Comparisons of energy balance and evapotranspiration between flooded and aerobic rice fields in the Philippines

The seasonal and annual variability of sensible heat flux (H), latent heat flux (LE), evapotranspiration (ET), crop coefficient (K_c) and crop water productivity (WP_ET) were investigated under two different rice environments, flooded and aerobic soil conditions, using the eddy covariance (EC) technique during 2008-2009 cropping periods. Since we had only one EC system for monitoring two rice environments, we had to move the system from one location to the other every week. In total, we had to gap-fill an average of 50-60% of the missing weekly data as well as those values rejected by the quality control tests in each rice field in all four cropping seasons. Although the EC method provides a direct measurement of LE, which is the energy used for ET, we needed to correct the values of H and LE to close the energy balance using the Bowen ratio closure method before we used LE to estimate ET. On average, the energy balance closure before correction was 0.72 ± 0.06 and it increased to 0.99 ± 0.01 after correction. The G in both flooded and aerobic fields was very low. Likewise, the energy involved in miscellaneous processes such as photosynthesis, respiration and heat storage in the rice canopy was not taken into consideration.Average for four cropping seasons, flooded rice fields had 19% more LE than aerobic fields whereas aerobic rice fields had 45% more H than flooded fields. This resulted in a lower Bowen ratio in flooded fields (0.14 ± 0.03) than in aerobic fields (0.24 ± 0.01). For our study sites, evapotranspiration was primarily controlled by net radiation. The aerobic rice fields had lower growing season ET rates (3.81 ± 0.21 mm d⁻¹) than the flooded rice fields (4.29 ± 0.23 mm d⁻¹), most probably due to the absence of ponded water and lower leaf area index of aerobic rice. Likewise, the crop coefficient, K_c, of aerobic rice was significantly lower than that of flooded rice. For aerobic rice, K_c values were 0.95 ± 0.01 for the vegetative stage, 1.00 ± 0.01 for the reproductive stage, 0.97 ± 0.04 for the ripening stage and 0.88 ± 0.03 for the fallow period, whereas, for flooded rice, K_c values were 1.04 ± 0.04 for the vegetative stage, 1.11 ± 0.05 for the reproductive stage, 1.04 ± 0.05 for the ripening stage and 0.93 ± 0.06 for the fallow period. The average annual ET was 1301 mm for aerobic rice and 1440 mm for flooded rice. This corresponds to about 11% lower total evapotranspiration in aerobic fields than in flooded fields. However, the crop water productivity (WP_ET) of aerobic rice (0.42 ± 0.03 g grain kg⁻¹ water) was significantly lower than that of flooded rice (1.26 ± 0.26 g grain kg⁻¹ water) because the grain yields of aerobic rice were very low since they were subjected to water stress.The results of this investigation showed significant differences in energy balance and evapotranspiration between flooded and aerobic rice ecosystems. Aerobic rice is one of the promising water-saving technologies being developed to lower the water requirements of the rice crop to address the issues of water scarcity. This information should be taken into consideration in evaluating alternative water-saving technologies for environmentally sustainable rice production systems.     

Long-term water balances in La Violada Irrigation District (Spain): II. Analysis of irrigation performance

The analysis of long-term irrigation performance series is a valuable tool to improve irrigation management and efficiency. This work focuses in the assessment of irrigation performance indices along years 1995-2008, and the cause-effect relationships with irrigation modernization works taking place in the 4000 ha surface-irrigated La Violada Irrigation District (VID). Irrigation management was poor, as shown by the low mean seasonal irrigation consumptive use coefficient (ICUC = 51%) and the high relative water deficit (RWD = 20%) and drainage fraction (DRF = 54%). April had the poorest irrigation performance because corn (with low water demand in this month) was irrigated to promote its emergence, whereas winter grains (with high water demands in this month) were not fully irrigated in water-scarce years. Corn, highly sensitive to water stress, was the crop with best irrigation performance because it was preferentially irrigated to minimize yield losses. The construction of a new elevated canal that decreased seepage and drainage fractions, the entrance in operation of six internal reservoirs that would increase irrigation scheduling flexibility, and the on-going transformation from surface to sprinkler irrigation systems are critical changes in VID that should lead to improved ICUC, lower RWD and lower DRF. The implications of these modernization works on the conservation of water quantity and quality within and outside VID is further discussed.     

