Flexible delivery schedules to improve farm irrigation and reduce pressure on groundwater: a case study in southern Italy

This study was conducted on an irrigated area of southern Italy to analyze the current operation of a large-scale irrigation delivery system and the effects of the operation procedures on crop irrigation management and aquifer salinity increase. The area is characterized by relatively high levels of groundwater salinity in the summer that are probably due to intensive groundwater pumping by farmers during periods of peak irrigation demand, with the resulting seawater intrusion. Two alternative delivery schedules, namely the rotation delivery schedule and the flexible delivery schedule, referred to as RDS and FDS, respectively, were simulated using a soil-water balance model under different combinations of crop, soil and climatic conditions. The first set of simulations concerned the farm irrigation management constrained by the rotational delivery used by the local water management organization. The second scenario simulated the farm irrigation schedule most commonly used by growers in the area for maximizing crop yields. Based on crop irrigation management under RDS and FDS, two alternative operational scenarios were also developed at the scheme level and then compared for evaluation. Winter and summer salinity maps of the aquifer were developed by interpolating salinity measurements of the groundwater samples collected during the 2006 irrigation season. From these maps, a close relationship can be inferred among delivery schedule, aquifer exploitation and salinity increase, which justifies the need for implementing FDS that might reduce the groundwater demand for irrigation.     

Soil moisture estimation from inverse modeling using multiple criteria functions

Soil hydraulic parameters are essential inputs to agricultural and hydrologic models for simulating soil moisture. These parameters however are difficult to obtain especially when the application is aimed at the regional scale. Laboratory and field methods have been used for quantifying soil hydraulic parameters but they are proved to be laborious and expensive. An emerging alternative of estimating soil hydraulic parameters is soil moisture model inversion using remote sensing (RS) data. Although soil hydraulic parameters could not be derived directly from remote sensing, they could be quantified by the inverse modeling of RS data. In this study, we conducted a multi-criteria inverse modeling approach to estimate the rootzone soil hydraulic parameters in a rainfed rice field at depths 3, 12, 28 and 60 cm, respectively. The conditioning data used in the inverse modeling are leaf area index (LAI) and actual evapotranspiration (ET_a) from satellite imageries, and soil moisture (SM) data from in situ measurements. The performances of all the model inversion experiments were evaluated against observed soil moisture in the field, and measured LAI during the growing season. The results showed that using remotely sensed LAI and ET_a in the inverse modeling provided a good matching between observed and simulated soil moisture down to 28 cm depth from the soil surface. With the addition of soil moisture information from the site, the model inversion significantly improved the soil moisture simulation up to a depth of 60 cm.     

Trap modification opens new gates to achieve sustainable coral reef fisheries

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Methane cycling in a drained wetland soil profile

Purpose

Peatlands have an important role in methane cycling in the natural environment. Methane emissions as a result of methanogenesis and methanotrophy in soil are affected by several environmental factors such as temperature, oxygen and groundwater level. The objective of this study was to analyse methane cycling as a function of soil depth.

Materials and methods

In this study, methane cycling and soil organic matter mineralization were investigated in a drained fen grassland area of Ljubljana marsh, Slovenia that has been subjected to reclamation strategies for several centuries. Potential mineralization, methane production and methane oxidation rates were measured in slurry incubation experiments with soil samples from 10 sampling depths of a 1-m profile. In addition, the extent of iron reduction in the soil was determined.

Results and discussion

The potential for methane production was low in the investigated soil profile, even in constantly flooded layers below the water table fluctuations. During anaerobic incubations, the highest accumulated concentrations and production rates of methane were observed in the upper 10-cm layer and the lowest in deeper soil layers, indicating that plant exudates are the main source of energy for heterotrophic soil microbes and that methanogenesis in deeper layers is limited by the availability of appropriate organic substrates. Methane oxidation was on the other hand active throughout the soil profile, suggesting that the potentially active methane oxidizing community is present despite low methane production. The highest abundance and activity of methanotrophs was detected in the water table fluctuation layers.

Conclusions

Together, these findings have implications for understanding the biogeochemical function of drained peat soils and emphasize the influence of drainage on quality of soil organic matter and consequently on methane production even in flooded soils.

     

Survey of Neospora caninum antibodies in dairy and beef cattle from five regions of the United States

Serum samples from 4,907 cows from 93 dairy and five beef herds were analyzed for antibodies to Neospora caninum by commercially available ELISA. The herds were recruited from 20 states and the territory of Puerto Rico. A questionnaire assessed the herd's abortion history and exposure risks to N. caninum. Results showed that 788 (16%) cows tested positive for antibodies to N. caninum. At least one positive animal was detected in 90% of the herds tested. The prevalence of cows seropositive to N. caninum varied from 2% to 65% among herds. Abortion rates ranging from 2% to 19% were reported. The epidemiologic data collected from the questionnaire suggested that the presence of farm dogs does not increase the risk of exposure of cows to N. caninum.     

