Effects of silvopastoral areas on milk production at dual-purpose cattle farms at the semi-humid old agricultural frontier in central Nicaragua

In extensive cattle production systems, the composition of grazing areas may significantly influence productivity. In dual-purpose cattle production systems in the lowland tropics, pasture lands with trees, so-called silvopastoral areas, are considered as being important, particularly to facilitate the management of crossbred European native cattle. The aim of the study was to quantify the effects of silvopastoral areas on production at dual-purpose cattle farms in the semi-humid lowlands of central Nicaragua. The relationships between seasonal milk production and herd data, and the proportions of land use types were examined for 74 farms by stepwise regression analysis.     

厌氧生物水处理技术研究进展

在原有脱碳技术基础上,废水厌氧处理在其他领域的研究与应用被不断拓展.本文介绍了近年来厌氧生物处理技术的新发展,从理论和工艺两个方面,综述了厌氧生物脱硫、生物制氢、厌氧氨氧化、厌氧反硝化的原理、研究、技术开发与应用.     

Resource allocation tradeoffs in Manila’s peri-urban vegetable production systems: An application of multiple objective programming

This paper designed and developed a multi-objective programming (MOP) model to illustrate the dynamic relationship among technologies, productive activities, constraints and farmers’ objectives in the peri-urban vegetable production system and use the model as an economic tool in analysing probable consequences of a given action or innovation on the farm. The best compromise solution was generated using four analytical steps, as follows: single-objective optimization (to determine the ideal and anti-ideal values of the objective functions); constrained optimization (to generate the set of Pareto non-dominated solutions); cluster analysis (to trim down efficient set into smaller homogeneous groups); and compromise programming (to determine where the best compromise solution lies).     

Monitoring forage production for farmers’ decision making

Objective management of grazing livestock production systems needs monitoring of forage production at the managerial unit level. Our objectives were to develop a system that routinely estimates forage above-ground net primary production (ANPP) at the spatial and temporal resolution required by farmers in the Pampas of Argentina, and to facilitate adoption of the system by end users as a managerial support tool. Our approach was based on the radiation use efficiency (RUE) logic, which proposes that ANPP is determined by the amount of photosynthetically active radiation absorbed by the canopy (APAR), and the efficiency with which that energy is transformed in above-ground dry matter (radiation use efficiency, RUE). APAR is the product of incoming photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) and the fraction absorbed by the canopy (fPAR). We estimated fPAR as a non-linear function of MODIS normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). RUE was empirically estimated for the two principal forage resources of the region, yielding the following relations: ANPP = 0.6 × APAR + 12, (R² = 0.86; p < 0.001; n = 18) for the upland sown pastures, and ANPP = 0.27 × APAR + 26, (R² = 0.74; p < 0.001; n = 18) for the lowland naturalized pastures, with ANPP in g/m²/60 days and APAR in MJ/m²/60 days. The models were able to predict independent ANPP values with acceptable accuracy. Computational procedures were automated and run in a Relational Data Base Manager System that stored and managed all the information. The system is currently monitoring 212,794 ha in 83 farms and provides monthly ANPP values for the previous month and a history of the last 6 years. The data so generated show ANPP differences between the two major forage resources, considerable variability of a given month’s ANPP among years and paddocks, and contrasting among-farm differences in the efficiency of conversion of ANPP and forage supplements into beef production. The system was well accepted by end users who utilize it mainly for making near real time decisions according to last month ANPP, and explaining results of previous production cycles by incorporating ANPP as an explicative variable. However, there were differences among farmers in the degree of utilization, apparently related to the advisor’s attitude toward this new technology. Our results indicate that (1) forage production of large extensions can be monthly monitored at the paddock level by a small laboratory with capabilities in geographic information systems, and (2) advisors and farmers apply this information to their managerial decisions.     

荒漠化预警模型及其应用研究

分析了土地生产潜力的影响因子及其计算方法，从机理上分析各因子给未来荒漠化的发展趋势可能造成的影响，并从土地生产潜力退化基本原理出发，建立了荒漠化顸警模型。以疏勒河流域为背景，在GIS平台支持下，应用预警模型分析了该流域昌马灌区农业综合开发后的荒漠化趋势，对灌区荒漠化的发展趋势和潜在危险性进行了分析判断。     

Quality and maximum profit of industrial tomato as affected by distribution uniformity of drip irrigation system

The tomato industry reformed its system of payment by weight of tomato, introducing a corrective system based on percent level of fruit dry matter produced. Such a decision implies significant changes in the management of irrigation systems, with a need to emphasize the technological quality of the marketable product. Three levels of distribution uniformity of the irrigation system are analysed, and related production functions of crop yield and percent of dry matter are presented as well as their use on the optimisation of dry matter, expected revenues and seasonal applied water. Results are critically influenced by the distribution uniformity. They demonstrate the inter-relationship between crop production, percent fruit dry matter and irrigation management, and the importance of considering non-uniformity in the economic analysis of industrial tomato production. Decreases in uniformity lead to a reduction in dry matter production per unit land. Decreases in dry matter are also observed with increasing levels of seasonally applied water, with the optimal level always lower than the required for maximum yield. Such interaction suggests a continuous and inverse relationship between profit and water applied. However, due to the corrective system of payment, by levels of percent of dry matter produced, for some uniformity, the expected revenue follows the yield-water production function instead of the dry matter function. This fact introduces disturbances in the optimal water applied inducing higher than expected levels of water applied for profit maximisation. The simulated data also show that incentives to switch to new systems or management practices able to raise the distribution uniformity result more from profit losses than increases in water price.     

Determining crop-water production functions using yield–irrigation gradient algorithms

Crop-water production functions (CWPFs) are a useful tool for irrigation planning, but derivation of CWPFs by field experimentation is expensive, and traditional analytical techniques are not well suited to derivation of CWPFs. Physiologically based crop models provide a useful tool for simulation of agricultural experiments, but they have not been extensively applied to the task of CWPF determination. A new algorithm type based upon differential crop yield response to irrigation (“yield–irrigation gradients” [YIG]) is presented that uses these crop models to determine planning-level irrigation schedules and CWPFs. Three specific algorithms are developed within this type, varying in complexity, performance, and computational costs. Performance of the YIG methods is compared against a standard reference evapotranspiration method. In particular, the randomized iterative YIG (RIYIG) algorithm provides near-optimal results but at the highest computational costs of all the methods specified. All of the techniques presented have general applicability and are not limited to any one crop or location.     

小型螺杆式紧压茶叶机的研制

紧压茶大多为发酵砖茶,饮用前必须先将其掏碎后在锅中烹煮出茶叶汁味才可饮用.为此,设计了一种螺杆式紧压茶叶机,该机可以在茶叶加工最后一道干燥工序前利用茶叶的自有粘性加工成紧压茶块;同时,就紧压茶叶机的工作原理及螺杆受力情况进行了分析.     

一种新式护坡——模压混凝土砌块护坡

在对传统护坡型式缺陷进行分析的基础上,介绍了一种新式护坡—模压混凝土砌块护坡,通过对其生产工艺、施工工艺以及优点等方面的阐述,说明该护坡系统有良好应用前景。     

无公害畜禽产品发展分析与对策

分析了我国畜禽产品的现状、存在的问题以及解决问题的对策与方法，指出了大力推进无公害畜产品发展是21世纪畜牧业发展方向。