Cd can inhibit growth and reduce the activity of the photosynthetic apparatus in plants. In several plant species, aldo-keto reductases (AKRs) have been shown to enhance tolerance to various abiotic stresses by scavenging cytotoxic aldehydes; however, few AKRs have been reported to enhance Cd stress tolerance. In this study, the gene IbAKR was isolated from sweet potato. The relative expression levels of IbAKR increased significantly (approximately 3-fold) after exposure to 200 mmol·L⁻¹ CdCl₂ or 10 mmol·L⁻¹ H₂O₂. A subcellular localization assay showed that IbAKR is predominantly located in the nucleus and cytoplasm. IbAKR-overexpressing tobacco plants showed higher tolerance to Cd stress than wild-type (WT). Transgenic lines showed a significant ability to scavenge malondialdehyde (MDA) and methylglyoxal (MG). In addition, proline content and superoxide dismutase activity were significantly higher and H₂O₂ levels were significantly lower in the transgenic plants than in the WT. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis showed that the reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging genes encoding guaiacol peroxidase (GPX), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), monodehydroascorbate reductase (MDHAR) and peroxidase (POD) were significantly upregulated in transgenic plants compared to WT under Cd stress. These findings suggest that overexpressing IbAKR enhances tolerance to Cd stress via the scavenging of cytotoxic aldehydes and the activation of the ROS scavenging system.     

Modeling temperature and moisture dependent emissions of carbon dioxide and methane from drying dairy cow manure

Greenhouse gas emissions due to biological degradation processes of animal wastes are significant sources of air pollution from agricultural areas. The major environmental controls on these microbe-induced gas fluxes are temperature and moisture content. The objective of this study was to model the effects of temperature and moisture content on emissions of CO₂ and CH₄ during the ambient drying process of dairy manure under controlled conditions. Gas emissions were continuously recorded over 15 d with paired fully automated closed dynamic chambers coupled with a Fourier Transformed Infrared gas analyzer. Water content and temperature were measured and monitored with capacitance sensors. In addition, on days 0, 3, 6, 9, 12 and 15, pH, moisture content, dissolved organic carbon and total carbon (TC) were determined. An empirical model derived from the Arrhenius equation confirmed high dependency of carbon emissions on temperature and moisture content. Results indicate that for the investigated dairy manure, 6.83% of TC was lost in the form of CO₂ and 0.047% of TC was emitted as CH₄. Neglecting the effect of temperature, the moisture contents associated with maximum gas emissions were estimated as 0.75 and 0.79 g·g⁻¹ for CO₂ and CH₄, respectively.     

Symbiotic performance,shoot biomass and water-use efficiency of three groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) genotypes in response to phosphorus supply under field conditions in Ethiopia

Phosphorus is a key nutrient element involved in energy transfer for cellular metabolism, respiration and photosynthesis and its supply at low levels can affect legume nodulation, N₂ fixation, and C assimilation. A two-year field study was conducted in Ethiopia in 2012 and 2013 to evaluate the effects of P supply on growth, symbiotic N₂ nutrition, grain yield and water-use efficiency of three groundnut genotypes. Supplying P to the genotypes significantly increased their shoot biomass, symbiotic performance, grain yield, and C accumulation. There was, however, no effect on shoot δ¹³C values in either year. Compared to the zero-P control, supplying 40 kg·ha⁻¹ P markedly increased shoot biomass by 77% and 66% in 2012 and 2013, respectively. In both years, groundnut grain yields were much higher at 20 and 30 kg·ha⁻¹ P. Phosphorus supply markedly reduced shoot δ¹⁵N values and increased the %Ndfa and amount of N-fixed, indicating the direct involvement of P in promoting N₂ fixation in nodulated groundnut. The three genotypes differed significantly in δ¹⁵N, %Ndfa, N-fixed, grain yield, C concentration, and δ¹³C. The phosphorus × genotype interaction was also significant for shoot DM, N content, N-fixed and soil N uptake.     

