Impacts of Institutional Reforms on Irrigated Agriculture in Pakistan

Poor functioning of theirrigation system in Pakistan has been asource of concern for the last few decades,during which time it has been the subject ofconsiderable external assistance andinternal policy reforms. Consequently, thegovernment of Pakistan introducedinstitutional restructuring in irrigationand drainage subsectors to impartnecessary improvements. Under thesereforms, management at secondary canallevel has recently been handed over to theFarmers Organizations (FOs) of selecteddistributaries in pilot areas. This studywas designed to evaluate a farmer-manageddistributary in southern Punjab. Fieldmeasurements revealed that hydraulicaspects of the irrigation service deliveredby the FO management has been significantlyimproved and as a result highlyproportionate and equitable waterdistribution was observed, particularly atthe tail reaches of the distributary. Dueto effective FO management farmers'interventions to increase the outletdischarge by illegal means has been almosteradicated. As a result of theseimprovements imparted by the FO in systemmanagement, the extent of irrigated area hasincreased on average by 6 to 7%, evenunder severe drought-like conditionsprevailing in the country during recentyears. Further cost recoveries haveincreased by an amount of 14% for summerand 23% for winter growing seasons,respectively, from the irrigated area of thedistributary. Thus experience from Hakra4-R distributary has shown that even underundesirable natural circumstancesIrrigation Management Transfer (IMT) wasquite effective in achieving the keytargets of the institutional reformslaunched at pilot scale in the country.     

Introduction of Irrigation Service Fee (ISF) in Indonesia: Institutional development in action for resources management

The inability to properly maintain irrigation systems over time forced the Government of Indonesia (GOI) to seek cost recovery from water users through introduction of an irrigation service fee. The plan is to introduce this fee in all of the technical irrigation systems of Indonesia, covering about 4 million hectares, over a 12 year period. Design and Introduction of this service fee in 4 pilot areas of the 4 major rice producing provinces (West, Central and East Java, and South Sulawesi) during 1989–1991 has shown that users are willing to pay. Results of first ISF collection from over 11,000 farmers in Central and East Java in pilot systems was an encouraging 95%. However that acceptance to pay by users depends on their structured and systematic involvement in defining systems needs. They need to understand a differentiation in payment if service levels are different. They appreciate use of collected funds in the system where collected. They understand the organization of water users associations but this requires their active role in fee determination and collection. They understand the establishment of federations of these associations. ISF requires also active involvement of Local Government officials as facilitators and intermediaries between service receivers (the water users) and service providers (personnel of the Public Works irrigation department) in the introduction period. This article describes the experience of the first 21 months of the ISF project, the concept developed, the principles used as basis for ISF, the introduction at the field level, issues related to acceptance by users and by the institutions involved, and the first results.Abbreviations/Acronyms DGWRD Directorate General of Water Resources Development (Ministry of Public Works) - EOM Efficient Operation and Maintenance - Gabungan group of WUAs - IPAIR Indonesian abbreviation for ISF - ISF Irrigation Service Fee - Juru gate keeper - PBB land tax on irrigated lands - PPL agricultural field extension agent - P3A Indonesian abbreviation for Water Users Associations - PU Indonesian abbreviation for Public Works - SM Special Maintenance - WUA Water Users Associations     

基于FEM-SPH耦合的卷辊式耕层残膜回收部件结构优化与试验

针对棉田耕作层内残膜力学性能差及膜土分离困难,残膜拾净率低和回收的残膜含土量高等问题,该研究对卷辊式残膜回收部件进行优化。在分析起膜捡膜工作过程和建立卷辊弹齿与膜土团聚体之间动力学关系的基础上,采用有限元法(finite element method,FEM)和光滑粒子流体动力学(smoothed particle hydrodynamics,SPH)耦合算法,建立卷辊弹齿-膜土团聚体接触计算模型,探究卷辊弹齿与膜土团聚体之间相互作用机理,分析卷辊弹齿接触膜土团聚体后残膜受力程度和土壤扰动程度的变化规律。以卷辊回转半径、弹齿直径、弹齿顶端折弯角为试验因素,以残膜平均峰值应力及土壤最大应变为指标开展仿真试验,分析各因素对指标的影响规律并对卷辊弹齿结构参数进行优化,获得卷辊弹齿最优结构参数为：卷辊回转半径100 mm、弹齿直径5 mm、弹齿顶端折弯角42°,此时残膜平均峰值应力为0.1201 MPa,土壤最大应变为3.7584。为了验证优化后卷辊弹齿的捡拾作业性能,以拾净率和含土率为试验指标进行田间试验,结果表明：机具拾净率为80.34%,含土率为37.13%,与初代研制的样机相比拾净率提升了8.74个百分点,含土率下降了12.18个百分点,机具作业性能明显提升且试验指标达到设计要求。本文建立的有限元模型可为残膜回收机关键部件的结构优化提供参考。     

