Beyond redundant kill: A fundamental explanation of how insecticide mixtures work for resistance management

The use of insecticide mixtures for resistance management has been a controversial topic for many decades. Here, we provide a reassessment of the fundamental theory of insecticide mixtures. First, we examine how mixtures differ from other strategies. We suggest that the fundamental strategy concept of a mixture is defined by the simultaneous use of insecticides and their overlapping exposure. Second, we provide a simple, illustrative model to show how mixtures affect resistance evolution. Following the existing literature, we identify a role for ‘redundant kill’ acting against resistant individuals, which we link to the overlapping exposure of insecticides. We also identify the occurrence of ‘additional kill’ acting against susceptible individuals, which is the immediate consequence of the simultaneous use of insecticides. Third, we take a basic approach to the comparison of mixtures and other strategies using a simple model. We find that a common comparison of the time to resistance alone leaves the effects of additional kill unaccounted for. Moreover, we demonstrate that different approaches to comparison can lead to different results because of biases that are introduced in the comparison setup. Fourth, still using the same model, we showcase a more sophisticated approach to comparison using optimised strategies. We find that optimised mixtures always perform better than other strategies due to the combination of redundant and additional kill. We suggest that the comparison of optimised strategies is unbiased because each strategy is performing the best that it can. On this basis, in theory (but not necessarily practice), we believe that mixtures are better than other strategies and, through the steps of our argument, we can tie this success back to the fundamental properties (of simultaneous use and overlapping exposure) that distinguish mixtures from other strategy concepts. © 2022 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.     

Quantitative analyses of natural resource management options at different scales

Natural capital (land, water, air) consists of many resources, each with its own quality, dynamics and renewability, but with strong interactions. The increasing competition for the natural resources, especially land and water, calls for a basic redirection in the analysis of land use.     

Modernization of irrigation systems: A case of research,oriented to improve management

In recent years, the traditional concept of an irrigation project has been changing. From just a physical structure for the storage, conveyance and distribution of water, it is now being regarded as a more complex system, including farmers' participation. This implies an improved management in all phases, from reservoir operation to farm management, and therefore the change from simple operation and maintenance to operation, maintenance and management.To face this new challenge, existing projects must be modernized. The Sorraia Irrigation Project is one of those projects. In this paper major problems are identified and it is showed how research (namely through modelling) can be oriented towards an improved management, regarding the conveyance and distribution systems as well as the on-farm systems.Finally it becomes evident that beyond the technical problems to be solved, the involvement and participation of farmers must be improved at all levels of management. Hence, there is also a need for implementing programs on education, training and extension.     

神经网络在厌氧消化过程中的模拟应用

本文对神经网络在厌氧消化过程中的模拟应用作了系统综述。稳定性是厌氧反应器性能的关键指标之一，由于反应器不可避免地受到各种负荷的冲击，稳定性常常会被破坏。找出一种合适的模型来模拟反应器在冲击负荷下性能变化情况从而更好地控制反应器，具有重要的实际意义。神经网络以其非线性、自适应性、并行性以及较强的容错能力等优点，受到人们的重视，神经网络在厌氧消化过程中的模拟应用取得了比较满意的结果。     

Water use of young ‘Fuji’ apple trees at three soil moisture regimes in drainage lysimeters

Studies were conducted during 4 months of each growing season in 1994 and 1995 to measure water use of young apple trees (Malus domestica Borkh. cv ‘Fuji’) growing under different soil moisture regimes in temperate climate conditions and to evaluate monthly crop coefficients of such conditions. To do so, double pot lysimeters under a transparent rain shield were designed and installed. The three soil moisture regimes in three replicates each were: (A) drip-irrigation at −50 kPa of soil matric potential (IR50); (B) drip-irrigation at −80 kPa of soil matric potential (IR80); and (C) constant shallow water table at 0.45 m below the soil surface (WT45). In each treatment, soil surface was maintained with or without turf grasses. Monthly water use was not different in drip-irrigated treatments (IR50 and IR80), but greatest in the WT45 treatment. Monthly crop coefficients increased linearly in time for drip-irrigated apple trees (r² values of 0.76^*** for IR50 and of 0.77^*** for IR80), while those obtained in the WT45 treatment fluctuated. Leaf water potential (LWP) of drip-irrigated trees was similar until 63 days after treatment (DAT), but the values for IR80 trees began to decline thereafter. The LWP of WT45 trees decreased from 48 DAT. Temporal variations in leaf water content (LWC) was similar to that of LWP, except for two abrupt decreases in IR80 trees. The LWC of WT45 trees began to decrease from 59 DAT, and this occurred 2 weeks after the reduction in LWP. Average shoot length of IR50 trees was greater than that of IR80 and WT45 trees. The results of this study provided water use and crop coefficients for apple trees in relation to soil moisture regimes under temperate climate.     