基于DSP 的粮食干燥智能控制系统

为了提高粮食的干燥效果,研究了粮食干燥过程含水率的动态变化及其关联因素,提出了粮食干燥系统的智能控制方法,并设计了以DSP为核心的智能控制系统。由此实现了粮食干燥过程中的品质在线检测和识别的有效控制,解决了目前粮食干燥设备中存在的非稳态过程控制精度低、粮食损耗大及费用高等问题。     

Quantifying reductions in consumptive water use under regulated deficit irrigation in pistachio (Pistacia vera L.)

The reduction in agricultural water use in areas of scarce supplies can release significant amounts of water for other uses. As improvements in irrigation systems and management have been widely adopted by fruit tree growers already, there is a need to explore the potential for reducing irrigation requirements via deficit irrigation (DI). It is also important to quantify to what extent the reduction in applied water through DI is translated into net water savings via tree evapotranspiration (ET) reduction. An experiment was conducted in a commercial pistachio orchard in Madera, CA, where a regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) program was applied to a 32.3-ha block, while another block of the same size was fully irrigated (FI). Four trees were instrumented with six neutron probe access tubes each, in the two treatments and the soil water balance method was used to determine tree ET. Seasonal irrigation water in FI, applied through a full-coverage microsprinkler system, amounted to 842 mm, while only 669 mm were applied in RDI. Seasonal ET in FI was 1024 mm, of which 308 mm were computed as evaporation from soil (E_s). In RDI, seasonal ET was reduced to 784 mm with 288 mm as Es. The reduction in applied water during the deficit period amounted to 147 mm. The ET of RDI during the deficit period was also reduced relative to that of FI by 133 mm, which represented 33% of the ET of FI during the deficit irrigation period. There was an additional ET reduction in RDI of about 100 mm that occurred in the post-deficit period.     

Vineyard evaporative fraction based on eddy covariance in an arid desert region of Northwest China

Studying farmland evaporative fraction (EF) plays an important role in interpreting the components of energy budget and evapotranspiration (ET). The present study examines the pattern of vineyard EF after monitoring energy components by eddy covariance for 2 years, and estimates the crop ET by EF in the arid desert region of Northwest China. Main results indicate that EF during daytime is nearly constant on sunny days when the available energy exceeds 200 W m⁻², but EF becomes relatively unsteady when the available energy is lower than 200 W m⁻². Furthermore, daytime average EF is relatively low in the early growth stage, nearly constant in the mid-later stage, and significantly reduced in the later stage; Moreover, mean EF in different periods of daytime is in good agreement with daytime average EF, mean EF during 10:00–15:00 h is relatively close to daytime average EF and mean EF during 14:00–15:00 h is approximately equal to daytime average EF. The estimated daytime ET from mean EF during 14:00–15:00 h is highly correlated to the measured ET by Bowen ratio-energy balance though the value is partially underestimated. This study demonstrated that daytime ET can be estimated from midday EF and the relationship can be used to guide irrigation practice in the arid region.     

Effect of irrigation amounts applied with subsurface drip irrigation on corn evapotranspiration, yield, water use efficiency, and dry matter production in a semiarid climate

