Aggregation in a surface layer of a hardsetting and crusting soil as influenced by the application of amendments and grass mulch in a South African semi-arid environment

Hardsetting and crusting are forms of soil structure degradation associated with the collapse of macroaggregates during wetting and are responsible for poor seedling emergence, crop establishment and yields of food crops especially in semi-arid environments. This study investigated the effects of applying of 3.0 t ha⁻¹ phosphogypsum, 1.0 t ha⁻¹ polymer gel, 3.0 t ha⁻¹ grass mulch and 5.0 t ha⁻¹ cattle manure to the topsoil (0–15 cm) of a soil with hardsetting and crusting behavior and observed changes on aggregation under field conditions for two consecutive seasons. There were significant improvements in soil aggregate properties in the amended soil over the control. Both aggregate size distribution and wet aggregate stability showed significant differences between the amendments in the two seasons. The mean weight diameters of aggregates were 4.23 mm (mulch), 3.31 mm (manure), 2.17 mm (polymer gel), 2.23 mm (phosphogypsum) and 1.36 mm (control). The aggregates (2–4 mm) from amended soil were consistently more stable than the control and were in the order polymer gel = manure > mulch > gypsum > control. Tensile strength and bulk density of aggregates, on the other hand, were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in the unamended than amended soil.The application of soil amendments, especially mulch, significantly increased the soil water content over the two seasons and this was associated with lower soil penetration resistance in the latter. The reduced soil strength in the amended soils contributed to higher pegging, podding and grain yields of bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranean). This was confirmed by significantly higher correlations between soil aggregate characteristics, soil water, penetrometer resistance and growth and yield of bambara groundnut. The study concluded that significant improvements in soil aggregation can be obtained over a relatively short period and this can improve the yield of food crops.     

Refinement of rooting depths using satellite-based evapotranspiration seasonality for ecosystem modeling in California

Accurate determination of rooting depths in terrestrial biosphere models is important for simulating terrestrial water and carbon cycles. In this study, we developed a method for optimizing rooting depth using satellite-based evapotranspiration (ET) seasonality and an ecosystem model by minimizing the differences between satellite-based and simulated ET. We then analyzed the impacts of rooting depth optimization on the simulated ET and gross primary production (GPP) seasonality in California, USA. First, we conducted a point-based evaluation of the methods against flux observations in California and tested the sensitivities of the simulated ET seasonality to the rooting depth settings. We then extended it spatially by estimating spatial patterns of rooting depth and analyzing the sensitivities of the simulated ET and GPP seasonalities to the rooting depth settings. We found large differences in the optimized and soil survey (STATSGO)-based rooting depths over the northern forest regions. In these regions, the deep rooting depths (>3 m) estimated in the study successfully reproduced the satellite-based ET seasonality, which peaks in summer, whereas the STATSGO-based rooting depth (<1.5 m) failed to sustain a high ET in summer. The rooting depth refinement also has large effects on simulated GPP; the annual GPP in these regions is increased by 50–100% due to sufficient soil water during the summer. In the grassy and shrubby regions of central and southern California, the estimated rooting depths are similar to those of STATSGO, probably due to the shallow rooting depth in these ecosystems. Our analysis suggests that setting a rooting depth is important for terrestrial ecosystem modeling and that satellite-based data could help both to estimate the spatial variability of rooting depths and to improve water and carbon cycle modeling.     

风速对盆栽苋菜蒸腾及物质积累的影响

通过温室盆栽试验,研究了2.0 m·s-1、1.0 m·s-1、0.4 m·s-1、0.0 m·s-1风速下风速气象因子对苋菜蒸腾耗水及生长的影响.结果表明:温室内盆栽苋菜的蒸腾速率及日蒸腾量受不同风速影响的表现相似,差异不显著,整体看来,蒸腾速率和日蒸腾量以1.0 m·s-1风速处理最大,0.4 m·s-1风速处理和对照次之,最大风速2.0 m·s-1处理最小.采用逐步回归分析了不同风速处理下盆栽苋菜的蒸腾速率、日蒸腾量与气象因子的相关关系,发现不同风速处理蒸腾速率与光照强度的正相关性最强,2.0 m·s-1风速处理的蒸腾速率与温度的正相关性次之,而其他处理的蒸腾速率与相对湿度呈显著负相关;日平均温度是影响各处理日蒸腾量的主要因素.盆栽苋菜的物质积累曲线表明,风速1.0 m·s-1处理的物质积累量最大,2.0 m·s-1处理最小.风速处理对温室盆栽苋菜的地上部鲜重、地下部鲜重以及根冠比均有极显著影响,且1.0m·s-1与2.0m·s-1风速间差异极显著.干物质重受风速影响显著,1.0 m·s-1处理干重最大.风速处理对盆栽耗水量和水分利用效率的影响未达显著水平,但1.0m·s-1风速处理的水分利用效率最大.     

