Weeding techniques in transplanted and direct wet-seeded rice in Pakistan

Field studies were undertaken to explore the weed management strategies for transplanted and direct wet-seeded rice in the Dera Ismail Khan district of North-west Frontier Province, Pakistan. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with a split plot arrangement. The main plots consisted of two planting techniques (transplantation and direct seeding), while weed control practises assigned to the subplots included the use of the granular herbicide Sunstar 15WG (ethoxy sulfuron), Machete 60EC (butachlor), conventional hand weeding, and the weedy check (untreated control). Data were recorded on weed dynamics and the agronomic parameters of the rice crop. Economic analyses on the data were also run. The weed density and biomass were lower in the transplantation plots than the direct-seeding plots. The herbicides ethoxy sulfuron and butachlor reduced the density over the weedy check, with a density comparable to hand weeding in 2002, but slightly higher in 2003. As a result of weed management by hand weeding and herbicides, the paddy yield and its components were significantly higher for the transplanted method compared to the direct-seeded method. The comparable yield of herbicides with hand weeding offers an option for the use of herbicides as an alternative management tool. In light of our findings, it is concluded that for good economic returns, rice crops may be transplanted rather than direct-seeded. The herbicides ethoxy sulfuron and butachlor offer a weed control cover comparable with hand weeding under the transplantation method, while butachlor is good for controlling weeds even under the direct-seeded conditions in the agroclimatic conditions of the area.     

Parasitoid community of the loreyi leaf wormMythimna (Acantholeucania) loreyi: Novel host-parasitoid associations and their efficiency in the eastern mediterranean region of Turkey

The loreyi leaf worm,Mythimna (Acantholeucania) loreyi Duponchel (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae), is a pest of gramineous crops and causes significant economic damage to maize. In field surveys on maize to determine the parasitoid community and its impact on the pest in the eastern Mediterranean region of Turkey, nine parasitoid species were found associated with immature stages ofM. loreyi: The hymenopteran (Braconidae and Ichneumonidae) parasitoidsCotesia (=Apanteles) ruficrus (Haliday),Chelonus oculator Panzer,Meteorus ictericus Nees,Hyposoter didymator (Thunberg),Sinophorus sp.; and the dipteran (Tachinidae) parasitoidsPseudogonia rufifrons Wiedeman,Exorista rossica Mesnil,Gonia picea (Robineau-Desvoidy) andLinnaemya vulpina (Fallen) — the last three recorded for the first time as parasitoids ofM. loreyi in Turkey.C. ruficrus was the dominant parasitoid species, being recovered from 38.5% of the larvae collected and was also the most prevalent species, existing in 91.0% of the fields in whichM. loreyi was found. Total parasitism levels achieved by braconid species was 41.4%, by ichneumonid parasitoids 4.8%, and by tachinid parasitoids 1.9%. In a separate field experiment, seasonal population fluctuations and natural efficiency ofC. ruficrus onM. loreyi were found to be 35.1% and 42.4%, respectively. Population levels ofC. ruficrus were closely related to fluctuations in the population ofM. loreyi, with parasitism ranging between 0 and 77.3% during the study. http://www.phytoparasitica.org posting Aug. 28, 2005.     

A grower-friendly method to transfer predacious mites to commercial orchards

The establishment of predacious mites in commercial orchards may be accelerated by the transfer of pruned wood in winter and summer from donor orchards to release orchards. Following winter pruning, 3-year-old and older wood is collected and transported as soon as possible in bundles to a release orchard for distribution. If the release orchard is composed of dwarf trees, then one or two bundles of 5 kg each are placed vertically at the base of the trunk of every tree in the block (0.5 to 1 ha); if the trees are of standard size, then four or five bundles used. Following summer pruning, annual shoots and suckers are distributed immediately in a release orchard composed of dwarf trees by placing 12–15 branches on the foliage of fruit-bearing branches; if the release orchard is composed of standard trees, then 50 branches are used. The pruned wood should have 20–25 leaves and not less than one predator per leaf. The release orchard should have a light infestation (two or three mites per leaf) of pest tetranychids. These phytophagous mites would serve as food and help establish the predators. The release orchard grower should develop a pest management program based on the same groups of pesticides used in the donor orchard. http://www.phytoparasitica.org posting Aug. 31, 2005.     

