Kinematic-wave model for soil-moisture movement with plant-root extraction

A kinematic-wave model is developed for simulating the movement of soil moisture in unsaturated soils with plants. The model involves three free boundaries. Analytical solutions are derived when the plant roots are assumed to extract moisture at a constant rate and the upstream boundary condition is independent of time. Numerical solutions are the only resort when the moisture extraction and the upstream boundary condition both depend on time.     

An improved Lewis-Milne equation for the advance phase of border irrigation

Summary The Lewis-Milne (LM) equation has been widely applied for design of border irrigation systems. This equation is based on the concept of mass conservation while the momentum balance is replaced by the assumption of a constant surface water depth. Although this constant water depth depends on the inflow rate, slope and roughness of the infiltrating surface, no explicit relation has been derived for its estimation. Assuming negligible border slope, the present study theoretically treats the constant depth in the LM equation by utilizing the simple dam-break wave solution along with boundary layer theory. The wave front is analyzed separately from the rest of the advancing water by considering both friction and infiltration effects on the momentum balance. The resulting equations in their general form are too complicated for closed-form solutions. Solutions are therefore given for specialized cases and the mean depth of flow is presented as a function of the initial water depth at the inlet, the surface roughness and the rate of infiltration. The solution is calibrated and tested using experimental data.Abbreviations a (t) advance length - c mean depth in LM equation - c _f friction factor - c _h Chezy's friction coefficient - g acceleration due to gravity - h(x, t) water depth - h ₀ water depth at the upstream end - i() rate of infiltration - f(x, t) discharge - q₀ constant inflow discharge - S _f energy loss gradient or frictional slope - S₀ bed slope - t time - u(x, t) mean velocity along the water depth - x distance - Y() cumulative infiltration - (t) distance separating two flow regions - infiltration opportunity time     

Influence of the Structural Features of Carrageenans from Red Algae of the Far Eastern Seas on Their Antiviral Properties

The structural diversity and unique physicochemical properties of sulphated polysaccharides of red algae carrageenans (CRGs), to a great extent, determine the wide range of their antiviral properties. This work aimed to compare the antiviral activities of different structural types of CRGs: against herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and enterovirus (ECHO-1). We found that CRGs significantly increased the resistance of Vero cells to virus infection (preventive effect), directly affected virus particles (virucidal effect), inhibited the attachment and penetration of virus to cells, and were more effective against HSV-1. CRG1 showed the highest virucidal effect on HSV-1 particles with a selective index (SI) of 100. CRG2 exhibited the highest antiviral activity by inhibiting HSV-1 and ECHO-1 plaque formation, with a SI of 110 and 59, respectively, when it was added before virus infection. CRG2 also significantly reduced the attachment of HSV-1 and ECHO-1 to cells compared to other CRGs. It was shown by molecular docking that tetrasaccharides—CRGs are able to bind with the HSV-1 surface glycoprotein, gD, to prevent virus–cell interactions. The revealed differences in the effect of CRGs on different stages of the lifecycle of the viruses are apparently related to the structural features of the investigated compounds.     

MicroLEIS: A microcomputer-based Mediterranean land evaluation information system

Abstract. A computer-based land evaluation information system (MicroLEIS) was developed for optimal use of agricultural and forestry land systems under Mediterranean conditions. Through an interactive procedure several land capability, suitability and yield prediction methods may be applied. The system addresses land evaluation at reconnaissance, semi-detailed and detailed scales in an interrelated manner. Biophysical land evaluation methods are incorporated using empirical, scale-appropriate models, which range from purely qualitative (reconnaissance) through semi-quantitative (semi-detailed) to quantitative (detailed). This software is helpful for teaching, research and development, predicting appropriate agroforestry land uses. Its use is illustrated by an example.
MicroLEIS runs on IBM PC, XT, AT, or a compatible microcomputer with at least 128 kilobytes of RAM and a PC-DOS or MS-DOS version 2.0 or later operating system. The software package on double or high density diskettes can be obtained from the first author.     

Enhancement of revegetation on construction fill by fertilizer and topsoil application: Effect on mycorrhizal infection

The influence of topsoil and fertilizer application on denuded road construction sites was evaluated to assess its contribution to improvement of vegetation re-establishment. the study sites were within a mixed hardwood and conifer forest on crushed, unweathered subsurface material with low fertility and low biological activity. Topsoils were removed from the site, stockpiled and reapplied to the site after construction. the effect of topsoil amendment on plant growth, soil fertility, mycorrhizal infection and an index of microbial biomass were measured in field and greenhouse experiments. Plant growth on the topsoil amended field plots were greatly increased relative to treatments with fertilizer but no topsoil. Three years after establishment, dry weight production on the plots without topsoil treatment was about 40 per cent of the plots treated with topsoil. Greenhouse experiments were designed to compare fresh, dried and stockpiled topsoil. These experiments indicated that storage of the harvested topsoil for five months in a stockpile had minor effects on plant growth, soil fertility, mycorrhizal infection and microbial biomass. Topsoil volumes had to exceed 20 per cent of the total soil volume to achieve statistically significant benefits and higher ratios showed greater benefit. the percentage of mycorrhizal infection was greatest in topsoil treatments without fertilizer. the addition of fertilizer increased growth but reduced the percentage of roots forming mycorrhizae. When the total weight of infected roots was calculated, however, infection was found to be greatest with a moderate level of fertilizer (equivalent to approximately 27 kg N ha⁻¹ and 39 kg P ha⁻¹), and was less in both higher fertilizer treatments and in unfertilized treatments. Topsoil amendment increased microbial biomass nitrogen but fertilizer treatment did not.     

