Direct and Residual Contributions of Symbiotic Nitrogen Fixation by Legumes to the Yield and Nitrogen Uptake of Maize (Zea mays L.) in the Nigerian Savannah

Field experiments were conducted to determine the direct and residual contributions of legumes to the yield and nitrogen (N) uptake of maize during the wet seasons of 1994 and 1995 at the University Farm, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, Nigeria, located in the Northern Guinea savannah of Nigeria. Nodulating soybean, lablab, green gram and black gram contributed to the yield and N uptake of maize either intercropped with the legumes or grown after legumes as a sole crop. Direct transfer of N from the nodulating soybean, lablab, green gram and black gram to the intercropped maize was 24.9–28.1, 23.8–29.2, 19.7–22.1 and 18.4–18.6 kg N ha^–1, respectively. However, the transfer of residual N from these legumes to the succeeding maize crop was 18.4–20.0, 19.5–29.9, 12.0–13.7 and 9.3–10.3 kg N ha^–1, respectively. Four years of continuous lablab cropping resulted in yields and N uptake of the succeeding maize crop grown without fertilizer N that were comparable to the yields and N uptake of the succeeding maize crop supplied with 40–45 kg N ha^–1 and grown after 4 years of continuous sorghum cropping. It may therefore be concluded that nodulating soybean, lablab, green gram and black gram may be either intercropped or grown in rotation with cereals in order to economize the use of fertilizer N for maize production in the Nigerian savannah.     

Integrated Pest Management in Cocoa Agroforests in Southern Cameroon: Constraints and Overview

Imports of pesticides have long been subsidised for use in the cocoa agroforests of the humid forest zone of southern Cameroon. With the liberalisation of the cocoa and pesticides sectors and the devaluation of the local currency (CFA franc), farmers are facing fluctuations in the price paid for cocoa and the high cost of farm inputs. Without the support of the extension services, they themselves have developed traditional integrated control methods based on the use of plant extracts mixed with conventional pesticides. From a survey of 300 cocoa farmers, the study assesses the farmers' command of these methods, the pests controlled, the problems encountered and the institutional constraints in the definition and dissemination of integrated control methods. The study concludes with recommendations for research and development towards the better definition and dissemination of integrated control methods. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Transformation of Phosphorus in Forest and Savannah Agro-Ecological Alfisols incubated with Different Phosphorus Fertilizers,in Ekiti state,Southwestern Nigeria

Experiments on incubation with phosphorus (P) changes in two Nigerian Alfisols, were evaluated on the effectiveness of P sources (ground phosphate rock, GRP-9% P, Pace-setter Organo-Mineral Fertilizer (PR-fortified P-S-OM, 11% P and single superphosphate, SSP-7.7% P, for reference). All samples were adjusted to water tension measured at M Ψ w = 0.03 MPa. Changes in applied P were evaluated at 2, 6, 12 and 24 weeks after which data were analyzed using analysis of variance and correlations. Over 24 weeks of incubation, SSP transformed mostly into iron (Fe)-bound P and GPR produced the highest inorganic phosphate ions and transformed largely into the soluble and more chemically stable residual P, in both soils. This fraction, had high and positive correlations (r = 0.69, p < 0.05) with soil properties and constituted a major source and sinks of plant available P. Thus, GPR contributing beneficial effects of residual phosphates.     

关于耐湿园林植物处理城市污水的探讨

近年来,我国的水污染现象越来越严重,而对植物处理城市污水方面的研究国内外只局限于芦苇(Phragmites australis)、香蒲(Typha orientalis Presl.)等水生植物,虽对污水净化效率较高,但植物种类单一且观赏价值不高。针对这些不足,探讨了在植物选择上应扩展到耐湿园林植物,在注重污水净化效果的同时又体现植物的美学功能,为现代城市营造出一处生态功能景观。     

Bush cover and range condition assessments in relation to landscape and grazing in southern Ethiopia

Progressive growth of bush cover in dry savannahs is responsible for declines in range conditions. In southern Ethiopia, the Booran pastoralists assisted our understanding of spatial patterns of bush cover and range conditions in 54 landscape patch types grouped into six landscape units within an area of 30000 km². The size of landscape patches sampled was 625 m². We assessed the relationships between bush cover, grass cover and bare soil and grazing pressure and soil erosion and changes in range condition. Externally, political conflicts and internally, break down of land use, and official bans on the use of fire promoted bush cover and the decline in range conditions. Bush cover was negatively correlated with grass cover, and positively correlated with bare soil. Grass cover was negatively correlated with bare soil and grazing pressure in most landscape patch types. Grazing pressure was not significantly correlated with bush cover or bare soil, while soil erosion was directly related to bare soil. Soil erosion was absent in 64% of the landscape patch types, and seemingly not a threat to the rangelands. The relationship between bush cover, grass cover, bare soil and soil erosion is complex and related to climate, landscape geology, and patterns of land use. Main threats to range conditions are bush climax, loss of grass cover and unpalatable forbs. Currently, >70% of the landscape patch types are in poor to fair range conditions. Decline in range conditions, unless reversed, will jeopardise the pastoral production system in southern Ethiopia.     