INTENSIFICATION OF GRASSLAND-BASED DAIRY PRODUCTION AND ITS IMPACTS ON LAND,NITROGEN AND PHOSPHORUS USE EFFICIENCIES

• Monitoring data of>5000 dairy farms collected and examined in uniform manner. • Environmental performances of farms influenced by government regulations. • N and P surpluses at farm level remained about constant with intensity level. • N and P use efficiencies at farm, herd and soil increased with intensity level. • Accounting for externalization of off-farm feed production affects NUE and PUE. • Ammonia emissions per kg milk decreased with the level of intensification. Many grassland-based dairy farms are intensifying production, i.e., produce more milk per ha of land in response to the increasing demand for milk (by about 2% per year) in a globalized market. However, intensive dairy farming has been implicated for its resources use, ammonia and greenhouse gas emissions, and eutrophication impacts. This paper addresses the question of how the intensity of dairy production relates to N and P surpluses and use efficiencies on farms subjected to agri-environmental regulations. Detailed monitoring data were analyzed from 2858 grassland-based dairy farms in The Netherlands for the year 2015. The farms produced on average 925 Mg·yr⁻¹ milk. Milk production per ha ranged from<10 to>30 Mg·ha⁻¹·yr⁻¹. Purchased feed and manure export strongly increased with the level of intensification. Surpluses of N and P at farm level remained constant and ammonia emissions per kg milk decreased with the level of intensification. In conclusion, N and P surpluses did not differ much among dairy farms greatly differing in intensity due to legal N and P application limits and obligatory export of manure surpluses to other farms. Further, N and P use efficiencies also did not differ among dairy farms differing in intensity provided the externalization of feed production was accounted for. This paper provides lessons for proper monitoring and control of N and P cycling in dairy farming.     

EVALUATING QUINOA LODGING RISK AND YIELD UNDER DIFFERENT IRRIGATION THRESHOLDS,NITROGEN RATES AND PLANTING DENSITIES IN NORTH-WESTERN CHINA

● A moderate irrigation threshold of −25 kPa gave the greatest actual yield. ● Nitrogen rates of 80−160 kg·ha⁻¹ reduced lodging risk without yield decrease. ● Planting density of 30 plants·m⁻² provided both high yield and lodging resistance. ● A lower-stem lodging index was best for prediction of quinoa lodging risk. Lodging is a major yield-limiting factor of quinoa production. In 2018 and 2019, the orthogonal field experiments were conducted to investigate the responses of quinoa lodging risk and yield to irrigation threshold (soil matric potential of −15, −25 and −55 kPa), nitrogen rate (80, 160 and 240 kg·ha⁻¹) and planting density (20, 30 and 40 plants m⁻²). Results showed that high irrigation thresholds and nitrogen rates significantly (P < 0.05) increased plant height and fresh weight per plant, and high planting densities reduced stem diameter and strength, all of those led to significantly ( P < 0.05) high lodging risks. The −15 and −55 kPa treatments gave the lowest actual yield ( P < 0.05) in 2018 and 2019, respectively. Higher lodging rate with a nitrogen rate of 240 kg·ha⁻¹ resulted in a lower actual yield than 80 and 160 kg·ha⁻¹ in both years. Planting density of 30 plants m⁻² gave a significantly (P < 0.05) greater estimated yield than 20 plants m⁻² and had a lower lodging rate than 40 plants m⁻², resulting in the maximum actual yield among planting densities. In conclusion, a moderate irrigation threshold of −25 kPa, a nitrogen rate of 80−160 kg·ha⁻¹ and an intermediate planting density of 30 plants m⁻² were determined to be best for quinoa cultivation in North-western China. In addition, the lower-stem lodging index (quarter plant height) could evaluate lodging risk more accurately than middle-stem (half plant height) or upper-stem (three quarters plant height) lodging indexes.     