前期不同水分状况对土壤氧化亚氮排放的影响

田间采集的新鲜土壤样品分别在室温下风干(土样D)和淹水(土样S)保存110d后,将二者的含水量分别调至20%、40%、60%、80%、100%持水量(WHC,Water Holding Capacity),在25℃下培育138h,设置不通和通入10%(v/v)乙炔的处理。结果显示,在20%～80%WHC下培育时,土样S的氧化亚氮(N2O)排放量为土样D的2.48倍～6.36倍(p<0.01),而在100%WHC水分含量下培育时,土样S的N2O排放量仅为土样D的19%(p<0.01),通入乙炔不但未使土样D的N2O排放量增加,反而显著减少。通入乙炔的处理,培养结束后硝态氮的含量增加。随培育水分含量的升高,土样S和土样D的二氧化碳排放量增大。供试土样可能存在异养硝化作用。前期水分的差异显著影响土壤N2O排放量,故在田间测定土壤N2O排放量时,要考虑土壤前期水分的差异。     

荒漠绿洲区临泽小枣及枣农复合系统需水规律研究

在大田环境下,通过建造2m×2m×2m的封底观测池,利用水量平衡法,研究了甘肃省河西走廊中部黑河中游绿洲临泽小枣、春小麦、紫花苜蓿单作及临泽小枣/春小麦、临泽小枣/紫花苜蓿间作复合系统的需水规律。结果表明,内部绿洲和边缘绿洲的临泽小枣从根系开始活动到落叶的需水量分别为497.2mm和859.2mm,春小麦从播种到收获需水量分别为447.9mm和809.9mm,紫花苜蓿从返青到霜降需水量分别为583.7mm和945.7mm,临泽小枣/春小麦复合系统需水量分别为647.7mm和1009.7mm,临泽小枣/紫花苜蓿复合系统需水量分别为980.3mm和1342.3mm。边缘绿洲临泽小枣/春小麦复合系统增加的需水量为枣树需水量的17.5%,小麦需水量的24.7%;临泽小枣/紫花苜蓿复合系统增加的需水量为枣树需水量的56.2%,紫花苜蓿需水量的41.9%。内部绿洲临泽小枣春季(4月25日~5月31日)需水量为84.6mm,夏季(6月1日~8月31日)为351.3mm,秋季(9月1日~10月5日)为61.3mm;7月份需水强度最大,为4.8mm·d-1,6月份次之,为4.3mm·d-1,生长期平均需水强度为3.1mm·d-1。临泽小枣灌溉应保证4个关键水,即花前水、果实膨大水、丰果水和越冬水,灌水定额为1200m3·hm-2。     

半干旱雨养区秸秆带状覆盖种植对土壤水分 及马铃薯产量的影响

水分不足是限制半干旱雨养作物生长的主要因素,地表覆盖能够改善土壤的微环境,从而显著提高作物的产量和水分利用效率。为明确西北半干旱雨养区不同保墒措施下旱地马铃薯的土壤水分特征及其对产量的影响,于2014—2015年设置了玉米秸秆带状覆盖种植(T1)、半膜大垄(T2)、全膜双垄(T3)和露地平作(对照,CK)4种栽培模式,研究了玉米秸秆带状覆盖、地膜覆盖种植对马铃薯产量、土壤水分变化及其利用效率的影响。结果表明:不同覆盖方式能有效改善马铃薯生育期0~200 cm土层土壤水分状况,地膜覆盖对马铃薯生育前期土壤水分保蓄效果较好,秸秆带状覆盖对生育中后期土壤水分状况的改善效果明显。与对照(CK)相比,3种覆盖处理均提高了土壤含水量,其中T1处理效果最好,较CK提高2.8%~7.8%,尤其在伏旱阶段的块茎形成期,0~200 cm土层土壤含水量高于地膜覆盖处理。与CK相比,T1处理马铃薯产量提高10.5%~34.2%,水分利用效率(WUE)提高8.9%~29.8%,达108.9~134.0 kg·hm~(–2)·mm~(–1),商品薯率提高14.7%~38.8%,达82.3%~92.2%。马铃薯产量与生育期耗水量(r=0.836**)呈显著正相关。T1的产量和商品薯率均显著高于T2和T3(P0.05)。可见,玉米秸秆带状覆盖具有显著的纳雨保墒作用,促进马铃薯的生长发育,增产效果显著。其推广应用可有效提高该区降水资源的利用效率,实现马铃薯稳产高产,可作为西北雨养农业区旱地马铃薯生产的高效栽培新模式。     