Systems approaches for the design of sustainable agro-ecosystems

The complexity of agricultural systems and the need to fulfil multiple objectives in sustainable agro-ecosystems call for interdisciplinary analyzes and input from a wide variety of disciplines in order to better understand the complete agronomic production system. Systems approaches have been developed to support these interdisciplinary studies; their development and use have increased strongly in the past decades. Agronomic systems have pronounced spatial and temporal dimensions. Spatial aspects can be distinguished at crop, field, farm, regional and higher levels while processes at each spatial level have characteristic temporal components. Systems analysis in agronomic systems implies the use of various types of knowledge, such as expert knowledge including stakeholder expertise and knowledge derived from scientific measurements and model-simulations. The latter two can be derived from different types of studies: simple, rapid and cheap procedures, which are often relatively unreliable, at one end of the scale and complex, cumbersome and expensive data-intensive procedures at the other end. Selection of proper procedures for specific issues, both in terms of measurements and in applying simulation models, needs attention. Each problem requires its own research approach. Based on the output requirements and data availability, the proper systems approach has to be selected. Examples of these different procedures are given in this paper. Considering the type of problems to be studied in agronomic systems, different procedures can be followed to address the issues raised at a specific scale. These procedures start with a proper analysis of the system followed by studies that are projectory, exploratory, predictive, or are focused on decision support. Examples will be provided. Increasingly, systems approaches include stakeholders to fine-tune problem definition, the research itself, and the implementation of results. Stakeholders are farmers and citizens on farm and community levels and policy makers and planners at higher levels of aggregation. A comprehensive interdisciplinary analysis of agricultural production systems is seen as a necessary condition for the development of innovative, sustainable systems for the future. Systems for improving crop production systems are presented in this paper as well as applications of systems approaches at the farm and regional levels with emphasis on selecting the right approach.     

稻麦轮作下施用猪粪水对作物生长及农田土壤质量的影响

为解决猪粪水农田利用问题,确定其最佳施用量,降低可能带来的环境风险,在实验室条件下,基于自制土柱,研究了猪粪水不同比例替代化肥及猪粪水全量替代化肥下不同施用量对稻麦生产及农田土壤质量的影响,分析了稻麦株均穗数、叶绿素含量、穗和秸秆产量、穗和秸秆中氮磷含量、土壤渗滤液理化特性以及土壤氮磷、重金属含量的变化。结果表明：猪粪水50%和100%替代化肥氮均可不同程度地促进稻麦生长,提高稻麦植株产量,但处理间差异不显著;在猪粪水全量替代化肥氮条件下,当猪粪水用量为200%化肥氮时,稻、麦穗均获得最大产量;施用猪粪水提高了稻、麦穗和秸秆中氮磷含量,减缓了土壤有机质和全氮下降幅度,提高了土壤全磷含量,但过量施用猪粪水造成水稻烂根、死苗,小麦疯长,土壤渗滤液中氮磷浓度升高,污染地下水的风险增加,部分指标甚至超过《地下水质量标准（GB/T 14848-2017）》中Ⅳ类水标准;大量施用猪粪水还会造成铜、镉和铅等在土壤中积累,锌含量无明显增加。综上所述,在本研究条件下猪粪水替代化肥是可行的,建议猪粪水用量低于200%化肥时可在促进稻麦生长、培肥土壤和控制农田环境污染等方面具有较好的效果。     

