A review of the role of excess soil moisture conditions in constraining farm practices under Atlantic conditions

The Less Favoured Area (LFA) scheme is a major element of the EU Rural Development Policy, aimed at supporting farming in areas with natural handicaps or low soil productivity. It has been in place since 1975 and accounts for 14% of total Community funding. In 2003, the European Court of Auditors recommended that the socio‐economic criteria on which the current scheme is based be replaced by biophysical criteria. Reviews of the proposals suggest that in Atlantic climates of Northwest Europe, the new criteria do not delineate adequately areas where agricultural productivity is constrained by the biophysical environment and that such areas are instead demarcated by the occurrence of excess soil moisture conditions. In this paper, we review the impact of excess soil moisture conditions on the sustainability of farming systems and their role in constraining strategic and tactical farm management practices. In particular, we review the scientific evidence on the impact of excess soil moisture conditions on herbage growth, herbage utilization, farm operations and environmental sustainability. On the basis of this, we propose an additional biophysical criterion for the new delineation of LFAs, namely the length of time that soil water is in excess of field capacity (‘field capacity days’). While there is no clear threshold for field capacity days above which agricultural sustainability is acutely constrained, the evidence reviewed in this paper suggests that the sustainability of intensive livestock farming and tillage systems is particularly challenging in scenarios where the 80 percentile of field capacity days exceeds 220–230 days.     

Comparison of nuclear and capacitance‐based soil water measuring techniques in salt‐affected soils

A field calibration experiment was carried out on salt‐affected clayey soil in Syria, to compare the sensitivity to soil electrical conductivity (ECe), and bulk density (ρ_b) of two instruments for estimating soil moisture: the neutron probe (NP) and the Diviner 2000 capacitance probe (CP). The results showed that the values of the correlation coefficient of the calibration were decreased when the ECe and ρ_b values increased; this decrease was more pronounced for the Diviner 2000, indicating that it was more sensitive to ρ_b and ECe than the NP. When only scaled frequency was used in the fitted equation, the Diviner 2000 in wet soil underestimated soil water content significantly at all depths, but especially in the top layer, by up to 0.09 cm³/cm³ compared with gravimetric determinations. However, in dry soil, the Diviner 2000 overestimated the volumetric water content by up to 0.05 cm³/cm³ in the top 15 cm, and by 0.03 cm³/cm³ at 30‐45 cm depth. The performance of the neutron probe was better overall; using a factory calibration curve no significant differences were observed between NP estimates and the gravimetric values. Including both ρ_b and ECe in the calibration equations improved the fits, although the regression coefficient (R²) for the Diviner 2000 remained low.     

超高效液相色谱法测定饲料中斑蝥黄和β-阿朴-8’-胡萝卜素酸乙酯含量方法的研究

为有效快速测定饲料中斑蝥黄和β-阿朴-8’-胡萝卜素酸乙酯含量,饲料经甲醇、正己烷和乙酸乙酯混合液萃取后,在氮气保护下浓缩,用甲基叔丁基醚-乙腈溶液复溶,注入超高效液相色谱仪中进行测定。结果表明:斑蝥黄浓度为1.25~10.0μg/mL,β-阿朴-8’-胡萝卜素酸乙酯为2.50~20.0μg/mL线性关系良好;斑蝥黄和β-阿朴-8’-胡萝卜素酸乙酯的检测限为0.06 mg/kg,定量限为0.20 mg/kg。斑蝥黄5个添加水平的平均回收率为72.8%~82.8%,相对标准偏差(RSD)为0.41%~1.06%;β-阿朴-8’-胡萝卜素酸乙酯5个添加水平的平均回收率为72.0%~82.8%,RSD为0.46%~1.41%。说明该方法简便、快速、灵敏度高、准确度好,适用于测定饲料中斑蝥黄和β-阿朴-8’-胡萝卜素酸乙酯含量。     

Interrelationship of soil moisture and temperature to sylvatic plague cycle among prairie dogs in the Western United States

Plague, caused by Yersinia pestis, is a flea-borne disease that is endemic in areas throughout the world due to its successful maintenance in a sylvatic cycle, mainly in areas with temperate climates. Burrowing rodents are thought to play a key role in the enzootic maintenance as well as epizootic outbreaks of plague. In the United States, prairie dogs (Cynomys), rodents (Muridae), and ground squirrels (Spermophilus) are susceptible to infection and are parasitized by fleas that transmit plague. In particular, prairie dogs can experience outbreaks that rapidly spread, which can lead to extirpation of colonies. A number of ecological parameters, including climate, are associated with these epizootics. In this study, we asked whether soil parameters, primarily moisture and temperature, are associated with outbreaks of plague in black-tailed prairie dogs and Gunnison's prairie dogs in the Western United States, and at what depth these associations were apparent. We collected publicly available county-level information on the occurrence of population declines or colony extirpation, while historical soil data was collected from SCAN and USCRN stations in counties and states where prairie dogs have been located. The analysis suggests that soil moisture at lower depths correlates with colony die-offs, in addition to temperature near the surface, with key differences within the landscape ecology that impact the occurrence of plague. Overall, the model suggests that the burrow environment may play a significant role in the epizootic spread of disease amongst black-tailed and Gunnison's prairie dogs.     

