Loss of and damage to scallops due to storms in the Sea of Okhotsk

In the coastal zone of the Sea of Okhotsk off Hokkaido, Japan, the giant ezo scallop ( Patinopecten yessoensis ) is widely cultivated on the sea bed, making its fishery a major industry. However, the area experiences intense cyclones, including typhoons, about once a decade and the scallop resources appear to have received severe damage from the storms. Such an event occurred on 29 October 1988. The storm caused 12-m-high wind waves, which appeared to be fully developed sea waves. The water above the sea bed repeatedly moved back and forth at speeds of 1∼2 m s^-1 causing damage to the scallops due to collisions and rubbing with gravel and other scallops. From a comparison of wind data with the annual catch of scallops, intense cyclones seem to play an important role on the year-to-year fluctuations in the scallop fishery.     

Effects of Supplemental Calcium on Ion Accumulation,Transport and Plant Growth of Salt Sensitive Brassica Rapa Landrace

ABSTRACT

Effects of three supplemental calcium (Ca⁺⁺; 2.5, 5.0, and 10 mole m^?3) concentrations on ion accumulation, transport, selectivity, and plant growth of salt-sensitive species, Brassica rapa ‘Sani’ in saline medium were investigated. Supplemental Ca⁺⁺ in the presence of 125 mol m^?3 sodium chloride (NaCl) did not improve the dry weight and leaf area indicating no role played by Ca⁺⁺ in the alleviation of salinity induced growth inhibition. However, calcium chloride (CaCl₂) did significantly affect sodium (Na⁺), potassium (K⁺), and Ca⁺⁺ contents of roots and shoots. The ion contents of shoots were significantly greater than those of roots per g dry weight, indicating ion transportation to shoots is greater than ion accumulation in roots. Use of CaCl₂ in 125 mol m^?3 NaCl reduced the Na⁺ content but increased K⁺ and Ca⁺⁺ contents in shoots. Sodium contents in shoots differed among the supplemental Ca⁺⁺ treatments indicating the role of CaCl₂ in Na⁺ ions transportation. Calcium content in shoots declined significantly in the control treatment (0 CaCl₂) but increased significantly in 10 mol m^?3 CaCl₂. The root also showed the effects of Ca⁺⁺ on the reduction of Na⁺ content and the increase of K⁺ and Ca⁺⁺ content. Unexpectedly, 5 mol m^?3 CaCl₂ induced the highest Na⁺ content in roots at 16 days after treatment. Supplemental CaCl₂ application influenced the K⁺ or Ca⁺⁺ selectivity over Na⁺ in two ways, ion accumulation at roots and transport to shoots. However, high CaCl₂ treatments allowed greater Ca⁺⁺ selectivity over Na⁺ than low CaCl₂. Likewise, high supplemental CaCl₂ showed higher K⁺ selectivity over Na⁺ than low CaCl₂. A marked increase in K⁺ versus Na⁺ selectivity for the transport process occurred at 10 mol m^?3 CaCl₂ treatments. The roots and shoots exhibited higher K⁺/Na⁺ and Ca⁺⁺/Na⁺ ratios in high CaCl₂ treatment than in low. The results are discussed in context to supplemental Ca⁺⁺ concentrations, ions accumulation, transportation and selectivity of salt sensitive Brassica rapa cultivar.     