NEW ZEALAND DAIRY FARM SYSTEMS AND KEY ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS

• NZ dairy farming systems are based on year-round grazing of perennial pasture (ryegrass/white clover). • Milk production per hectare has increased by about 29% with increased use of externally-sourced feeds over the last two decades. • Externally-sourced feeds with a low protein concentration can potentially reduce N₂O emissions and N leaching per unit of production. • Systems analysis is important for evaluating mitigations to minimize trade-offs between environmental impacts. This paper provides an overview of the range of dairy pasture grazing systems used in New Zealand (NZ), the changes with increased inputs over time and associated key environmental effects including nitrogen (N) leaching and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. NZ dairy farming systems are based on year-round grazing and seasonal milk production on perennial ryegrass/clover pasture where cows are rotationally grazed in paddocks. There was an increase in stocking rate on NZ dairy farms from 2.62 cows ha⁻¹ in 2000/2001 to 2.84 cows ha⁻¹ in 2015/2016. During the same period annual milk solids production increased from 315 to 378 kg·yr⁻¹ per cow. This performance has coincided with an increase in N fertilizer use (by ~ 30%) and a twofold increase in externally-sourced feeds. Externally-sourced feeds with a low protein concentration (e.g., maize silage) can increase the efficiency of N utilization and potentially reduce N losses per unit of production. Off-paddock facilities (such as standoff or feed pads) are often used to restrict grazing during very wet winter conditions. A systems analysis of contrasting dairy farms in Waikato (largest NZ dairying region) indicates that the increased input would result in an increase in per-cow milk production but little change in efficiency of milk production from a total land use perspective. This analysis also shows that the increased inputs caused an 11% decrease in N footprint (i.e., N emissions per unit of milk production) and a 2% increase in C footprint (i.e., greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per unit of milk production).     

Optimum nitrogen fertilization of Calophyllum inophyllum seedlings under greenhouse conditions

A greenhouse pot experiment was conducted to study the effects of nitrogen fertilization on Calophy- llum inophyllum seedlings grown with 0, 50, 100, 150, 200, 300, 400 and 600 mg N per seedling according to exponential functions. Seedling height, root collar diameter, leaf area and total biomass increased with increasing fertilization from 0 to 200 mg N per seedling and decreased with further increase in fertilization from 300 to 600 mg N per seedling. The net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, intercellular CO₂ concentration and transpiration rate of C. inophyllum seedlings showed a unimodal parabolic trend, with peak values of 7.29 mmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹, 0.071 mol·m⁻²·s⁻¹, 220 mmol·mol⁻¹ and 1.34 mmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹, respectively, when the rate of fertilization was 200 mg N per seedling. Photosynthetic gas exchange parameters were significantly different among nitrogen treatments. Based on the critical values of leaf N and P concentration and N/P ratio, the optimum amount of nitrogen of C. inophyllum seedlings was 200–400 mg per seedling for leaf N and P concentration, and 100–400 mg per seedling for N/P ratio. It was concluded that 200–400 mg N per seedling was the most suitable nitrogen range for C. inophyllum seedlings.     

Characterization of grain cadmium concentration in indica hybrid rice

As a consequence of contamination of soil with heavy metals, cadmium accumulation in grain is of great concern worldwide, but especially in southern China. It is important to evaluate the Cd accumulation potential of grain before or when examining and approving new cultivars. An evaluation method and criteria for verifying Cd accumulation potential in rice are proposed, and the Cd accumulation potential of 56 mid-season indica hybrids collected from the provincial cultivar trials in 2016 were investigated. Genotype, environment and their interactions strongly affected the variation in grain Cd accumulation. Two hybrids were identified as slightly Cd accumulating. Hybrids with slight Cd accumulation potential would be suitable for safe grain production on polluted land (total Cd under 2.0 mg·kg⁻¹) in Hunan Province (China) and should be considered for new cultivar evaluation and approval. This evaluation method and criterion could be applied for certifying Cd accumulation potential of rice cultivars.     

