A Rational Approach to Scheduling Main-System Maintenance

Rational methods for setting priorities formaintenance of irrigation systems aredeveloped. The methods, which are aimed foruse by irrigation system managers, describethe link between maintenance activities andthe consequent improvement in theperformance of an irrigation system.Hydraulic analysis methods are developedfor assessing potential `restorativemaintenance' tasks, which are usuallyundertaken to increase the deliveries ofwater to the outlets. The new methods useinputs that have been limited to thoseeasily available from scheme records, theknowledge of irrigation agency staff andfrom infrastructure inspections. Twoalternative methods are developed, onebased on Fuzzy Logic and one on numericalmodelling. Risk analysis methods are alsodeveloped for assessing `preventativemaintenance', to reduce the probability ofsupply failures. Benefit-cost ratios arederived that allow direct comparisonbetween maintenance tasks of each type. Themethods are tested at two irrigationsystems in Tamil Nadu, India.     

Deposition of fine sediments in irrigation canals

Sediment control structures constructed at the heads of run-of-river irrigation schemes have little effect on the very fine sands and silts that settle in the smaller distribution canals. One means of minimising the effects of fine sediment deposition in small canals is to design canals so that deposition occurs at selected locations, rather than throughout the canal network. Standard sediment transport predictors cannot be used to predict the effects of changing canal slopes and cross sections when sediment sizes are very small, and thus cannot be used to determine dimensions and slopes of small canal settling basins.The paper presents a simple method for estimating the transport and deposition rates of fine sediment suspensions, for sediments in the cohesive size range. The method, which has been tested against a large data set, enables the effects of changing canal cross sections and slopes on fine sediment transport to be quantified.     

Using selected soil physical properties of seedbeds to predict crop establishment

Seedbed preparation can involve a wide range of tillage methods from intensive to reduced cultivation systems. The state or quality of the soil to which these tillage methods are applied for cereal crop management is not easily determined and excessive cultivations are often used. Seedbed preparation is crucial for crop establishment, growth and ultimately yield. A key aspect of the soil condition is the soil physical environment under which germination, growth and establishment occur. Crucially this affects factors such as temperature, water content, oxygen availability, soil strength and ultimately the performance of a seedbed. The dynamics of soil physical properties of a range of seedbeds and how they relate to crop establishment are considered in this paper. Significant interactions between cultivation techniques, physical properties of the seedbed in terms of penetration resistance, shear strength, volumetric water content and bulk density and the interaction with crop establishment were identified. A soil quality of establishment (SQE) model was developed for the prediction of crop establishment based upon soil bulk density and cultivation practices. The SQE significantly accounted for ca. 50% of the variation occurring and successfully predicted crop establishment to a standard error of around 20 plants per m⁻² across contrasting soil types and environmental conditions.     

Rapid decline of the volcanically threatened Montserrat oriole

Prior to 1995, the Montserrat oriole (Icterus oberi) was confined to ca. 30 km² of hill forest on the Lesser Antillean island of Montserrat, but was not listed as globally threatened. Since then, the eruption of the Soufriere Hills volcano has destroyed more than half of the species’ range. Recent intensive monitoring has indicated that the species has also declined dramatically within the remaining intact forest, and is now critically threatened. Different monitoring and analytical methods indicate a decline of 8-52% p.a., and a remaining global population of ca. 100-400 pairs. This case study justifies the use of the restricted range criterion in designating threatened species. Despite intensive monitoring and the use of several analytical methods, it has proved surprisingly difficult to estimate the magnitude of the oriole’s decrease, or to control for potential artefacts in the census method. We discuss the reasons for this. The cause(s) of population decline in the intact forest are unclear, though two hypotheses appear plausible: a decrease in arthropod food, a result of volcanic ash fall, and an increase in nest predation as a result of increases in populations of opportunistic omnivores.     

Homogeneous Linewidths in the Optical Spectrum of a Single Gallium Arsenide Quantum Dot

The homogeneous linewidths in the photoluminescence excitation spectrum of a single, naturally formed gallium arsenide (GaAs) quantum dot have been measured with high spatial and spectral resolution. The energies and linewidths of the homogeneous spectrum provide a new perspective on the dephasing dynamics of the exciton in a quantum-confined, solid-state system. The origins of the linewidths are discussed in terms of the dynamics of the exciton in zero dimensions, in particular, in terms of lifetime broadening through the emission or absorption of phonons and photons.