Drought Tolerance and Water Use of Cereal Crops: A Focus on Sorghum as a Food Security Crop in Sub‐Saharan Africa

Sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA) faces twin challenges of water stress and food insecurity – challenges that are already pressing and are projected to grow. Sub‐Saharan Africa comprises 43 % arid and semi‐arid area, which is projected to increase due to climate change. Small‐scale, rainfed agriculture is the main livelihood source in arid and semi‐arid areas of SSA. Because rainfed agriculture constitutes more than 95 % of agricultural land use, water scarcity is a major limitation to production. Crop production, specifically staple cereal crop production, will have to adapt to water scarcity and improved water productivity (output per water input) to meet food requirements. We propose inclusion and promotion of drought‐tolerant cereal crops in arid and semi‐arid agro‐ecological zones of SSA where water scarcity is a major limitation to cereal production. Sorghum uniquely fits production in such regions, due to high and stable water‐use efficiency, drought and heat tolerance, high germplasm variability, comparative nutritional value and existing food value chain in SSA. However, sorghum is socio‐economically and geographically underutilized in parts of SSA. Sorghum inclusion and/or promotion in arid and semi‐arid areas of SSA, especially among subsistence farmers, will improve water productivity and food security.     

大学校园文化景观意义传达的符号学机制——以湖南大学校园文化景观为例

论述了校园文化景观建设的重要性,分析了校园文化景观作为符号在传达意义时所要进行的符号传媒介的选取类型和符号意义的关联方式,并以湖南大学校园文化景观为例.同时指出,只有处理好校园文化景观的物象和意象两个层面的内容,才能建设优秀的校园文化景观.     

茶园间作芳香植物罗勒和紫苏对茶园生态系统影响的研究

通过茶园间作芳香植物研究其对茶园害虫和天敌种群数量、土壤养分状况、茶树生长及茶叶生化成分等的影响,分析间作芳香植物对幼龄茶园的生态综合调控效果。幼龄茶园间种芳香植物能减少小贯小绿叶蝉和绿盲蝽的数量,增加茶园中瓢虫、草蛉、寄生蜂和蜘蛛等天敌的数量;芳香植物间作区土壤中铵态氮、有效磷和速效钾的含量高于绿肥间作区和对照;茶园间作芳香植物能在一定程度上促进茶树生长、培养幼龄茶园的树势和树冠、增加茶叶产量。茶园间作芳香植物能减少茶叶中茶多酚和咖啡碱含量,提高可溶性糖和儿茶素含量,改善茶叶品质。可见茶园间作芳香植物是一种具有较好生态效益的茶园栽培管理模式,能促进生态茶园的发展。     

Prevention and Controlling Effect of Intercropping on Pests and Diseases and Its Risk Control in Cotton Fields

Cotton is one of the major field crops which are seriously threatened by pests and diseases. In recent years, the ecological management of cotton pests and diseases with intercropping has become to be an interesting approach. Intercropping possibly increases the population of natural enemies and finally reduces the population density of pests as a result of changes in ecological structure and environmental conditions of farmland. Intercropping thus has been considered an important alternative in controlling pests and diseases. However, cotton field intercropping also has some limitations in controlling pests and diseases. Unreasonable intercropping system has many risks such as increasing labor input, increasing the difficulty of pests’ control, and aggravating pests and diseases. In this paper, the effects and the underlying mechanisms of cotton intercropping on cotton pests and diseases were reviewed. The possible risks and countermeasures used for ecological control of intercropping were also put forward, and the future and application of ecological management of cotton pests and diseases with intercropping were prospected.     

园林植物春季最佳观赏期调查研究

目前,由于缺乏准确的园林植物最佳观赏期的资料,导致优秀的规划设计方案难以落到实处,园林景点建成之后景观效果大打折扣。针对以上问题,作者采用实地调查观测的方法对园林植物春季最佳观赏期和最佳观赏顺序进行了研究。记录整理典型地点园林植物的最佳观赏期和最佳观赏顺序,为园林规划设计、植物配置和养护管理提供科学的参考依据。     

Incorporating local ecological knowledge into urban riparian restoration in a mountainous region of Southwest China