Efficient regeneration system applicable to five Musa cultivars

Banana (Musa spp.) is an important staple food, economic crop, and nutritional fruit worldwide. Hybridization is seriously hampered by the long generation time, polyploidy, and sterility of most cultivars. Establishment of an efficient regeneration and transformation system for banana is critical for their genetic improvement. An efficient and reproducible transformation system for banana using direct organogenesis was developed. Media containing benzylaminopurine (BA) combined with one of four other growth regulators was evaluated for the regeneration efficiency of five Musa cultivars and the ability to induce/support development of new banana shoots. The result indicated that the greatest number of shoots per explant for all five Musa cultivars was obtained using MS medium supplemented with 8.9 mmol·L⁻¹ BA and 9.1 mmol·L⁻¹ thidiazuron (TDZ). In 240–270 d, one immature male flower could regenerate between 380 and 456, 310–372, 200–240, 130–156, and 100–130 well-developed shoots for Gongjiao, Red banana, Rose banana, Baxi, and Xinglongnaijiao, respectively. Such a system will facilitate molecular breeding and functional genomics of banana.     

Synthesis and characterization of castor oil-based polymeric surfactants

Dehydrated castor oil was epoxidized using phosphoric acid as a catalyst and acetic acid peroxide as an oxidant to produce epoxidized castor oil (ECO). Ring-opening polymerization with stannic chloride was used to produce polymerized ECO (PECO), and sodium hydroxide used to give hydrolyzed PECO (HPECO). The HPECO was characterized by Fourier transform infrared, ¹H and ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopies, gel permeation chromatography, and differential scanning calorimetry. The weight-average molecular weight of soluble PECO and HPECO were 5026 and 2274 g·mol^-1, respectively. PECO and HPECO exhibited glass transition. Through neutralizing the carboxylic acid of HPECO with different counterions, castor oil-based polymeric surfactants (HPECO-M, where M= Na⁺, K⁺ or triethanolamine ion) exhibited high efficiency to reduce the surface tension of water. The critical micelle concentration (CMC) values of HPECO-M ranged from 0.042 to 0.098 g·L^-1 and the minimum equilibrium surface tensions at CMC (g_cmc) of HPECO-M ranged from 25.6 to 30.0 mN·m^-1. The water-hexadecane interfacial energy was calculated from measured surface tension using harmonic and geometric mean methods. Measured values of water-hexadecane interfacial tension agreed well with those calculated using the harmonic and geometric mean methods.     

Construction of a universal recombinant expression vector that regulates the expression of human lysozyme in milk

The mammary gland provides a novel method for producing recombinant proteins in milk of transgenic animals. A key component in the technology is the construction of an efficient milk expression vector. Here, we established a simple method to construct a milk expression vector, by a combination of homologous recombination and digestion-ligation. Our methodology is expected to have the advantages of both plasmid and bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) vectors. The BAC of mouse whey acidic protein gene (mWAP) was modified twice by homologous recombination to produce a universal expression vector, and the human lysozyme gene (hLZ) was then inserted into the vector by a digestion-ligation method. The final vector containing the 8.5 kb mWAP 5′ promoter, 4.8 kb hLZ genomic DNA, and 8.0 kb mWAP 3′ genomic DNA was microinjected into pronuclei of fertilized mouse embryos, to successfully generate two transgenic mouse lines that expressed recombinant human lysozyme (rhLZ) in milk. The highest expression level of rhLZ was 0.45 g·L⁻¹, and rhLZ exhibited the same antibacterial activity as native hLZ. Our results have provided a simple approach to construct a universal milk expression vector, and demonstrated that the resulting vector regulates the expression of hLZ in milk.     

LIGHT INTERCEPTION AND USE EFFICIENCY DIFFER WITH MAIZE PLANT DENSITY IN MAIZE-PEANUT INTERCROPPING

• Intercropping intercepted more light than sole peanut but less than sole maize.• Maize light use efficiency (LUE) increased with plant density in the intercropping.• Intercropping did not affect LUE of maize but increased peanut LUE.Intercropping increases crop yields by optimizing light interception and/or use efficiency. Although intercropping combinations and metrics have been reported, the effects of plant density on light use are not well documented. Here, we examined the light interception and use efficiency in maize-peanut intercropping with different maize plant densities in two row configurations in semiarid dryland agriculture over a two-year period. The field experiment comprised four cropping systems, i.e. monocropped maize, monocropped peanut, maize-peanut intercropping with two rows of maize and four rows of peanut, intercropping with four rows of maize and four rows of peanut, and three maize plant densities (3.0, 4.5 and 6.0 plants m⁻¹ row) in both monocropped and intercropping maize. The mean total light interception in intercropping across years and densities was 779 MJ·m⁻², 5.5% higher than in monocropped peanut (737 MJ·m⁻²) and 7.6% lower than in monocropped maize (843 MJ·m⁻²). Increasing maize density increased light interception in monocropped maize but did not affect the total light interception in the intercrops. Across years the LUE of maize was 2.9 g·MJ⁻¹ and was not affected by cropping system but increased with maize plant density. The LUE of peanut was enhanced in intercropping, especially in a wetter year. The yield advantage of maize-peanut intercropping resulted mainly from the LUE of peanut. These results will help to optimize agronomic management and system design and provide evidence for system level light use efficiency in intercropping.     