Kinetics of native and added carbon mineralization on incubating at different soil and moisture conditions in Typic Ustochrepts and Typic Halustalf

The carbon dynamics in soils is of great importance due to its links to the global carbon cycle. The prediction of the behavior of native soil organic carbon (SOC) and organic amendments via incubation studies and mathematical modeling may bridge the knowledge gap in understanding complex soil ecosystems. Three alkaline Typic Ustochrepts and one Typic Halustalf with sandy, loamy sand, and clay loam texture, varying in percent SOC of 0.2; S₁, 0.42; S₂, 0.67; S₃ and 0.82; S₄ soils, were amended with wheat straw (WS), WS + P, sesbania green manure (GM), and poultry manure (PM) on 0.5% C rate at field capacity (FC) and ponding (P) moisture levels and incubated at 35 °C for 1, 15, 30 and 45 d. Carbon mineralization was determined via the alkali titration method after 1, 5, 7 14, 21, and 28 d. The SOC and inorganic carbon contents were determined from dried up (50 °C) soil samples after 1, 15, 30, and 45 d of incubation. Carbon from residue mineralization was determined by subtracting the amount of CO₂-C evolved from control soils. The kinetic models; monocomponent first order, two-component first order, and modified Gompertz equations were fitted to the carbon mineralization data from native and added carbon. The SOC decomposition was dependent upon soil properties, and moisture, however, added C was relatively independent. The carbon from PM was immobilized in S₄. All the models fitted to the data predicted carbon mineralization in a similar range with few exceptions. The residues lead to the OC build-up in fine-textured soils having relatively high OC and cation exchange capacities. Whereas, fast degradation of applied OC in coarse-textured soils leads to faster mineralization and lower build-up from residues. The decline in CaCO₃ after incubation was higher at FC than in the P moisture regime.     

地膜玉米免耕轮作小麦的减水减氮效应

针对长期连作作物生产力低下等突出问题,研究前茬地膜覆盖作物免耕留膜,轮作后茬作物的生产效应,对于优化栽培模式,建立甘肃河西绿洲灌区作物生产的节本增效技术具有重要意义。2016—2017年,通过田间定位试验,研究了前茬地膜覆盖玉米茬口两种耕作方式(免耕留膜,NT;传统耕作,CT)、两种灌水水平(传统灌水,2400 m~3·hm~(-2),I2;传统灌水减量20%,1920 m~3·hm~(-2),I1)和3个施氮水平(传统施氮,225 kg·hm~(-2),N3;传统施氮减量20%,180 kg·hm~(-2),N2;传统施氮减量40%,135 kg·hm~(-2),N1)对轮作小麦产量、光能与灌溉水利用及经济效益的影响,以期为优化试区小麦的栽培技术提供理论依据。研究结果表明,前茬玉米免耕留膜较传统耕作小麦全生育期总叶日积提高21.6%～26.1%(P0.05),特别是小麦灌浆至成熟期提高41.3%～45.2%(P0.05),具有延缓衰老的作用。小麦灌浆至成熟期,免耕留膜集成减量20%水氮供应(NTI1N2)处理比传统耕作和水氮供应(CTI2N3)提高叶日积34.8%～50.7%。免耕留膜较传统耕作提高籽粒产量、光能利用率和灌溉水利用效率分别为10.1%～10.4%、5.6%～12.3%和10.1%～10.3%(P0.05);NTI1N2较CTI2N3处理小麦增产15.2%～22.0%、光能利用率提高8.1%～18.5%、灌溉水利用效率提高44.0%～52.5%(P0.05)。免耕留膜结合减量水氮供应可降低生产成本,提高纯收益和产投比,NTI1N2较CTI2N3处理纯收益和产投比分别提高22.9%～23.9%和34.8%～35.1%,单方水效益提高53.6%～68.9%(P0.05)。因此,前茬地膜覆盖玉米免耕留膜配套减量20%灌水(1920 m~3·hm~(-2))与施氮(180 kg·hm~(-2))可作为甘肃河西绿洲灌区发展节本增效小麦生产的关键技术。