MODELING GROWTH AND ION CONCENTRATION OF LILIUM IN RESPONSE TO NITROGEN:POTASSIUM:CALCIUM MIXTURE SOLUTIONS

Nutrient solution composition plays an important role in root uptake rate due to interactions among nutrients and internal regulation. Studies to determine the optimum nutrient solution concentration are focused on individual ions, ignoring the adaptation mechanisms triggered by plants when growing in a varying external nutrient concentration. The objective of the present study was to determine the response in growth and tissue ion concentration of lilium cv. ‘Navona’ to nutrient mixtures of varying proportions of nitrogen (N), potassium (K⁺), and calcium (Ca²⁺) in solution using mixture experiments methodology in order to determine the optimum concentration. Bulbs of lilium were transplanted in plastic crates and drip-irrigated with the treatment solutions, which consisted of a mixture of N, K⁺, and Ca²⁺ whose total concentration was 340 mg L^?1 and minimum concentrations of each ion was 34 mg L^?1. Chlorophyll concentration (SPAD), shoot fresh weight (FW), leaf FW, and leaf area were measured 60 days after transplanting and ion analysis was performed on shoot tissues from selected treatments. Lilium exhibited a moderate demand for N and K⁺ (136–170 mg L^?1 N and 116–136 mg L^?1 K⁺) and a very low demand for Ca²⁺ (34–88 mg · L^?1). This low demand may be due to the remobilization of the nutrients stored in the bulbs. Integrating the predictions of the models estimated to produce >90% of maximum growth, the optimum nutrient solution should contain Ca²⁺ at a concentration between 34 and 126 mg · L^?1, K⁺ between 119 and 211 mg · L^?1, and N between 92 mg · L^?1 and 211 mg · L^?1. Increasing external N concentration affected internal N concentration but not internal K⁺ or Ca²⁺ concentrations, despite that the increase in external N was associated with a decrease in external K⁺ and Ca²⁺. Similar trends were observed for external K⁺ and Ca²⁺ concentration. In conclusion, lilium was able to maintain a relatively constant K⁺ and Ca²⁺ concentration regardless of the lower concentration in the nutrient solution when N was increased (similar response was observed for K⁺ and Ca²⁺) and it has a low Ca²⁺ demand and moderate N and K⁺ supply.     

Response of soil properties and yam yield to Chromolaena odorata (Asteraceae) and Tithonia diversifolia (Asteraceae) mulches

Plant materials differ in their chemical composition, rate of decomposition and suitability as mulch materials. Experiments were conducted during 2006–2007 and 2007–2008 cropping seasons for early yam cultivation at Owo in the forest–savanna transition zone of southwest Nigeria to study the effect of Chromolaena odorata and Tithonia diversifolia mulches applied at 0.0, 5.0, 7.5, 10.0 and 12.5 t ha^?1 on soil chemical properties, leaf nutrient composition, growth and tuber yield of white yam (Dioscorea rotundata Poir). Both C. odorata and T. diversifolia mulches reduced soil bulk density and temperature; increased concentrations of soil organic matter (SOM), total N, available P, exchangeable K, Ca and Mg, leaf N, P, K, Ca and Mg; enhanced growth and yield of yam compared with control. The values of SOM, total N and available P and leaf N and P concentrations increased with increasing mulch rate. C. odorata mulch and T. diversifolia mulch applied at 10.0 and 7.5 t ha^?1, respectively, was found to be suitable for yam production. T. diversifolia mulch compared with C. odorata mulch produced higher values of soil chemical properties, leaf nutrient concentrations, growth and yield of yam. T. diversifolia mulch produced 19% and 18% higher tuber yield compared with C. odorata mulch during 2006–2007 and 2007–2008 cropping seasons, respectively.     

Effect of biofertilizers on the nutrient availability in soil in relation to growth,yield and yield attributes of Stevia rebaudiana

A field experiment was conducted at Rani Chandramma Agricultural University (Arabhavi, Belgaum), Karnataka, India, in basic soil to study the nutrient availability in soil, yield and yield attributes of the medicinal plant stevia (Stevia rebaudiana). The results showed that the availability of nutrients such as nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) in the soil increased up to the fifth month; and thereafter, decreased by the same amount with the progress of the plant growth up to the sixth month, irrespective of treatments. Results also showed that the fresh and dry biomass yields significantly increased up to the sixth month with different treatments, but the yield attributes like plant height and the number of branches were observed to be varied with various treatments, being highest in the combined application of biofertilizers over that of their corresponding sole applications.     

主动型配电网日前调度策略研究

相对于传统配电网,主动型配电网可以合理利用其双向调度功能,充分发挥分布式发电容量,在保护环境的同时还可以提高电力公司的效益。以电力公司效益最大为调度目标,针对主动型配电网调度问题,该文计及输电和高压配电网网损的影响,提出了一种配电网日前优化调度模型,通过该模型对微电网电源交互功率和分布式电源进行优化调度,同时确定最佳渗透率,不仅可以有效地削峰填谷,还可以根据最佳渗透率调整分布式电源的功率,使电力公司效益最大化。算例研究表明,电网中接在距离电源点较近的节点下的主动型配电网,通过该文提出的优化调度模型,得出渗透率为21.14%时,电力公司效益最高。该研究可为主动型配电网日前调度策略以及分布式电源最佳渗透率的制定提供参考。     