不同污染时长土壤中石油烃的生物去除特性及影响因素

利用生物刺激法修复不同污染时长的土壤,比较了向新污染(污染7 d)和陈旧性污染(污染5 a以上)土壤中加入有机肥、有机肥+KNO_3复合物(C∶N=100∶10)、脱硫石膏等处理剂对土壤中石油烃的去除效果。结果表明:对于新污染黄绵土,向土壤中加入有机肥、有机肥+KNO_3对土壤中石油烃去除效果较好,修复150 d时土壤中石油烃去除率分别为60.13%、56.09%;对于陈旧性污染土壤,施入有机肥+KNO_3、脱硫石膏对石油烃去除效果较好,修复150 d时土壤中石油烃的去除率分别为36.62%、36.61%;生物刺激对新污染土壤中石油烃的去除效率高于陈旧性污染土壤。两种不同污染时长土壤中的石油烃生物降解均符合伪一级动力学。生物刺激修复使土壤的pH值由8.50～8.56降低至7.35～7.91。新污染土壤中石油烃的降解率与pH值呈显著负相关(相关系数为-0.789),与微生物数量呈显著正相关(相关系数为0.849);陈旧性污染土壤中石油烃降解率与土壤pH值呈显著负相关(相关系数为-0.683)。研究表明,土壤受到石油污染后立即进行生物刺激修复有利于土壤中石油烃的去除,影响不同污染时长土壤中石油烃生物降解的关键因素并不相同。     

Resistance and resilience of soil biological indicators: A case study with multi-walled carbon nanotube

Soil ecosystem is experiencing stresses due to climate change, and soil inhabitants try to demonstrate their inherent resistance and resilience against those stresses. Application of nanomaterials as agricultural inputs could bring shifts in resistance and resilience patterns of soil microbes and associated enzymes, especially under short-term heat stress. With this background, the impacts of multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) on the resistance and resilience of soil biological indicators were evaluated. An incubation experiment was conducted with varied MWCNT concentrations (0, 50, 100, 250, and 500 mg kg^-1 soil) for 90 d after 24-h heat stress at 48 ±2 ℃ to assess the impacts of MWCNT on soil enzyme activities and microbial populations vis-à-vis their resistance and resilience indices under short-term exposure to heat stress. Enzyme activities were reduced after exposure to heat stress. Resistance indices of enzyme activities were enhanced by MWCNT application on day 1 after heat stress, whereas there was no recovery of enzyme activities after 90-d incubation. Like soil enzyme activities, resistance index values of soil microbial populations followed the similar trend and were improved by MWCNT application. Multi-walled carbon nanotube has the potential to improve resistance indices of soil enzyme activities and microbial populations under heat stress, although they could not recover to their original state during periodical incubation after heat stress. This study helps to understand the relative changes of biological indicators under MWCNT and their ability to withstand heat stress.     

畜禽废水磷回收产物的磷素释放特性及肥效试验研究

以畜禽废水沼气发酵液为磷回收对象,采用曝气沉淀结晶法磷回收工艺,对回收产物进行水溶性磷连续浸提试验和玉米盆栽试验,考察畜禽废水磷回收产物的磷素动态释放情况、玉米盆栽的肥效以及磷素利用情况。浸提试验表明,磷回收产物经6次浸提,水溶性磷的释放量呈缓慢下降的趋势,第6次与第1次相比只下降了1.42%,总释放量占总磷的57.97%,证明磷回收产物（RPP）具有良好的缓释性,作为肥料使用时不易被水淋失。盆栽试验表明,用RPP以不同比例代替磷酸一铵作为肥料对玉米均能起到显著的增产作用,最佳的质量替代比例为40%;RPP较磷酸一铵的地上部分和地下部分磷素利用率分别高出19.14%和2.50%,显示其具有较高的磷吸收效率。因此,从畜禽废水沼气发酵液中回收得到的磷回收产物具有较高的肥效价值,是一种节约资源、保护环境、缓解磷资源危机的新型肥料。     

