Effects of different management practices on the soil–water balance and crop yield for improved dryland farming in the Chinese Loess Plateau

Field experiments were carried out to study the effects of different soil management practices on the water balance, precipitation use efficiency (PUE), and crop yield (i.e. winter wheat and peanut) on a loess soil near Luoyang (east edge of the Chinese Loess Plateau, Henan Province, China). Field plots were set up in 1999 including following soil management practices: subsoiling with mulch (SS), no-till with mulch (NT), reduced tillage (RT), two crops per year (i.e. winter wheat and peanut, TC), and a conventional tillage control (CT). The field plots were equipped to monitor all components of the soil–water balance except evapotranspiration, which was computed by solving the water balance equation. The results showed that although soil management had smaller influence on the magnitude of the water balance components than did precipitation variations, small influences of the applied soil management practices on water conservation during the fallow period can greatly affect winter wheat yield. SS increased consistently precipitation storage efficiency (PSE) and PUE over the 5 years compared to CT except during the wettest year. NT also had a noticeable effect on postharvest water storage during the fallow period; however, the influence on yield of NT depended on the amount of precipitation. TC lowered the winter wheat yield mainly due to the unfavorable soil moisture conditions after growing peanut in summer; however, the harvested peanut gained an extra profit for the local farmer. No matter which kind of soil management practices was adapted, PSE never exceeded 41.6%, which was primarily attributed to high evapotranspiration. From data of five consecutive agricultural years between 2000 and 2005, it could be concluded that SS resulted in the highest PSE, PUE and crop yield. TC also showed promising results considering the economic value of the second crop. NT performed slightly less as SS. CT gave intermediate results, whereas RT was the worst alternative.     

Sediments in the Catchment-coast Continuum (7 pp)

-  Dedicated to Prof. Dr. Ulrich Förstner on his 65th birthdayBackground   Sediments pose problems at their deposition sites when there is too little sediment (e.g. wetlands) or too much sediment (e.g. navigable waterways) and, additionally, when they are contaminated. These problems often have their origin upstream in the river catchment. Objective   Global aspects of changes concerning sediment quantity and quality, as they affect downstream areas, are reviewed. A case study of estuarine sediments demonstrates how a holistic approach helps in understanding and predicting their present and future quality. Results and Conclusions   Globally, large reservoirs intercept between 25 and 30% of the sediment and consequently supply the coast with impacts on wetlands and coastal morphology. In estuaries, the composition of sediments is determined by the mixing of marine sediments supplied from the coast and the supply by rivers. Natural tracers can be used to predict mixing ratios of marine to fluvial sediments in estuaries, and hence their contamination. Scenarios on implementation of pollution abatement, the implementation of regulations as well as climate change are needed to predict future sediment quality in downstream areas. The results show, even for a ‘green’ scenario, that sediment quality in the Rhine catchment will pose future problems due to the temporal storage of contaminants in soils and sediments.Recommendations and Outlook   The current methods applied make use of existing models linking sediment transport with point and diffuse sources in the river catchments and scenarios on the development of strength of point and diffuse sources. However, more effort is needed to come to a uniform framework which includes land use changes and links with more advanced scenario methodology for long to medium-term management of sediment quality and quantity in river catchments.     

Comparison of measured and simulated changes in base cation amounts using a one-layer and a multi-layer soil acidification model

Biogeochemical processes describing nutrient cycling strongly affect the development of different soil horizons and soil acidification. However, in many soil acidification models these processes are not directly simulated, and spatially distributed soil properties are lumped into average values. This paper describes the extension of a one-layer soil acidification model (SMART) to a multi-layer model (SMARTEX) by including nutrient cycling, and the performance of both models regarding their ability for the assessment of the effects of acid deposition on forest soil. This was done by comparing simulation results of the two models with respect to changes in base cation amounts to historical data from sites in south Sweden. The results showed that the multi-layer model gives better results for the top soil, whereas the one-layer model gives better results for the rootzone and the total profile. Since the top soil is most important, the extended model is more suited to relate acid deposition to forest growth than the more general results of the one-layer model. However, the sensitivity of the multi-layer model to some parameters is large. A change in these parameters had strong effects on the separate layers, whereas the effects were cancelled out over the total profile. This sensitivity requires a careful parameterization of the model which might be troublesome to lack of data.     