长江中游地区水旱复种轮作模式资源利用率比较研究

为了实现农田资源高效利用,维护农业生态良性循环,优化长江中游地区传统种植模式,本研究于2013年10月—2015年11月,以冬闲连作为对照,分析比较了不同水旱复种轮作模式(冬闲-早稻-晚稻→冬闲-早稻-晚稻、马铃薯-玉米‖大豆-晚稻→蔬菜-花生‖玉米-晚稻、蔬菜-花生‖玉米-晚稻→绿肥-早稻-晚稻、绿肥-早稻-晚稻→油菜-花生-晚稻、油菜-花生-晚稻→马铃薯-玉米‖大豆-晚稻)的光、温、水、土资源利用效率。结果表明:水旱复种轮作模式的冬季、晚季和周年的光能利用率均比冬闲连作处理高,周年光能利用率两年间分别高8.26%~82.50%和2.63%~121.42%,其中均以"蔬菜-花生‖玉米-晚稻→绿肥-早稻-晚稻"轮作模式最高。水旱复种轮作模式的年有效积温利用率均高于冬闲连作模式,两年间分别高12.87%~21.26%和11.17%~25.88%,以"蔬菜-花生‖玉米-晚稻→绿肥-早稻-晚稻"轮作模式最佳。两年间水旱复种轮作模式的冬季、晚季和周年的水分利用率均比冬闲连作处理高,其中周年水分利用率分别高45.36%~83.50%和40.00%~118.75%,以"马铃薯-玉米‖大豆-晚稻→蔬菜-花生‖玉米-晚稻"轮作模式的晚季和周年水分利用率最高,"蔬菜-花生‖玉米-晚稻→绿肥-早稻-晚稻"模式的冬季水分利用率最高。两年间土地利用率均以"绿肥-早稻-晚稻"复种模式最高,平均利用率达96.11%,"蔬菜-花生‖玉米-晚稻→绿肥-早稻-晚稻"轮作模式的土地利用率表现最好。因此,各水旱复种轮作模式的周年光能利用率、年有效积温利用率、水分利用率和土地利用率均高于冬闲对照,其中以"蔬菜-花生‖玉米-晚稻→绿肥-早稻-晚稻"和"绿肥-早稻-晚稻→油菜-花生-晚稻"轮作模式表现较好,适宜在长江中游地区推广应用。     

干旱条件下硝酸稀土对花生幼苗生长的影响

适宜浓度的硝酸稀土溶液浸种后 ,花生种子的发芽率、发芽势、平均生长势和活力指数得到提高 ,种子出苗期缩短 1～ 2天 ,出苗率明显提高。在干旱条件下 ,经处理后的花生其幼苗抗旱性明显增强 ,根系发达、植株矮化、单株叶面积增大 ,分枝数增多 ;花生幼苗叶片的叶绿素含量和净光合速率也较高 ,细胞质膜透性降低 ,脯氨酸含量增加。硝酸稀土处理后 ,花生幼苗在干旱条件下表现出较强的抗旱性和较好的光合效能。在 5种不同浓度处理中 ,以 5 0 0mg/L硝酸稀土溶液浸种效果更好     

南水北调中线工程丹江口库区南阳市域移民环境容量研究

丹江口水库是南水北调中线工程的水源工程 ,库区移民中南阳市占 5 3.2 %。在对南阳市域移民环境容量整体分析的基础上 ,确定了拟安置区 ,并对拟安置区的环境容量进行了计算 ,并进而提出了扩大环境容量的措施。确定的拟安置区为邓州、唐河、社旗 3县市 ,设计水平年可安置 7.32× 10 4人 ,另有约 7.0 0× 10 4 人需要出市安置     

A tool for community-based assessment of the implications of development on water security in hillside watersheds

Development and population growth in Latin American countries with steep slope farming are likely to further increase pressures on water and land resources. A methodology was developed for assessing water availability and use under different development pathways at a watershed scale to determine whether water security is a potential problem, and if so, under what conditions it is likely to occur. This methodology makes use of a GIS-based spatial water budget model for simulating stream water availability, water use and stream flow control on a daily basis at a watershed scale. Here, we analysed water availability under three plausible development scenarios for the 3246 ha Cabuyal River watershed in southwest Colombia in the year 2025: Corporate Farming (CF), Ecological Watershed (EW), and Business as Usual (BU). Simulated average river flows at the watershed outlet were, respectively, 874, 796 and 925 l s⁻¹ for the CF, EW and BU scenarios. The contribution of base flow to river flow (base flow index) was on average, 80.8, 85.6 and 77.9%, respectively, for the three scenarios. The watershed had the potential to meet the anticipated increase in water use under each explorative scenario. However, dams were necessary to store irrigation water in the CF scenario, otherwise over 60% of the available water would have been used during the dry season. Such a high figure raises concerns about effects on aquatic and riparian ecology, concentrations of potential contaminants, water reserves for especially low rainfall years, and the watershed resilience to meet temporarily higher water needs during the day. Analyses indicated that current water-use conflicts in the watershed can be resolved if irrigation water supply is separated from drinking water supply. This study helped reduce some of the complexity associated with the interdependencies between land and water resources, the impact of using them, and spatial linkages within the watershed. Results of this study can be used for teaching local stakeholders about basic landscape responses and helping multi-institutional alliances to become proactive and to guide development to the benefit of local communities.