微灌地膜的节水保墒增温效应研究

在实验基础上 ,分析论述了微灌地膜的节水效果和增温保墒效应。试验结果表明 ,微灌地膜可比地面灌溉节水 61 % ,增加地温 3℃～ 6℃ ,近地面空气相对湿度提高 3 0 %～ 40 % ,综合效应明显。可供微灌地膜或膜下微灌的进一步研究设计参考     

6种灌木不同器官生物量及其碳、氮含量的分配特征

通过研究晋北地区草地黄刺玫、沙棘、荆条、酸枣、绣线菊和柠条等6种常见灌木的叶片、新生枝、老龄枝生物量及其碳、氮含量的分配特征,旨在为草地准确估算草地植物碳、氮循环提供依据。结果表明:黄刺玫的地上生物量最大,是酸枣的7倍。沙棘叶片生物量占地上生物量的比例最大;黄刺玫新生枝生物量占地上生物量的比例最大;柠条老龄枝生物量占地上生物量的比例最大。黄刺玫、沙棘和荆条的地上部分各器官生物量分配特征相似,由高到低表现为叶片、老龄枝、新生枝;绣线菊、酸枣和柠条的地上部分各器官生物量分配特征相似,由高到低表现为老龄枝、叶片、新生枝。6种灌木地上部分各器官碳含量差异不显著,氮含量分布由高到低为叶片、新生枝、老龄枝。     

适期收割对稻谷损失影响的研究

稻米原粮爆腰率是影响加工过程中出米率的重要因素。经调查，农家交售原粮中爆腰率高达25％，其中有干燥、储藏方面的原因，也有收割期不当的原因。本研究从一株稻穗中谷粒含水率与爆腰率的关系分析着手，通过对田间不同品种、不同含水率稻谷爆腰率的测定，并用概率统计方法进行分析的结果证明，完整谷粒的平均含水率在20％以上时收割，可以有效地避免田间爆腰率的发生。     

铁皮石斛在人工光型密闭式植物工厂的适宜光照强度

人工光型密闭式植物工厂适于高附加值植物尤其是珍贵药用植物的大规模/低成本化生产,其环境调控对珍贵药用植物的产量和质量有重要影响。笔者研究探索在控制温度、湿度、CO2浓度和光周期的条件下,光照强度对铁皮石斛(Dendrobium officinale)组培苗生长发育的影响,以期找到铁皮石斛组培阶段在人工光可控环境下的适宜光照环境。鲜重约300mg的铁皮石斛单腋芽作为外植体在温度24±1℃、湿度65±5%、光周期12h/d、及光期CO2浓度800±50μmol/mol的环境条件下,设置光照强度为37、68、92、120μmol/(m2·s)的4组试验区,并使用容积为380mL的方型聚碳酸酯组培容器在人工光型密闭式植物工厂中培育92d。组培容器的顶部留2个直径为10mm的圆孔覆盖高分子透气膜用来与容器外进行气体交换。铁皮石斛组培苗的生长发育和生理活性在光照强度为68μmol/(m2·s)时最佳,超过92μmol/(m2·s)时呈现明显的光抑制;多糖含量随着光照强度的增强而增加,超过92μmol/(m2·s)时呈下降趋势,但是68和92μmol/(m2·s)光照强度试验区的多糖含量没有显著性差异。因此,铁皮石斛组培苗在人工光型密闭式植物工厂内培育的适宜光照强度为60￣70μmol/(m2·s)。     

A STUDY ON HEAT AND MOISTURE STATE OF HULL LAYER FOR THERMAL INSTULATION OF A COLD STORAGE

This paper analyses the thermal moist characteristics of the hull layer beside an air layer at lower temperature in an envelope for a cold storage and presents a new method of waterproof by air layer. With test data from engineering practice, the theory on the barrier of self moisture proof at the surface sublayer of the hull layer in an attic on a cold storage is proven. The dried zone about three phase point is confirmed. It is a new knowledge for thermophysics on thermal design of a cold storage with an optimum thermal performance.     

半粒稻米直链淀粉测定方法的研究及应用

本文提出一个简便易行的分析方法,用1粒稻米既可测出其中的直链淀粉含量,还可用以繁种,便于在育种早代选择优良个体、提高效率,加快进程。用本方法测得的直链淀粉含量与用中华人民共和国国标法GB_(7648-87),测得的结果经t检验,差异不显著。利用本法分析了F_1代种子及其亲本的直链淀粉含量,结果表明,在非糯品种与糯稻品种的两