An instructional model for training competence in solving clinical problems

We examined the design of a course that aims to ease the transition from pre-clinical learning into clinical work. This course is based on the premise that many of the difficulties with which students are confronted in this transition result from a lack of experience in applying knowledge in real practice situations. It is focused on the development of competence in solving clinical problems; uses an instructional model with alternating clinical practicals, demonstrations, and tutorials; and extends throughout the last pre-clinical year. We used a "proof-of-concept" approach to establish whether the core principles of the course design are feasible with regard to achieving the intended results. With the learning functions and processes as a frame of reference, retrospective analysis of the course's design features shows that this design matches the conditions from theories of the development of competence in solving clinical problems and instructional design. Three areas of uncertainty in the design are identified: the quality of the cases (information, openness), effective teaching (student and teacher roles), and adjustment to the development of competence (progress, coherence).     

Fine-earth translocation by tillage in stony soils in the Guadalentin, south-east Spain: an investigation using caesium-134

Tillage erosion is increasingly recognised as an important soil erosion process on agricultural land. In view of its potential significance, there is a clear need to broaden the experimental database for the magnitude of tillage erosion to include a range of tillage implements and agricultural environments. The study discussed in this paper sought to address the need for such data by examining tillage erosion by a duckfoot chisel plough in stony soils on steep slopes in a semi-arid environment. Results of the investigation of coarse fraction (rock fragment) translocation by tillage in this environment have been presented elsewhere and the paper focuses on tillage translocation and erosion of the fine earth. Tillage translocation was measured at 10 sites, representing both upslope and downslope tillage by a duckfoot chisel plough on five different slopes, with tangents ranging from 0.02 to 0.41. A fine-earth tracer, comprising fine earth labelled with ¹³⁴Cs, was introduced into the plough layer before tillage. After a single pass of the plough, incremental samples of plough soil were excavated and sieved to separate the fine earth from the rock fragments. Translocation of the fine-earth tracer was established by analysing the ¹³⁴Cs content of the samples of fine earth. These data were used to establish translocation distances for each combination of slope and tillage direction. Translocation distances of the fine earth were not significantly different from translocation distances of the coarse fraction. For all sites, except uphill on the 0.41 slope, translocation distances were found to be linearly related to slope tangent. The soil flux due to tillage for each site was calculated using the translocation distance and the mass per unit area of the plough layer. For slopes with tangents <0.25, the relationship between soil flux and tangent was linear and the soil flux coefficient derived was 520–660 kg m⁻¹ per pass. This is much larger than the coefficients found in other studies and this high magnitude is attributed to the non-cohesive nature and high rock fragment content of the soil in this investigation. A second contrast with previous studies was found in non-linearity in the relationship between soil flux and tangent when steeper slopes were included. This was a product of variation in plough depth between the steepest slopes and the remainder of the study area. On the basis of the study it is suggested that an improved understanding of tillage erosion may be obtained by considering the dual processes of tillage detachment (mass per unit area of soil subject to tillage) and tillage displacement (equivalent to translocation distance per pass) in assessing, comparing and modelling tillage translocation. An improved model is proposed that recognises the complexity of soil redistribution by tillage, provides a framework for process-based investigation of the controls on tillage fluxes, and allows identification of potential self-limiting conditions for tillage erosion.     

Consumer perception versus scientific evidence of farmed and wild fish: exploratory insights from Belgium

The increasing number of marketable fish being supplied from aquaculture is a response to the increasing demand for healthy food and is filling the gap left by depleting natural fish stocks. Little is known about the awareness and perception of the consumer in terms of farmed fish versus fish from capture fisheries. The consumer's subjective point of view is of overriding importance for the production system and product acceptance as well as for future market success. In this paper consumer perception in Belgium is explored and compared against scientific evidence of farmed versus wild fish. Primary data were collected through a consumer survey (April 2003) and focus group discussions (May 2004) with Belgian consumers. The majority of the consumer sample reported no perceived differences between farmed versus wild fish. However, mean perception scores were slightly in favour of wild fish on the attributes taste, health and nutritious value, in particular among consumers aged 55 years and older. The availability of farmed fish was perceived to be better than that of wild fish, while the consumer's perception of safety did not differ between farmed and wild fish. The focus group discussions indicated that consumers’ opinions and beliefs about farmed fish are mainly based on emotion and image transfer from intensive terrestrial livestock production rather than on awareness and factual knowledge of aquaculture.

