Using midday stem water potential for scheduling deficit irrigation in mid–late maturing peach trees under Mediterranean conditions

Irrigation techniques that reduce water applications are increasingly applied in areas with scarce water resources. In this study, the effect of two regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) strategies on peach [Prunus persica (L.) Batsch cv. “Catherine”] performance was studied over three growing seasons. The experimental site was located in Murcia (SE Spain), a Mediterranean region. Two RDI strategies (restricting water applications at stage II of fruit development and postharvest) based on stem water potential (Ψ_s) thresholds (?1.5 and ?1.8 MPa during fruit growth and ?1.5 and ?2.0 MPa during postharvest) were compared to a fully irrigated control. Soil water content (θ_v), Ψ_s, gas exchange parameters, vegetative growth, crop load, yield and fruit quality were determined. RDI treatments showed significantly lower values of θ_v and Ψ_s than control trees when irrigation water was restricted, causing reductions in stomatal conductance and photosynthesis rates. Vegetative growth was reduced by RDI, as lower shoot lengths and pruning weights were observed under those treatments when compared to control. However, fruit size and yield were unaffected, and fruit quality was slightly improved by RDI. Water savings from 43 to 65 % were achieved depending on the year and the RDI strategy, and no negative carryover effect was detected during the study period. In conclusion, RDI strategies using Ψ_s thresholds for scheduling irrigation in mid–late maturing peach trees under Mediterranean conditions are viable options to save water without compromising yield and even improving fruit quality.     

Measured and estimated water use and crop coefficients of grapevines trained to overhead trellis systems in California’s San Joaquin Valley

The use of overhead trellis systems for the production of dry-on-vine (DOV) raisins and table grapes in California is expanding. Studies were conducted from 2006 to 2009 using Thompson Seedless grapevines grown in a weighing lysimeter trained to an overhead arbor trellis and farmed as DOV raisins for the first two years and for use as table grapes thereafter. Maximum canopy coverage for the two lysimeter vines across years was in excess of 80 %. Seasonal (15 March–31 October) evapotranspiration for the lysimeter vines (ET_Lys) was 952 mm in 2007 (farmed as DOV raisins) and 943 and 952 mm (when farmed as table grapes). The maximum crop coefficient (K _cLys) across all 4 years ranged from 1.3 to 1.4. These maximum values were similar to those estimated using the relationship where K _c is a function of the amount of shaded area measured beneath the canopy at solar noon (K _c = 0.017 × percent shaded area). Covering the lysimeter’s soil surface with plastic (and then removing it) numerous times during the 2009 growing season (1 June–14 September) reduced ET_Lys from an average of 6.4 to 5.6 mm day^?1 and the K _c from 1.07 to 0.93. A seasonal basal K _c (K _cb) was calculated for grapevines using an overhead trellis system with a 13 % reduction in the K _cLys across the growing season.     

Crop response of drought-tolerant and conventional maize hybrids in a semiarid environment

In the High Plains, corn (Zea mays L.) is an important commodity for livestock feed. However, limited water resources and drought conditions continue to hinder corn production. Drought-tolerant (DT) corn hybrids could help maintain high yields under water-limited conditions, though consistent response of such hybrids is unverified. In this two-year study, the effects of three irrigation treatments were investigated for a DT and conventional maize hybrid, Pioneer AQUAMax P0876HR and Pioneer 33Y75, respectively. In 2013, the drier of the 2 years, irrigation amounts and crop water use (ET_c) were greater for the conventional hybrid, but grain water use efficiency (WUE) and harvest index were significantly greater for the DT hybrid. In 2014, grain yields and WUE were not significantly different between hybrids. However, irrigation amounts, ET_c and biomass yields were greater for the conventional hybrid. Results from both years indicate that the DT hybrid required less water to maximize grain yield as compared to the conventional hybrid. Producing relatively high yields with reduced amounts of water may provide a means for producers to continue corn production in a semiarid environment with declining water supplies.     