Modern cities use straightened and concrete watercourses with simple greening for riparian zones, which has been criticised for insensitivity to natural system integrity and cultural identity. This increases the challenge to urban ecologists, landscape designers and managers to conceive innovative and effective design solutions that do not jeopardise hydraulic efficiency yet are culturally acceptable to local communities. This paper introduces the field of local ecological knowledge (LEK) as rich sources of inspiration and design solutions to meet this challenge. LEK refers to knowledge and practices of various local cultures about the relationship of living beings (including humans) with their environments. Wepropose a pragmatic framework that integrates LEK with modern landscape design. It includes steps: (1) investigate existing practices, skills andmeasures relating to LEK; (2) explore how and whereLEKcan inspire or integrate withdesign. Here we propose three aspects for integration in accordance with the nature of landscaping process: overall structure, component and maintenance.(3)evaluate and test the integration in terms of its acceptability by local communities. Taking the riparian revegetation project of Hanfeng Lake Urban Wetland Park (Chongqing Municipality) as an example, we illustrate the utility of this framework. 11 local common practices relating to LEK were identified. According to thethree aspects for integration, alternative design solutions were offered. The survey showed that LEK based designwas more highly valued than other conventional ways in terms of useracceptance. We conclude that LEK provides actionable ecologically sound and culturally desirablesolutions for urbanlandscape. We also recognise that LEK evolveswith changing environments and new harmonious and dynamic human-nature relationships arecontinually re-forming. The process of acquisition and application of LEK could encourage multidisciplinary and synthetic approaches to urban ecosystems. Such adaptability and interdisciplinary engagementare crucial totoday’schanging and complexurban environments.     

广东新农村建设的现状分析与发展对策

针对广东新农村建设存在的规划滞后、资源浪费、污染严重、社会管理水平低、环保意识薄弱等问题，提出用生态文明理念引领新农村建设以及建设广东生态文明新农村的对策。     

紫荆属（Cercis L.）种质资源情况及研究进展

紫荆属植物是一种具有观赏价值和潜力的植物类群，具有很广阔的园林应用前景。研究综述了紫荆属种质资源的分类、调查与引进情况，从植物系统进化、繁殖技术、分子生物学角度阐述了其相关的研究进展，并分析了紫荆属植物的园林应用形式。提出目前紫荆属植物研究与应用存在的问题，并进行了展望，为我国紫荆属植物资源的开发和利用提供了参考。     

皖北石灰岩山地不同植被恢复模式对植物群落物种组成及多样性的影响

通过研究皖北石灰岩山地生态系统的植被群落,分析不同植被恢复群落的组成、结构、多样性和生活型组成,进而阐明石灰岩山地生态系统植被恢复模式对群落结构特征以及植物物种多样性的影响。结果表明:研究区有54种植物,隶属26科54属。侧柏(Platycladus orientalis)+构树(Broussonetia papyrifera)人工混交林有植物种类16科26种,分别占总数的61.5%和48.1%。酸枣(Ziziphus jujuba var.spinosa)+牡荆(Vitex negundo var.cannabifolia)灌丛和荩草(Arthraxon hispidus)+牡荆草灌丛植物种类分别为32和33种,分别占调查总物种数的59.3%和61.1%。不同植被恢复群落生活型也有差异。侧柏+构树人工混交林群落高位芽植物占优势,而酸枣+牡荆灌丛和荩草+牡荆草灌丛则以地面芽植物所占比例较大。分析表明,多样性指数、均匀度指数和优势度指数均表现为侧柏+构树混交林>酸枣+牡荆灌丛>荩草+牡荆草灌丛,但物种丰富度表现为荩草+牡荆草灌丛>酸枣+牡荆灌丛>侧柏+构树混交林。Sörensen较高值出现在酸枣+牡荆灌丛与侧柏+构树混交林和荩草+牡荆草灌丛之间,侧柏+构树混交林与荩草+牡荆草灌丛Sörensen多样性值较低。研究结果表明,石灰岩山地独特的地貌特征和人工植被恢复对植物群落组成、多样性及其生活型组成产生重要影响。     

施用多功能生态肥对番茄生长和经济效益的影响

为了解决敦煌市蔬菜品质差、产量低而不稳的疑难问题,为温室蔬菜安全生产提供技术支撑,进行了多功能生态肥对番茄生长和效益的研究。结果表明:多功能生态肥原料间的主次效应(R)是:B(番茄专用肥,R=26.92)A(有机生态肥,R=24.29)C(土壤消毒杀菌剂,R=12.55);最佳配方组合是:m(有机生态肥)∶m(番茄专用肥)∶m(土壤消毒杀菌剂)=0.818 6∶0.177 4∶0.004 0。施用多功能生态肥与施用传统化肥比较,番茄早疫病发病率和可滴定酸分别降低66.67%和28.00%;株高、生长速度、茎粗、地上部分鲜质量和地上部分干质量分别增加4.45%、3.81%、7.61%、8.40%和6.67%;单果质量、单株果质量、产量、可溶性糖和VC含量分别增加6.23%、9.26%、8.82%、27.46%和23.65%;施肥利润和肥料投资效率分别增加1.84×10~4元/hm~2和1.23元/元。在甘肃省敦煌市肃州镇的温室土壤上施用多功能生态肥,改善了番茄品质,提高了番茄的经济效益。