Colored plastic mulches affect soil temperature and tuber production of potato

Abstract

The main crops on which plastic mulch is widely used in Mexico include tomato, bell pepper, eggplant, melons, watermelons, and strawberry; however, very little research has been performed on potato. One of the main benefits associated with plastic mulching is the modification of the microclimate around the plant. To obtain a positive microclimate modification studies are required to understand how plastic mulch affects growth and yield of a given species. Previous field research assessing the response to colored plastic mulching in potato shows no consistent results on yield, maybe because it has been performed under different geographical latitudes. Potato in Mexico is conventionally cultivated on bare soil combined with various irrigation systems. The objective of the present study was to examine the effect of colored plastic mulches on soil temperature, growth, yield and photosynthetic response of potato plants. The experiment was conducted in Northeast Mexico and the treatments included were: black plastic mulch (BPM); white-on-black plastic mulch (W/B), silver-on-black (SPM), aluminum-on-black plastic mulch (APM) and a control that consisted of bare soil cultivated plants. Treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design with four replications. Results suggest that average daily mean soil temperature was linearly and negatively correlated with total yield and yield of first-quality tubers. Total yield and yield of first-quality tubers of plants mulched with W/B, SPM and APM was significantly higher (p≤0.05) than those of control plants. Leaf area and shoot dry weight were increased when soil temperatures were higher due to the effect of radiation transmission to the soil, however, this decrease was associated with a decrease in tuber production. The results of our study indicate that plants grown under BPM, which induced the highest soil temperature, showed marginal difference in yield compared with control plants, suggesting that colored plastic mulches have a positive effect on yield through decreased rise in soil temperature.     

Validation of the DNDC-Rice model by using CH4 and N2O flux data from rice cultivated in pots under alternate wetting and drying irrigation management

The DNDC (DeNitrification-DeComposition)-Rice model, one of the most advanced process-based models for the estimation of greenhouse gas emissions from paddy fields, has been discussed mostly in terms of the reproducibility of observed methane (CH₄) emissions from Japanese rice paddies, but the model has not yet been validated for tropical rice paddies under alternate wetting and drying (AWD) irrigation management, a water-saving technique. We validated the model by using CH₄ and nitrous oxide (N₂O) flux data from rice in pots cultivated under AWD irrigation management in a screen-house at the International Rice Research Institute (Los Baños, the Philippines). After minor modification and adjustment of the model to the experimental irrigation conditions, we calculated grain yield and straw production. The observed mean daily CH₄ fluxes from the continuous flooding (CF) and AWD pots were 4.49 and 1.22?kg?C?ha^?1?day^?1, respectively, and the observed mean daily N₂O fluxes from the pots were 0.105 and 34.1?g?N?ha^?1?day^?1, respectively. The root-mean-square errors, indicators of simulation error, of daily CH₄ fluxes from CF and AWD pots were calculated as 1.76 and 1.86?kg?C?ha^?1?day^?1, respectively, and those of daily N₂O fluxes were 2.23 and 124?g?N?ha^?1?day^?1, respectively. The simulated gross CH₄ emissions for CF and AWD from the puddling stage (2 days before transplanting) to harvest (97 days after transplanting) were 417 and 126?kg?C?ha^?1, respectively; these values were 9.8% lower and 0.76% higher, respectively, than the observed values. The simulated gross N₂O emissions during the same period were 0.0279 and 1.45?kg?N?ha^?1 for CF and AWD, respectively; these values were respectively 87% and 29% lower than the observed values. The observed total global warming potential (GWP) of AWD resulting from the CH₄ and N₂O emissions was approximately one-third of that in the CF treatment. The simulated GWPs of both CF and AWD were close to the observed values despite the discrepancy in N₂O emissions, because N₂O emissions contributed much less than CH₄ emissions to the total GWP. These results suggest that the DNDC-Rice model can be used to estimate CH₄ emission and total GWP from tropical paddy fields under both CF and AWD conditions.     

The role of GIS and GPS in precision farming

Examinations in connection with site-specific farming have been carried out by our institute since 1998. Precision farming is a way of agricultural production, which takes into account the in-field variability, a technology where the application-seeding, nutrient replacement, spraying, etc. has taken place to act on the local circumstances of a given field. The geographic information system (GIS) created by computing background makes possible to generate complex view about our fields and to make valid agrotechnological decisions. Our goal was to compare two systems for marking out further research tasks, because in some cases there have been misunderstandings among the researchers, and the information provided by given companies seems to be complicated for potential users (famers).     