水肥调控对二月兰和后茬花生养分累积及土壤肥力的影响

摘 要：田间试验条件下，研究不同水肥处理对二月兰生长，及其翻压后后茬花生产量和养分累积的变化。结果表明，灌溉和施肥可显著促进二月兰生长。在绿肥季，不论施肥与否，灌溉处理均可显著提高二月兰的生物量和N、P、K养分含量， NPW（绿肥季施氮磷肥和灌溉）和CKW处理（绿肥季不施肥，只进行灌溉处理）的二月兰生物量和N、P、K养分含量分别比相应的未灌溉处理提高了66.47%和63.97%、76.95%和32.36%、88.31%和9.80%、21.71%和15.56%。二月兰翻压的养分还田量为91.04～260.23 kg/hm2，约占花生季化肥总养分的27.59%～78.86%。与冬闲处理（CF）相比，不同施肥和灌溉处理的绿肥翻压均促进了花生产量和养分累积，及土壤养分含量的提高，其中以EN处理的提升效果最明显。周年等养分条件下，花生季35.00%氮和/或42.86%磷肥料前移至绿肥季，可明显促进绿肥养分还田量的增加，后茬花生产量不同程度增加（增幅22.82%～41.18%）。综上，在适量灌溉和施肥条件下，二月兰生物量明显增加，进而促进后茬花生产量增加及养分累积。研究结果可为我国绿肥农田应用及化肥减施提供数据支撑和实践依据。     

基于神经网络方法的土壤流失量预测研究

生产建设项目土壤流失量的预测直接关系到建设项目的水土保持分析、评价和防治措施体系的布局,目前常用的预测方法因其局限性、不合理性以及精度差等问题往往难以实现准确预测。将人工神经网络的BP算法引入到土壤流失量预测中,将降雨侵蚀力、土壤可蚀性、坡长、坡度、水土保持措施作为影响土壤流失量的主要因子,并以17个生产建设项目水土保持监测实例作为学习样本和检测样本,建立了基于神经网络方法的土壤流失量预测模型。预测结果表明,该模型拟合和预测精度高,具有很强的应用价值,能够满足工程应用需要。     

Site-Specific Nitrogen Management in Rice Using Remote Sensing and Geostatistics

Proper doses of nitrogenous fertilizer are most important for rice production system because a large part of the nitrogen may be lost if it is not applied judiciously. A study was conducted covering five blocks of Balasore and two blocks of Bhadrak districts. Soil samples were collected randomly, and field visit was conducted during peak vegetative stage of rice. Two approaches have been used in this study for estimating the site-specific nitrogen (N) requirement in the study area. In one approach, geostatisical analysis and kriging was used to develop the soil test–based N recommendation map by which a minimum of 72 kg N ha^?1 and maximum of 94 kg N ha^?1 were recommended. In a second approach, remote sensing was used and N recommendation map was developed using the moderate-resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) leaf area index (LAI) and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) satellite data, and a minimum requirement of 60 kg N ha^?1 and maximum of 120 kg N ha^?1 was estimated through this approach.     

Specific Responses of Soil Microbial Residue Carbon to Long-Term Mineral Fertilizer Applications to Reddish Paddy Soils

Mineral nutrient inputs to soil may alter microbial activity and consequently influence the accumulation of microbial residues. In this study, we investigated the effects of application rates and ratios of mineral fertilizers on the microbial residue carbon(MRC) of reddish paddy soils after long-term(15-year) fertilizer applications in southern China. Contents of three soil amino sugars as microbial residue contents were determined and MRC were calculated based on amino sugars. Results showed that three individual amino sugar contents increased as fertilizer application rates increased until maximum values were reached at a rate of 450-59-187 kg ha~(-1) year~(-1)(N-P-K). The three amino sugar contents then declined significantly under the highest mineral fertilizer application rate of 675-88-280 kg ha~(-1) year~(-1)(N-P-K). In addition, to enhance the microbial residue contents, it was more beneficial to double P(N:P:K= 1:0.26:0.41) in fertilizers applied to the P-deficient reddish paddy soils than to double either N(N:P:K = 2:0.13:0.41) or K(N:P:K= 1:0.13:0.82). The contents of the three individual amino sugars and microbial residues under different fertilizer application rates and ratios were significantly and positively correlated with soil organic carbon(SOC), total N, total P, and p H. Increases in values of the fungal C to bacterial C ratios showed that soil organic matter(SOM) stability increased because of the fertilizer applications over the past 15 years. The contents and ratios of amino sugars can be used as indicators to evaluate the impact of mineral fertilizer applications on SOM dynamics in subtropical paddy soils. The results indicated that fertilizer applications at a rate of 450-59-187 kg ha~(-1) year~(-1)(N-P-K) may improve crop yields, SOC contents, and SOC stability in subtropical paddy soils.