Modeling soil water dynamics in a drip-irrigated intercropping field under plastic mulch

Intercropping, drip irrigation, and the use of plastic mulch are important management practices, which can, when utilized simultaneously, increase crop production and save irrigation water. Investigating soil water dynamics in the root zone of the intercropping field under such conditions is essential in order to understand the combined effects of these practices and to promote their wider use. However, not much work has been done to investigate soil water dynamics in the root zone of drip-irrigated, strip intercropping fields under plastic mulch. Three field experiments with different irrigation treatments (high T1, moderate T2, and low T3) were conducted to evaluate soil water contents (SWC) at different locations, for different irrigation treatments, and with respect to dripper lines and plants (corn and tomatoes). Experimental data were then used to calibrate the HYDRUS (2D/3D) model. Comparison between experimental data and model simulations showed that HYDRUS (2D/3D) described different irrigation events and SWC in the root zone well, with average relative errors of 10.8, 9.5, and 11.6 % for irrigation treatments T1, T2, and T3, respectively, and with corresponding root mean square errors of 0.043, 0.035, and 0.040 cm³ cm^?3, respectively. The results showed that the SWC in the shallow root zone (0–40 cm) was lower under non-mulched locations than under mulched locations, irrespective of the irrigation treatment, while no significant differences in the SWC were observed in the deeper root zone (40–100 cm). The SWC in the shallow root zone was significantly higher for the high irrigation treatment (T1) than for the low irrigation treatment, while, again, no differences were observed in the deeper root zone. Simulations of two-dimensional SWC distributions revealed that the low irrigation treatment (T3) produced serious severe water stress (with SWCs near the wilting point) in the 30–40 cm part of the root zone, and that using separate drip emitter lines for each crop is well suited for producing the optimal soil water distribution pattern in the root zone of the intercropping field. The results of this study can be very useful in designing an optimal irrigation plan for intercropped fields.     

基于Cortex-M3的农作物生长参数监测系统设计

为了快速、全面地获取农作物生长过程中的参数变化(土壤墒情、雨量、地下水位),满足农业生产对信息的需求,提高粮食产量,设计开发了基于Cortex-M3的农作物生长参数监测系统。系统用多种智能传感器组成传感器网络,能够实时采集雨量、土壤含水率和地下水位数据,经软件解析、处理后,通过GPRS网络实现数据的无线传输。系统供电采用太阳能电池板和铅酸蓄电池两种方式,提高了设备野外工作的稳定性。硬件设计采用Cortex-m3内核的stm32f103作为MCU,相比于ARM系列,功耗降低了1/4,速度快了1/3。软件设计开发了数据采集、无线通信和在线访问等程序,通过浏览器,即使在远离监测点的异地,也能够实时查看设备状态和访问历史数据。经实践验证,系统能实现数据的稳定传输,适合农作物生长参数的实时监测。     

Sensitivity analysis of optimal operation of irrigation supply systems with water quality considerations

A model for optimal operation of water supply/irrigation systems of various water quality sources, with treatment plants, multiple water quality conservative factors, and dilution junctions is presented. The objective function includes water cost at the sources, water conveyance costs which account for the hydraulics of the network indirectly, water treatment cost, and yield reduction costs of irrigated crops due to irrigation with poor quality water. The model can be used for systems with supply by canals as well as pipes, which serve both drinking water demands of urban/rural consumers and field irrigation requirements. The general nonlinear optimization problem has been simplified by decomposing it to a problem with linear constraints and nonlinear objective function. This problem is solved using the projected gradient method. The method is demonstrated for a regional water supply system in southern Israel that contains 39 pipes, 37 nodes, 11 sources, 10 agricultural consumers, and 4 domestic consumers. The optimal operation solution is described by discharge and salinity values for all pipes of the network. Sensitivity of the optimal solution to changes in the parameters is examined. The solution was found to be sensitive to the upper limit on drinking water quality, with total cost being reduced by 5% as the upper limit increases from 260 to 600 mg Cl l^–1. The effect of income from unit crop yield is more pronounced. An increase of income by a factor of 20 results in an increase of the total cost by a factor of 3, thus encouraging more use of fresh water as long as the marginal cost of water supply is smaller than the marginal decrease in yield loss. The effect of conveyance cost becomes more pronounced as its cost increases. An increase by a factor of 100 results in an increase of the total cost by about 14%. The network studied has a long pipe that connects two distinct parts of the network and permits the supply of fresh water from one part to the other. Increasing the maximum permitted discharge in this pipe from 0 to 200 m³ h^–1 reduces the total cost by 11%. Increasing the maximum discharge at one of the sources from 90 to 300 m³ h^–1 reduces the total cost by about 8%.     