LONG‐TERM LAND USE INFLUENCES SOIL MICROBIAL BIOMASS P AND S,PHOSPHATASE AND ARYLSULFATASE ACTIVITIES,AND S MINERALIZATION IN A BRAZILIAN OXISOL

Land use choices differentially affect soil physical and biological properties. Tillage choices in particular affect soil erosion, the retention of soil organic matter, and the biological activity that organic matter supports. The present study evaluated the consequences of different cropping and tillage systems (undisturbed forest, coffee plantation, conventional, and no‐tillage row cropping) for soil microbial indicators and sulfur mineralization after 24 years of cropping on an Oxisol (Typic Haplorthox) in an experimental area at Londrina, Brazil. Soil samples were taken at 0–5, 5–10, and 10–20 cm depths and evaluated for microbial biomass P and S, S mineralization, and phosphatase and arylsulfatase activities. Land use affected microbial biomass P and S, and enzyme activity at all depths studied. The cultivated sites had lower values of microbial activity than the undisturbed forested site. Although the coffee site was not tilled and had high organic carbon content, there was low microbial activity, probably due to higher soil acidity and Al content. The estimates of pool stock for microbial P and annual P flux through the soil microbial biomass suggest that these pools are large enough to significantly affect plant nutrient availability. The greater microbial biomass and activity under forested and no‐tillage sites may be attributed, at least partially, to higher organic matter content. The soil microbial variables examined proved to be strong indicators of soil sustainability. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Combination of TLC and HPLC-MS/MS methods. Approach to a rational quality control of Chinese star anise

In this study, a methodological approach for an effective and reliable quality control of Chinese star anise (Illicium verum Hook. F.) is developed and validated. A combined method of TLC and HPLC-MS/MS was used for differentiation of various Illicium species, especially Chinese and Japanese star anise. Species can be distinguished by their TLC flavonoid pattern. A sensitive and selective HPLC/ESI-MS/MS method was developed for the detection and quantification of lower admixtures of I. anisatum and of further toxic Illicium species at a low concentration range using the sesquiterpene lactone anisatin as a marker. The proposed assay includes a solid-phase extraction cleanup procedure with a high recovery (>90%). Chromatographic separation of anisatin was carried out on a C18 column, followed by MS detection using ESI in negative mode. The precursor/product ion transitions m/z 327 --> 127 (quantifier) and m/z 327 --> 297 (qualifier) were monitored. Statistical evaluation of this multireaction-monitoring procedure reveals good linearity and intra- and interday precision. The limits of detection and quantification are 1.2 and 3.9 microg/kg, respectively.     

How Stallion Sperm Age In Vitro? Scenario for Preservation Technologies

Recent findings on the molecular damage occurring in the stallion spermatozoa are reviewed. Mechanisms leading to cell death or survival are briefly overviewed, and recent discoveries on molecular pathways leading to sperm death and sublethal damage are discussed. Increasing the understanding of this particular area may disclose clues to develop new strategies to improve current sperm conservation methods.     

Diversity and seasonal variations of mycorrhiza and rhizosphere bacteria in three common plant species at the Slovenian Ljubljana Marsh

Interactions between plants and microorganisms can significantly affect plant health and productivity as well as ecosystem functioning. Detailed knowledge of the tripartite relationships between plants, fungi, and bacteria, and their environment is still limited. In the present study, the soils adjacent to three plant species (Cruciata laevipes, Mentha piperita, Equisetum arvense) in the Ljubljana Marsh and the bulk, plant-free soil were analyzed for their bacterial community structure in June and October 2006. The terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis indicated a different bacterial community structure in the rhizosphere and in bulk soil, however, with almost no seasonal changes between late spring and autumn samples and no apparent impact of the three plant species. In addition, root colonization of the three plant species by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and dark septate endophytes (DSE) was microscopically assessed monthly from May until October 2006. A presumably accidental correlation between monthly precipitation and the degree of arbuscule formation, with the latter lagging 1 month, was noted for M. piperita, the most heavily colonized of the three plant species. With all three plants, the phosphorus content in roots correlated positively with most AMF structures. Microsclerotia of DSE were mainly abundant in autumn samples. Fungal diversity in roots was estimated using temporal temperature gradient gel electrophoresis separation of the fungal polymerase chain reaction products obtained for both 18S-rDNA and the 5.8S-ITS2-28S rDNA segments. No specific effects of either plant species or seasonal changes on mycorrhizal community structure were discernible.