不同生育期成龄灰枣树茎流速率与气象因子的关系

【目的】在微喷灌的灌溉方式下,研究不同天气和不同气象因子条件下成龄灰枣树的茎流速率,精准测定出成龄枣树的耗水量,为优化枣树的土壤水分管理提供生产指导。【方法】采用针式茎流计,连续监测灰枣树茎流速率,分析枣树的茎流速率受不同天气和气象因子的影响程度。【结果】晴天和阴天茎流速率的波动变化过程呈倒“U”型的单峰曲线,而多云天气下呈“M”型的双峰曲线。1 d中枣树的茎流累积趋势呈“S”变化,各生育期耗水量大小排序为果实膨大期>成熟期>花期>萌芽展叶期。只有成熟期枣树的茎流速率与空气温度相关程度最高,其余都是太阳辐射。各生育期太阳辐射与枣树茎流速率的相关系数R_D1=0.964^**、R_D2=0.969^**、R_D3=0.957^**和R_D4=0.886^**。利用多元线性回归在枣树的各生育期内对茎流速率和气象因子进行输入回归,建立不同天气条件下,各生育期枣树茎流速率和气象因子的多元线性回归模型,经过回归系数和相关系数检验,各生育期的多元线性回归方程均达到了显著水平。【结论】各生育期内,典型天气的茎流速率排序为晴天>多云>阴天,整个生育期中的需水关键期是果实膨大期,对枣树的茎流速率产生最大影响的气象因子是太阳辐射和空气温度。     

EXPLORING THE RECYCLING OF MANURE FROM URBAN LIVESTOCK FARMS: A CASE STUDY IN ETHIOPIA

• Livestock manure was the main organic waste in urban and peri-urban areas.• Manure production will increase by a factor of 3–10 between 2015–2050.• Only 13%–38% of excreted N by livestock will be recycled in croplands.• Intensification of urban livestock production greatly increased N surpluses.• Reducing population growth and increasing livestock productivity needed.Urban population growth is driving the expansion of urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) in developing countries. UPA is providing nutritious food to residents but the manures produced by UPA livestock farms and other wastes are not properly recycled. This paper explores the effects of four scenarios: (1) a reference scenario (business as usual), (2) increased urbanization, (3) UPA intensification, and (4) improved technology, on food-protein self-sufficiency, manure nitrogen (N) recycling and balances for four different zones in a small city (Jimma) in Ethiopia during the period 2015-2050. An N mass flow model with data from farm surveys, field experiments and literature was used. A field experiment was conducted and N use efficiency and N fertilizer replacement values differed among the five types of composts derived from urban livestock manures and kitchen wastes. The N use efficiency and N fertilizer replacement values were used in the N mass flow model.Livestock manures were the main organic wastes in urban areas, although only 20 to 40% of animal-sourced food consumed was produced in UPA, and only 14 to 19% of protein intake by residents was animal-based. Scenarios indicate that manure production in UPA will increase 3 to 10 times between 2015 and 2050, depending on urbanization and UPA intensification. Only 13 to 38% of manure N will be recycled in croplands. Farm-gate N balances of UPA livestock farms will increase to>1 t·ha⁻¹ in 2050. Doubling livestock productivity and feed protein conversion to animal-sourced food will roughly halve manure N production.Costs of waste recycling were high and indicate the need for government incentives. Results of these senarios are wake-up calls for all stakeholders and indicate alternative pathways.