Quantifying the local crop response to irrigation is important for establishing adequate irrigation management strategies. This study evaluated the effect of irrigation applied with subsurface drip irrigation on field corn (Zea mays L.) evapotranspiration (ETc), yield, water use efficiencies (WUE = yield/ETc, and IWUE = yield/irrigation), and dry matter production in the semiarid climate of west central Nebraska. Eight treatments were imposed with irrigation amounts ranging from 53 to 356 mm in 2005 and from 22 to 226 mm in 2006. A soil water balance approach (based on FAO-56) was used to estimate daily soil water and ETc. Treatments resulted in seasonal ETc of 580–663 mm and 466–656 mm in 2005 and 2006, respectively. Yields among treatments differed by as much as 22% in 2005 and 52% in 2006. In both seasons, irrigation significantly affected yields, which increased with irrigation up to a point where irrigation became excessive. Distinct relationships were obtained each season. Yields increased linearly with seasonal ETc (R² = 0.89) and ETc/ETp (R² = 0.87) (ETp = ETc with no water stress). The yield response factor (ky), which indicates the relative reduction in yield to relative reduction in ETc, averaged 1.58 over the two seasons. WUE increased non-linearly with seasonal ETc and with yield. WUE was more sensitive to irrigation during the drier 2006 season, compared with 2005. Both seasons, IWUE decreased sharply with irrigation. Irrigation significantly affected dry matter production and partitioning into the different plant components (grain, cob, and stover). On average, the grain accounted for the majority of the above-ground plant dry mass (≈59%), followed by the stover (≈33%) and the cob (≈8%). The dry mass of the plant and that of each plant component tended to increase with seasonal ETc. The good relationships obtained in the study between crop performance indicators and seasonal ETc demonstrate that accurate estimates of ETc on a daily and seasonal basis can be valuable for making tactical in-season irrigation management decisions and for strategic irrigation planning and management.     

用于汽车横向稳定性的模糊控制器的设计与研究

运用模糊控制理论在所建立的车辆非线性模型的基础上,设计了用于车辆横向稳定性的3种模糊控制器———基于横摆角速度的反馈控制、基于质心侧偏角的反馈控制以及基于这两个参数的联合反馈控制,并应用MATLAB/S imu link对所设计的3种模糊控制器分别进行了仿真分析,结果表明,3种控制器均能改善车辆的横向稳定性,能够提高车辆行驶的安全性,并且,联合控制的控制效果要优于单独控制。     

拖拉机传动系加载磨合台测控技术研究

介绍拖拉机传动系加载磨合台的系统构成、软件设计、功能与创新之处。本磨合台采用电封闭结构,驱动电动机驱动被试传动系,被试传动系带动加载电动机,加载电动机产生的电能又返回驱动电动机,实现能量的循环利用。软件设计保证用户操作简单、稳定可靠。     

连续流动式粮食干燥机的仿人智能控制器

基于经验模型的经典控制方法和现代控制方法不适合应用于多变量、大滞后和非线性粮食干燥过程。为提高粮食干燥的产品品质，根据连续流动式粮食干燥机的工况特点，研制了一种用于连续流动式干燥机的仿人智能控制器。该控制器包括运行控制级和参数校正级，可对出粮水分进行控制。应用MATLAB对连续干燥机的仿真试验表明，该控制器在超调量、上升时间和调节时间等指标都比常规PID控制有明显改善，对纯滞后时间的变化适应能力强，为干燥机控制系统的设计与实现提供了理论依据。     

智能轨迹控制割草机器人设计——基于FPGA神经网络

为了提高割草机器人自主导航和定位的精确性和智能性,设计了一种新型的基于FPGA神经网络算法的割草机器人。该设计采用FPGA可重构技术,以3层误差反向传播神经网络作为典型的模型来展开;利用成熟的BP算法公式,设计了割草机器人智能控制的模型;利用FPGA技术,设计了割草机器人的硬件系统;最后采用文本输入的设计方法,利用田间试验的方式,对机器人的轨迹规划能力和控制精度进行了验证。试验结果表明:利用FPGA和神经网络模型可以有效地穿越5个障碍物,并可得到满意的轨迹规划结果。将普通的PID控制器和神经网络PID控制器得到的控制结果误差进行了对比,结果表明:神经网络PID控制器得到的割草机器人控制误差明显比传统的PID控制器误差小。该方法为神经网络的硬件实现提供了可靠的理论基础。