Kurilosides A1, A2, C1, D,E and F—Triterpene Glycosides from the Far Eastern Sea Cucumber Thyonidium (= Duasmodactyla) kurilensis (Levin): Structures with Unusual Non-Holostane Aglycones and Cytotoxicities

Six new monosulfated triterpene tetra-, penta- and hexaosides, namely, the kurilosides A₁ (1), A₂ (2), C₁ (3), D (4), E (5) and F (6), as well as the known earlier kuriloside A (7), having unusual non-holostane aglycones without lactone, have been isolated from the sea cucumber Thyonidium (= Duasmodactyla) kurilensis (Levin) (Cucumariidae, Dendrochirotida), collected in the Sea of Okhotsk near Onekotan Island from a depth of 100 m. Structures of the glycosides were established by 2D NMR spectroscopy and HR-ESI mass spectrometry. Kurilosides of the groups A and E contain carbohydrate moieties with a rare architecture (a pentasaccharide branched by C(4) Xyl1), differing from each other in the second monosaccharide residue (quinovose or glucose, correspondingly); kurilosides of the group C are characterized by a unique tetrasaccharide branched by a C(4) Xyl1 sugar chain; and kurilosides of the groups D and F are hexaosides differing from each other in the presence of an O-methyl group in the fourth (terminal) sugar unit. All these glycosides contain a sulfate group at C-6 of the glucose residue attached to C-4 Xyl1 and the non-holostane aglycones have a 9(11) double bond and lack γ-lactone. The cytotoxic activities of compounds 1–7 against mouse neuroblastoma Neuro 2a, normal epithelial JB-6 cells and erythrocytes were studied. Kuriloside A₁ (1) was the most active compound in the series, demonstrating strong cytotoxicity against the erythrocytes and JB-6 cells and a moderate effect against Neuro 2a cells.     

Movement patterns of an avian generalist predator indicate functional heterogeneity in agricultural landscape

Landscape Ecology - Biodiversity is closely related to landscape heterogeneity, but both are difficult to evaluate directly. Apex predators, such as raptors, are potential surrogate indicators of...     

Application to soil of disinfectants through irrigation reduces Verticillium dahliae in the soil and verticillium wilt of olive

The application of disinfectants through drip irrigation could be a feasible practice against verticillium wilt (Verticillium dahliae) of olive. OX-VIRIN (activated peroxide) and OX-AGUA AL25 (quaternary ammonium compounds) are two disinfectants that have shown efficacy against V. dahliae in irrigation water and potential for reducing the disease in young olive plants. In this work, various post-planting application strategies incorporating OX-VIRIN (once a month, or twice a month on alternate or successive weeks) or OX-AGUA AL25 (once a month, or twice a month on alternate weeks) were assessed for their effect on V. dahliae in soil, disease in olive trees, and olive yield, in a 2-year pot-experiment under natural environmental conditions. The disinfectants were injected via metering pumps into a drip irrigation system that irrigated olive trees planted in V. dahliae-inoculated soil. All the application strategies significantly reduced the total inoculum density in soil compared to controls with no disinfectants and noninoculated soil. The microsclerotia density was also significantly reduced in disinfested soils by 73.6–86.8%, depending on the strategy. The symptoms and infection incidence were always lower in treatments subjected to disinfestation. The treatment with OX-AGUA AL25 applied twice a month on alternate weeks most reduced the symptoms (by 53.0%) and colonization index (by 70.8%) with respect to untreated water control. This soil disinfestation also significantly strengthened the symptom remission. Tree growth and production were negatively affected by soil inoculation (reduced by 45.6% and 88.7%, respectively), but not so by disinfectants, which even relieved the reduction in inoculated soils, especially when OX-AGUA AL25 was applied.     

Meta-analysis of fungicide efficacy on soybean target spot and cost–benefit assessment

Target spot of soybean has spread in Brazil, the southeastern United States and Argentina in the last decade. A collaborative network of field Uniform Fungicide Trials (UFT) in Brazil was created in 2011 to study the target spot control efficacy of fungicides, including azoxystrobin + benzovindiflupyr (AZ_BF), carbendazim (CZM), fluxapyroxad + pyraclostrobin (FLUX_PYRA), epoxiconazole + FLUX_PYRA (EPO_FLUX_PYRA), mancozeb (MZB) and prothioconazole + trifloxystrobin (PROT_TRIF). Network meta-analysis was used to conduct a quantitative synthesis of UFT data collected from 2012 to 2016 and to evaluate the effects of disease pressure (DP, low ≤ 35% target spot severity in the nontreated control < high) and year of experiment on the overall mean efficacy and yield response to each of the tested fungicides. Based on mean percentage control of target spot severity, the tested fungicides fall into three efficacy groups (EG): high EG, FLUX_PYRA (76.2% control relative to the nontreated control) and EPO_FLUX_PYRA (75.7% control); intermediate EG, PROT_TRIF (66.5% control) and low EG, MZB (49.6% control), AZ_BF (46.7% control) and CZM (32.4% control). DP had a significant effect on yield response. At DP_Low, the highest response was due to PROT_TRIF (+342 kg ha⁻¹, +12.8%) and EPO_FLUX_PYRA (+295.5 kg ha⁻¹, +11.2%), whereas at DP_High, EPO_FLUX_PYRA and FLUX_PYRA outperformed the other treatments, with yield responses of 503 kg ha⁻¹ (+20.2%) and 469 kg ha⁻¹ (+19.1%), respectively. The probability of a positive return on fungicide investment ranged from 0.26 to 0.56 at DP_Low and from 0.34 to 0.66 at DP_High.