黑木耳烘干控制系统的研究

黑木耳烘干控制系统，采用压缩式热泵，AT89C51单片机、SHT75型温湿度传感器、加热器等组成温湿度控制电路。控制干燥室内的温湿度，完成对干燥室内的黑木耳进行低温、高效率的去湿干燥。     

我国防沙治沙科研的突破口初探-以河西走廊沙区为例

河西走廊的防沙治沙科研在我国广大沙区具有代表性。河西走廊防沙治沙科研存在的主要问题是 :⑴宏观战略研究薄弱 ,研究缺乏系统性。主要表现在 :治沙措施散件得不到优化组合 ,其功能得不到充分发挥 ;研究客体之间互相割裂 ,缺乏从总体上控制沙漠化的研究 ;农业开发与生态资源保护的结合点问题没有解决 ;研究课题重复。⑵散件成果多属定性结论 ,缺乏操作性。运用系统科学的思想方法是治沙科技发展的突破口 :只有运用系统科学的思想方法才能科学处理生态资源保护、生态环境建设和资源开发利用三方面的关系 ,才能实现各种防沙治沙措施的优化配置 ,才能实现治理结果的持续稳定。运用现代数学方法建立沙区生态环境综合治理数学模型才能科学处理多系统的复杂关系。现代数学方法是系统科学的主要方法。运用系统科学的思想方法和现代数学方法是治沙科技发展必须达到的 ,是治沙科技发展的突破口。     

杂草对灭生性除草剂百草枯的抗性问题

本文综述了百草枯抗性杂草的发生、发展情况以及抗性机理方面的报道，并就抗性杂草的治理提出几点建议。     

The urbanization of wildlife management: Social science, conflict, and decision making

Increasing urbanization of rural landscapes has created new challenges for wildlife management. In addition to changes in the physical landscape, urbanization has also produced changes in the socio-cultural landscape. The greater distancing from direct interaction with wildlife in urbanized societies has led to the emergence of a culture whose meanings for wildlife are less grounded in the utilitarian/instrumental orientation of rural agrarian systems. Urban perspectives on wildlife are comprised of more highly individualized emotional/symbolic values. This shift creates two problems with respect to managing wildlife in an urbanizing landscape. First the increased diversity in values and meanings increases the likelihood for social conflicts regarding wildlife management while at the same time making socially acceptable resolutions more intractable. This in turn requires fundamental changes in decision-making paradigms and the research approaches used to inform decision making. Second, as remaining rural communities feel the pressures of urbanization, wildlife conflicts become conflicts not just over wildlife but conflict over larger socio-political concepts such as equity, tradition, private property rights, government control, power, and acceptable forms of knowledge. This paper examines the wildlife management implications of changes associated with increasing urbanization and employs two case studies to illustrate these issues. First a study of a controversy over urban deer management provides insights into how to map conflicting values and search for common ground in an urban culture with increasingly individualistic values for wildlife. Specifically, the analysis illustrates that common ground may, at times, be found even among people with conflicting value systems. The second case study examined a ranching community faced with predator reintroduction. This case study illustrates tensions that occur when the community of interest (i.e. a national public) is broader than the community of place in which the problem occurs. In this latter situation, the debate centers around more than just different views about the rights of animals. It also entailed the rights of individuals and communities to decide their future. The conclusion discusses the need for wildlife institutions to adapt their underlying decision making philosophy including the way science is integrated into decision making processes in light of the changes in social context caused by urbanization.     

Alternative Route of Infection for Bacterial Seedling Blight of Rice Caused by Burkholderia plantarii

Burkholderia plantarii , the pathogen of bacterial seedling blight of rice, was detected in paddy water. Its concentration rose in July and August. The bacterial concentration in the paddy water was always higher along levees than at distances more than 5 m from levees. Confirmed to be released into water when graminaceous weeds were immersed, B. plantarii survived for at least 4 days at 30°C. B. plantarii was splashed at least 30 cm upward by rain splash in the field. Harvested seeds, which had been sprayed with B. plantarii released from graminaceous weeds at the flowering stage, retained the bacteria. Bacterial seedling blight occurred when the seeds were then sown in nursery boxes. These results indicated that graminaceous weeds growing on levees of paddy fields are a source of infection of the disease and that rice seeds are infected through the paddy water. Received 23 May 2002/ Accepted in revised form 1 September 2002     

Effects of winter wheat cultivars and seed rate on the biological characteristics of naturally occurring weed flora

Summary Differential competitive ability of six winter wheat cultivars and traits that confer such attributes were investigated for a range of seed rates in the presence or absence of weeds for a naturally occurring weed flora in two successive years in split-plot field experiments. Crop height and tillering capacity were considered suitable attributes for weed suppression, although competitiveness is a relative rather than an absolute characteristic. Maris Huntsman and Maris Widgeon were the most competitive cultivars whereas Fresco was the least competitive. Manipulation of seed rate was a more reliable factor than cultivar selection for enhancement of weed suppression, although competitiveness of cultivars Buster, Riband and Maris Widgeon was not enhanced by increased seed rate. Crop densities ranging between 125 and 270 plants m⁻² were found to offer adequate weed suppression. Linear relationships were observed between individual and total weed species dry weight and reproductive structures per unit area.     

库布齐沙漠穿沙公路沙害综合防治技术

库布齐穿沙公路修建在库布齐沙漠高大的流动沙丘区 ,风沙流侵袭与沙丘整体前移埋压公路是主要沙害形式。现有防沙措施是沙障保护下的人工植被及天然植被相结合的综合防护体系 ,固沙及阻沙效益明显。目前要解决的是尽快形成公路两侧稳定的植被群落 ,以保证公路的长期畅通