苜蓿压捆过程中压缩与恢复应力传递规律

探索苜蓿在压捆过程中,由松散状态压缩成草片时在压捆室不同位置的轴向应力变化规律及传递模型。以草片为研究对象,选喂入量为4 kg/次,在草物料压捆试验台上进行了5种截面的压捆试验。每种截面布设2套压力传感装置和3个位移传感器,由基于虚拟仪器的草物料压缩测试系统采集各传感器的信号,记录了每次压缩时草片的压缩与恢复应力和位置、草片的压缩量及回弹量等数据。结果表明苜蓿在不同截面下压缩与恢复应力具有相同的传递规律,但截面尺寸影响草片的最大压缩应力和最小恢复应力的数值且为非线性关系。指出了由松散苜蓿压缩成草片所需要的压缩应力最大,是压捆机设计中的基本参数。揭示了草片最大压缩应力随位移的变化呈指数下降,在压缩室内草片(4~5个草片)的压缩应力较高,在捆草室内草片的压缩应力较低,建议压缩室长度为900~1 000 mm。草片最小恢复应力表现为随位移增加而增加,达到一定位置时随位移的增加而下降。通过回归分析,获得了苜蓿在压捆过程中压缩与恢复应力传递规律和相应的数学模型,其复相关系数均大于0.9091,说明压缩与恢复应力和草片的位置密切相关,模型回归效果较好。试验结果可为草物料压捆机的动力选择和优化设计提供基础数据和理论依据。     

Minimizing ammonia volatilization from urea,improving lowland rice (cv. MR219) seed germination,plant growth variables,nutrient uptake,and nutrient recovery using clinoptilolite zeolite

The anionic nature and high cation exchange capacity (CEC) of clinoptilolite zeolite can be exploited to reduce ammonia (NH₃) loss from urea and to improve soil chemical properties to increase nutrient utilization efficiency in lowland rice cultivation. A closed-dynamic airflow system was used to determine NH₃ loss from treatments (20, 40, and 60 g clinoptilolite zeolite pot^?1). Seed germination study was conducted to evaluate the effects of clinoptilolite zeolite on rice seed germination. A pot study was conducted to determine the effects of clinoptilolite zeolite on rice plant growth variables, nutrient uptake, nutrient recovery, and soil chemical properties. Standard procedures were used to determine NH₃ loss, rice plant height, number of leaves, number of tillers, dry matter production, nutrient uptake, nutrient recovery, and soil chemical properties. Application of clinoptilolite zeolite (15%) increased shoot elongation of seedlings and significantly reduced NH₃ loss (up to 26% with 60 g zeolite pot^?1), and increased number of leaves, total dry matter, nutrient uptake, nutrient recovery, soil pH, CEC, and exchangeable Na⁺. Amending acid soils with clinoptilolite zeolite can significantly minimize NH₃ loss and improve rice plant growth variables, nutrient uptake, nutrient recovery, and soil chemical properties. These findings are being validated in our ongoing field trials.     

残膜捡拾压缩车及其作业工艺设计与试验

为解决残膜回收时捡拾率低、机具集膜箱存储量小、机械化作业过程不连续等问题,研制了一种棉田残膜捡拾压缩车,该机主要由清杂机构、捡膜机构、脱膜输送机构、压缩机构等组成,可同时完成残膜杂质分离、残膜捡拾、脱膜输送和压缩作业.通过对样机关键作业部件的设计,确定了清杂辊、捡膜机构和脱膜输送装置的结构及工作参数,并分析了机具作业过程.样机分别在3种残膜分段回收工艺:搂集—捡压、秸秆还田—搂集—捡压、秸秆还田—捡压中进行试验,田间试验表明,机具作业速度在5~7 km/h,清杂辊转速为240 r/min,捡膜机构转速为90 r/min,脱膜辊转速为1000 r/min时,在回收工艺一搂膜距离≤40 m,回收工艺二搂膜距离≤60 m时,膜堆残膜捡拾率大于80%,清杂率大于78%;在回收工艺三中,棉杆残留根茬高度≤80 mm时,未集堆地表残膜捡拾率达到88.21%,机具缠膜率小于2%,机具可一次性捡拾压缩回收8 hm2田间残膜.     

夹指链式残膜回收装置的设计及试验

针对国内现有残膜回收设备残膜回收率低、残膜易缠绕收膜部件、膜杂分离困难、脱膜效果差和残膜含杂量高导致回收的残膜不能再利用等问题,设计了一种夹指链式残膜回收装置,主要由收膜装置、脱膜装置和传动系统等部分构成,收膜装置上设有夹指链和切膜圆盘,切膜圆盘将地表残膜切成带状,夹指链上的夹指将带状残膜依次从地面捡起。通过对主要工作部件的设计,确定了其结构尺寸参数,并对该装置的收膜和脱膜运动进行了分析与讨论,确定了其工作参数。田间试验表明,该回收装置在作业速度5.5 km/h、下夹指链输送倾角40°、机组前进速度与收膜链线速度之比2时,残膜回收率达90.5%,未出现残膜缠绕上链轮现象,回收的残膜含杂量少,便于后续处理和再利用,能满足残膜回收技术的要求。设计研究成果可用于研制新型残膜回收机。