Yield and water-production functions of two durum wheat cultivars grown under different irrigation and nitrogen regimes

Wheat (Triticum durum L.) yields in the semi-arid regions are limited by inadequate water supply late in the cropping season. Planning suitable irrigation strategy and nitrogen fertilization with the appropriate crop phenology will produce optimum grain yields. A 3-year experiment was conducted on deep, fairly drained clay soil, at Tal Amara Research Station in the central Bekaa Valley of Lebanon to investigate the response of durum wheat to supplemental irrigation (IRR) and nitrogen rate (NR). Three water supply levels (rainfed and two treatments irrigated at half and full soil water deficit) were coupled with three N fertilization rates (100, 150 and 200 kg N ha⁻¹) and two cultivars (Waha and Haurani) under the same cropping practices (sowing date, seeding rate, row space and seeding depth). Averaged across N treatments and years, rainfed treatment yielded 3.49 Mg ha⁻¹ and it was 25% and 28% less than half and full irrigation treatments, respectively, for Waha, while for Haurani the rainfed treatment yielded 3.21 Mg ha⁻¹, and it was 18% and 22% less than half and full irrigation, respectively. On the other hand, N fertilization of 150 and 200 kg N ha⁻¹ increased grain yield in Waha by 12% and 16%, respectively, in comparison with N fertilization of 100 kg N ha⁻¹, while for cultivar Haurani the increases were 24% and 38%, respectively. Regardless of cultivar, results showed that supplemental irrigation significantly increased grain number per square meter and grain weight with respect to the rainfed treatment, while nitrogen fertilization was observed to have significant effects only on grain number per square meter. Moreover, results showed that grain yield for cultivar Haurani was less affected by supplemental irrigation and more affected by nitrogen fertilization than cultivar Waha in all years. However, cultivar effects were of lower magnitude compared with those of irrigation and nitrogen. We conclude that optimum yield was produced for both cultivars at 50% of soil water deficit as supplemental irrigation and N rate of 150 kg N ha⁻¹. However, Harvest index (HI) and water use efficiency (WUE) in both cultivars were not significantly affected neither by supplemental irrigation nor by nitrogen rate. Evapotranspiration (ET) of rainfed wheat ranged from 300 to 400 mm, while irrigated wheat had seasonal ET ranging from 450 to 650 mm. On the other hand, irrigation treatments significantly affected ET after normalizing for vapor pressure deficit (ET/VPD) during the growing season. Supplemental irrigation at 50% and 100% of soil water deficit had approximately 26 and 52 mm mbar⁻¹ more ET/VPD, respectively, than those grown under rainfed conditions.     

Interactions between fishing strategies of Nephrops trawlers in the Bay of Biscay and Norway lobster diel activity patterns

Abstract  Norway lobster, Nephrops norvegicus (L.), in the Bay of Biscay exhibited diel activity patterns with more individuals outside their burrows at dawn and dusk, increasing catchability at these times. Data from an on board observer programme on Nephrops trawlers between 2002 and 2005 were used to assess variability in catchability in commercial catches. Catch numbers per haul varied spatially and between months, but no signal for diel variations was found. Fishing strategies developed by the Nephrops trawlers had several components. On a seasonal level, they started around sunrise. On a haul level, haul duration decreased from haul to haul, with the longest hauls taking place at the time of the highest catchability. By-catch of hake, Merluccius merluccius (L.), increased more than proportionally with haul duration.     

Biological and socioeconomic implications of recreational boat fishing for the management of fishery resources in the marine reserve of Cap de Creus (NW Mediterranean)

A survey of coastal recreational boat fishing was conducted in summer 2006 in the marine reserve of Cap de Creus (NW Mediterranean) to assess the biological and socioeconomic implications of this leisure activity. Recreational boat fishers employ four different fishing techniques: bottom fishing rod, fluixa, trolling and surface fishing rod. Although the targeted species depend on the fishing method used, a total of 33 fish species were identified in the catch (8 were pelagic or benthopelagic and the rest were demersal). Fishing effort was high since fishers fished an average of 4 h/day, 8 days/month and nearly 6 months/year. Apart from the highly varied exploitation of the fauna, recreational fishing in Cap de Creus has a large economic effect on the local economy since the majority of fishers were visitors who were spending holidays in one of the villages belonging to the Park, where most of expenditures related to angling activities were made. Overall, results highlight the pressure that recreational boat fishing exerts on fish communities, particularly on littoral, demersal ones. Considering these biological and socioeconomic implications, the competition between recreational and artisanal fishers for littoral resources and the low level of compliance with the current sport fishing regulations, the implementation of a comprehensive management strategy in Mediterranean costal areas is needed.     

Do forest and health professionals presume that forests offer health benefits,and is cross-sectional cooperation conceivable?