Superficial keratectomy and cryosurgery as therapy for limbal neoplasms in 13 horses

Objective To determine the usefulness and clinical outcome of a combined procedure of superficial keratectomy and cryosurgery as a treatment for limbal neoplasms in horses. Study design Retrospective study. Animals Thirteen horses with 14 limbal tumors. Methods Medical records of all patients with limbal tumors, referred to the Department of Equine Sciences of Utrecht University between 1995 and 2002, were retrieved. Patient data were analyzed with respect to signalment, tumor surface area and histologic diagnosis. Surgery, performed under general anesthesia, included surgical debulking of the tumor followed by cryosurgery. Long‐term follow‐up information was obtained by re‐evaluation in the clinic, by the referring veterinarian, and/or by telephone enquiry. Results Therapy was successful in 9 out of 14 eyes after the first attempt (64%); one eye needed retreatment (7%), and four eyes were eventually enucleated (29%). The mean follow‐up period was 4.8 years. The initial surface area of the tumor significantly influenced outcome (P < 0.01). Squamous cell carcinoma was the most predominant tumor type (79%). Haflinger horses accounted for 69% of the cases whereas their occurrence in the overall hospital population is approximately 5%. Conclusions and clinical relevance The described technique of superficial keratectomy and cryosurgery is a simple procedure for the treatment of limbal tumors in equine patients that does not require sophisticated equipment. Nor is it tampered by legal restriction, and appears to be effective in tumors with a small surface area (< 2 cm²). Haflinger horses seem to be predisposed for the development of ocular squamous cell carcinoma.     

Screening of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) for resistance against temperate root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.)

BACKGROUND: An important part of the production area of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) in Belgium is located on the sandy soils of the provinces of Antwerp and Limburg where Meloidogyne chitwoodi (Golden), M. fallax (Karssen) and M. hapla (Chitwood) are present. The host plant status of ten bean cultivars for root‐knot nematodes was determined by evaluating penetration, development and egg mass formation after inoculation with second‐stage juveniles. RESULTS: The tested cultivars were poor to good hosts for M. chitwoodi, non‐hosts or bad hosts for M. fallax and excellent hosts for M. hapla. Significantly fewer M. fallax were found in the roots, and their development was delayed. Penetration of M. hapla took place over a longer period than that of M. chitwoodi and M. fallax. The number of mature females of M. chitwoodi in cv. Polder 6 weeks after inoculation was no different from that in other cultivars, although fewer egg masses were found on this cultivar in the screening test. There was no influence of M. chitwoodi on vegetative growth of cv. Polder. CONCLUSION: The differences found in host plant status of bean cultivars stress the importance of a correct diagnosis of the Meloidogyne species in agricultural fields. Cultivar Polder showed potential as a trap crop for M. chitwoodi. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

Pig producer attitude towards surgical castration of piglets without anaesthesia versus alternative strategies

A group of 160 Flemish pig farmers (n=160) were surveyed about their attitude towards surgical castration with anaesthesia (SCA) and without (SCN), immunocastration (IC), sperm sexing (SS) and the production of entire males (EM). The farmers' general preference was recorded as SCN>SS>SCA=IC>EM. The farmers' self-reported knowledge of the strategies was associated with their preference for SCA (negatively) and SS (positively). Herd size was correlated with farmers' preference for SCA (negatively) and SS (positively). Farmers perceived surgical castration without anaesthesia as the most favourable strategy in terms of farm profitability, animal performance and effectiveness against boar taint, but they expected the lowest consumer acceptance for this strategy. Surgical castration with anaesthesia was ranked the least favourable in terms of labour conditions. Production of entire males was viewed as the least profitable and the least effective strategy. Sperm sexing was positively perceived, particularly in terms of labour conditions, animal welfare, effectiveness and expected consumer acceptance. The farmers' opinion was quite homogeneous, especially regarding surgical castration without anaesthesia and production of entire males. Increasing our understanding of the farmers' perceptions will hopefully facilitate communication about this intricate issue.     

Nutritional support for patients

A good intake of fluids and essential nutrients in the first fourteen days is of vital importance to recuperating animals. Moreover, it is important to encourage cats and dogs to eat after illness or surgery, in order to promote optimal functioning of the gut and the immune system. Enteral nutrition is to be preferred to nasogastric feeding or parenteral nutrition. In the first stage of recovery, during the first 24 to 48 hours, it is important to feed the gut' with nutrients, and thereafter, in the second stage of recovery (after day 3), the calorie intake can be increased. Timely nutritional support with nutraceuticals, such as arginine, glutamine, taurine, long-chain polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids, and prebiotic fibres, can considerably shorten the recovery period of cats and dogs after illness or surgery