Residue management for reducing evaporation in relation to soil type and evaporativity1

Abstract. Usual residue-management options are to remove the residue, use it as mulch with or without undercutting or to incorporate it into the soil. While the role of surface mulch in evaporation has been widely studied, the information on the effect on evaporation of mulch with undercutting or residue incorporated into soil, particularly in relation to soil type and evaporativity (E_o) is lacking. We studied the effect of wheat straw used in various ways on the course of evaporation loss from soil columns with three soils at Ludhiana, India and one soil at Bushland, Texas, USA, under two E_o's Energy-limited evaporation rates under mulch (E_om) followed the soil-specific relation E_om/E_o= a e^(bRes+cEo), where Res is residue rate t/ha and a, b and c are constants; E_o, is expressed in mm/d. In an effort to model the total evaporation (CE) during the energy-limited stage ‘U’ was obtained from appropriate CE versus time curves and (CE-U) was regressed over (t - ti)^0.5 to obtain the slope ‘α’ (Ritchie 1972) for the soil-limited evaporation stage. The observed ‘U’ was independent of mulch rate and E_o but was strongly affected by soil type, Values of ‘α’ decreased with increase in mulch rate and decrease in E_o and coarseness of soil. The otherwise short lived benefit of evaporation reduction with mulch per se, which peaked after a few days was maintained when residue was mixed with soil at the stage when evaporation reduction reached a maximum; this benefit continued for several weeks. Cumulative evaporation values computed from ‘U’ and ‘α’ agreed closely with the observed values under straw mulch for loamy sand and clay loam soils and for ‘undercut’ and ‘residue mixed’ treatments on all soils regardless of E_o, and for all situations under small E_o. However, for sandy loam and silt loam soils under E_o of 10 mm/d, the modified square root of the time function of Jalota et al. (1988) gave a better fit.     

Response of Mustard to Ethrel Spray and Basal and Foliar Application of Nitrogen

In a field trial conducted during 1992–93 and 1993–94, the effect of basal (B) nitrogen (N) (45 and 60 kg N ha⁻¹) and foliar application (F) of water (W) or 10 kg N ha⁻¹ and 400 or 600 ppm ethrel (E) (2-Chloro ethyl phosphonic acid) at 70 days after sowing was studied on leaf area index and dry mass at 90 days and pod number per plant, seeds per pod, 1000 seed weight, seed yield, oil content and oil vield at harvest of mustard ( Brassica juncea L. Czern & Coss.) cv. T-59. Recommended basal (B) application of 90 kg N ha (BN₉₀) was used as control. On the basis of 2 year data it was found that basal application of 60 kg N and foliar spray of 10 kg N ha ⁻¹ and 600 ppm ethrel gave higher values for growth and yield characteristics and enhanced seed yield and oil yield by 12.5 and 14.8%, respectively over control BN_90.     

汕头市松材线虫病的防治

基于汕头市濠江区已发现松材线虫病疫情的实际情况,针对该病的防治特点,结合汕头市各辖区山林的实际情况,从判断、预防、治理三个方面提出相应的防治对策,为科学防控该病在我市的扩散危害提供参考。     

苎麻自交一代分离和变异的研究

1983～1985年以“黄壳早”、“芦竹青”、“古巴苎麻”和“武冈红皮种”为材料进行自交,并观测了自交一代的分离和变异情况,研究结果表明:a.根据自交一代的形态分类,可将“芦竹青”繁殖后代分为40个类型,“芦竹青”自交一代的麻骨颜色分离为四种,其分离比例为9.3:4.2:3:0.7,基本符合孟德尔遗传规律;b.个体间产量性状差异很大,株高变冥为0.23～1.68m,茎粗变异为0.48～1.14 cm,有效株变异为1～23株;c.40个类型的纤维细度的变异呈正态分布,变异为1168～1905公支,最细的类型和最粗的类型相差747支上述结果表明:苎麻自交后代的形态性状、产量性状和纤维细度均产生显著的分离和差异。     

光敏核不育水稻选育与利用的几个问题讨论

对现有光敏核不育材料进行了分类,分为４种遗传类型;其中,温光弱感到光敏核不育系是最为理 想的遗传工具,并就其选育途径和选择“粳不籼恢”繁殖制种技术体系进行了论证．     

Identification of feline blood B and T lymphocytes by cell electrophoresis.

The electrokinetic properties of feline blood lymphocytes isolated by centrifugation over Ficoll-Isopaque gradient were investigated. A biphasic electrophoretic mobility (EPM) distribution was regularly observed with a low-mobility (LM) population (mean EPM: 0.82) accounting for 32% of blood lymphocytes and a high-mobility (HM) population (mean EPM: 1.09) representing 68% of blood lymphocytes. Following fractionation on nylon-wool columns, lymphocytes with B-cell properties (64% sIg⁺; 9% guinea pig erythrocytes (GPE)-rosette⁺, PHA and Con A unresponsive) were enriched in the adherent fraction and belonged mainly (78%) to the LM population. In contrast, lymphocytes with T properties (5% sIg⁺, 42% GPE-rosette⁺, PHA and Con A responsive) were recovered in the effluent fraction and comprised 84% of HM elements.Thus, in cat blood, LM lymphocytes are likely to represent in majority B cells and HM lymphocytes T cells. This indicates that cell electrophoresis provides an interesting mean for differentiating B and T cells in the cat.     

Bacterial diseases of potatoes: from classical phytobacteriology to molecular pathogenicity

Various bacterial pathogens attack potato plants and tubers. These pathogens includeErwinia, Corynebacterium (Clavibacter), Psuedomonas andStreptomyces. Over the past few years there have been significant advances in the molecular biological analysis of several of these pathogens and this is now helping us to understand the major aspects of virulence mechanisms. However, to date, such information is not sufficiently useful to allow us to intervene rationally in these potato diseases, except by the standard practises of good husbandry.     

ONCHOCERCA GUTTUROSA IN Danish cattle. Prevalence, geographic distribution and host-vector relationships.

1. Onchocerca gutturosa is reported in Danish cattle for the first time. Microfilariae were found in 38 (9.4%) of 406 cows that were 2 years or older.
2. Microfilariae were not randomly distributed throughout the skin but were concentrated in the umbilical area.
3. No difference in prevalence was observed between breeds of cattle.
4. Most of the infected cows had grazed on fields close to streams that contained Simulium ornatum, the vector of O. gutturosa.
5. Differences in preferred biting sites of S. ornatum from cow to cow were correlated with the arrangement of hair.