毛竹原状和粉状叶片分解特征对施氮和温度的响应

[目的]毛竹(Phyllostachys edulis)叶片分解与竹林碳循环和养分周转关系密切,通过室内模拟氮沉降和温度升高试验,为预测未来气候变暖和氮沉降条件对凋落竹叶分解的调控提供参考,为科学管理毛竹林提供科学依据。[方法]以毛竹原状叶片及粉状叶片(粉碎过2 mm)为研究对象,布设3因素2水平试验,即施氮(添加氮5 mg·g-1)和不加氮对照,12℃和28℃培养温度,原状和粉状叶片,恒温箱中培养78 d,采用密闭碱液吸收法定期测定CO2释放量,并计算分解速率。[结果]表明:施氮处理、培养温度和叶片形态及其交互作用对凋落竹叶分解速率的影响因培养阶段不同而存在差异,总体上表现为培养前期(0—23 d)和培养中期(24—48 d)的分解速率高于培养后期(49—78 d)。从均值来看,施氮处理抑制原状叶片在12℃培养下的分解速率,而对两种形态叶片在28℃培养条件的分解速率影响不显著;施氮处理可增加原状凋落竹叶分解速率的温度敏感性(Q10),但对粉状凋落竹叶分解速率的Q10值影响不显著,且原状凋落竹叶分解速率的Q10值高于粉状凋落叶。凋落竹叶C/N在培养后期显著升高,且氮添加显著促进粉状竹叶C/N增加。[结论]氮沉降对毛竹凋落叶分解的影响效应与培养温度和叶片形态有关。凋落物分解的影响因素众多,凋落物分解对全球环境变化的响应不仅应该深入研究其化学和生物学机制,还要关注物理过程及其调控潜能。     

山西东南部气候变暖背景下的霜冻特征分析

应用山西省东南部11个气象观测站1971-2010年春秋季及年平均气温、初终霜冻日期及无霜期资料,采用数理统计对比法,分析了该地初终霜冻的时域分布特征及成因,气候变暖背景下初终霜冻日期及无霜期的变化特征。结果表明：气温年际变化在1971-1996年属震荡缓慢升温期,1997年开始趋于明显增暖期,气候变暖速率为0．3℃·10a-1;初终霜冻日期的时域分布与特殊的地理环境条件关系密切;在秋季气候变暖前提下,初霜冻出现日期的推后速率为2 d·10a-1,其年际变化趋势表现为正负震荡推后期、偏早期和平稳推后期三个阶段;春季平均气温的增温速率为0．25℃·10a-1,对应终霜冻出现日期呈现为提前趋势,提前速率为4 d·10a-1,年际演变特征可分为偏晚期、偏早期、正负震荡期、偏早期四个阶段;无霜期在气候变暖背景下,年际变化特征可分为延长期、缩短期和平稳延长期三个时期,无霜期的线性变化延长速率为7 d·10a-1。     

设施番茄土壤温室气体排放对水氮管理的响应

[目的]探讨不同水、氮管理设施番茄产量和土壤温室气体排放的相互关系,构建最适水、氮组合模式,以期达到"节水、减氮、高产"的目的.[方法]设置4种氮肥梯度(F0:0 kg/hm2、F1:150 kg/hm2、F2:300 kg/hm2、F3:450 kg/hm2)与3种灌水定额(W1:0.5 Epan、W2:0.7Epa...     

TRMM/GPM和Stage IV降水产品在小流域水文模拟效用评估

以地面观测降水作为参照,在美国俄克拉荷马州Little Washita River流域,对比分析了TRMM 3B42 V7,GPM-IMERG卫星降水和Stage IV雷达降水的精度,并用这3种降水产品驱动CREST分布式水文模型,评估了其水文模拟效用.研究表明:3种降水产品与地面降水的相关系数均大于0.5,通过了0.05置信水平检验;GPM-IMERG和TRMM3B42 V7卫星降水对无雨和微雨存在低估,对大雨和暴雨存在高估;总体上,Stage IV降水精度最好,其次GPM降水精度优于TRMM 3B42 V7.在水文模拟效用评估中,设定相同率定期,分别使用3种降水产品率定CREST模型参数,得到率定参数集后,在相同验证期对流域日径流过程进行模拟.对比结果表明:Stage IV雷达降水在小流域水文模拟中效果最好,GPM-IMERG次之,TRMM 3B42 V7模拟效果不理想.     

辽宁省近53年冬季气温变化特征分析

为准确预测辽宁冬季气候,进而达到对冬季设施农业等方面服务的目的,根据辽宁省53个气象观测站1961—2014年逐月的平均气温资料,利用滑动T检验方法、Mann-Kendall检验方法、最大熵谱方法以及Morlet小波分析等方法,分析了1961—2013年辽宁省冬季平均气温的变化特征。结果表明：近53年辽宁省冬季平均气温时间序列呈显著的线性递增趋势,与全球气候变暖趋势相一致。但值得注意的是,近几年辽宁出现了气温偏低的情况;辽宁省冬季平均气温在1985—1986年前后发生了1次明显突变,之前气温以偏低为主,之后开始显著增温。辽宁省冬季平均气温的主要周期为准3~5年周期和17年周期。采用新资料得到的辽宁冬季气温变化特征与采用旧资料的情况略有差异。     

网吧火灾自动报警系统的上位机软件设计

介绍了一个采用VisualBasic6．0编写的、在网吧中实现自动报警系统的上位机软件。系统经过了测试和实际运行，工作稳定可靠，可以实现自动报警功能，具有较高的应用和推广价值。     

基于单片机的沼气发酵装置增温控制系统设计

北方沼气系统全年产气的关键是冬季加热增温问题.为此,以生物质炉为热源,通过对循环水的加热,用单片机控制加热水泵的增温系统,研究设计了系统的整体功能以及硬件和软件.该系统具有一定的智能性,保证了沼气系统在北方冬季时的正常运行,提高了产气量.