Forest patches in Imperata grassland and prospects for their preservation under agricultural intensification in Northeast Luzon, The Philippines

Frequent burning and grazing and cultivation of cash crops increasingly threaten forest patches in hilly grassland in Northeast Luzon, yet their importance as a resource with multiple environmental functions and forest products persists. The aim of this study is to identify different types of forest patches, and their condition under present land-use intensification, and discuss prospects for their integration into sustainable local farming systems. Five types of forest patches are distinguished, both natural and planted ones, including rows of trees, woody patches, gallery forests, hill-slope forests and homegarden conglomerations. Natural woody patches and gallery forests in Imperata grassland are subject to degradation and land-use conversion under conditions of agricultural intensification. Woody patches in grassland affected by frequent burning and grazing cover small areas (66% below 50 m² as opposed to 28% in protected grassland) and contain relatively few woody plant species (25 woody species in total as opposed to 82 where protected). Yet where well managed, they may provide a variety of products for sale and subsistence, covering emergency needs and giving off-season cash income to rural communities. Moreover they serve like the gallery forest various ecological functions, carrying valuable indigenous tree species, retaining soil base nutrients, providing a continuous supply of organic matter and intercepting fine earth soil particles removed from bare surfaces. It is suggested that forest-patch management systems may be developed, taking into account both patch diversity and the diverse needs of rural communities, and to strengthen existing and undervalued functions of forest patches as permanent elements in an agricultural landscape.This revised version was published online in November 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Seasonal dynamics of mineral N pools and N-mineralization in soils under homegarden trees in South Andaman,India

Agroforestry trees are now well known to play a central role in the build up of nutrients pools and their transformations similar to that of forest ecosystem, however, information on the potential of homegarden trees accumulating and releasing nitrogen (mineralization) is lacking. The present study reports seasonal variations in pool sizes of mineral N (NH₄⁺-N and NO₃⁻-N), and net N-mineralization rate in relation to rainfall and temperature under coconut (Cocos nucifera L.), clove (Eugenia caryophyllata Thunb) and nutmeg (Myristica fragrans Houtt. Nees) trees in a coconut-spice trees plantation for two annual cycles in the equatorial humid climate of South Andaman Island of India. Concentration of NH₄⁺-N was the highest during wet season (May–October) and the lowest during post-wet season (November–January) under all the tree species. On the contrary, concentration of NO₃⁻-N was the lowest in the wet season and the highest during the post-wet season. However, concentrations of the mineral N were the highest under the nutmeg and the lowest under the coconut trees. Like the pool sizes, mean annual mineralization was the highest under the nutmeg (561 mg kg⁻¹ yr⁻¹) and the lowest under the coconut trees (393 mg kg⁻¹ yr⁻¹). Rate of mineralization was the highest during the post-wet season and the lowest during the dry season (February–April) under all the tree species. High rainfall during the wet season, however, reduced the rate of nitrification under all the tree species. The mean annual mineralization was logarithmically related with rainfall amount and mean monthly temperature.     

Connectivity,habitat, and flow regime influence fish assemblage structure: Implications for environmental water management in a perennial river of the wet–dry tropics of northern Australia

1. Environmental water management seeks to balance competing demands between the water needed to sustain human populations and their economic activities and that required to sustain functioning freshwater ecosystems and the species they support. It must be predicated on an understanding of the environmental, hydrological, and biological factors that determine the distribution and abundance of aquatic species.
2. The Daly River of the wet–dry tropics of northern Australia consists of a perennially flowing main stem and large tributaries, as well as many small to large naturally intermittent tributaries, and associated off‐channel wetlands. Increased groundwater abstraction to support irrigated agriculture during the dry season threatens to reduce dry‐season flows that maintain perenniality and persistence of freshwater fishes.
3. Fish assemblages were surveyed at 55 locations during the dry season over a 2‐year period with the goal of establishing the key landscape‐scale and local‐scale (i.e. habitat) drivers of fish species distribution.
4. Longitudinal (upstream/downstream) and lateral (river/floodplain) gradients in assemblage structure were observed with the latter dependent on the position in the river landscape. Underlying these gradients, stream flow intermittency influenced assemblage composition, species richness, and body size distributions. Natural constraints to dispersal were identified and their influence on assemblage structure was also dependent on position within the catchment.
5. Eight distinct assemblage types were identified, defined by differences in the abundance of species within five groups differing in functional traits describing body size, spawning requirements, and dispersal capacity. These functional groups largely comprised species widely distributed in northern Australia.
6. The results of the study are discussed with reference to the environmental flow needs of the Daly River and other rivers of northern Australia. The findings may also be applied to environmental flow management in savannah rivers elsewhere.

     

腐殖酸液肥对大豆产量和品质的影响

基于腐殖酸液肥在蔬菜生产的良好表现，为了拓宽该肥料的使用范围。进行了盆栽大豆试验。结果表明：腐液肥单独施用及与化肥配合施用都可以显提高大豆产量，分别比对照增产43.84%和53.01%；还可以显提高大豆籽粒中的粗脂肪含量，比等养分量的化肥处理分别高出1.51%和1.59%，但对大豆籽粒粗蛋白含量有一定的负影响。     

东北地区湿润指数及其干湿界线的变化特征

利用1961～2007年东北地区124个气象站的温度、降水、风、水汽压、日照等气候资料,采用Penman-Monteith-模型计算参考蒸散量,进一步计算了湿润指数,分析了参考蒸散量和湿润指数的变化趋势及干湿界线的变化情况.结果表明:湿润指数总体呈下降的趋势,变干趋势发生在半干旱半湿润气候区及湿润气候区的大部分地区,湿...