In high-income countries depression and cardiovascular diseases were predicted to be the two leading causes of DALYs in the year 2030. Private-life stress fosters both kinds of diseases. Scientific findings already show that forest exposure has stress-reducing effects. Particularly in Japan, people have practiced forest bathing to improve their health. The German population also has a strong connection to its forests, and forest law allows forest access, regardless of ownership structure. Hence, the question arises of whether forest exposure could be used in Germany as a kind of stress-coping strategy. To a certain degree, the success of such a strategy in Germany would require the participation of the stakeholders that are active in both the health and the forestry sectors. Therefore, it seems necessary to gain insight into German forest and health professionals' understanding and attitude concerning forest-related health benefits. For this reason, in this pilot study, guideline interviews with professionals of both sectors and with professionals standing in between these professions were conducted, recorded and transcribed. On the one hand, each professional’s presumptions regarding the health-fostering effects of forests were investigated, derived from their subjective certainty that forest exposure has health-fostering effects. In addition, a thought experiment was used to estimate the level of willingness to cooperate with each other in order to motivate people to be physically active in forests. For analysis, Mayring’s qualitative content analysis and a frequency analysis (MaxQDA) were applied. Findings show that most of the interviewed professionals presume forests to have health-fostering effects. Furthermore, something derived from the statements within the context of the thought experiment was that most professionals seem to be willing to cooperate with the other sector. Hence, it might be conceivable that forest exposure may be part of a German stress-coping strategy.     

江苏省空中云水资源评估

研究旨在定量化评估江苏省空中云水资源可开发量及基本特征。根据云水收支方程,将参与大气云水循环且未降落到地面的资源定义为空中云水资源。利用1981—2010年EAR-Interim高分辨率再分析资料的风场及云含水量,计算江苏上空云水资源年均总量、时空特征及变化趋势。结果表明,资源年均总量353.1亿t,春夏季偏多,秋冬季偏少,开发潜力巨大。旱期(缺水期)沿淮淮北最多,达70.8亿t,沿海垦区、苏南环太湖次之;非旱期总量约占全年58.3%。近30年,云水资源呈下降趋势,平均每10年减少18亿t。建议加大开发力度,实现常态化开发利用,率先建立淮北、沿海、环太湖开发利用重点作业区,加强开发利用技术研究,提高开发效率。     

非道路动力底盘线控四轮独立转向控制系统研究

我国苜蓿主要生产区为甘肃、宁夏等路况复杂的山地丘陵地带,用于苜蓿收获的非道路动力底盘的行驶灵活性将直接影响其作业性能。为改善其低速工况下的行驶灵活性,基于车辆三自由度动力学模型提出了非道路动力底盘以跟随已知路线前进为目标的多种工况下的分层控制策略,搭建了四轮转向硬件在环实验平台,并进行了仿真实验。实验结果表明:动力底盘模型能够实现轨迹跟随、原地转向及斜向行驶,质心位置最大偏差为0.6 4 1 8 m,中心线方向最大偏差为3.3 0 9 6 rad。开发的控制系统取得较好的半实物仿真效果,为改善非道路动力底盘低速情况下转向灵活性提供了理论基础。     

黑龙江省农机合作社存在问题及发展对策

农机合作社是实现农业机械化、农业现代化的有效形式,是解决"三农问题"、粮食增产增收的最优途径。通过对基层农机合作社的实地调研以及对2014年黑龙江省现代农机专业合作社相关统计数据整理分析,在总结目前黑龙江省现代农机专业合作社面临具体问题的基础上,提出了黑龙江省现代农机专业合作社发展对策。研究结论可为黑龙江省农机合作组织的建设和发展提供具体指导,同时对全国农业合作组织健康发展具有参考意义。     

五大连池火山山杨叶功能性状的变异特征

[目的]探讨五大连池火山山杨叶功能性状特征,揭示植物对火山生境的适应,以及对不同坡向的生存策略,为特殊生境和微地形生境下植物的适应机制提供参考依据.[方法]以5座火山共有植物山杨为对象,测定叶面积(LS)、叶厚度(LT)、比叶面积(SLA)、叶干物质量(LDMC)、叶碳含量(LCC)、叶氮含量(LNC)、叶磷含量(LP...     

马铃薯响应磷胁迫机制及磷高效利用育种

无机磷是马铃薯生长和块茎发育必需的大量营养元素,广泛参与了遗传物质和生物膜的构成、能量转化以及代谢调控等过程,对马铃薯茎叶生长和块茎发育起着重要的作用.土壤的磷含量会明显影响马铃薯的发育,且在不同遗传特性的马铃薯品种间存在磷效率差异.为了保证马铃薯的正常生长和产量的稳定,磷肥在马铃薯种植业中被大量使用.然而,磷肥的过量...