“WaterMan”: an on-farm water management game with heuristic capabilities

A modern computer-based simulation tool (WaterMan) in the form of a game for on-farm water management was developed for application in training events for farmers, students, and irrigators. The WaterMan game utilizes an interactive framework, thereby allowing the user to develop scenarios and test alternatives in a convenient, risk-free environment. It includes a comprehensive soil water and salt balance calculation algorithm. It also employs heuristic capabilities for modeling all of the important aspects of on-farm water management, and to provide quantitative performance evaluations and practical water management advice to the trainees. Random events (both favorable and unfavorable) and different strategic decisions are included in the game for more realism and to provide an appropriate level of challenge according to player performance. Thus, the ability to anticipate the player skill level, and to reply with random events appropriate to the anticipated level, is provided by the heuristic capabilities used in the software. These heuristic features were developed based on a combination of two artificial intelligence approaches: (1) a pattern recognition approach and (2) reinforcement learning based on a Markov decision processes approach, specifically the Q-learning method. These two approaches were combined in a new way to account for the difference in the effect of actions taken by the player and action taken by the system in the game world. The reward function for the Q-learning method was modified to reflect the suggested classification of the WaterMan game as what is referred to as a partially competitive and partially cooperative game.     

平面弹性欠驱动并联机构刚度特性分析

根据多维运动模拟的需求,提出一种包含螺旋圆弹簧(圆柱形螺旋弹簧)的欠驱动运动模拟台。利用螺旋圆弹簧的轴向和横向刚度约束运动模拟台的工作空间,通过两个驱动分支和动力耦合实现其3个自由度的运动。将螺旋圆弹簧等效为RePeRe弹性运动支链,进而将并联运动模拟台等效为2RPR/2RePeRe弹性欠驱动机构,并利用Grassmann线几何分析该机构的输入选取原则。基于旋量及其迁移公式,建立等效机构的运动学模型。借助于影响系数和虚功原理,对该弹性欠驱动机构进行静力学分析,得到其静力学约束方程。最后,建立了该机构的连续非线性柔度模型,并以此为基础得到其方向刚度模型。     

大蒜收获机参数优化试验研究

为了解决大蒜收获效率低、损伤率高的问题,设计了一种大蒜收获机,主要包括动力系统、传动系统、行走系统、操纵系统、振动系统及切割系统。同时,采用了二因素五水平二次正交旋转组合方法对影响其性能的入土深度和入土角度这两个主要因素进行了参数优化试验,获得取整后的最佳参数组合为:入土深度8cm,入土角度21°。田间试验结果表明:大蒜挖出率为97.96%,大蒜损伤率为1.03%。研究结果对大蒜收获机的研发提供设计依据。     

杂交鹅掌楸胚性细胞悬浮系的建立

通过对影响悬浮培养的一些物理因素如摇床转速、细胞起始密度等的研究,建立了良好的杂交鹅掌楸胚性细胞悬浮系.研究表明,当摇床转速为100 r/min,细胞起始密度为1×103～3×103个/mL时,可建立一个均匀性、分散性较好和细胞增值较快的杂交鹅掌楸胚性细胞悬浮系.悬浮细胞系的继代周期以2～4周为宜.培养效果最好的悬浮物是直径介于150～280 μm的细胞团,其干重占总悬浮物干重的65%.